Archives : Posts By Author : Jesse Beason
Posts by Jesse BeasonSenior Policy Director
Housing, Arts & Culture and Planning
The City should extend its equal benefits law
Let me tell you about Kelly and Dolores. They've been a family for 17 years. While Dolores works as an electrician, Kelly stays at home to care for their 4-year-old son, Avery, and newborn baby girl, Evan. Dolores' health care policy covers employees, married spouses, biological children, stepchildren, adopted children and anyone an employee is caring for such as siblings, parents, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. But the policy does not cover domestic partners. It does not cover Kelly, her partner of nearly two decades. This is wrong...April 10, 2006 in Equality, Front Page, Good Government, News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)
Town Hall on Equal Benefits
Sam is holding a Town Hall to answer questions and get further input on our proposed Equal Benefits Ordinance. Adding accountability to Portland’s non-discrimination policies, the Equal Benefits Ordinance would require city contractors to provide access to partner benefits equally. If a contractor offers benefits to the spouses of their employees, the ordinance would ensure they also offer benefits to the domestic partners of their employees...March 22, 2006 in Equality, Events, Front Page | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
"An American Looks Like Me"
Last weekend, Sam read an Excerpt from Posessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker - a favorite - at the African-American Read-in. You can read more about the Read-in in The Oregonian. Context: At this point in Walker’s novel, we find Tashi serving in the home of her tribe’s...February 21, 2006 in Arts & Culture, Events, North Portland | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)
Sam, the city and the arts
From The Oregonian: Sam Adams recently sat down with Oregonian art critic D.K. Row.A full transcript of their conversation is below. A shorter print version is in the Feb. 5 O! section. By D.K. ROW When Sam Adams and Nick Fish promised to boost funds for Portland's percent for art...February 7, 2006 in Arts & Culture, Front Page, News, Regional Arts & Culture Council | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
Sight Range: A Desert Storm Exhibit
January 26, 2006 in Arts & Culture, Events | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Investing in Artists
As Sam points out, investing in the economic success of our local artists is more than buying public art. In recognizing that work/live space meets Portland's economic development and affordable housing goals, we began to meet with developers, non-profits and public agencies to figure out what were obstacles to work/live,...January 4, 2006 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Housing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
When Art Gets in the Way
When Sam toured Lake Oswego he saw numerous sculptures gracing the downtown area. Judy Hammersted, the mayor of Lake Oswego, told Sam about their rotating sculpture program. Sam decided to bring it to Portland. The program gives neighborhoods who have not benefited from the city’s Percent for Art program the...January 4, 2006 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Equality, Please: Lobbying for Civil Unions
Election Day 2004 was bittersweet for many of us. While Sam had managed an astounding come back in the campaign to win a seat on Portland's City Council, Oregonian's resoundingly voted discrimination into our state's constitution with the passage of Constitutional Amendment 36. Sam vowed to continue advocating for a...December 20, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Equality | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Funding the arts is everyone's business
As Portland's Arts and Culture Commissioner, Sam is steadfast in his belief that a vibrant city has a vibrant arts and culture community. Over the past year, we have continued to advocate for public and private support of this community and pledged to make this a larger issue in our...December 20, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
From Homelessness to Affordable Housing
To meet the growing demand for affordable housing in Portland, the City has continued to invest in community development corporations and other organizations providing affordable housing and implementing the City's 10 year plan to end homelessness. During the 2005-06 budget cycle, Commissioner Sten and Sam advocated for allocating budget savings...December 20, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Housing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Saving a Cultural Hub
The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) has been highlighting Portland’s diversity in the arts for nearly 25 years. This year, however, in the course of 4 months, IFCC was without its Executive Director, its entire staff, and its board. Sam decided that we could not just let the center close....December 19, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Weighing Equal Benefits
Everybody should be treated equally, period. Ensuring equal treatment, however, can be complex. Consider, for instance, that the City of Portland has policies against discrimination in employment on the basis of, among other things, marital status and sexual orientation. However, contractors who do work with the City currently can treat...December 19, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Equality | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
2% for Art
Every time Portland uses public funds to build, rehab, remodel or improve public buildings, parks and structures, we dedicate a small percentage of funds - currently 1.33% - to public art. But, we discovered there were some kinks in this program. According to the report Sam asked the Auditor's office...December 19, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
The Equal Benefits Ordinance
This post has been updated. Our office is considering asking City Council to join 13 or so other cities and counties in enacting an Equal Benefits Ordinance, which in this acronymonious world of City-speak quickly becomes shortened to EBO. The EBO prohibits the City from entering into certain contracts or...December 9, 2005 in Equality, Front Page, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (46) | TrackBack (0)
Go To Portland! New York is Dead
From New York Arts Magazine: I return from Portland, Oregon and the Portland Institute for Contemporarys Arts' Time Based Art Festival, a geographical-cultural missionary of sorts. I feel like Malcolm X, ossified and stalwart in my political beliefs, before being thrust into Mecca and realizing that my entire paradigm for...December 2, 2005 in Arts & Culture, News | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Clearing the murkiness of Public Art
Every time Portland builds, rehabs, remodels or improves public buildings, parks and structures, we dedicate a small percentage of funds--currently 1.33%--to public art. While there are plenty of exceptions where this doesn't happen, say when we're acting as a public utility (water and sewer) or when we're using funds that forbid it, this program has built a stupendous $5 million public art collection over the 25 years it has been in place...
November 25, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Front Page, Our Initiatives, Regional Arts & Culture Council | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)
A Ride to Pill Hill
Sam and I stopped by a BBQ with the crew that's just beginning work on the new tram connecting OHSU campuses. They have started digging the hole where the tram will land, and standing there, looking west, you could see the hole (see picture) where the tram will drop people...September 14, 2005 in Downtown Portland, Front Page, Jobs & Economy, Office of Transportation, Transportation | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Mt. Tabor Artists in the SE 55th/Belmont area to host Open Studio Weekend
Artists Beverly Bauer, Sharlane Blaise, Greg Danielson, Don Jacobson, and Larry Olson plan to open their studios to visitors on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, from 11 am to 5 pm. These artists live within walking distance of each other and invite you to visit their studios. Beverly...August 26, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Events | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A bit of public art
Today the auditor's office released a report of Portland's percent for art program (PDF). The Oregonian wrote about the report in today's paper. The program dedicates a percentage of the costs of construction of certain public works to public art. Currently, the program dedicates 1.33%, though it will likely increase...August 18, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Front Page, Our Initiatives, Regional Arts & Culture Council | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
IFCC: an update
The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center is an important place to a lot of folks. I know because I've spoken to many of them over the past months since our office has taken a direct interest in seeing it succeed. Some attended classes at IFCC when it first opened in 1982....July 27, 2005 in Arts & Culture, North Portland | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
Unwire Portland
Portland is ready to go wireless. Unwire Portland is a unique way of bringing wi-fi to our entire city. In an effort to build a citywide wireless network offering wi-fi and other wireless internet technologies, the City will issue an Request for Proposals (RFP) for network services...
July 12, 2005 in Events, Jobs & Economy, North Portland | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)
Project Clean Slate
The flyer says it all, By cleaning up your criminal record, clearing up outstanding warrants and getting your license reinstated you will greatly increase your opportunities for employment, housing, self-empowerment and most importantly get you out of the criminal justice system. Project Clean Slate, held at July 9 at PCC...July 1, 2005 in Events, Jobs & Economy, North Portland, Public Safety | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack (1)
Arts group takes a new tack to court corporations
From the Portland Business Journal, June 24, 2005 - "A local arts nonprofit group's campaign to win support within Portland-area companies could be an uphill battle. But the Regional Arts and Culture Council has strong support from a number of prominent businesspeople, and hopes with their help to meet ambitious fund-raising goals.June 24, 2005 in Arts & Culture, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Music, Education and Success
Sam and I attended the Music Education Appreciation Awards on May 27. Sam was invited to speak about the importance of music education. (See his speech below.) A student of the piano and trumpet, Sam had plenty to say. As the person researching the speech--and unable to play a lick--I...May 27, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Speeches & Testimony | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Opposing federal cuts in affordable housing
After asking how our office might best share our opposition to federal cuts in housing, Affordable Housing Now!, a coalition of organizations advocating for reducing our region's supply of affordable housing, let us know that cities had begun to pass resolutions against the cuts in vital programs like Section 8...May 26, 2005 in Housing, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Senate Bill 1000 testimony
Sam spoke before the Senate Rules Committee regarding his support for Senate Bill 1000, a bill that would extend the ban on discrimination to include sexual orientation and create civil unions. His testimony is below...
May 4, 2005 in Equality, Front Page, Speeches & Testimony | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Clarify the percent for art program
I think our percent for art program is a great way to increase public exposure to art, create partnerships with the art community and public agencies, and make investments in supporting a strong Portland arts community. Current city code says that the percent requirement applies to any improvement project when...April 5, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Five promises for the arts
These are the goals to expand the role of arts & culture in Portland that our office began with in January.January 3, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
