Hello sweet summer—we hope you’re eating fresh peaches over the kitchen sink and having picnics at the river or park as often as you can. Last month, Cookie hosted our very first monthly writers circle and is sharing some thoughts about the gathering:

“It was an unforgettable moment to be surrounded by BIPOC femmes, pens to paper, stories unfolding, and people embracing their birthright to tell their stories.

Our first #RitualWritingCircle at the Albina Library reminded me exactly why I wanted to create this space.

We introduced ourselves and our projects ranging from public speaking, poetry, and memoir. From there, we explored our individual creative processes, played with writing prompts, free-wrote, shared stories, and talked about what it takes to make writing a ritual instead of something we’re always waiting to “find time” for.

Our plan is to grow #RitualWritingCircle into a biweekly gathering at the Albina Library, creating a consistent space to write, experiment, strengthen our voices, build sustainable writing practices, and nurture the work, or community if we haven’t had the time to cultivate on our own."

Thank you to everyone who came and can’t wait gather again at our next circle.”

We’ll be aiming for the last Saturday of every month, so mark your calendars for Saturday, August 29th at 4pm!

Little Earth Kin - August 29th

August 29th is a busy one for our team—right before our Ritual Writing Circle, Paula will be leading Little Earth Kin:

We welcome families to our art and story gathering in Laurelhurst Park on August 29th from 10am-noon. Join us as we celebrate the kinship between Black children and nature through picture books and art. Meet us between picnic tables E & F near the pond. Bring a blanket! We'll have art supplies and children's books available.

PIC Feature Spotlight: Inés Paulina Ramirez

Following our Spring Features and exhibition at Portland’5 Center for the Arts, we’re continuing to share videos interviews about each artist this summer. The full online features are on our website now.

This month we’re spotlighting Inés Paulina Ramirez, who we met at her apartment/studio space in SE Portland with her adorable pup.

“I like to play a lot of music that connects with my land, with the mountains, with Ecuador, [it’s] what I like to like nerd around [with]. But also I love to bring music that brings joy, that connects with the world, like music from Africa, from the diaspora in Latin America, all that memory that connects the world. So I like to listen [to] all kinds [of music] as well. Like in a way, to give global sounds a big spectrum of sounds I really appreciate, global sounds because it can just be so different like the root[s] where it comes [from] brings the original sound as well. And it’s also a way to understand culture and politics from specific times through music appreciation.”

Check out Paulina’s online feature here and support her work on Instagram here and here. and thanks to our very own Paula Champagne for the video feature and Jagger Blaec for the interview.

Call for Web Dev Volunteer 🙏🏽

Did you teach yourself how to code via Xanga or Myspace? Do you know the ins and outs of Wordpress? The Portland in Color team is looking for a volunteer or two to help us with some backend issues of our Wordpress website. If you’re a Wordpress or web design pro and have some time to volunteer to help us figure out wtf is going on, we’d appreciate any support!

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• 8/14-17 *Workshop* Surrealism in Nature Sitka Workshop with Orlando Almanza $400

• 8/19 *Residency* Vashon Artist Residency applications are open to both new residents and alumni.

• 8/20 *Exhibition Reception* Multnomah Arts Center Front and Center Gallery featuring elijah jamal asani, Swapna Mukhopadhyay, & Philip A. Robinson. Show runs August 7 - September 12.

• 8/27 + 8/28 *Yoga Workshop* with Låns CHarfauros. Virtual community classes + meditations, bridging the ancient wisdom of yoga with an indigenous, land-based (and lunar-based) lens.

• 8/30 *Event* Holi Summer Fest: A Celebration of Color. After four sold-out Holi Festivals Anjali & The Kid bring their color throw experience to Forest Grove for their biggest Holi yet featuring all organic colors handmade by farmers and tribal communities in India. A Bollywood and Bhangra dance party in the grass with Anjali’s Gulabi Gang dance troupe and the PDX Bhangra troupe. Tickets $28.10.

• 9/20 *Grant* Precipice Fund grant for visual art projects with a collaborative component “The Precipice Fund aspires to cultivate a grantmaking culture that emphasizes community over competition while recognizing collaboration, generosity, and connection as essential to a healthy arts ecology.”

• 9/23 *Grant* Oregon Arts Commission Career Opportunity Grant helps individual Oregon artists take advantage of timely opportunities that advance their careers, such as residencies, exhibitions or performances. Awards typically range from $500 to $2,000 depending on the scope of the opportunity, and applicants may request funding for only a portion of the cost. This round of funding is for activities occurring from November 1, 2026 through October 1, 2027. Applications due September 23rd.

• 9/30 *Residency* Caldera's Fee-Based Artist Residency (FAiR) offers artists, creatives, and cultural workers dedicated time and space to focus on their creative practice at Caldera's Arts Center near Sisters, Oregon. Applications due September 30th.

Rolling Deadlines and Offerings

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland
Equitable Giving Circle Weekly Market - Weekly free pop-up market for Black + Brown folks every Thursday 10am-2pm.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

Ritual Writing Circle

This month we’re excited to begin Ritual Writing Circle— a coworking session for writers of all backgrounds and experience to meet regularly (aiming for once a month!). There’s no obligation to come to a certain amount of sessions, but we hope that creating this space to gather will provide the opportunity and community support to actually sit down and write, which seems like the hardest part about being a writer sometimes.

This recurring gathering is hosted by our very own Cookie, also renown as the great Jagger Blaec, and will be meeting at the Albina Library on Saturday, July 25th from 4-6pm.

8/29 - Save the Date - Family art and stories

• Saturday, August 29th - 10am: Little Earth Kin at Mt. Tabor Park
  Welcoming all families for an art and story gathering centering Black kids and the outdoors.

PIC Feature Spotlight: Bint Bandora

Following our Spring Features and exhibition at Portland’5 Center for the Arts, we’re continuing to share videos interviews about each artist this summer. The full online features are on our website now.

This month we’re spotlighting Bint Bandora, who we met at Nomadic Vintage Rugs (our whole team was swooning at how lovely and colorful all of Nedim’s treasures were).

“I’ve been really, really lucky to find these women–these culture keepers–near me that are keeping these practices alive. We’ve created our own line of grandmas, moms, and aunts teaching each other–it’s like we’re all each other’s aunts or grandmas or mothers at different times. Sometimes I have resented being in diaspora and have had a lot of mixed feelings–like I am not educated enough, close enough to my culture, know the language well enough. So, it’s been really amazing to have a practice like tatreez. There’s nothing between me and the practice–it’s not like my father connecting me to the homeland or a language barrier. It’s me directly with the practice. It’s something that is deeply, deeply rooted in Palestinian culture and especially the life of women in Palestine.”

Check out Bint Bandora’s online feature here and support her work on Instagram and Etsy, and thanks to our very own Paula Champagne for the video feature and Jen Shin for the interview.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• 7/2 - 8/30 *Art Show* Crying In My Garden by Amy Nieto-Cruz is on display at Sisters Coffee, 1235 NW Marshall, through the end of August.
  

• 7/15 *Call for Art* Shows in Front & Center Galleries at the Multnomah Arts Center are scheduled through an annual Call for Art, and the 2026 round is now open (closes today!)

• 7/30 *Request for Qualifications* Oakville School District and the Washington State Arts Commission invite individual artists or artist teams to design a permanent, site-responsive interior artwork for the new Oakville Elementary School. The budget is $37,600, inclusive of design, fabrication, installation and tax. Open to artists residing in Washington and Oregon; those with a connection to the Oakville community and/or the Chehalis Tribe are strongly encouraged to apply.

• 7/31 *Residency* Caldera Artist in Residence program is now accepting applications for the 2027 Golden Spot Residency.

• 8/1 or sooner, *Open Award Submission* Granum Foundation Prizes, $500-$5000 awards to writers and translators. (“For the 2026 Granum Foundation Prize, applications will be closed once 1,000 entries are received, even if this occurs before August 1. We encourage writers to apply early.”)

• 8/5 *Call to Artists* The BRiGHT AfterParty is a nighttime celebration of light-based art that follows the Eugene BRiGHT Parade, filling the Farmers Market Pavilion and surrounding Park Blocks with projection, sculpture, sound and immersive installations. The all-ages event is September 26, 7-10 p.m. Organizers are seeking light-based artwork such as projection mapping, sculpture, interactive and participatory works, immersive environments, performance-based art and experimental light pieces. Selected artists receive a stipend of $300-$700.

• 8/14-17 *Workshop* Surrealism in Nature Sitka Workshop with Orlando Almanza $400
  

• 8/19 *Residency* Vashon Artist Residency applications are open to both new residents and alumni.

• 8/20 *Exhibition Reception* Multnomah Arts Center Front and Center Gallery featuring elijah jamal asani, Swapna Mukhopadhyay, & Philip A. Robinson. Show runs August 7 - September 12.

Rolling Deadlines and Offerings

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland
Equitable Giving Circle Weekly Market - Weekly free pop-up market for Black + Brown folks every Thursday 10am-2pm.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

Our team is recallibrating through a season of change. We’re always thinking about programming and ways we can support this community of artists, but we’re taking a closer look at what it means to do that sustainably. In a time when so much is driven by output, we want to think about how we can prioritize support and engagement with one another.

All that to say, we hope you’ll save the date for some upcoming events this summer:

Save the Dates

• Sunday, June 28th, 2-4pm : Drawing in the Park at Mt. Tabor Park
  Come draw/paint/create in the park! Bring your own materials (some will also be available on site such as oil pastels and paper). Some tables will be available for use but feel free to bring a blanket as needed.
  

• Saturday, July 25th, 4-6pm : Ritual Writing Circle, Location TBD
  Join us for a new monthly co-working session for writers. Any and all experiences welcome.
  

• Saturday, August 29th - 10am: Little Earth Kin at Mt. Tabor Park
  Welcoming all families for an art and story gathering centering Black kids and the outdoors.

PIC Feature Spotlight: Zoë Gamell Brown

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Spring Features exhibition at Portland’5 Center for the Arts this past April-May. The full features are online now and we’re excited to announce that each feature will also include a video interview!

This is a first for Portland in Color since we began feature interviews in 2017, and learning from these artists in this extra dimension feels particularly special. Big thank you to our team member Paula Champagne for filming and putting together these videos. Up first we have Zoë Gamell Brown and we’ll roll out the next videos each month this summer.

Filmed on the indigenous lands of Wapato Island, Zoë retells the story of her connection to their ancestors and artistry.

“If I truly believed that intergenerational trauma and healing are real, and if I really believe in regeneration and reincarnation, then I have to also believe that I chose to be here right now. That I chose to be in relationship with all the many beings that make life possible. If my matriarchs were enslaved, had their land stolen, had the potential for their hands to be chopped off every single day, and I’m still here? Yeah, I think I can show up.

I can go to the farm and understand how to plant garlic in the most simple and beautiful way. What else do you do but show up? It’s not easy in any sense of the stretch and that in and of itself is a miracle.”

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• 6/13 *Event* Help Nia Musiba draw the longest drawing in Portland

• 6/15 *Paid Community Feedback Opportunity* Ryan Fukuda, Founder of Happy Rice Creative and a Portland-based intuitive healer, teacher, and energy reader is expanding his healing practice and wants to hear from you first! He’s created a short 6–8 minute survey to help shape future offerings for the community, and your input could spark something entirely new. As a thank you, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a lottery drawing for a chance to win one of ten prizes: either a complimentary 20-minute energy reading or healing session, or a $20 gift card. Feel free to share with friends and family, and take the survey here!
  

• 6/18 *Event* David DaCosta’s “I Can’t Believe It’s More Jokey Jokes” book release at Benchmark PDX 5-8pm free with live DJ, ice cream by Kate’s ice cream. RSVP requested

• 6/19 *Event* All-Black Everything, an all-Black improv showcase on Juneteenth at 8:30 PM. We’re celebrating! Black Joy and big laughs are going to fill the Kickstand Comedy stage this Juneteenth, and you’re invited. This special event is all about celebrating wins and community, and this tried and true collection of Black comedians will be your guides. Featuring members of Brown Sugar, Ohh La La, Mosaic Complex, S.L.O.P., Oprah’s Book Club, and more—All Black Everything will bring you a night of comedy that you won’t soon forget. **PIC readers special $5 ticket rate to this event (or their regular Mosaic event) with password: See Mosaic**

  

• 6/23 *Event* Portland Businesses for All Meet and Greet - (PB4A) is a new and growing, all-volunteer business alliance that puts community first. PB4A believes that in order for our businesses to succeed, Portlanders need housing, living wage jobs, access to transportation, health care and education. Much like our sister organization, Portland for All, we are interested in getting a seat at the table to shape Portland for the collective good, while building practical support for and with each other. Tuesday, June 23rd, 5-8pm at Parkrose Coffee with drinks and snacks provided. RSVP appreciated but not required

• 6/23 *RFQ - Artist Residency* Harrison Community Village Artist-in-Residence. In partnership with Multnomah County and Do Good Multnomah, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) invites artists/artist teams who are currently living in Oregon or Washington and producing work in visual, literary, media, social practice and/or interdisciplinary mediums to submit qualifications for up to a one year artist-in-residence opportunity with $15,000-$25,000 budget.
  

  

• 6/27 *Event* Screen & Scheme Summer Series - Join Bruce Poinsette and Pastor Molli to build your spiritual muscles on how we can be for one another in times like this

  • 6/27 King in the Wilderness

  • 7/25 Judas and the Black Messiah

  • 8/22 Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin dialogue
    

• 6/30 *Grant* Women Photograph + Leica Project Grants - three $10,000 grants available to women and non-binary visual artists. Applications due 6/30
  

• 6/30 *Open Call* The Root Experience call for submissions (BIPOC filmmakers, performers, vendors, artists, and more) with artist honorariums available. Applicants notified: August 12, 2026. Festival Dates: November 12-14, 2026. Venue: Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino/ Spokane Live (Airway Heights, Wa) https://www.therootexperience.org/call-for-submissions
  

• 6/28 *Event* DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid’s Holi Summer Fest — A Celebration of Color at the McMenamins Grand Lodge on Sunday, June 28th from 3:30-7:30PM. All ages event. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of show.
  

• 7/1 *Residency* Vashon Artist Residency applications open.

• 8/1 or sooner, *Open Award Submission* Granum Foundation Prizes, $500-$5000 awards to writers and translators. (“For the 2026 Granum Foundation Prize, applications will be closed once 1,000 entries are received, even if this occurs before August 1. We encourage writers to apply early.”)
  

• 8/14-17 *Workshop* Surrealism in Nature Sitka Workshop with Orlando Almanza $400

Rolling Deadlines and Offerings

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland
Equitable Giving Circle Weekly Market - Weekly free pop-up market for Black + Brown folks every Thursday 10am-2pm.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

We had a lovely time celebrating our spring feature artists Bint Bandora, Ines Paulina Ramirez and Zoë Gamell Brown last month at our Portland’5 opening reception. Thank you to all who came to the opening! It was really special to be together in celebration of these wonderful artists. I hope you’ve had a chance to check out their features on our website, with photos by Celeste Noche and words by Jen Shin and Cookie Zvovushe. Stay tuned for our feature videos which will premiere here in our newsletters to come!

Congratulations to our 2026-2027 Portland in Color Artists in Residence at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology

Thank you to everyone who applied for the PIC x Sitka residency and to our community jurors who volunteered their time. This is just our second year of partnering with Sitka, and the response to our application is proof of how impactful spaces and opportunities like this can be. Reading through everyone’s applications was a reminder of the vast, talented, and vibrant community of artists here in Oregon. We want to acknowledge the commitment required to apply and express our continued support for your development as artists.

Please join us in celebrating Gaby and Jakelen— we were moved by their work and hope you’ll spend time getting to know and support them as well.

- Celeste

A big congratulations to the 2026-2027 recipients of the PIC residency at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology: Jakelen Diaz and Gaby Tirta!

Jakelen is a Portland based artist, educator, and community organizer working in print media, publishing, and sound. Their publications and art books move across processes and forms, directly engaging with grief and anxiety and attempting to give language to mystery. They are curious about the natural processes of decomposition, how it contributes to the cycle of life, and what this can teach us about living.

Gaby Tirta explores what gets carried across oceans and generations, and what gets made new. Working across fiber art, printmaking, photography, and social practice, she weaves together textures of diaspora, family, and the spaces between cultures. Moving from the layered logic of textile traditions and the precision of graphic design, her practice lingers where cultural inheritance, personal mythology, and material storytelling collide.

A special shout out to our finalists, Chas Hyman, Sarah Farahat, and Erick Wonderly Varela⁣⁣.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Mural Commission for East Portland - “East Portland placemaking projects in partnership with David Douglas School District. Each elementary school will have its own placemaking project with three sites total. Artists and muralists in the Portland metro region who are able to lead community visioning sessions and community art projects are encouraged to apply. Applications from organizations are also welcome. Applicants can submit proposals for 1-3 sites.“ $50,000 per project, up to $150,000. The application deadline is May 18th by 4pm.

Bint Bandora’s Solo Exhibition - “ ‘The Wedding I Would Want’, Bint Bandora’s latest works, imagines a queer wedding in a liberated Palestine.” Jen and I went to their opening and it was deeply moving! I’m so honored to know and experience their beautiful work in this way. Please see the show if you’re able to. Open gallery hours are at the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center:

Saturday, May 16th, 1-4pm
Friday, May 22nd, 4-7pm
Sunday, May 31st, 3-6pm

2026 Craft Archive Fellowship Call for applications - The application deadline is May 20, 2026.

Commission for art projects for the City of Portland: The City of Portland is seeking applications for $10,000 commissions for temporary art projects for PBOT Street Plazas. “Selected artists can take a variety of approaches, including temporary sculptures, ephemeral and ecological artworks, ephemeral 2D works (such as chalk drawings or posters), socially engaged projects or social practices or events. Projects should imagine new possibilities for the city’s public realm and the communities who gather there.” Applications due June 1, 2026.

Oregon Spark Award for Visual Artists: $25,000 grant, application due June 3rd at 4pm.

Ryan Fukuda, Founder of Happy Rice Creative and a Portland-based intuitive healer, teacher, and energy reader is expanding his healing practice and wants to hear from you first! He's created a short 6–8 minute survey to help shape future offerings for the community, and your input could spark something entirely new. As a thank you, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a lottery drawing for a chance to win one of ten prizes: either a complimentary 20-minute energy reading or healing session, or a $20 gift card. Feel free to share with friends and family, and take the survey here! Survey ends on June 15th, 2026.

Portland Businesses for All (PB4A) is forming and looking for members: PB4A is an alliance of progressive business owners shaping Portland for the collective good while building practical support and community with each other. Save the date for their first event scheduled for June 23rd at Parkrose Coffee Shop. Inquire for more information: hello@portlandbusinessesforall.org

Granum Foundation Prizes: $500-$5000 awards to writers and translators. Applications due August 1st or earlier. Applications will be closed once 1,000 entries are received, so writers are encouraged to apply early.

Rolling Deadlines and Offerings

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland
Equitable Giving Circle Weekly Market - Weekly free pop-up market for Black + Brown folks every Thursday 10am-2pm.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Paula and The PIC Team

I hope your spring is bringing an abundance of beauty your way. This month we’re so excited to announce the return of our artist features!

We’re partnering with Portland’5 to highlight the work and experiences of local artists Bint Bandora, Ines Paulina Ramirez and Zoë Gamell Brown. In addition to their feature interviews on our website, their portraits and work will be on exhibit at Portland’5 Centers for the Arts from April 23 to May 10, with an opening reception with the artists on Thursday, April 23rd from 6-8pm. We hope to see you there!

Special thanks to Regional Arts and Culture Council and Portland Events and Film for the additional support.

The rest of our newsletter is dedicated to Jax Ko, an illustrator and muralist in our community. Their work is so vibrant and fun, and I’m always left with a smile on my face whenever I see them or their work. What a gift it is to be in community with Jax!

Community Spotlight: Jax Ko

Jax Ko’s mural commissions are open for late Spring/Summer!

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Opening Reception for PIC Spring Features - We’re partnering with Portland’5 to highlight the work and experiences of local artists Bint Bandora, Ines Paulina Ramirez and Zoë Gamell Brown. Their portraits and work will be on exhibit at Portland’5 Centers for the Arts from April 23 to May 10, with an opening reception with the artists on Thursday, April 23rd from 6-8pm at Portland’5 Centers for the Arts 1111 SW Broadway.

Newroz Festival of Spring - Saturday, April 25th from 6pm-10pm at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Bint Bandora’s Solo Exhibition - “ ‘The Wedding I Would Want’, Bint Bandora’s latest works, imagines a queer wedding in a liberated Palestine.” Opening Night May 1st from 6-9pm at the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center. Masks required. Show open until May 31st.

2026 Craft Archive Fellowship Call for applications - The application deadline is May 20, 2026.

Rolling Deadlines and Offerings

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland

Equitable Giving Circle Weekly Market - Weekly free pop-up market for Black + Brown folks every Thursday 10am-2pm.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Paula and The PIC Team

Access to the studio, paired with the beautiful affirmation and generosity of black whole Press supporting my practice, has been life-giving. I’ve had the time and space to experiment with printmaking tools and methods I’ve never used before and to benefit from the mentorship of Melanie Stevens, an incredible artist. All of it has helped me grow into a stronger and more confident printmaker and artist. I’m so full of gratitude. This residency has made me such a believer in artist residencies. It’s such a powerful investment in yourself and your creative practice.

If you haven’t had a residency yet, I hope this is your year. There’s still time to apply for our Portland in Color BIPOC Artist Residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology for the 2026–2027 season!

We’re partnering with Sitka to reserve two residency spots for Oregon artists of color for the Fall 2026–Spring 2027 season. We are thrilled to collaborate with the Sitka team to help expand access for BIPOC artists seeking time and space to deepen their creative practices.

More info about the residency:

• Residency Period: October 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027

• Duration: 2-4 weeks (length and dates to be determined by your availability)

• Eligibility: Open to BIPOC artists over 18 years old residing in Oregon who have not previously participated in a Sitka artist residency.

• Location: Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, 56605 Sitka Dr, Otis, OR 97368

• Funding availability: $1000 stipend flat fee

• Application Deadline: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 by 11:59 PM PT

• Notifications: All applicants will be notified by email by May 1, 2026

Read more about our very first PIC x Sitka artist in residence, Camille T. McDaniel’s experience this past November and PIC founder Celeste Noche’s experience as an artist in residency in 2024.

APPLY HERE by March 25, 2026 at 11:59PM PST.

*** Open Casting Call ***

PDX Next Phase 2 Photography Shoot
-PAID OPPORTUNITY-
April 27th & April 28th

Portland in Color is excited to partner with the Port of Portland for another community casting call for their upcoming opening campaign!

Every detail of the new PDX reflects the collaboration, craft, and heart of our region – from locally sourced wood to Portland-inspired design. As the Port of Portland prepares to unveil the second and final phase of PDX main terminal remodeling, we’re producing new photography to help bring this story to life. And with it, an opportunity to feature and celebrate our fellow community members. We are casting for the following:

Note: We are prioritizing casting people with disabilities and/or people who have accessibility needs. If you are disabled and auditioning for any of the following, please include a note about your disability and any associated accessibility needs.

Casting roles include:

• Multigenerational Family with kid(s)
  Parent, age between late 30s to late 40s

  Grandparent, age 60+

  Kid, age 3 to 7

• Adult Travelers
  Must be familiar with airport travel

  May be friends, colleagues, or couple

  Individuals welcome to audition if comfortable being paired with a stranger
  Age 21+

If you're interested in being a part of our beloved airport’s story, please fill out this interest form by April 1, 2026.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Submissions open for upcoming edition of The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal - “We are seeking essays, poems, stories, photography, film, music, performance, and research rooted in organizing, political education, abolitionist thought, cooperative struggle, and decolonial world-building.” Submissions and pitches due March 20, 2026

Portland in Color BIPOC Artist Residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology - We’re thrilled to partner with Sitka to reserve two of their residency spots for Oregon artists of color for the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 season. Applications due March 25, 2026

TEDxPortland + I SEE PDX Poster Exhibit applications open- “A peer-juried poster competition celebrating Portland’s creativity, community, and sense of place — as seen through the eyes of the artists who live and work here.” Deadline is March 29, 2026

The Creative Capital Open call is now open - until Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 3PM ET⁠.

Provecho Magazine Issue 4 submissions are now open until April 6, 2026 at 11:59PM PST.

Sing People Sing!’s BIPOC Community Sing - An affinity song circle in Portland Oregon specifically for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Meeting monthly this year, sliding scale $10-$40. Next song circle is at the Center of Joy on April 7th 6:30pm-9pm.

2026 Craft Archive Fellowship Call for applications - The application deadline is May 20, 2026.

Rolling Deadlines and Offerings

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland
Equitable Giving Circle Weekly Market - Weekly free pop-up market for Black + Brown folks every Thursday 10am-2pm.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Paula and The PIC Team

We’re excited to announce that the application for the Portland in Color BIPOC Artist Residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology is open for the 2026-2027 season! This is our second year partnering with Sitka and the response and applications have only shown us how much we need dedicated artist spaces like this for BIPOC creatives.

In case you missed it last year, we’re partnering with Sitka to reserve two of their residency spots for Oregon artists of color for the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 season. Portland in Color is thrilled to collaborate with the Sitka team to enhance the access of BIPOC to enriching their creative practices.

More info about the residency:

• Residency Period: October 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027

• Duration: 2-4 weeks (length and dates to be determined by your availability)

• Eligibility: Open to BIPOC artists over 18 years old residing in Oregon who have not previously participated in a Sitka artist residency.

• Location: Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, 56605 Sitka Dr, Otis, OR 97368

• Funding availability: $1000 stipend flat fee

• Application Deadline: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 by 11:59 PM PT

• Notifications: All applicants will be notified by email by May 1, 2026

Read more about our very first PIC x Sitka artist in residence, Camille T. McDaniel’s experience this past November and PIC founder Celeste Noche’s experience as an artist in residency in 2024.

APPLY HERE by March 25, 2026 at 11:59PM PST.

MADD D.C.

Interview by Celeste Noche
Exhibition photos by Steph Grant

As the country recognizes Presidents’ Day, we’d like to use our time and space to take a look at the recent Portland exhibit MADD D.C. by two local Black film photographers, Meaghan Sutton and Danica Thomas.

“After the devastating blow of Election Day 2024, there was a palpable shift in tone across the country. The marches, the pink hats and the energy that shaped the resistance we saw during Trump’s first term did not take hold in the weeks between the election and Inauguration Day for his second term. One election win was a fluke. Two was certainly not.

Traveling to Washington, D.C. to document Inauguration Day weekend was a decision made out of an unrelenting desire to have a role to play in an increasingly uncertain time. We hoped to find sanity and purpose in observing and documenting the moment we struggled to make sense of.

In below freezing temperatures throughout Inauguration Day weekend, we covered supporters and resisters at the People’s March, Trump’s “Victory Rally” celebrations, and a public viewing of the Swearing-In Ceremony that coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The weekend was chaotic and buzzed with the undercurrent of a promise of retribution as thousands of red hats swelled in the streets to dance and celebrate.

Captured entirely on 35mm and 120 film, MADD D.C. is a collection of photographs that document those first moments of Trump’s authoritarian first year of his second term.

We flew to D.C. to look fascism in the face and we took its portrait.”

Portland in Color’s Celeste Noche interviews Danica and Meaghan about their show and work together. This interview has been edited for length and clarity:

Portland in Color (PIC): Can you tell us a bit about your backgrounds?

Danica Thomas (DT): I'm a film photographer based in Portland, Oregon. I moved to Portland three years ago from Tacoma, Washington, to immerse myself in an active photo community, and my work has really grown and evolved since taking that leap. My day job is in social services and affordable housing, but my passion has always been photography. My work has been featured in Marie Claire Italia, Grit City Magazine, and by Kodak and Kodak Professional. I started a club for women and non-binary film photographers of all levels called FemmesShootFilm (@femmesshootfilm.pdx) and we plan monthly photo-forward meetups in Portland.

Meaghan Sutton (MS): I am a filmmaker and film photographer with over 8 years of experience. My career began in my home state of Kentucky where I was employed at PBS, partnering with organizations like ESPN and Fox College Sports, and as a camera operator for ROMP, Kentucky’s Bluegrass Music Festival. One of my most formative roles was as an editor and videographer for the Emmy Award–winning web series Lost River Sessions. I soon transitioned into commercial spaces, filming and editing work for national brands including Kodak Alaris, American Express, Paychex, General Motors and more. I found myself continually pulled toward work that felt more intimate. That pull eventually carried me fully into filmmaking. I now work as a Director of Photography on music videos, documentary work and narrative shorts and features. I prioritize collaboration with my Black, POC, and queer communities, creating a space where they can be authors of their own image.

PIC: How did this collaboration come about?

DT: Meaghan and I have always loved creating together. In December of 2024, I started thinking about going to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration to photograph and witness the transfer of power and the reactions to it from on the ground. After a few days of thinking about how I wanted this project to take shape, I invited Meaghan to join me to photograph and also provide a video element to the project. She was immediately on board. We met up for pizza to talk about logistics, and she already had ideas for a documentary.

PIC: Did anything surprise you about working together?

MS: Nothing surprised me about working together. Even the smallest collaborative projects we have done together have been a beautiful mesh of our creative minds. We call each other creative soulmates, and I believe it to be true. When we do projects together, we do it big and with such intention and care. I knew this project would be no different. In fact, it would only be met with extreme care and intention, especially with each other and our safety. When it came down to fully realizing MADD D.C. and having it come into fruition with the gallery, we managed to prep and plan everything to the fullest, offering an incredibly powerful and beautiful gallery that was thought provoking and interactive. I am so proud of us and forever in awe of our collaboration and friendship.

DT: We’ve done smaller collaborations before, so we knew that we worked well together. I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but the way we looked out for each other in D.C. was really special and working together on that project required a lot of trust that we had built over time throughout our friendship. There was a moment at the very end of our time in D.C. that we talk about in the documentary where I was so upset I decided to photograph myself flipping off a MAGA man for having the audacity to be at the MLK Memorial. Before I confronted him, I told Meaghan I was going to “do something” and then we were going to leave, and this girl literally put her camera down in case she had to get her fists up to defend me! Luckily it didn’t come to all that... but just knowing she was going to have my back no matter what really reinforced the strength of our collaborative and friendship bonds. That’s my girl.

PIC: Why were you drawn to covering Inauguration Day and what has your experience been in the time after as you've been revisiting the work?

DT: I had been doing some street photography in Portland on Election Day 2024 thinking that there would be protests or backlash from either side... but the whole day was eerily still. I remember thinking that we just entered into the most massive political shift in our lifetime, but I wasn’t seeing that reflected out in the streets like I expected to. So I started thinking about what it would be like in D.C. during the inauguration, and decided that I wanted to be there to document how that weekend unfolded. I also wanted to be present to process the magnitude of this chapter of American history for myself.

After coming back home, I had nightmares for weeks about Meaghan and I being surrounded by angry mobs of MAGA people. It was really tough to turn off the hyper vigilance that we needed to have when we were out there to stay safe. I didn’t look at my photos for months at a time—it was too difficult. We definitely took our time with it for the sake of our own mental health.

MS: Way back in high school I studied journalism and broadcasting, so documentation is and always will be at the forefront of my work. It was an immediate yes when Danica came to me with the idea of documenting Inauguration Day. After our experience in D.C., I struggled to even take a look at what I captured, both photos and video. Maybe the act of doing so would make it real? Maybe it was going to be too much of a reminder? It was definitely a few weeks before I had even scanned the film that I captured, and some remained untouched for months.

PIC: Your Portland exhibit just closed, but is there anywhere folks can see more of the show or find your work?

DT: You can see my work on Instagram at @analogdanica. I’ll be expanding my portfolio onto a website later this year!

MS: You can find more of my work and book me for projects at meaghansutton.com. I am also a film photographer and post my portraiture, landscape, and street photography on instagram at @meaghanonfilm. For now, that was the only planned gallery and screening for MADD D.C.

PIC: Anything next on the horizon for you two?

DT: I want to pivot to portrait work for awhile and sharpen my skills there. I would love to take on more documentary style photo projects, but for now I’m giving myself some time to reset before launching into any major projects.

MS: I am a full time filmmaker, so I am constantly working on new projects. I have a few exciting music videos and short films that I will be DPing on the horizon, as well as my first feature film!

Self Portrait: Orlando Almanza

“Mijo, yo le prometo que cuando usted cumpla los 12 años lo voy a dejar salir adonde usted quiera. Prométeme que no vas a andar bandolereando, ni metiéndote en problemas, ¿está bien mijo?”
“Esta bien, abuela, te lo prometo”

A los 12 años yo podía salir a donde quiera en el pueblo. Aprender la viveza de la calle era crucial para sobrevivir en el pueblo. Las enseñanzas de mi abuela siempre me han ayudado y guiado en momentos difíciles. Esta serie de 12 autorretratos está inspirada en esas enseñanzas y proverbios que yo memorizaba como un manual cuando andaba solo.
Aquí, las lanzo como una oración con la esperanza de que siempre te mantenga a salvo y te guíe de regreso a casa.

“My child, I promise you that when you turn 12, I will let you go whenever you want. Promise me you won't go around causing trouble or getting into fights. Ok, my child?”
“Yes, grandma, I promise.”
When I was 12 years old, my grandma let me go wherever I wanted in our small town. Being street smart was crucial for surviving. The teachings of my grandma have always helped and guided me in difficult moments. This series of 12 self portraits are inspired by these teachings and proverbs that I memorized like a manual for when I was alone.
Here, I cast them like a spell in the hopes that they will always keep you safe and guide you home.

Both portraits are currently at Froelick Gallery:
1. No te olvides de donde vienes / Don’t forget where you come from, 2025

6. Al peligro hay que mirarlo a los ojos, no le des la espalda / Look danger in the eye, do not turn your back on it, 2025

And see more of Orlando’s work on his website and Instagram. Thanks for sharing with us, Orlando!

Community Newsletter Open Call

We have two new newsletter features coming to you in 2026 and we want to hear from you! Please get in touch via email (hi@portlandincolor.com) if you’re interested in submitting for either of these prompts:

Rent Free

Is there a fellow BIPOC artist whose work is living rent free in your head? We love to hear about the work inspiring you. It can be music, visual art, performance—you name it. Please be sure to link the artist and/or their work when you reach out.

Self Portrait

Our open call for self portraits is our desire to see our community how they see themselves. This can be literal—painting, drawing, etc or figurative—art that symbolizes you in this moment. We hope it goes without saying but please don’t send us a selfie from your phone (as much as that is an art in and of itself).

Please note: we’re only accepting submissions from current directory members, or members from the community highlighting work from current directory members.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Caldera is hiring a Director of Operations - Based in Sisters, OR with travel to Portland 3-4 times per year. Compensation: $94,500 - $116,600 salaried. This role is ideal for an experienced operations leader who thrives in hands-on environments, enjoys building systems that support people, and is passionate about advancing mission-driven work.

Linocut Workshop at Make Fun Studios taught by Lapaushi - Sunday, February 22, 2026 from 4-7pm.

Rabbit Island 2026 Residency - Three residencies that will take place between June and September, supporting awarded residencies with a $4,000 unrestricted honorarium and 3 week residency on Rabbit Island in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan. Apply by February 22, 2026.

Marginalia Literacy Lab - A drop-in, low-stim environment suited for independent or collective reading, research, and study. Free, masks required, bring your own book. Wednesday, February 25, 2026 from 6-9pm.

PIC member David DaCosta will be speaking at Creative Mornings Portland on February 27, 2026 from 8:30-10am.

Bureau of Land Management Artist-in-Residence opportunities are open for 2026; each offering a unique chance to create art while immersed in Oregon’s public lands for up to two weeks at Rogue River Ranch National Historic Site or Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Applications for both programs are due February 28, 2026.

The Carolyn Moore Writing Residency is now accepting applications for 2026-2027 residencies. Applications accepted through March 1, 2026 or until a cap of 150 applicants is reached.

Ramona Mothers Residency - Ramona Residency Open Call is now taking submissions. We will provide artist mothers with a fully funded two week residency in Houston, TX. This includes birthing parents, trans and non-binary families. Applications due March 1, 2026.

Schools of Salmon Creek is an annual land-based student-run free school for artists *of all kinds* at Salmon Creek Farm. We carry on the legacy of the original counter-culture commune to this next chapter on the land by considering abundance, care-taking, climate, community, ecology, embodiment, habitat, inter-dependence, mystery, resilience, resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, sensuality, shelter, sustenance, and stewardship; getting off screens and out of doors; where the teachers are the land and each other. Applications close March 4, 2026.

Interlude Artist Residency - Fully-funded residency program in Hudson Valley, New York, allows parent artists to make breakthrough work, get feedback, and expand their network. Applications due March 7, 2026.

Sitka Center For Art and Ecology 2026-2027 Residencies offer dedicated time and space for artists, writers, scientists, educators and interdisciplinary creators to immerse themselves in independent work amid the remarkable ecology of Cascade Head and the Oregon coast. Applications due March 10, 2026.

Columbia City Gallery is now accepting proposals for Community Exhibits—group exhibitions that center BIPOC and underrepresented artists and reflect the cultures, stories, and issues shaping Southeast Seattle. Submit your proposal by March 15, 2026.

PhotoWork Senior Fellowship - This program awards a $10,000 grant to each of three photographers who demonstrate a sustained commitment to post-documentary photography and exhibit both the readiness and ability to collaborate with a photography mentor in developing a book maquette of a comprehensive body of work. Applications due March 16, 2026.

Rolling Deadlines

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

Somehow we’ve made it to 2026—does anyone else feel that way?

I’m writing this to you from an artist residency on Vashon Island in Washington, and being around a cohort of artists has been so energizing. Whether being an artist is the main focus of work or you’re more creative in other areas of your life, I encourage you to seek out friends and community who inspire you.

Yes, it’s time and effort, and it’s worth it. I was speaking with some friends recently about how it felt like our pursuits of self-care swung the pendulum back a little too far. As in, it was easier to stay home than to go out for that artist talk. Or, the idea of protecting my peace gave me leave to avoid repairing a conflict. You, of course, know yourself better than anyone, but I know that for me I’ve really needed to check in on the gut reactions I’ve had to things. Community care is an ongoing practice.

In a similar vein, the PIC team and I are looking forward to planning more low-fi events this year. Think: casual occasions just to meet up. A co-working day at a coffee shop. A group visit to an gallery opening. Drawing in the park. Be on the lookout for our upcoming meetups and please get in touch if you have ideas or would like to host one yourself.

Community Newsletter Open Call

We have two new newsletter features coming to you in 2026 and we want to hear from you! Please get in touch via email (hi@portlandincolor.com) if you’re interested in submitting for either of these prompts:

Rent Free

Is there a fellow BIPOC artist whose work is living rent free in your head? We love to hear about the work inspiring you. It can be music, visual art, performance—you name it. Please be sure to link the artist and/or their work when you reach out.

Self Portrait

Our open call for self portraits is our desire to see our community how they see themselves. This can be literal—painting, drawing, etc or figurative—art that symbolizes you in this moment. We hope it goes without saying but please don’t send us a selfie from your phone (as much as that is an art in and of itself).

Please note: we’re only accepting submissions from current directory members, or members from the community highlighting work from current directory members.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Hallie Ford Fellowship in the Visual Arts - The Foundation awards up to three unrestricted Hallie Ford Fellowships in the Visual Arts per calendar year, each in the amount of $35,000, to Oregon visual artists who have demonstrated a depth of sophisticated practice and potential for significant future accomplishment. Applications due January 26, 2026.

Yoga for Makers with Art School - our very own Cookie Z. is teaching a class designed especially for makers, market workers, potters and anyone whose body works hard through hands-on, physical labor. Set to the sounds of rhythmic music to calm your nervous system we will practice meditation and a steady gentle restorative flow. January 27th and February 10th at 6:30pm.

City of Portland Teaching Artist Directory opens for applications, Jan 15-30 2026.

Ancestors Archive Photo Embroidery - This is a workshop intended to take the participants on a journey through their legacy, to embroider another layer of their family (chosen or blood related) onto their archive photographs. Sliding scale $25, all funds support Maryam’s Family in Gaza. Register to attend January 31 at Swana Rose at 11am.

The Hatchery is a new play development festival celebrating and supporting new works for the stage that center music and movement. Produced by Portland, Oregon theater company Many Hats Collaboration, The Hatchery is a short-term, paid performance residency program with a public-facing workshop performance. Proposals due January 31, 2026.

Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing - up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book in any literary genre. The residency provides lodging in Bucknell's "Poets' Cottage" and a stipend of $5,000. Applications due February 1, 2026.

Breaking, Broken - Short film premiere screening at Clinton Street Theater on February 2nd, 7pm.

Naked Acts with Quiet As It’s Kept - Join guest programmers Ariella Tai (one of our PIC x Sitka artist in residents!) and Tracy Kernell as they present the 2023 short film Quiet As It’s Kept, directed by Ja’Tovia Gary, followed by the 1996 feature film Naked Acts, directed by Bridgett M. Davis. Together, these films are two in a legacy of multi-generational and multivalent Black feminist storytelling centered on issues of self-identity, agency and healing for Black women and girls. Thursday, February 5th at 7pm. Free, ticket registration strongly encouraged.

MacDowell Fellowship offers residencies in Peterborough, New Hampshire at no cost to artists and provides need-based stipends to help cover expenses incurred during the residency, including rent, utilities, childcare, and lost income. Travel reimbursements are also available. We welcome applications from artists of all backgrounds and nationalities in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts.

Career Opportunity Grants with the Oregon Arts Commission supports Oregon arts practitioners across all disciplines and career stages in taking advantage of timely and concrete opportunities that can significantly enhance their artistic careers. Recognizing that stipends or payments from these opportunities often fall short of covering all expenses, the Oregon Arts Commission provides this grant to ensure arts practitioners can fully participate without financial burden. Apply by February 11, 2026.

Rabbit Island 2026 Residency - Three residencies that will take place between June and September, supporting awarded residencies with a $4,000 unrestricted honorarium and 3 week residency on Rabbit Island in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan. Apply by February 22, 2026.

Bureau of Land Management Artist-in-Residence opportunities are open for 2026; each offering a unique chance to create art while immersed in Oregon’s public lands for up to two weeks at Rogue River Ranch National Historic Site or Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Applications for both programs are due February 28, 2026.

Schools of Salmon Creek is an annual land-based student-run free school for artists *of all kinds* at Salmon Creek Farm. We carry on the legacy of the original counter-culture commune to this next chapter on the land by considering abundance, care-taking, climate, community, ecology, embodiment, habitat, inter-dependence, mystery, resilience, resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, sensuality, shelter, sustenance, and stewardship; getting off screens and out of doors; where the teachers are the land and each other. Applications close March 4, 2026.

Interlude Artist Residency - Fully-funded residency program in Hudson Valley, New York, allows parent artists to make breakthrough work, get feedback, and expand their network. Applications due March 7, 2026.

Rolling Deadlines

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

We hope your year is coming to a close with rest and abundance. In a season of gifting, we wanted to highlight some makers in our local community and encourage you to shop small and shop local. We’re lucky to have so many talented creatives in our city and hope you’re mindful of who your money supports.

Our Holiday Gift Guide

1 / Provecho Magazine Issue 3 - $15

2 / Fumi Incense & Ceramic Gift Box - $76

3 / Bint Bandora Grief is a Red House Comic - $25

4 / Arielle Wilkins BeBe Art Toy - $150

5 / Little Bright Studio 2026 Calendar - $25

Community Spotlight: Afternoon Delight: A market for BIPOC holistic healers

Afternoon Delight was originally created by PIC Board Secretary Antha from Late Breakfast when she first started exploring her path as a holistic healer. She had the question of “where are the BIPOC holistic healers in my community?” and decided to create the space she was looking for.

Afternoon Delight isn’t you normal market. You can get a facial, a massage, a Reiki session, a meditative moment and find your new go-to practitioner in the process. This market is equal parts for the community to have a place to meet BIPOC healers and makers as it is a space for folks in similar specialties to meet one another. Unlike most markets, you don’t have to have products for sale to have a table. This space is designed for:

• Holistic healing practitioners to give a taste of the magic of their sessions + meet potential clients

• Makers to connect and plan collaborations

• Small business owners to meet their people

• Yoga teachers, sound healers and meditation facilitators to connect + share space

The market is currently held annually. While the 2025 market just passed, stay tuned for 2026 market dates + vendor applications here.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Future Generations Collaborative is hosting a Native Art Market. Support small businesses and avoids buying from capital hubs. Get some of your Christmas shopping done while also uplifting native artists. Friday 12/12 from 6-9pm.

Chulitna Lodge Wilderness Retreat is accepting applications for their Summer 2026 Creative Residency Program. Applications due 12/15.

Oregon Humanities call for submissions: The theme for the Spring 2026 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Labor.” We’re looking for stories about work, effort, and toil. We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing from Oregon residents, including essays, journalism, criticism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books. We encourage submissions from writers of all levels of experience. Submissions due 12/15.

Holiday Mutual Aid sale supporting two Latiné families in Hillsboro. Get tamales made by local folks who can’t leave their homes because of the raids. Traditional Oaxcan family recipe from their kitchen to yours. Pre-orders close 12/16.

Grants for Artists Creating Works that Foster Human Connection and Climate Consciousness - five grants available (two $50,000 grants and three $8,000 grants). Apply by 12/30.

Call for Artists: CityFleet Mural or Low Relief Artwork (Awarded by RACC in partnership with CityFleet and the Office of Arts & Culture at the City of Portland) $45,000 commission. The submission due date is Monday, 1/5/26.

Paint a Contemporary Masterwork in Oil with PIC Member & Creative Crecimiento alum, Orlando Almanza. Tuesdays, January 6 - February 17, 2026 (7 sessions), 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM, $350-$420 at Oregon Society of Artists.

The Prince Claus Seed Award uplifts 100 emerging artists by giving them the space, support, and momentum to deepen their artistic inquiries, amplify their voices, and ignite a powerful new wave of ideas, perspectives, and cultural change. If you are a socially and politically engaged artist at the beginning of your career, creating work that positively transforms your society and community, then this call for applications is for you! Deadline for applications: 1/8/26 at 17:00 Amsterdam time.

Futuress’ Engaging Publics Fellowship is a 12-month hybrid mentoring program supporting emerging practitioners in exploring participatory practices from community-oriented projects, cultural mediation, and activist interventions—from digital worlds to urban space. Applications due 1/15/26

City of Portland Teaching Artist Directory opens for applications, Jan 15-30 2026.

Rolling Deadlines

Black Filmmakers Grant
Portland Festivals & Screenings Grant for Eligible Events Aug-June, 2026. Funding window is 30 - 120 days from the event date. $500 - $5,000 awards.
Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. is seeking proposals from Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers
Lloyd Eco District Lending Library - Borrow free event supplies in Portland

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

We’ve got a full newsletter for you this month and are kicking things off with a shout out to our very first PIC x Sitka Artist in Residence, Camille T. McDaniel! Camille has been sharing her ongoing reflections while at Sitka this month and we encourage you to follow along (if not just for her precious cat in the window!)

Camille is the first of three artists selected who will be attending Sitka this year and we’re excited to share more from Sáde DuBois and ariella tai once their residencies begin.

🌱🎨 A Joyful Closing for Creative Crecimiento!

Our first-ever Creative Crecimiento series came to a celebratory close last month on October 20th with a cozy community gathering at the beloved Latina-owned, Bar Carlo! The evening was spent connecting, getting beautiful headshots by Eduardo Olmos, sipping from an amazing menu of NA cocktails, and a vibrant resource exchange featuring art, candles, stickers, and shared wisdom from our talented participants. Plus, our own Paula Champagne documenting the excellent vibes!

Over four weeks, 22 BIPOC creatives from numerous artistic disciplines deepened their professional development through thoughtful sessions led by 10 incredible presenters, all the while building clarity, confidence, and community along the way! The post-series survey responders showed that 100% of attendees would recommend the program, with many amazing reflections like they left “inspired and empowered to keep doing what I love” and “feeling seen, supported, and clear about my creative goals,” with one participant calling CC, “The best thing that’s happened to me since I’ve been in Portland in 25 years!”

We are blown away by the reception and all of the amazing community supporters along the way. Huge gratitude to Bar Carlo for donating the space, ¿Por Qué No? for donating tasty chips & salsa, and to our the many sponsors we mentioned last newsletter plus our thriving sponsor, Portland Events & Film Office, for helping make this program possible. Thanks to our PIC team behind the scenes: Lead Producer Emilly Prado, Event Coordinator Jen Shin, Sponsorship Lead Celeste Noche, and Social Media Coordinator Cookie Zvovushe! And last but not least, thanks to our stellar Creative Crecimiento cohort!

We can’t wait to continue building creative community together in 2026!

Community Spotlight: David DaCosta

This month we’re excited to feature David DaCosta, an art director, designer, illustrator, and dad. He grew up just outside of New York City with his Puerto Rican/Domincan Family. With over 20 years experience in brand and marketing design, David has worked in publishing, finance, hospitality, and the automotive industry. As a freelancer David has worked with local brands like Nossa Familia Coffee, Tillamook, Umpqua Bank and TriMet. Over the last three years he has self-published a series of Illustrated Dad Jokes books called Jokey Jokes, Jokier Jokes, and Jokiest Jokes. David counts his New York upbringing, cartoons, and his family as inspirations for his joyful work.

Portland in Color (PIC): How long have you been in Portland (or the Portland area) and what’s your relationship like to the city?

David DaCosta (DD): I’ve been in Portland for 10 years now. I moved out here to work at a vacation rental start-up. I love the creative community of Portland. I love the collaborative spirit of Portland and am inspired by all the amazing work, whether visual arts, music, or events that people produce here.

DD: I recently completed a LIFT Bus wrap for TriMet commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month. The project was deeply personal because it was inspired by the values I grew up with as a child of immigrants. The Siempre Pa’ Lante (Always Moving Forward) LIFT Bus was the largest scale design I’ve ever made and It felt like it really connected with the community. The design won first place for PRINT Magazine’s Outdoor and Billboard category for 2025 and PDX Design Month invited me to speak about the inspiration, process and execution of the project.

I have several design projects in the works that I can’t quite talk about yet. But in addition to being a designer, I’m also a vinyl DJ! I’m excited to play some records at November’s opening of the Portland Art Museum’s new wing on November 22 and 23.

PIC: Where can readers find and support your work?

DD: I’m on Instagram as @DaCostaDraws and my portfolio site is TheRealDaCosta.com. In addition to those, you can can check out my series of illustrated Dad Jokes books at JokeyJokes.com

Thanks, David! Make sure to check out David’s work and keep an eye out for him playing records at PAM’s opening on November 22nd and 23rd!

~ CALLING ALL MAKERS ~

Are you ramping up to sell goods during the holiday season? We’d love to see promote your wares and goods in our holiday newsletter. Reply to this email with info about your item and where to buy it, and we’ll do our best to include it in next month’s newsletter!

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Where are my people: Black Creatives Edition - an event series where NOMA PDX’s aims to bring affinity groups together to convene to find inspiration, safety, commonalities and most of all recognize the power in shared cultures and community. This is the 2nd installment of the series and is an evening to connect with other Black Creatives in the arts, and design inviting connection and collective celebration. Free Panel featuring Black artists, 11/13 at 5:30PM.

2026 Partners in Conservation Grant Review Committee - $300 stipend, set 20-25 hours of work. Apply by 11/15.

Pillars Artist Fellowship - This program is designed to support screenwriters and directors committed to working in and alongside Muslim communities, providing them with the mentorship, industry connections, and financial support to help advance their careers. This cycle, the fellowship will select 10 directors and screenwriters based in the U.S. and U.K., and offer $40,000 unrestricted award, one-on-one mentorship, professional development, and more. Apply by 11/17.

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), in partnership with CityFleet and the Office of Arts & Culture, invite artists and artist teams to submit their qualifications for one or both of the opportunities: Artwork that will attach to two functional aluminum gates and/or a large-scale sculpture. Apply by 11/24.

Nicole Long of Breath & Taxes is hosting an S-Corp Workshop answering questions like “What are the benefits of an S-Corp?” and “When should I make the transition?” Upcoming workshop dates are 11/24 and 12/1 and sliding scale pricing is available.

The 2026 ORPIB Foundation Incubator Program for LGBTQIA+ founders in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The program brings LGBTQIA+ founders from idea stage to launch, with support at every step of the way. Our goal is to support the success of queer founders throughout the region by fostering sustainable, growth-oriented businesses. The Incubator serves 2-4 startups a year and, with the help of regional experts, guides founders through 4 essential milestones over the course of 9 months. Apply by 11/30.

Bokolo Roots: An Art Exhibition by Penda Diakité is an immersive art exhibition by Portland-born artist Penda Diakité. Experience mixed media collages and floor-based ceramic sculptures inspired by her life between Mali and America. Opening First Thursday, 12/4 from 5–8PM at Nine Gallery (inside Blue Sky Gallery). Free admission.

Applications are now open for the Ascend 2026 Cohort! Applications are due 12/10.

Oregon Humanities call for submissions: The theme for the Spring 2026 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Labor.” We’re looking for stories about work, effort, and toil. We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing from Oregon residents, including essays, journalism, criticism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books. We encourage submissions from writers of all levels of experience. Submissions due 12/15.

Grants for Artists Creating Works that Foster Human Connection and Climate Consciousness - five grants available (two $50,000 grants and three $8,000 grants). Apply by 12/30.

Black Filmmakers Grant — Rolling deadline

Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers!

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Browse, refer folks, and join our FREE public artist of color directory!

2. (Self-)Nominate an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter here!

3. DONATE TO SUPPORT PORTLAND IN COLOR! We are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

Lastly, as we close out our newsletter for a month often symbolizing gathering and abundance, we want to drop a list of food resources both for our community and for us to share with anyone in need. Thank you to our friend Jenna Goldin at SHIFT for compiling this list and please continue looking out for our neighbors and each other.

https://foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org/
https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/pages/default.aspx
bit.ly/PHFOFoodList (copy and paste into search engine)
https://findhelp.org/
https://sites.google.com/view/pdx-free-fridge/home
https://www.milkcratekitchen.org/
https://ourstreets.org/
https://pdxsaintslove.org/
https://www.equitablegivingcircle.org/
https://blanchethouse.org/

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and The PIC Team

As always, we love to hear from you and welcome any tips about upcoming shows, projects, or work you’re especially proud of to share with our community.

Three cheers for Creative Crecimiento! 🎉

Our inaugural Creative Crecimiento professional development workshops wrapped up this month! 24 artists, ranging from emerging to advanced practitioners of their craft, completed four weeks of workshops from small business foundations for artists to a sustainable futures panel diving into leadership, community-building, and long-term planning. The cohort has one more in-person gathering later this month to meet IRL after four weeks of virtual learning—stay tuned for photos from our celebration.

This series was led and designed by Latine cultural leaders in honor of Latine Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), and is presented in partnership with the Latino Partnership Program of Oregon Community Foundation.

Gracias to our Community Friends sponsors, Tiburón Jarocho Mariscos (IG) & Seeding Justice (IG):

With special thanks to additional donations from New Coyote & Paola Santiago!

Community Spotlight: Kyle Beltran

Just in time for Filipino American History Month, we’re excited to share work from PIC community member Kyle Beltran, founder of DIWA. Big congratulations to Kyle on the debut of DIWA, EPHEMERALITY, an exhibition that tells a story through fashion photography. “It is about the universal Filipino experience of assimilating as a child and eventually finding your way back home to yourself when you reconnect with your culture,” says Beltran.

Portland in Color (PIC): It sounds like you’d been interested in this concept for a while but finally took the plunge this summer. Can you tell us about that— how long you’d been thinking about it and what sparked finally doing it?

Kyle Beltran (KB): My background is in visual merchandising. Fashion is a natural medium to build worlds and tell stories which made it the perfect platform to tell the stories I heard growing up to learn about my culture.

I’d been toying with how to merge the two after moving to Portland 4 years ago after realizing I’d become quite disconnected from my roots after moving away from my family.

I’m used to being in the background and helping other people shine so I was hesitant to become the subject of this exhibition. But when I saw how the community of friends and creative collaborators I’d slowly been building were so quick to lend their support and talents, I was incredibly inspired to jump right in. It was all thanks to Jane Barmore introducing me to Celeste Noche, Xochitl Jaime connecting me with Geri Leung (of Pamana), Dennise Pesebre bringing Kat Magsaysay to a Kolectivo event where we first met, without these women, this idea would have never been dropped into my mind in the first place.

PIC: Now that the exhibit is out in the world, what has been the biggest takeaway from this project?

KB: There’s nothing like the serendipitous way a community gathers around an inspiring idea to bring it to life. None of this would have happened without community. But bringing a concept into a reality only happens with action: first believing in yourself, building your community, and asking those that inspire you to help. If we did these three things more, can you imagine how much more beauty we could bring into the world?

Kyle and the DIWA team are hosting the panel PERMANENCE: Where we’ve been, where we’re going at the Travel Portland Visitor’s Center on Wednesday, October 15th from 6-8pm. The photo and fashion exhibition will be on display throughout the evening.

Production: GAWA COTERIE
Styling & Sourcing: The Department of Change
Creative Direction: Kyle Beltran
Photography: Celeste Noche
Styling: Kyle Beltran
Hair: Jess Moss
Makeup: Akila
Videographer: Antonio Leija
Co-Videographer: Maddie Meyers
Styling Assistant: Alexa Domenden

~ CALLING ALL MAKERS ~

Are you ramping up to sell goods during the holiday season? We’d love to see promote your wares and goods in our holiday newsletter. Reply to this email with info about your item and where to buy it, and we’ll do our best to include it in next month’s newsletter!

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Oregon Arts Commission’s Individual Artist Fellowship for Visual Artists applications are due Wednesday, 10/15

DIWA and SAY SAY Experience Filipino American History Month Panel Discussion on Wednesday, 10/15 from 6-8pm

Pari Para Los Perritos - a fundraiser event to support two pups in need featuring tarot, DJ, costume contest, and raffle Thursday 10/16 from 6-9pm

SWANA Story Time - The @swanastitchpdx Threadlines show is currently up at @swanarosepdx, as part of Portland Textile Month. They will be reading special SWANA textile related books, and then working on a mini weaving craft - Saturday, 10/18 from 10am-12pm

Rice & Ritual, a photo exhibit by Alexander Pomper and benefit for the rice terraces of Batad in the Philippines. Join for a print sale, Filipino snacks, raffle, and screening of the documentary Broken Terraces on Saturday, 10/18 from 3-6pm

Our very own Community Engagement Director Cookie Zvovushe is teaching yoga classes designed for makers at Art School PDX on 10/21 and 11/18. Free for Art School members, $20 drop in for non members

PIC Co-founder Emilly Prado is teaching a 4 week course “What If We Blurred Genre In This Speculative Nonfiction Class?” Wednesdays from 10/22-11/12 on Zoom from 4-6PM PST. $250-$450 sliding scale with scholarships available by emailing Daniel at registration@corporealwriting.com

All Critters Eve gallery opening featuring local artists, cute critters, and costumes galore - 10/25, 5-7pm

2026 Partners in Conservation Grant Review Committee - $300 stipend, set 20-25 hours of work. Apply by 11/15.

Black Filmmakers Grant — Rolling deadline

Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers!

Applications are now open for the Ascend 2026 Cohort! Applications are due 12/10.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Join or refer folks to join our free public directory

2. If you are or know an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter, please nominate them (or yourself!) here.

3. Donate - we are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

That’s all for this month! As always, if you have an event or opportunity you would like us to include in the newsletter, please email us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

In solidarity and community,
The PIC Team

Our September newsletter is full of new information about our artists, community events, and tons of resources. Scroll down to learn more about what’s going on in our artist community, and how you can get involved! We hope to sew seeds of inspiration for you to all cultivate in the darker months soon to come.

xo

The Portland in Color Team

Our latest feature: Illustrator Maryanna Hollomon

We’re excited to dip our toes back into Feature interviews, which is how PIC started back in 2017!

Maryanna Hollomon is a Filipino American illustrator whose work spans murals, exhibitions, character design, and her first children’s book TOLLY. In our interview, we dive into the intersections of childhood wonder and activism, life as an artist and mother, and how connecting with her Filipino roots has shaped who she is today.

Can you tell us a little about your background?

I’m an artist and illustrator. I was born in the Philippines where my dad was stationed by the US Navy, and we left while I was still a baby. We moved a lot when I was a kid and I lived in a few different countries, but I mostly grew up in Arizona where my dad is originally from. I came out to Portland for art school and then dropped out a little while later, and afterwards I was bartending for a long time in a little neighborhood bar, slowly picking up freelance jobs on the side. Then I decided to follow my dream and finally become an illustrator full time. I quit my bartending job, which was really scary. It was like taking a bet on myself.

How have you reflected on your own identity as a parent and an artist?

My second child was born at the start of the pandemic, and we were living on the other side of the country. If it weren’t for other moms on social media, I probably would have felt guilty about all these feelings. But recognizing that so many moms are experiencing the same notions of loss and crisis in identity was extremely validating. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not alone.’ Especially as an older mom (I didn’t have Jun until I was 37) who was more established in an independent life, it was a dramatic shift to parenthood.

The expanse of free time and the opportunity to feel boredom is so vast, and all of that is just gone so quickly. You spend all this time being pregnant and preparing for the baby, but you’re not prepared for how much your life changes after the baby comes, and how your body changes. I had postpartum depression with both children and really struggled with breastfeeding. Oh my god, I’ve done some hard, physical shit in my life. I’d rather do unmedicated labor again than go through breastfeeding.

I’m so strongly tied to the identity of being an artist that when I wasn’t creating, sometimes I would question if I even am still an artist.

A lot of your work interweaves activism alongside the curiosity and wonder of childhood. Can you talk about how your work with Filipina activist group Gabriela has informed your practice?

Before becoming a part of Gabriela, I didn’t address my identity at all. It was always something that I felt disconnected from and kind of just shoved into a corner. And I also didn’t know any other Filipino women for the entire time that I was living here, until I became a part of Gabriela. I learned so much about Filipino and U.S. history – about colonization, exploitation, and imperialism – that it opened up an entire worldview that I couldn’t ignore in my work. Through Gabriela, I also became passionate about human rights, especially in regards to the Philippines, that I went in pretty hard on creating political work. It took me a little while to figure out how to balance it all without compromising on my mental health.

Read the full interview with Maryanna on our website and find more of her work at maryannahollomon.com, on Instagram, and her newsletter Mix Mix!

~ CALLING ALL ARTISTS ~

Do you have rad art news to share? A residency or grant award announcement? An awesome community event? We’d love to highlight our Portland in Color community news in upcoming issues no matter how “small” or “big.” Reply to this email and we’ll do our best to include it in next month’s newsletter!

Creative Crecimiento Begins This Month! ✨

We’re thrilled to share the launch for Creative Crecimiento was a huge success! Our inaugural cohort of 24 artists, ranging from emerging to advanced practitioners of their craft, will convene beginning on September 15 for four weeks of workshops. We’ll culminate our time with an in-person celebration at a Latine-owned small business in Portland in late October. Our artists' mediums range from visual art to performance to music to multimedia, and more!

This series is led and designed by Latine cultural leaders in honor of Latine Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), and is presented in partnership with the Latino Partnership Program of Oregon Community Foundation.

“Creative Crecimiento was inspired by a deep love for sharing knowledge and building collective wealth,” said lead producer and facilitator, Emilly Prado. “Artists, especially those who are BIPOC or first-gen, are told our lives are impractical—that we shouldn’t pursue creativity unless it is ‘productive,’ or that if we seek financial support for our art, it cheapens it. I want to normalize and challenge conversations about what wealth means—it’s money, yes, but it’s also community, rest, collective care, and creating art that our world, bodies, souls, and movements absolutely need.”

Like the roots of Portland in Color, which began as a way to build community amongst creatives of color, Creative Crecimiento carries on that ethos which is essential to our organization.

Want to get involved? Let’s partner and make meaningful change together!

Our sponsors are investing in leadership development, wealth-building, and cultural equity for BIPOC artists in Oregon! We’re looking for additional supporters who can directly fuel scholarships and community programming for Portland in Color.

The value of this workshop series tuition is $500 per participant, but has been subsidized for every participant thanks to generous sponsors. 60% of attendees are receiving full or partial scholarships, and the other 40% are able to engage in a sliding scale model thanks to community supporters, like you!

Reply to this email to explore sponsorship opportunities today and to receive a full deck with more details! Named sponsorship tiers begin at $500, but any donation amount is welcome. <3

Thank you to our recent sponsors!

Gracias to our Community Friends sponsors, Tiburón Jarocho Mariscos (IG) & Seeding Justice (IG):

With special thanks to additional donations from New Coyote & Paola Santiago!

More Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Attend the Constellation Reading Series next Thursday, September 11th featuring Portland authors Olufunke Grace Bankole, JP Perrine, and Justin Hocking.

• The Artist Grant & Residency Program from Friends of IFCC is part of a larger community-driven effort to revitalize the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, an arts center and cultural home in North/Northeast Portland. Friends of IFCC’s program activates the space with a range of artistic expressions and disciplines. Applications due by September 12th.

• Congratulations to Creative Refresh alum, Lindsey Perez, who invites the PIC community to celebrate their DRAG DEBUT in a multimedia performance with a stellar lineup at the Echo Theater on September 14th.

• Stop by Glow & Gather by Juenethia Skincare where you can sample the local brand’s product line while enjoying music, vegan snacks and drinks, and a calm, welcoming atmosphere. Saturday, September 20th, from 11am–5pm (RSVP for a complimentary mini body oil!)

• Periplus Fellowship is open for applications! This BIPOC collective pairs emerging writers with published authors in a year-long mentorship. Applications due by September 20th at 8:59 pm PT.

• Apply now for a RACC Portland Arts Project Grant! In collaboration with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, this grant supports the creation and sharing of artistic work within Portland, Oregon, aiming to enrich our vibrant arts community. Artists, arts organizations, and other nonprofits can apply for funding to support projects with significant community impact. Applications due September 24th at 5pm.

• Printmaking Artists-in-Residency opportunity is open for applications at black whole press, located in Portland, OR off MLK. Deadline is September 16th.

• Register to attend the Feasting on Words workshop, created and facilitated by our very own Jen Shin This workshop combines food and writing and takes place over five weeks from October to December. Deadline to register is September 30th.

• Black Filmmakers Grant — Rolling deadline

• Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers!

• Street Roots is hiring an Executive Director — In partnership with the board of directors the Executive Director (ED) of Street Roots will oversee organizational management, financial sustainability, fundraising, and advocacy efforts while fostering an inclusive and high-functioning team culture.

• Ascend Cohort applications are Now Open! Applications are due 12/10/25 for the 2026 cohort.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Join or refer folks to join our free public directory

2. If you are or know an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter, please nominate them (or yourself!) here.

3. Donate - we are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

That’s all for this month! As always, if you have an event or opportunity you would like us to include in the newsletter, please email us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

In solidarity and community,
The PIC Team

This can be a tough reminder for me when I’m feeling disheartened about the instability of jobs, clients ghosting, or just the pure survival mode we often feel ourselves in just to make it all work. I had a few moments in the last few weeks that left me feeling tender, so I thought I’d share some things that helped me move forward outside of that headspace:

Prioritize your own creative time - When your art is also your job, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of only doing creative work for clients. Your own personal practice is just as important. Make time to create something entirely for yourself, or ask some friends to collaborate on an idea. Keep an eye out for artist residencies where you can spend a dedicated amount of time and space to your own creative practice.

Don’t keep it to yourself - I often think that my challenges as an artist are only relatable to other photographers or artists, but I recently shared a disappointing work experience with some non-industry friends and felt incredibly validated. Whether you share with fellow creatives or friends who may not understand the full context, your lived experience is still important to share. It’s how we begin processing and affect change for the future.

Feel what you feel - Frankly, I don’t think moving on is always the solution. Sometimes you just need to feel annoyed that a client ghosted after talking for months (hot tip for anyone hiring: this really isn’t ok. Just take the two minutes to tell them you’re moving in a different direction). Frustration feels completely warranted when your payments are late. Another rejection? I would be sad, too. I’m sharing this because we don’t always have to move on right away. I always hope we can move on eventually, but honor your feelings by feeling them.

~ CALLING ALL ARTISTS ~

Do you have rad art news to share? A residency or grant award announcement? An awesome community event? We’d love to highlight our Portland in Color community news in upcoming issues no matter how “small” or “big.” Reply to this email and we’ll do our best to include it in next month’s newsletter!

Introducing… Creative Crecimiento✨

A Latine-led workshop series cultivating community, wealth, & leadership for Oregon BIPOC artists!

Applications are now open for Creative Crecimiento! This sliding scale professional development workshop series was created to increase accessibility to sustaining creative livelihoods for BIPOC artists across Oregon. Whether you're just beginning or years into your creative journey, this inclusive, welcoming four-week online program offers practical tools, grounding, and community support to help you dream and shape your own artist career with clarity and care.

Each session is led and designed by Latine cultural leaders in honor of Latine Heritage Month which begins September 15, and closes with an optional in-person celebration in Portland on October 20. $50-$200 sliding scale, scholarships available.

Workshop Topics & Dates (Classes are on Mondays, 5:30–7:30 PM, via Zoom):

• 9/15 ✨ Groundwork for Growth: Small Business Foundations for Creatives with Emilly Prado

• 9/22 ✨ Financial Literacy for Artists with Dr. Raquel Muller

• 9/29 ✨ The Artist's Journey: Emotional Self-care Through Storytelling with Joaquin Lopez

• 10/6 ✨ Sustainable Futures: Leadership, Community-Building, and Long-term Planning Panel with Heldáy De la Cruz, Jené Etheridge, Erica Ledesma, and RedStone Rodolfo Serna

• 10/20 ✨ Optional Celebration & Connection Event in Portland (Location TBA)!

All BIPOC creatives welcome to apply by August 31. Notifications will be sent by Friday, September 5. Learn more about the program here.

Apply Now for Creative Crecimiento!

The value of this workshop series tuition is $500 per participant and has been subsidized thanks to funding from the Latino Partnership Program at Oregon Community Foundation. We’re seeking additional community sponsors to support this program and our work! Please email us if you’d like to receive our sponsor deck, or consider making a one-time tax-deductible donation today. Thank you for your consideration.

More Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Help shape public art at the East County Library, art exercises led by our very own Paula Champagne 👋🏾 and Ka'ila Farrell-Smith. August 13th from 4-6:30pm at Gresham library.

Multnomah Arts Center 2025 Call for Art - Are you an artist living in Oregon or SW Washington? Would you like to show your work in our Front & Center Galleries? Our annual Call for Art will be open August 1-31 for shows that will be scheduled in 2026 and early 2027.

QT BIPOC River Day at Wilson River on Monday, August 25th. Noon to 4pm.

Request for Proposal: Public Art Installation at Lake Oswego Public Library - Respond to Racism (RtR), in collaboration with the Lake Oswego Public Library (LOPL) and the Arts Council of Lake Oswego (ACLO), invites artists/artist teams living in Oregon to submit proposals for a site-specific public artwork installation at the exterior of the Lake Oswego Public Library. Application deadline has been extended to August 31, 2025.

Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers!

MusicOregon’s Echo Fund provides crucial funding for professional and career development for Portland’s independent, working musicians. The Echo Fund’s application window open now through September 5, 2025.

The Artist Grant & Residency Program from Friends of IFCC is part of a larger community-driven effort to revitalize the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, an arts center and cultural home in North/Northeast Portland. Friends of IFCC’s program activates the space with a range of artistic expressions and disciplines. Applications due by September 12, 2025.

Apply now for a RACC Portland Arts Project Grant! In collaboration with the City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture, this grant supports the creation and sharing of artistic work within Portland, Oregon, aiming to enrich our vibrant arts community. Artists, arts organizations, and other nonprofits can apply for funding to support projects with significant community impact. Applications due September 24th at 5pm.

Street Roots is hiring an Executive Director - In partnership with the board of directors the Executive Director (ED) of Street Roots will oversee organizational management, financial sustainability, fundraising, and advocacy efforts while fostering an inclusive and high-functioning team culture.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Join or refer folks to join our free public directory

2. If you are or know an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter, please nominate them (or yourself!) here.

3. Donate - we are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

That’s all for this month! As always, if you have an event or opportunity you would like us to include in the newsletter, please email us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and the PIC Team

I'm writing this having just popped by our neighborhood Parks and Recreation Free Swim— have you seen all the cool fun and ~free~ things PP&R is hosting this summer all over the city? To be honest I was feeling hot and sluggish from the heat and didn't feel like going, which feels wild because common logic might suggest that'd be the perfect time to visit the pool. But all I could think about was laying as still as possible in my dark room with the AC window unit regulating my body temperature.

But I still went! And much like many of the things we rally ourselves to do even when we're so tempted to cancel or tell ourselves, "I'll make the next one," I felt better for it.

You guys... Free Swim is chaos and delight and pure summer magic. I'm hoping this might be true everywhere in the city during free swim nights, but at Montavilla on 82nd in East Portland, it was poppin’ with life and so many families from all different backgrounds.

I loved seeing an Eritrean family with seven kids walk right up to the pool's edge and leave their sandals in a heap before slipping in— like the pool was their own personal living room. Kids with life jackets borrowed from the front desk and lifeguards reminding them for the MILLIONTH time "Walk! No running." More kids dripping with pool water, speed-walking with nachos and big smiles to show their grandparents their snack counter spoils. And I was so happy to see my own kid meet up with his bestie, bopping around and learning to feel comfortable in the water surrounded by so much joy and laughter and yes, a lot of splashing.

And I guess what I want to say is that our community spaces are sacred. It's really special that we live in a city that actively works to make these resources and spaces available to as many people as possible, even while facing bureaucracy and budget cuts. It also makes me think of when I hear discourse about Portland's whiteness, or the fact that it's "the whitest city in America," and how I want to bring those people here. Remind them that while you may have to seek out these spaces and leave the dark comfort of your air conditioned room, we're here.

Join our Board of Directors

We're expanding our Board of Directors!

Portland in Color is seeking board members with diverse skills and expertise in areas such as grassroots fundraising, community building, nonprofit organizational development and governance, and activism in the arts, with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and interest in championing and furthering the reach of our work. Our board should be reflective of the many constituencies we serve including Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, LGBTQIA+, youth through elders, and other marginalized communities.

Please note this is an unpaid volunteer position that meets quarterly. To nominate yourself or someone in the community, please fill out this form by July 18th.

Help PDX Look Its Best – Join a Focus Group

Do you travel through PDX regularly?

Portland International Airport (PDX) and the Port of Portland are refreshing their visual brand identity, and they want YOUR input! Join a one-hour focus group on Thursday, July 24th (slots throughout the day) to share how the new designs feel to you. We’re prioritizing people with diverse backgrounds and people with visual impairments.

Why participate?

• Receive a $50 honorarium

• Free parking and snacks

• A chance to inform how PDX shows up in the world

Spots are limited, so sign up today! Note: completing the application form does not guarantee participation. You’ll get a detailed email once confirmed.

Focus Group Sign-Up

Questions? Send an email to rhonda@afterbruce.com

More Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Cut Paper with Nia Musiba - The focus of this workshop will be to collaboratively create cut-paper illustrations that will find a permanent home on the walls of Friends Share Community Space on July 20, 2025. Two sessions, $15-25 sliding scale.

Black Rose Wellness is hosting Sacred Love, a retreat for Black women and femmes on July 19. 2025 12-4pm.

Súper Ultra Tropi-Tóxic Summer: A Noche Libre x Let’s Be Friends Day Party ft a free BIPOC vendor market and mutual aid fundraising for UndocuPDX on July 27, 2025 from 2-6 pm, all Latina DJs from 4-10 pm ($18 adv, $20-25 day-of)

Caldera Artists in Residence 2026 Open Call - Apply by August 4, 2025.

Respond to Racism is looking for volunteers!

Street Roots is hiring an Executive Director - In partnership with the board of directors the Executive Director (ED) of Street Roots will oversee organizational management, financial sustainability, fundraising, and advocacy efforts while fostering an inclusive and high-functioning team culture.

Evergreen Reminders

Want to support our work and don’t know where to start? Here are three ways:

1. Join or refer folks to join our free public directory

2. If you are or know an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter, please nominate them (or yourself!) here.

3. Donate - we are a team of volunteers committed to continuing this work because we believe BIPOC artists deserve to thrive, not just survive, in their creative livelihoods. Your tax deductible donation keeps our programming going.

That’s all for this month! As always, if you have an event or opportunity you would like us to include in the newsletter, please email us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and the PIC Team

Happy Summer Solstice, friends. This is PIC Founder, Celeste, writing this month’s newsletter and the newsletters to come. We hope the season greets you with fresh berries, summer bike rides, and picnics with your best buds.

We’d like to dedicate this month’s newsletter to celebrating Orlando Almanza’s work (more very soon), but also to reintroduce an old PIC tradition of nominating an artist or submitting your own work to be featured. We’re slowly waking from a Features hibernation, but in the meantime would love to dedicate future newsletters to spotlighting members of the community.

We know that too often, it feels like we need to wait for someone to recognize us or to see value in our work. We hope that PIC can be a place that you can share work you’re excited about, find community, and learn from one another. If you are or know an Oregon-based BIPOC artist that you’d like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter, please nominate them (or yourself!) here.

Spotlight On: Orlando Almanza

For many of us who call Portland and Oregon home, our journeys here are interwoven into the larger tapestry of migration that shapes us as people. Making a home in a new place takes courage and hope for a better future—whether that migration is voluntary or involuntary. With so many folks in our community who have experienced migration either first hand or within their family history, we’d like to celebrate the artists whose own experiences shape their work and how they see the world.

This month we’re excited to feature Orlando Almanza (he/him), who not only honors community and ancestral legacies, but invites us into alternate universes where the natural and spiritual come together to tell us stories.

Orlando Almanza (b. 1989) is a Cuban painter, draftsman and printmaker who lives and works in Portland, OR and Havana, Cuba. His work pulls us into his dreamworld of memory, myth and loss through figurative works focused on the people, places and stories that shaped him. His stories take place in the natural world where figures are intertwined with water, plants, animals and light. The omnipresent river of Almanza’s childhood connects his subjects to their ancestors, to the spiritual world, and to those who are yet to come. Each painting invites us in, to search for meaning and truth. Almanza received his B.A. in printmaking from the Institute of Superior Arts in Havana, Cuba.

In 2024, Almanza presented a solo exhibition titled “Gente de Rio” (River Folk) at Froelick Gallery in Portland, OR, which explored themes of solidarity, rest and community. The luminous group portraits captured Almanza’s deep dedication and pride for the resilience and beauty that can be found in everyday life. This exhibition is currently on show at Portland Center Stage, through August 2025.

We asked Orlando, “How does immigration relate to or inform your work?” to which he answered:

“Dear little brother,

Much time has passed since our farewell on the dirt road of the neighborhood alley.
Remember when I taught you how to run like the horses, coo like the owls, to swim like the fish, through the river and to the sea, all in one breath.
Remember when I taught you to fly as high as the carrier pigeons, to arrive where the sea and horizon meet, and still know your way back home.
Remember what our ancestors taught us, that time is not linear, we can see eachother anytime.
When you want to see me, light a candle in the river, say the magic words and I will be there with you.

Take care my little one,
The Shapeshifter

I was born in a small town in the countryside of Eastern Cuba during a period of economic and political crisis. In my childhood, our most powerful resource was community. It was how we endured hardships and overcame obstacles. Our community was built on shared stories, ancestral knowledge of the land, river and animals, and the knowledge of the spirits and shapeshifters that intertwined with everyday life.

My artistic practice is a dedication to my own community, stories and ancestral knowledge.

My life's work is to create symbols that uplift and celebrate historically marginalized communities, creating visual universes that reflect my values of community, solidarity and dignity. I hope to create this visual memory for those to come and to inspire the next generation to be proud of their roots, their heritage and their ancestral stories.”

Thank you to Orlando for sharing your work and reminding us how interwoven our journeys are to our own practices and how we can create the worlds we want to live in. Orlando’s recent honors include a documentary feature of his work on OPB Oregon Art Beat as well as a Volunteer award for his volunteer work as an art instructor at Friendly House NW. In Portland, Orlando is represented by Froelick Gallery, who can be contacted for available work and upcoming events.

See more of Orlando’s work at https://www.orlandoalmanza.com/ and on Instagram.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Online auction open until Wednesday, June 25th at 9:00 PM in support of 5th annual Native Elders Picnic

Beyond, Beyond, a journey through expansion is Cosmos Dark’s last improv music residency show with the Creative Music Guild on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 8-11pm, $15

Art Girl Rising’s Free Art Planning Q3 Session - free for women and non-binary artists. Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at noon EST.

Free Weekly Food Boxes for BIPOC Folks every Tuesday, June 3rd - October 27th, 2025.

Artist Self Promotion Panel - Join local artists Max LaZebnik, Nia Musiba, and Rachel Mulder for a panel discussion and presentation about artist self-promotion online and beyond. June 27, 2025 from 1-3pm. $30

PIC Co-founder Emilly is hosting Drawing the Draft a hybrid pop-up installation and interactive workshop exploring the behind-the-scenes making of her memoir-in-progress, OUTLINES. Sunday, June 29, 2025 at 6pm. Free

PLAYA 2026 Art/Sci Awarded Residency is accepting applications until June 30, 2025.

QUEER|ART|MENTORSHIP supports a year-long exchange between emerging and established artists in four different creative fields: Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art. Begins January 2026, applications due July 31, 2025.

Artist Self Promotion Panel - Join local artists Max LaZebnik, Nia Musiba, and Rachel Mulder for a panel discussion and presentation about artist self-promotion online and beyond. June 27, 2025 from 1-3pm. $30

Free Weekly Food Boxes for BIPOC Folks every Tuesday, June 3rd - October 27th, 2025.

Black Rose Wellness is hosting Sacred Love, a retreat for Black women and femmes on July 19. 2025 12-4pm.

The Miller Foundation’s 2025 Spark Award for Oregon Artists is now open, offering $20,000 grants to 20 midcareer media and literary artists creating original work. This round focuses on supporting individual artists at a pivotal point in their creative journey. The funding is designed to be catalytic, helping artists overcome barriers and sustain or advance their practice. Applicants must submit samples from three distinct bodies of work within their primary discipline. Applications are due July 2, 2025.

Thanks for joining us this month and being in community with us. As always, if you have an event or opportunity you would like us to include in the newsletter, please email us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

In solidarity and community,
Celeste and the PIC Team

As May comes to a close, we’re highlighting Mental Health Awareness. There are dozens of factors that can disproportionately impact artists, such as irregular hours, financial instability, and the need to yield our emotional sensitivities to create.

Here are a few suggestions that may help enhance our collective quality of life:

1. Create boundaries around work hours - Burnout can feel inevitable for creatives. Make sure that you are listening to your mind and body and try not to do too much, especially when navigating intense or ongoing projects that require a lot of energy.

2. Prioritize any level of care that feels accessible to you - Self-care can often slide to the bottom of our to do lists but take the time to incorporate wellness in whatever ways you can. It can be something as small as drinking a glass of water, taking a short walk, or try setting a goal to create a habit for one act of care a day that you do as a gift for yourself.

3. Engage with community - Many of us often work in isolation which can have a negative impact on mental health. Utilize resources like our online directory and community spaces to avoid long stretches without connection.

Like artistry, the goal for self-care is never perfection. Take the time to define what it means to feel balanced and navigate incremental gestures that allow us to feel more whole.

Portland in Color is Growing

Last week, the PIC Team set out for Mt. Rainier for our mid-year retreat to revisit our goals, reimagine the future, and reconnect as a team. We’re excited to share that our team is growing to include our two newest members, Paula Champagne and Jen Shin!

You might remember Paula (she/her), our new Creative Director, from her PIC feature in the summer of 2021. Paula is a Visual Storyteller whose work explores the healing intersection of Blackness and the natural world. Through film, photography, illustration, design, murals, painting, and printmaking, she weaves narratives that honor place, identity, and kinship with the earth.

Paula’s work has expanded to explore her motherhood and the legacy of passing on a relationship with nature through generations. She is currently writing and illustrating her first children’s book, inspired by her connection to land and life in Portland, where she tends to her family, garden, and creative practice.

Our new Director of Operations, Jen (she/they), is a Korean diasporic writer, baker, and mental health advocate with more than a decade in recovery from alcoholism and bulimia. She is currently at work on Bad Magic, a coming-of-age addiction memoir which examines how we return to our true selves after reality and illusion become one.

She is a 2023 Periplus Fellow and has received support from Anaphora Arts, Stove Works, and Tin House Summer Workshop. In 2021, she published Have You Received Previous Psychotherapy or Counseling? through zines + things and her essays can be found in Provecho, The Rumpus, Memoir Magazine, and elsewhere. She teaches creative writing to high school students through Literary Arts' Writers In the Schools program and her annual food + writing workshop series, Feasting on Words, has been funded by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Even after our short retreat together, we feel invigorated and inspired by Jen and Paula’s perspectives, their commitment to thriving artistic communities, and their extensive expertise. Please join us in welcoming them both to the team!

Congratulations to the inaugural Portland in Color Artists in Residence at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology

A big congratulations to the inaugural recipients of the PIC residency at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology: Camille T. McDaniel and Sadé DuBoise!

Camille (she/they) is a Portland, Oregon-based poet, book editor, and fiber artist. Her poetry has been published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Currency, Sundress Publications and more. In 2023, she received nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets Anthology. Her debut book—Blood, Skin, and Water—is available online through World Stage Press and at Broadway Books in Portland.

Sadé (she/her) is a multiracial, multidisciplinary artist whose work reflects the layered experiences of motherhood, cultural identity, and connection to the land. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, she now lives in Tigard with her family. During the residency, she will honor her Alaskan Native heritage by crafting a traditional Tlingit octopus bag and developing a self-portrait series centered on her tribal facial markings.

A special shout out to our finalists, ariella tai⁣, Brenna Yellowthunder⁣, and Cloud Stokely⁣ 🌟

It was truly an honor to read through so many thoughtful, moving applications. The depth, talent, and vulnerability shared by artists across disciplines was so inspiring. Oregon is lucky to have so many incredible artists of color!! Thank you to everyone who applied — we see you and we’re grateful for the opportunity to witness your work.⁣
⁣
Please join us in celebrating these incredible artists — show them some love and take a moment to explore their powerful work. We look forward to sharing more opportunities in the seasons to come. 🌱⁣

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

BIPOC Peer Support Group - First and third Thursdays of every month from 7-8:30pm, this is a virtual support group for BIPOC living with mental health conditions. To receive the meeting link, sign up is required.

The documentary featuring PIC member DJ Anjali Dream Into Being is screening at the Tomorrow Theater with a moderated discussion afterward on Thursday, June 5, 2025. Free event, RSVP required.

Women Photograph is currently accepting applications for their annual Mentorship Program. This year, they will pair five early career photographers with an industry leader as a mentor, and provide $2,000 in support for work on a local visual storytelling project over the course of six months. Apply by June 6, 2025.

The Fields Artist Fellowship is now open and accepting applications until June 13, 2025. Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) and Oregon Humanities (OH) are collaborating to invest in individual artists, culture bearers, and their communities through the Fields Artist Fellowship. In May of 2026, OCF and OH will award four Fields Artist Fellows $150,000 each over a two-year period. Fellows also receive robust professional development, networking, and community-building opportunities throughout the fellowship.

DJ Anjali is also hosting a birthday party TROPITAAL!—a desi latine soundclash on June 14, 2025 at Goodfoot.

Women Photograph’s 2025 Project Grants for women & nonbinary photographers is now open until June 15, 2025. These $5,000 grants will support photography projects — either new or in-progress — from visual journalists working in a documentary capacity. Five grants are available, at least one of which will be earmarked for a nonbinary or transgender photographer.

The Miller Foundation’s 2025 Spark Award for Oregon Artists is now open, offering $20,000 grants to 20 midcareer media and literary artists creating original work. This round focuses on supporting individual artists at a pivotal point in their creative journey. The funding is designed to be catalytic, helping artists overcome barriers and sustain or advance their practice. Applicants must submit samples from three distinct bodies of work within their primary discipline. Applications are due July 2, 2025.

That’s a wrap for this month’s newsletter. Thanks for being in community with us and as always, if you have an event or opportunity you would like us to include in the newsletter, please email us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

Until next time!

Hi Portland in Color Community!

We’d love to kick off our April Newsletter with gratitude for your ongoing support towards our mission . This month we hope to return the favor by offering resources that will nurture our creative intentions and fostering more opportunities for us to thrive and connect online and in-person.

Friendly Reminder: Our Sitka applications have come to a close and we look forward to reviewing everyone’s applications and announcing our inaugural two artists in residence in the coming weeks.

Community Spotlight

PIC member Melina Kiyomi Coumas is the Director of Programming for PORTLAND PANORAMA, a brand new international film festival here in Portland, picking up the mantle left behind by PIFF and the Northwest Filmmakers Fest! The festival begins today, April 10th, and runs through the 20th.

The first half of the festival is dedicated to national/international films, while the second half is a showcase of Northwest filmmakers and their works. Check out the festival schedule here, and a spotlight on these titles made by BIPOC filmmakers:

BLACK BOX DIARIES

THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS

VILLAGE KEEPER

ASHIMA *Filmmaker Attending!

STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

+ All International and NW Short Film Programs!

PIC Community members can enjoy a 20% discount with the code Pano_CP20 🎥✨

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

BIPOC Peer Support Group - First and third Thursdays of every month from 7-8:30pm, this is a virtual support group for BIPOC living with mental health conditions. To receive the meeting link, sign up is required.

Clackamas County Cultural Coalition Spring 2025 Grant Cycle awards of up to $5,000 for projects and general operating support related to arts, heritage, or humanities.Artists and organizations based in Clackamas County, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area, are eligible to apply. Applications due April 17, 2025, at 11:59 pm PT.

The Vital Impacts Annie Griffiths Grant awards $2,000 to support storytelling on the natural world and humanity’s connection to it. Apply by Earth Day, April 22, 2025.

Voices, A BIPOC Adoptee Reading
BIPOC adoptees have suffered from family separation and ethnic displacement. Many of us are immigrants who have also been separated from our homelands from injustices stemming from imperialism and colonialism. The event is open to the general public and will feature 5 BIPOC adoptee authors. April 26, 2025 from 6:30-9pm.

RACC’s Professional Development Grant Program assists artists or arts administrators by offsetting expenses related to specific, unique opportunities with the potential to significantly impact professional development. An opportunity may be one of many things, but the proposal must clearly demonstrate how the activity will benefit the applicant long-term. An applicant may request any amount up to $2,000 and must target activities happening only between July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Apply by April 30, 2025 at 5pm.

Sing People Sing: A Queer and POC led Song Circle in PDX
This event is taking place in the Center for Joy at Sabin CDC, an affordable housing community that works toward social equity by stabilizing & improving the livability of culturally-diverse Portland neighborhoods, with a special focus on African American households, by encouraging community partnerships for local economic development, and by offering youth & senior programs. This is a BIPOC-only Space. April 30, 2025 at 6:30pm.

BIPOC Affinity Night Event
Join Portland Center Stage for a pre-show panel discussion as part of BIPOC Affinity Night for The Brothers Size, featuring Black Men’s Wellness on April 30, 2025. This conversation will explore themes of brotherhood, healing, and mental well-being in Black communities, connecting the play’s powerful narrative to real-life experiences.

From Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight, Choir Boy) comes a story of freedom and family. Steadfast and responsible, Ogun Size fights to connect with Oshoosi, his aimless younger brother, who has recently been released from prison. Weaving together the mundane and the mystic, this play invites us into the Louisiana Bayou, showing us a world of poetry, stories from the Yoruban cosmology, and music. A fresh and contemporary tale of belonging, brotherhood and the ties that bind. Showing April 20 to May 18, 2025.

Shout it Out Open Mic, a Friends of Noise benefit show raising funds for Brown Girl Rise. Join to listen to some amazing youth performers and spend time in community. All proceeds will go to supporting BGR's Summer program. Tickets are sliding scale. May 17, 2025 from 1-3pm.

The 2025 Craft Archive Fellowship will foster archival research on underrepresented and non-dominant craft histories in the United States, such as feminist, intersectional, queer, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and other communities and approaches that may not be specifically listed here. Up to 6 Center for Craft Archive Fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend to conduct research in an archive of their choosing. Apply by May 20, 2025.

Social Justice Fund NW Seed Grant (Quarter 2) is offering $5,000 to new or emerging organizations (three years or younger) in Oregon and other Northwestern states. Priority is given to organizations led by BIPOC communities or those operating in rural areas. The application deadline for the second quarter is May 29, 2025.

Making sure our newsletter serves you

Some of you have given us feedback that our newsletter is a useful resource so we wanted to ask more openly what the community would like to see:

Wondering how you can support us?

1. Donate: Every contribution is greatly appreciated. We are a 501(c)3 so all donations are tax exempt.

2. Spread the Word: Do you know a BIPOC creative who has not signed up for our directory? Let them know the perks of visibility, networking, and community connection that happen when you are a member of the Portland in Color directory

3. Volunteer: We can always use extra help! If you believe in our mission and have the means to donate your services, space, or time we would love to collaborate. Contact us at portlandincolor@gmail.com

We’re a little less than two weeks away from the April 4, 2025 deadline to apply to the inaugural Portland in Color BIPOC Artist Residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology!

In case you missed it, we’re partnering with Sitka to reserve two spots for Oregon artists of color for the Fall 2025-Spring 2026 season. Portland in Color is thrilled to collaborate with the Sitka team to enhance the access of BIPOC to enriching their creative practices.

More info about the residency:

• Residency Period: October 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026

• Duration: 2-4 weeks (length and dates to be determined by your availability)

• Eligibility: Open to BIPOC artists over 18 years old residing in Oregon who have not previously participated in a Sitka artist residency.

• Location: Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, 56605 Sitka Dr, Otis, OR 97368

• Funding availability: $600 stipend flat fee

• Application Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2025 by 11:59 PM PT

• Notifications: All applicants will be notified by email by April 30th, 2025

Read more about PIC founder Celeste Noche’s experience as an artist in residency last fall in our March Newsletter.

APPLY HERE by April 4, 2025 at 11:59PM PST.

Happy almost spring, friends! Big thanks to everyone who came out to our Winter Money Talks workshop to ask your finance questions, and special thanks to our Finance friends for sharing their knowledge:

• Chaim Schramm, CFS, CAS, AIF (Chaim Investment Advisors)

• David Hackett, EA (Pacific Tax Relief)

• Jesse Swordfisk, CPA

• Nicole Long, CPA (Breath & Taxes)

We talked about everything from mileage deductions to becoming an S-Corp, the differences in types of debt to business credit cards that accumulate points/miles you can use for yourself 😉 We’ve got more finance workshops in the works but would love to hear from you if there are specific areas you’re looking for support in.

Updating our Mission Statement

We are getting back to our roots and locking in to March by revising our mission statement and setting intentions around why we do this work:

PORTLAND IN COLOR envisions a future where our community’s Black, Indigenous, and people of color artists can thrive and sustain their creative livelihoods. We challenge systemic oppression impacting artists through an expansive framework guided by community building, collective wellness, and economic justice. We advocate for ethical compensation and use tools including professional growth opportunities, artist-centered programming, and a free public directory highlighting our members as vital steps towards advancing the state of the arts for BIPOC creatives.

Announcing the Portland in Color BIPOC Artist Residency at Sitka

Another exciting announcement is a partnership with Sitka Center for Art and Ecology dedicating two of their artist in residency spots for PIC creatives

We dream of bringing more folks out to creative retreats and residencies and after our founder Celeste Noche received a spot as a Ford Family Foundation Golden Spot Visual Artist in the residency in 2024, she knew it would impact other BIPOC artists on their creative journey in the same way it has enriched her.

“I’m so thankful to Sitka for the time, space, and opportunity to focus on my practice as a photographer and writer during my artist residency. I often forget how much everyday life can prevent us from dedicating the time we’d like to our creative work– sometimes years passing by without realizing.

As a new parent, it meant a lot that I was able to bring my family for a portion of my visit but that I also had uninterrupted time to focus on my work. I dug into my archives working on a personal project I started in 2020, created a roadmap for the next phase, and got to meditate on the story in the peace and tranquility of Sitka’s campus.

What I didn’t expect was how much I’d love meeting other residents and how I felt myself growing as an artist just being in community with them. I’ll never forget crabbing in the estuary, cooking Filipino food for my new friends, and feeling so in tune with nature and the tides.

As artists, so much of our identities gets tied to what we produce– what we can take from ourselves to share with others. At Sitka I was thankful for the emphasis on rest, for taking the time we need, and for no expectations other than to make our time in residence truly our own.”

The Portland in Color BIPOC Artist Residency at Sitka has reserved two spots for Oregon artists of color for the Fall 2025-Spring 2026 season. Portland in Color is thrilled to collaborate with the Sitka team to enhance the access of BIPOC to enriching their creative practices. Applications are due April 4, 2025 by 11:59PM PST.

Applicants are also welcome to apply directly to the general Sitka residency program, due March 17, 2025. For a fee waiver, contact the Sitka office at info@sitkacenter.org

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Oregon Art in Public Places Roster – Request for Qualifications - The Oregon Art in Public Places Roster is now open for applications, and all artists are welcome to apply. The Oregon Arts Commission manages the Art in Public Places Program for the State of Oregon. The roster is completely refreshed every three years. If you were selected for a previous Oregon Art in Public Places Roster, you must reapply to be considered for the 2025-2027 roster. Apply by March 14, 2025.

City of Portland is Hiring Public Art Administrator - The City of Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture is hiring a full-time Public Art Administrator to guide the evolution and refinement of Portland’s public art programs. This role is not just about managing what already exists, it’s about imagining what’s next. The administrator will oversee the city’s public art collection, Percent for Art program, coordination with contractors and public engagement initiatives, ensuring that public art reflects the city’s diversity, enriches civic spaces and strengthens cultural vitality. Apply by March 17, 2025.

Awakening Abundance Workshop - Join us this Spring Solstice for an “Awakening Abundance” workshop. We will visualize, meditate, and reflect on self-limiting beliefs. March 19, from 7:30 - 8:45PM.

The Word - A Storytelling Sanctuary is accepting applications for the 2025 Editor-Writer Mentorship. Are you a writer, author, editor, bookseller, or book enthusiast? Apply here by March 17, 2025.

The IPRC is hiring a contract UX/UI developer to design, build and test a library catalog for our zine collection! This is a temporary, grant funded, hybrid or remote position that starts in March/April 2025 and ends in June 2025. Proposals due March 19, 2025.

Regional Arts and Culture Council is hiring an Executive Director - The Executive Director will serve as the organization's chief executive, leading its strategic direction and overseeing all aspects of its operations in alliance with RACC’s values and commitment to equity and access. The ideal candidate is an experienced leader with a proven track record of coalition building, fundraising, and advocacy and an understanding of the region's cultural landscape. This role is based in the Portland Metro Area, Oregon. The salary range is $140k—$160k, depending on experience. Apply by April 2, 2025.

BIPOC Hot Yoga with Mikhayla Pitts - This hot yoga class is intended for practitioners of color to connect with their bodies and minds in a supportive and inclusive environment. April 12, 2025 from 11am - 12:30pm.

City of Hillsboro, Oregon – Call for Artists to Apply for Mural Funding - The City of Hillsboro, Oregon, has a growing collection of murals in parks and public spaces that celebrate its collective culture and heritage. The application process for the inaugural round of funding for new mural projects is currently open, with a focus on Hillsboro’s Cultural Arts District. The amount of funding awarded annually will depend on the number, type and geography of the proposals received and could range from $10,000 to $30,000. All murals in Hillsboro must receive approval before painting begins. Apply by April 21, 2025 at 9am.

That’s all for this month’s newsletter— thanks for joining us and as always, feel free to send over your events and opportunities for us to share.

- The PIC Team