Mission
Mission: Parallax Art Center amplifies social justice and & environmental protection through inclusive art programs, exhibitions, and experiences.
Anti-Racism Statement
The mission of Parallax Art Center commits all of its members, including our Board of Directors and all staff to an unwavering affirmation of diversity; a staunch desire to foster a sense of belonging, especially for people who have been marginalized historically and continue to be. Justice exists only if it exists for all people. Thus, we condemn racism against Black people. We condemn all racism against all groups and persons and absolutely oppose the many kinds of violence done to people of color and to all oppressed groups in America and around the world. We affirm that Black Lives Matter. We speak out in support of Black communities, in the current crisis and always.
We demonstrate our commitments to anti-racism in our work as by intentionally making space for marginalized communities and by providing people with less opportunity to exhibit art work and tell their own stories the unique opportunity of representation in Portland, Oregon. As a team, we work towards continuous expansion of equity, access, and cooperation. We believe that the study of past oppression can bolster resistance to contemporary injustice, that the most subtle art can speak the most profound truths to power.
We express these commitments with humility because we recognize that, as members of the white cube gallery complex and the colonial historization of art in general, we are complicit in a power structure that privileges whiteness. We know how challenging it will prove to eradicate racism from American life, but we accept that challenge.
Silence normalizes oppression, racial bias, and state-sanctioned murder, and as a community devoted to the power of expression, we resolve not to be silent.
We recognize that there is always a need to do better and be better. We will prioritize those whose work is informed by anti-racism. We will expand our opportunities to engage in the most difficult, fundamental, and neglected practice of listening, not just to our curators and artists, but to people of color and other marginalized communities who make up our community in Portland.
Anti-Racism Statement
The mission of Parallax Art Center commits all of its members, including our Board of Directors and all staff to an unwavering affirmation of diversity; a staunch desire to foster a sense of belonging, especially for people who have been marginalized historically and continue to be. Justice exists only if it exists for all people. Thus, we condemn racism against Black people. We condemn all racism against all groups and persons and absolutely oppose the many kinds of violence done to people of color and to all oppressed groups in America and around the world. We affirm that Black Lives Matter. We speak out in support of Black communities, in the current crisis and always.
We demonstrate our commitments to anti-racism in our work as by intentionally making space for marginalized communities and by providing people with less opportunity to exhibit art work and tell their own stories the unique opportunity of representation in Portland, Oregon. As a team, we work towards continuous expansion of equity, access, and cooperation. We believe that the study of past oppression can bolster resistance to contemporary injustice, that the most subtle art can speak the most profound truths to power.
We express these commitments with humility because we recognize that, as members of the white cube gallery complex and the colonial historization of art in general, we are complicit in a power structure that privileges whiteness. We know how challenging it will prove to eradicate racism from American life, but we accept that challenge.
Silence normalizes oppression, racial bias, and state-sanctioned murder, and as a community devoted to the power of expression, we resolve not to be silent.
We recognize that there is always a need to do better and be better. We will prioritize those whose work is informed by anti-racism. We will expand our opportunities to engage in the most difficult, fundamental, and neglected practice of listening, not just to our curators and artists, but to people of color and other marginalized communities who make up our community in Portland.
Values
We value the representation and inclusion of all bodies. We value authenticity of voice, no matter what it is saying, but as long as it isn't causing harm. We value an egalitarian approach to work, curation and artist and contract worker representation. We believe in our role to help build a community of creative, compassionate and well-informed people of all backgrounds and abilities. We value collaboration both internally and with the many community partners we have. We value diversity and inclusion and strive to bring our audiences many different perspectives, with the hope that there will be opportunities to learn from how others see the world. We value and practice environmental stewardship and make decisions based on the environmental impacts we are creating. We stand behind ethical conduct and chose the ethical choice above the profitable choice. We value honesty in all of our communications, both internal and external. We know that growth doesn't happen without humility, and humbly acknowledge that there is so much more to learn about the services we provide. We value our own social responsibility to create a better world than the one we were born into.
Land Acknowledgement
We gratefully acknowledge artists Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos) and her collaboration with Greg Archuleta and Indo Fulcher for their creation of the Land Acknowledgement statement we use. Greg Archuleta is Clackamas Chinook, Santiam Kalapuya, and Shasta, and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
Portland, Oregon lies within the traditional homelands of the Multnomah, Oregon City, Tumwater, Watlala, and Clackamas Chinooks and the Tualatin Kalapuya peoples who were relocated to the Grand Ronde reservation under the Kalapuya etc,1855 ratified treaty (also known as the Willamette Valley Treaty.1855). Today these tribes are a part of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. The Grand Ronde People continue to maintain a connection to their ancestral homelands and maintain their traditional cultural practices.
