Closure Summer 2024
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Thank you to all of our supporters over the years. It has been our honor to bring you the programming that we have, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the amazing artists that have enhanced our understanding of the world. I want to shout out specifically to the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation for their incredible gift and belief in this project. Thank you. To our private donors that believed in the intersection of social justice and environmental protection, we literally couldn't have done this without you.
As many of you have heard, arts funding is the hill I will die on but not just because it is affecting us and not just because it brings in tourist dollars. The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They strengthen our communities socially, educationally as well as economically. When we started Parallax Art Center, we did so as a direct response to the pandemic and the upheaval that happened and continues to happen as a result of societal collapse. The collapse of the world as we knew it led to moments of discovery and reflection. Systemic social problems finally moved into the spotlight and we were given the opportunity to change the way we behave, and for a moment, we did. The arts have been there this whole time, documenting, critiquing, analyzing and telling stories about the anguish and liberation and trauma that we have experienced during this life-changing tract of history. Many of us were able to survive because of our own art practices. When isolation and fear became so big, we found solace and community in our closets creating podcasts and one-person plays. We drew and painted our sorrows and sculpted our hope for humanity.
Collapse is often an opportunity to rebuild; the pieces have been disassembled and you have your choice of what you want to include in the next rebuild. We wanted to take the best of what our society offers and eliminate what we see as problematic; the inequality and strife that those on the bottom experience, the degrading environmental practices and how environmental racism affects marginalized people disproportionally. The whiteness of our city and the invisibility that so many BIPOC people experience as a result of systemic injustice and racist behaviors and practices.
Parallax recognized not only the life-saving importance of the arts but the need to capture this moment in history and act. Our work has been to bring into recognition the broad spectrum of players that Portland didn't always get to experience and to highlight the politicized voices without judgement by giving them a platform to share their craft and to always do it without cost to the community because we understand how vital these moments of connection are to our collective well-being and our efforts to move forward despite a crippling economic outlook.
At the beginning of the pandemic, someone needed to make around $65,000 to afford to be able to get into the housing market in Portland. Today, that number is $162,000. The cost of living has increased by 20% in the last 4 years while wages continue to stagnate. The gap between the haves and the have nots is continuing to grow and artists are often the ones on the bottom working several part time jobs as a way of supplementing their creative practice. We tried to make a difference by ensuring that we sought out art workers that were underrepresented in the city and employing them with living wages, by paying our artists a W.A.G.E certified rate for participation in our shows and by giving people the opportunity to get their art in front of people at no cost to the artists because we are all a part of the struggle. We are passionate idealists who believe in creating a better world and won't stop until we can no longer create or speak or sing or laugh or cry.
This isn't the end of us, it is just a separation of particles as we disperse into different universes.
If you believe in the work that we are doing, it is vital that you vote for people who also uphold your values and once in office, they are reminded of how incredibly important all arts organizations are to the livability of our community. We can't depend on the "pay to play" "anchor organizations" and elite clubs to carry the torch that is representative of us. We have to participate in the system if we are going to critique it. For Parallax, it's too late, but not so for organizations such as the IPRC, PICA, Blue Sky Gallery, p;ear, Sitka, Color outside the Lines, North Pole Studios, The Elbow Room, The Portland Street Art Alliance and so many other orgs that struggle to provide truly inclusive services to our community.
As many of you have heard, arts funding is the hill I will die on but not just because it is affecting us and not just because it brings in tourist dollars. The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They strengthen our communities socially, educationally as well as economically. When we started Parallax Art Center, we did so as a direct response to the pandemic and the upheaval that happened and continues to happen as a result of societal collapse. The collapse of the world as we knew it led to moments of discovery and reflection. Systemic social problems finally moved into the spotlight and we were given the opportunity to change the way we behave, and for a moment, we did. The arts have been there this whole time, documenting, critiquing, analyzing and telling stories about the anguish and liberation and trauma that we have experienced during this life-changing tract of history. Many of us were able to survive because of our own art practices. When isolation and fear became so big, we found solace and community in our closets creating podcasts and one-person plays. We drew and painted our sorrows and sculpted our hope for humanity.
Collapse is often an opportunity to rebuild; the pieces have been disassembled and you have your choice of what you want to include in the next rebuild. We wanted to take the best of what our society offers and eliminate what we see as problematic; the inequality and strife that those on the bottom experience, the degrading environmental practices and how environmental racism affects marginalized people disproportionally. The whiteness of our city and the invisibility that so many BIPOC people experience as a result of systemic injustice and racist behaviors and practices.
Parallax recognized not only the life-saving importance of the arts but the need to capture this moment in history and act. Our work has been to bring into recognition the broad spectrum of players that Portland didn't always get to experience and to highlight the politicized voices without judgement by giving them a platform to share their craft and to always do it without cost to the community because we understand how vital these moments of connection are to our collective well-being and our efforts to move forward despite a crippling economic outlook.
At the beginning of the pandemic, someone needed to make around $65,000 to afford to be able to get into the housing market in Portland. Today, that number is $162,000. The cost of living has increased by 20% in the last 4 years while wages continue to stagnate. The gap between the haves and the have nots is continuing to grow and artists are often the ones on the bottom working several part time jobs as a way of supplementing their creative practice. We tried to make a difference by ensuring that we sought out art workers that were underrepresented in the city and employing them with living wages, by paying our artists a W.A.G.E certified rate for participation in our shows and by giving people the opportunity to get their art in front of people at no cost to the artists because we are all a part of the struggle. We are passionate idealists who believe in creating a better world and won't stop until we can no longer create or speak or sing or laugh or cry.
This isn't the end of us, it is just a separation of particles as we disperse into different universes.
If you believe in the work that we are doing, it is vital that you vote for people who also uphold your values and once in office, they are reminded of how incredibly important all arts organizations are to the livability of our community. We can't depend on the "pay to play" "anchor organizations" and elite clubs to carry the torch that is representative of us. We have to participate in the system if we are going to critique it. For Parallax, it's too late, but not so for organizations such as the IPRC, PICA, Blue Sky Gallery, p;ear, Sitka, Color outside the Lines, North Pole Studios, The Elbow Room, The Portland Street Art Alliance and so many other orgs that struggle to provide truly inclusive services to our community.
- Arts unify communities. 72% of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity” and 73% agree that the arts “helps me understand other cultures better”—a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories.
- Arts improve individual well-being. 81% of the population says the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world,” 69% of the population believe the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences,” and 73% feel the arts give them “pure pleasure to experience and participate in.”
- Arts strengthen the economy. The nation’s arts and culture sector—nonprofit, commercial, education—is an $919.7 billion industry that supports 5.2 million jobs. That is 4.3% of the nation’s economy—a larger share of GDP than powerhouse sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and construction. The arts have a $33 billion international trade surplus. The arts also accelerate economic recovery: a growth in arts employment has a positive and causal effect on overall employment.
- Arts drive tourism and revenue to local businesses. The nonprofit arts industry alone generates $166.3 billion in economic activity annually—spending by organizations and their audiences—which supports 4.6 million jobs and generates $27.5 billion in government revenue. Arts attendees spend $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and lodging—vital income for local businesses. Arts travelers are ideal tourists, staying longer and spending more to seek out authentic cultural experiences.
- Arts improve academic performance. Students engaged in arts learning have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and college-going rates as well as lower drop-out rates. These academic benefits are reaped by students across all socio-economic strata. Yet, the Department of Education reports that access to arts education for students of color is significantly lower than for their white peers. 91% of Americans believe that arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education.
- Arts spark creativity and innovation. Creativity is among the top five applied skills sought by business leaders—per the Conference Board’s Ready to Innovate report—with 72% saying creativity is of “high importance” when hiring. Research on creativity shows that Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely to be actively engaged as an arts maker than other scientists.
- Arts have social impact. University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates.
- Arts improve healthcare. Nearly one-half of the nation’s healthcare institutions provide arts programming for patients, families, and even staff. 78% deliver these programs because of their healing benefits to patients—shorter hospital stays, better pain management, and less medication.
- Arts for the health and well-being of our military. The arts heal the mental, physical, and moral injuries of war for military servicemembers and Veterans, who rank the creative arts therapies in the top four (out of 40) interventions and treatments. Across the military continuum, the arts promote resilience during pre-deployment, deployment, and the reintegration of military servicemembers, Veterans, their families, and caregivers into communities.
- Arts Strengthen Mental Health. The arts are an effective resource in reducing depression and anxiety and increasing life satisfaction. Just 30 minutes of active arts activities daily can combat the ill effects of isolation and loneliness associated with COVID-19.
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"The state needs to do its part, too: The latest state budget largely overlooked the arts, and Oregon’s per-person arts funding is ranked 41st in the nation, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. That’s not good enough. The arts need and deserve a bigger share of the budget."
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Large, so called "anchor organizations" absorb critical arts funding, that while needed, doesn't close the gap for smaller, often times free venues that are geared more towards the community
SPRING 2024
We will be closing out our time in Portland with two back-to-back shows that celebrate the artist residency.
Eduardo (Lalo) Perez will be in residence in Mexico City and and Marvin Parra will be in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in May. Parallax believes in supporting emerging artists and has provided partial funding by the way of scholarships for both of our staff to attend these residencies and will celebrate their work with a pop-up exhibit to end our stint as an art center.
From April 1- June 19th we will be featuring Nature's Embrace, A Sanctuary of Afro-Futurism and Healing
Eduardo (Lalo) Perez will be in residence in Mexico City and and Marvin Parra will be in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in May. Parallax believes in supporting emerging artists and has provided partial funding by the way of scholarships for both of our staff to attend these residencies and will celebrate their work with a pop-up exhibit to end our stint as an art center.
From April 1- June 19th we will be featuring Nature's Embrace, A Sanctuary of Afro-Futurism and Healing
The Parallax Art Center Residency Program was born out of the recognition that Portland has a tremendous need to support its local artists in play, experimentation and place making. Since the cost of space is at such a high premium, even artists who are fortunate enough to have studio space rarely have the opportunity to work in large scale, sculptural ways. This artist residency represents the intersectional approach to playfully make a difference in our world by activating change makers and empowering our less recognized neighbors.
Artists In Residence |
Parallax Art Center's 2024 Artists in Residence are an alliance of visionary Black women artists, healers, and change-makers, dedicated to creating spaces of healing and expression through the powerful lens of Nature. Jocelyn Rice, Black Quantum Outdoor Futurist As a designer and an artist, Jocelyn blends the essence of nature with the visionary principles of Black Quantum Futurism in her work. Her art is a dialogue with the environment, channeling the spirit of the outdoors into each design and performance piece, advancing regenerative practices steeped in ancestral knowledge. With Black Earth United, she designs narratives that wear the legacy of the past and the innovation of the future— @jocelynr.rice ZaDora Williams, MSW, LCSW, Healing Artist As a Portland-based licensed clinical social worker and healing artist with roots in Chicago, ZaDora’s work interweaves energy work and cultural traditions to support the mental health and collective wellness of the African-American community. Crafting intentional spaces for healing, she facilitates experiences that address and release deep-seated traumas through bodywork and ancestral practices. Her art focus on empowering individuals to find strength and healing in nature, guiding them toward holistic well-being. @sunflowerz_heals Dr. Lisa Collins Storyteller and Environmental Narrative Weaver Dr. Lisa Collins, Ed. D., author, playwright, and filmmaker stands at the forefront of environmental exploration and racial healing. Her creative work and advocacy draw from the healing power of nature, providing a voice for communities of color in the natural world. Her partnership with Love Is King and her vivid storytelling are where the environment is both a canvas and a catalyst for change. @lisayvettacollins |
Nature's Embrace will be a ground breaking exhibition that not only showcases the beauty and therapeutic power of nature but also provides and accessible, inclusive environment for people who have been excluded from natural spaces. Our wish to create an indoor oasis that mirrors the serenity and regenerative qualities of the outdoors, offering a comforting and empowering experience that resonates with the art center's mission.
The project will feature:
(From Nature's Embrace Artist Statement)
We are joining together as Black women artists, healers, designers, mothers, educators and activists to ignite a space where nature is not just a backdrop, but the very essence of our creative expression. Our work here is steeped in the principles of Afro-futurism, serves a s beacon of joy, an avenue for profound learning, and a sanctuary offering respite through the embrace of the natural world.
We are born from the rich soil of our heritage and the complex beauty of our lived experiences. We channel the unspoken language of the earth, crafting experiences that foster connections- inviting individuals to se, feel, and learn from the rhythmic cycles of nature. In each piece, we encode the stories of those who have walked before us and those who walk with us, celebrating the resilience and vibrancy of marginalized communities.
We are guided by the conviction that everyone has the right to find solace in nature and to see their reflections in the streams of the collective narratives. We have faith that by transforming the art center into a conversation with the environment, where each plant, stone, and breath of wind educates and heals.
We hope to call upon our community to join in this celebration of growth and discover the boundless joy that springs from the confluence of natures, community and Afro-futuristic innovation.
The project will feature:
- Interactive Art installations: Immersive works that combine digital media, natural elements, and participatory art to engage visitors in narrative growth and renewal.
- Therapeutic Spaces: Designed with input from mental health professionals, these areas will facilitate healing through ecotherapy and guided wellness practices.
- Cultural Workshops: Sessions that explore the intersection of nature, identity, and community healing, led by artists and facilitators for diverse backgrounds
- Story Circles and Performance Art: Spaces for sharing and celebrating the unique experiences of historically marginalized groups, featuring spoken word, dance and other performance arts that embrace nature themes
(From Nature's Embrace Artist Statement)
We are joining together as Black women artists, healers, designers, mothers, educators and activists to ignite a space where nature is not just a backdrop, but the very essence of our creative expression. Our work here is steeped in the principles of Afro-futurism, serves a s beacon of joy, an avenue for profound learning, and a sanctuary offering respite through the embrace of the natural world.
We are born from the rich soil of our heritage and the complex beauty of our lived experiences. We channel the unspoken language of the earth, crafting experiences that foster connections- inviting individuals to se, feel, and learn from the rhythmic cycles of nature. In each piece, we encode the stories of those who have walked before us and those who walk with us, celebrating the resilience and vibrancy of marginalized communities.
We are guided by the conviction that everyone has the right to find solace in nature and to see their reflections in the streams of the collective narratives. We have faith that by transforming the art center into a conversation with the environment, where each plant, stone, and breath of wind educates and heals.
We hope to call upon our community to join in this celebration of growth and discover the boundless joy that springs from the confluence of natures, community and Afro-futuristic innovation.
