November 2021
Important Dates for MAC's Winter Term Registration
Registration for MAC's winter term will open Monday, December 6 at 12:30 pm. Our winter classes and activities will be available to view online starting Tuesday, November 23.
MAC staff have felt overwhelmingly grateful to be able to welcome the community back into the Multnomah Arts Center last month for in-person fall programming. Although our extended closure lasted much longer than any of us anticipated, staff have appreciated your patience and are happy to have arts enthusiasts roaming the hallways at MAC and creating together once again.

MAC's winter term classes will be available to view online starting Tuesday, November 23. Registration for our upcoming winter term is quickly approaching - please review the important registration dates below.

Winter 2022 Registration Dates:
  • Registration will open Monday, December 6 at 12:30 pm for Session A (activities and classes that begin January 3–February 6)
  • Registration will open Monday, January 10 at 12:30 pm for Session B (activities and classes that begin February–March 25)

Health & Safety:
Protecting the community's health and safety continue to be Portland Parks & Recreation's primary goal. We continue to follow guidance from public health authorities (OHA, Early Learning Division, Multnomah County Health Department, and the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management) and elected officials. To view PP&R's most current safety guidelines and practices, click here.
The Director's Box - November 2021
Dear Friends,
 
Today, I am honored to share with you a free publication created in honor of Barbara Engel by members of our Literary Arts community, I DO CARE. You are invited to pick up a free copy in our Poetry Pole in front of MAC or in our lobby while they last.

In the introduction, I write: “Every now and then, the impact one individual can have on a community can equal the impact a community can have on an individual. About a year after the passing of Barbara Engel, we received a short email about a generous bequest from her. Who was this woman that I would come to know only after her passing as witty, creative, caring, funny and loving? What compelled her to support our big little arts center? A few inquiries later, I learned just how involved she’d become in the Portland arts community (clearly a friend of chamber music) while living in her adopted home near Multnomah Village in SW Portland. She’d taken many classes besides poetry (songwriting, sculpture, nature journaling, ceramics, prose) and had a similar effect on students and instructors... Another friend shared a picture of her. In retrospect, I’d seen Barbara a few times in the halls of the Multnomah Arts Center and the warmth of her presence returned to me. Thank you, Barbara, for all you did, and will continue to do to bring creativity into the hearts of our community.”
 
Barbara’s story inspires me to work harder, to remove barriers, and to provide opportunities that allow more people to actively create and bring joy to their own communities. I believe she supported MACA because we did this for her. In the coming weeks Multnomah Arts Center Association will be reaching out as it does each year, asking for your support to elevate the impact we collectively have on community through community arts education, both here at MAC and increasingly through community engagement outside these walls. We hope you’ll join Barbara and many others to help move our work forward by donating at a level that is comfortable to you.
 
Sincerely,
Michael Walsh
MAC Director
Instructor Showcase Now Open in MAC Gallery
For the first time since March 2020, the MAC Gallery officially opened to the public on November 5. Our annual Instructor Showcase will be open through November 29.
MAC Instructor Showcase
Paintings, prints, drawings, metal arts, ceramics, textiles, sculpture, woodturning, photography, and more!

Location:
Multnomah Arts Center Gallery
7688 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97219

Exhibit Dates:
November 5–November 29, 2021

Hours:
Mon–Thurs, 9:00 am–9:30 pm
Fri–Sat, 9:00 am–5:00 pm
The Multnomah Arts Center is proud to presents its annual Instructor Showcase! Artwork by Multnomah Arts Center adult and youth visual arts instructors is now on view in the Multnomah Arts Center Gallery. Artwork includes paintings, prints, drawings, jewelry and metalsmithing, ceramics, textiles, woodturning, sculpture, photography, and more.

Many of these works are available for purchase at the front desk. A portion of all sales goes towards supporting the arts education programming at MAC. The show may be seen through November 29 and closes at 9:30 pm on that day. This event is sponsored by Multnomah Arts Center Association (MACA).

We invite the community to stop by and enjoy the reopening of our beloved gallery!
Multnomah Arts Center in the Community
MAC and Community Music Center have been partnering to provide community outreach at various events through the delivery of arts and music activities.
By Craton Highways, Outreach Lead

"As we engage, we begin building a base of knowledge and a place of trust from which to discover, reflect, and act. Engagement is shaped by critical curiosity, humility, compassionate listening, and respect." - Janet L. Finn

Community engagement has always been at the center of MAC's mission. In recent months, MAC staff have been regularly engaging with community members throughout the east Portland area. In partnership with Rosewood Initiative and Community Music Center, MAC staff have been delivering arts & crafts activities, connecting with different communities, and informing them about programming and services provided by MAC, CMC, and other PP&R programs.

Some of these outreach efforts have included the Community Health Fair and weekly Saturday Celebrations at the Rosewood Initiative office location in SE Portland throughout the months of August and September. Most recently on October 30, MAC celebrated Portland Arbor Day with Portland Parks & Recreation. This celebration took place at Lents Park, and MAC staff helped community members plant trees and create Arbor Day themed love letters and crafts. Engaging with so many different communities across east Portland has been deeply rewarding and MAC staff look forward to continuing to build relationships and expand our outreach efforts.
New Session of Winter Break Arts Camp Added!
Campers from a previous year's session of Alyson Osborn's Nutcracker Camp. To learn more about next month's session and to register today, click here.
Due to popular demand, we have added an additional session of our Nutcracker winter break camp! Kids can join us for this fun performing arts camp to kick off an awesome winter break!

We understand that our activity fees may be a barrier to participation for some members of our community. Thanks to support from the Parks Local Option Levy, if Portland residents are unable to pay the full fee amount, they may use the discount feature at check-out to pay what you can.
Winter Break Camp - Nutcracker
Ages 4-6
Instructor: Alyson Osborn

Float like a snowflake! Fence like the Mouse King! Explore the magical world of the Nutcracker through creative movement and theatre. Use your imagination to create simple props and costumes. There will be a performance for family and friends on the last day of class.
This performing arts camp will take place December 27–30 from 10:00 am–1:00 pm. Click the link below to learn more and to register today!
The Multnomah Arts Center (MAC), a program of Portland Parks & Recreation, provides excellent arts education in the visual and performing arts at an affordable cost to students of all ages. We offer programs in music, movement, dance, theatre, woodshop, literary arts, metal arts, mixed media, printmaking, drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and more. Programs run year-round, and scholarships are available. Visit MultnomahArtsCenter.org to learn more about our programs.

The Multnomah Arts Center Association (MACA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports the vibrancy and health of the Multnomah Arts Center. Its mission is to advocate for equity and access to arts education.

The MAC Press is a publication of and made possible by the Multnomah Arts Center Association. MACA welcomes your tax-deductible cash contributions and in-kind donations to provide improvements to our facilities and programs. Thank you for your support.