Reflecting back on Portland Business Alliances Leadership Portland “Cultural Arts and the Creative Economy” program day in December, I realize pieces of the day are still with me. One of which is the “Jabberwocky” production by the Tears of Joy Theatre. Based on a Lewis Carroll poem, this short skit including characters like the “slithy toves” and “jubjub bird,” which were represented by mind-blowing puppets made of materials resembling highly sophisticated egg beaters and rubber bands. Amazing.

Another piece of the day sticking in my memory were presentations by various Portland theater artists like Olga Sanchez and Adrienne Flagg. Olga, Artistic Director at Miracle MainStage & Bellas Artes, Miracle Theater Group, reaffirmed that culture is not stagnant but consistently moving, living and growing. Adrienne, Creative Director, Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) reminded us that there are over 170 theaters in Portland nurturing the creative culture, yet need continued support. We also heard from various panelists who noted that the arts inspire higher test scores in our schools and support dynamic communication.

At one point during the day a panelist said cultural art “is truly the soul of our lives and it preserves history in order to ignite the future.” Can’t argue that point. Today, I’m still stewing on how I can become a more effective cultural arts minded citizen. Stay tuned on further ideas. In the meantime, I’ll purchase a few tickets to “Snow Falling on Cedars” at Portland Center Stage.

I have a friend—a coach—who says, “Give me passion. It doesn’t matter for what, just show me passion. That, I can work with. ” This month, our class found its passion. I didn’t expect that a day focused on arts and culture would have ignited the spark, but perhaps I should have.

Art, after all, is intended to create conversation, and in doing so, to build community. And, if we are honest with ourselves and each other, it’s also intended to create conflict. While most of us agree on the value of “art for art’s sake,” the implementation sometimes feels less clear cut, and therein lies the rub.

I’ve realized, that the details of what our class responded to—what we were comfortable with, and the places we found discomfort—aren’t important. What is important is that it created the opportunity to listen constructively to smart people whose worldview is just a bit different than our own, to share our own ideas, and to become just a bit richer in the process. And, isn’t that the point?

Hello Participants and Alumni,

I met with Graham Covington at Minds Matter of Portland recently and he is looking for mentors. I felt like this might be a good fit for some of you so if you are interested, their contact information is below.

Young Professionals Needed to Make College a Reality for Portland Area’s Bright, Motivated, Financially-Disadvantaged High School Students

Portland’s Minds Matter students are studying at schools like Columbia University, Georgetown University, Smith College, and Dartmouth’s Rassias School in France. With graduation from these prestigious summer programs, these talented Portland Public School sophomores, juniors, and seniors have a strong shot at acceptance into top notch colleges and universities. They’ll owe their journeys (and their futures) to the dedicated college graduates and Portland area professionals who served as their mentors at Minds Matter. We are proud to refer you to our most recent newsletter, which highlights Minds Matter of Portland, Inc.’s first graduating senior class, and the colleges to which they are headed.

Going into its fourth year, Minds Matter continues to seek young, college educated Portland professionals to mentor bright, financially disadvantaged high school students who will gain the life skills and experiences needed to be accepted into competitive summer prep programs and colleges. Each student is matched with two mentors, who meet with the student on Saturdays during the school year from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm at Self Enhancement, Inc.

Minds Matter of Portland, Inc. starts its 2009-2010 school year with 52 students from 16 different high schools from the Portland Metropolitan area. All of these students competed for consideration and were recommended to Minds Matter by their counselors and teachers. These students need your assistance and perspective to leverage their potential and expand their horizons.

Whether it’s helping students prepare for the SATs, attending a West Side Story performance at Portland Center Stage or dropping a mentee off at the airport on his or her way to a summer college program at Smith, Columbia, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Minds Matter mentors are changing the lives of Portland’s high school students, while truly enhancing their own.

To become a mentor, please contact us for an application via email at turid.owren@tonkon.com or Melissa Swenson at Melissa.Swenson@pgn.com (All mentors must pass a background check.). For more information on Minds Matter, please visit www.mindsmatter.org/portland, or contact Minds Matter’s Executive Director, Graham Covington, at Portland@mindsmatter.org, 503-201-7325.

The class of 2010 recently had our second program day—Power, Influence and Leadership. Despite having our ranks thinned by the flu, we came back to the table ready to learn. I’m beginning to suspect that the whirlwind of activities, panels and walking tours will be the norm rather than the exception. I’m not complaining, and I doubt others are either.

Our very full day included:

• A lecture on the history of Portland’s power players by preeminent local historian Chet Orloff,
• Tours of the KGW Studio on the Square and downtown, and
• A panel with media specialists and another with senior staff from two of Portland’s leading public agencies (TriMet and the Port of Portland).

With more than half of our class being imports to Portland, the lesson on the history of the community was particularly helpful in understanding the context for what made Portland successful in the first place, and provides clues about how we can apply the lessons of the past to our future.  On this, of all days, I suspect that we each walked away with different ideas about the most valuable thing we learned.

For me, the day’s core takeaway was related to the time it takes to move a plan from its early stages to full fruition. In 1904, the Olmsted brothers designed a plan for Portland’s parks. More than 100 years later, that plan is just coming to its full realization. While not everything takes that long, it was a ringing reminder that leadership means coming to the table and planning for the future you want to see, even if you might never see the full impact of your work.

“Keep your feet under the table,” advised Michael Schrunk, Multnomah County District Attorney, in his report during the Leadership Portland Law, Justice & Safety program day. Grammatically, it was a declarative statement. But it was meant as an invitation to engage in the hard conversations necessary to find solutions to challenges facing Portland.

Our schedule for the day was ambitious. It began with a testimony from Rosie Sizer, Chief of Portland Police Bureau. It continued with shadowing a Clean and Safe Officer, witnessing a live courtroom proceedings, touring the county jail, and hearing from a panel of knowledgeable professionals regarding issues facing criminal offenders dealing with substance abuse.

At the end of the day, we were asked what our reactions were to the day’s events, and what we were willing to do with our learnings. For example, what can be done to ease reintegration into society for inmates in the county jail? What can we do for youth today that will prevent future prolonged stays in the county detention center? How can the city provide dignified housing for all when housing, and funding for housing, is scarce? Which programs are necessary to bridge the gap for an individual exiting jail and re-entering society?

The program day was an opportunity to get a read on Portland’s legal/social barometer – it exposed some of the issues compromising Portland’s good standing as a safe, and vibrant, city. Fortunately, many of us in the Leadership Portland Class of 2010 will pursue opportunities to creatively remedy these issues with a fervor and belief that solutions are possible, and worth the effort.

We’re on it.