May 2, 2024
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Shawn Uhlman, Prosper Portland, 503-823-7994

The Events and Film Office at Prosper Portland has announced the recipients of its Community Event Grant for Spring and Summer 2024. Grants will support 36 events, including seven that are film related.

The Community Event Grants are intended to advance the city’s economic and cultural revitalization through direct financial support, with desired results being:

  • Portlanders enjoy free / low-cost events throughout the city
  • Portlanders connect and engage with each other
  • Portlanders feel welcomed and a sense of belonging
  • Events create opportunities to share art, film, culture and community with Portland visitors and Portlanders
  • Communities and small businesses near funded events benefit from increased foot traffic and community engagement
  • Grants encourage event vibrancy in all communities to support Portlanders and Portland visitors

Prosper Portland Director of Economic Development Shea Flaherty Betin said, “Putting our tax dollars back into community-led activations creates immediate value for our local businesses and the opportunity for Portland families to make life-long memories. When we double down on Portland’s cultural and creative landscape, we’re not just saying, ‘thank you, we see you,’ we are telling the story of Portland’s increasingly inclusive renaissance.”

Prosper Portland, Travel Oregon, Travel Portland, and the City of Portland Office of Arts and Culture support and fund this program. The Events and Film Office reviewed and scored 196 applications. Of the 36 grant recipients, 77% identify as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color, and all of the events are free or have an accessible pricing structure.

May events (and producers) receiving grants include:

  • Sat, May 4 – Oregon Rise Against Hate (ORAH) Free Admission Day at Lan Su Chinese Garden (Oregon Rise Against Hate)
  • Sat, May 11 – St. Johns Bizarre (St. Johns Bizarre)
  • Wed, May 22 – Sat, June 1 – The 9th Vanport Mosaic Festival (The Vanport Mosaic)
  • Wed, May 22 – Wed, May 29 – Portland is Great – Scavenger Hunt (Kimiko Matsuda)
  • Fri, May 24 – Sun, June 2 – Survival: An Integration of Art (Alexander Quezada)

The full list of recipients is available here.

In addition to the 36 grantees, 18 runners-up will receive up to 50 percent of their requested funding.

The Events and Film Office at Prosper Portland facilitates Portland-based events and activations, promotes Portland as a film location, and supports the industry’s success locally and internationally. Working collaboratively with city offices, the Events and Film Office deploys grants and sponsorships to elevate the economic value of cultural programming and local production in our community.