February Newsletter
Our first event of the season is here! Plus community events, grants, and more.
February is the season for celebrating Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. And this month we want to make sure we begin by showing love for both by highlighting spaces for us to gather and love on each other while also supporting local Black creatives.
We never want to miss an opportunity to share the love with our community so we invite you to reclaim the holidays with us as a chance to show ourselves and our community support and care in an era where it feels more important than ever to look inward, spend time among loved ones, and use our dollars wisely. Here are a few ideas for how to show up this month:
Cozy up to your new fave raunchy novel or other great literary find while stopping by Grand Gesture Books book store, a queer Black-owned romance novel themed book store opened by local writer Katherine D. Morgan. See the events section of the newsletter to RSVP for the free movie nights every Saturday in February too!
Unsure about the future of things? Get a reading from local psychic/legend, Miss Renee Healing. We’ve had the honor of featuring Miss Renee on Portland in Color back in our early days when we were starting up as a photo series highlighting BIPOC artists. Take a peek in our archives!
Treat yourself to a sweet time with the local Black drag show experience, Hot Chocolate PDX Brunch Show. This spectacular lineup features five dazzling divas who’ll strut as you enjoy mimosa specials and brunch spread including chocolate covered strawberries. Bring cash for tips! Tickets are $25. Saturday, 2/22 at the Alberta Street Pub from 11 am to 2 pm.
Where will you be to show love and support Black creatives this month? Let us know in the comments, and keep reading for info on our next Portland in Color event and highlights on local businesses and community events.
Money Talks: Finance Q&A for BIPOC Creatives (& Fundraiser for Palestine)
We are thrilled to bring another iteration of MONEY TALKS, an evening for BIPOC creatives centered around financial Q&As and group consults for their individual and professional development. Get your personal and business money questions answered from a group of amazing, radical financial experts including accountants, lawyers, tax preparers, and fiscal consultants!
THANKS TO OUR FINANCIAL FRIENDS:
Chaim Schramm, CFS, CAS, AIF (Chaim Investment Advisors)
David Hackett, EA (Pacific Tax Relief)
Jenna Goldin, EA/LTC (Shift Accounting)
Jesse Swordfisk, CPA
Nicole Long, CPA (Breath & Taxes)
Meghan Keys, Bookkeeper (MKBK LLC)
Some community topics we're already looking forward to discussing and would love you to weigh in on below…
JOIN US FOR MONEY TALKS: Thursday, February 13 from 6:00-8:30 pm. $5-$25 sliding scale tickets with RSVP required. All proceeds will be donated to grassroots group Operation Olive Branch. NOTAFLOF / email portlandincolor@gmail.com for scholarship info. Tickets are going fast—only 30 spots left!
Support Black Creative Endeavors This month we feature a local Black-owned creative consulting company in Portland.
Sweet Pea Consulting + Design
By centering rest and self care as a practice, Sweet Pea Consulting + Design partners with small business owners and nonprofit leadership to identify gaps in organizational structure, employee engagement and retention, social media engagement which turns into increased sales, web and graphic design services, are some of the solutions I offer to all small businesses including but not limited to BIPOC, Women, and LGBTQIA2S+ owned and focused businesses. By Us. For Us.
“I have loved Portland for over a decade, to me, the small business community is what keeps Portland being a city I want to live in. I noticed so many long time small businesses failing, businesses that had one day thrived, and I decided if I couldn't find someone to support those small businesses with operational, web and graphic support, that I would become that necessary support.” Sweet Pea Consulting + Design, Founder, Pea Hamilton
To learn more reserve a consultation with Pea in February by booking during their office hours or follow their Instagram. Sliding Scale available for queer folks.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grand Gesture Movie Night - Every Saturday night in February at 6 pm Grand Gesture is hosting a free, all ages movie night. BYOSnacks! See full movie list and RSVP. 814 SW 10th Ave.
Gender Ordeal, a live show presented by Gender Reveal is coming to Portland at Alberta Abbey on February 11, 2025 at 7pm.
Creative Heights Letter of Intent This grant up to $100k for Oregon artists provides opportunities for artists and culture bearers to stretch their creative capacity, share new works and test new ideas. Due February 13, 2025.
Nike Community Impact Fund is an Oregon Community Foundation grant that benefits communities where Nike employees live, work and play in the Portland Metro and Northern Willamette Valley regions. 75% of awards support projects that promote sport/physical activity and 25% of grant awards support orgs and projects that address community challenges through innovative or proven community-based solutions. Due February 15, 2025.
SWANA Story Time - This monthly event features story times with rotating themes, wiggle breaks for the little ones, and singalongs. Masks required for those who can wear them and are provided to all in attendance. February 22, 2025 from 10am to noon at the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center, 2942 NE MLK Jr Blvd.
Culterim Open Call for Artists in Residence North of Berlin around 60 minutes by train from the central station, the forest property `Biesenthal` is located right next to the lake Wukensee. The premises extends over several buildings and 12.000m2 of forest. We are converting the manor of Biesenthal into a temporary artist residence with studios and accommodation from 1st of May, 2025 until September the 30th, 2025. Apply by February 23, 2025 (Central European Standard Time!)
Arts & Crafts Sundays with Trail Mixed Collective, a community for women of color outdoors. Join for monthly open ‘studio’ time! Bring your own work and materials and let’s have some hangout time working on pieces while getting to know each other and catching up. Bring your interests, curiosities, and expertise and let’s make some art! February 23, 2025 from 10:30am - 1:30pm.
Seeding Justice’s Lilla Jewel Award— named in honor of artist, radical feminist, and suffragist Lilla Jewel— was created to address these inequities by resourcing and amplifying Oregon-based artists of marginalized genders who advance a social change message through their work. Created in 1997, the Lilla Jewel Awards have funded dozens of poets, choreographers, singers, painters, photographers, filmmakers, writers, and other artists embedded in our social justice movements. Applications due February 27, 2025 at 5pm.
Sitka Center for Art & Ecology Residency - Sitka artist residencies provide time and space for self-paced work and reflection in an inspiring natural setting. Residents from a broad range of art, writing, performance and science-based practices come to Sitka to create and explore away from the familiar contexts and constraints of daily routines, and free from external expectations. Applications due March 17, 2025. Application fee waivers available by writing to info@sitkacenter.org
Thanks for being here! Please remember you’re always welcome to share your grants, opportunities, and ideas with us at portlandincolor@gmail.com.
In solidarity,
The PIC Team
I always look forward to reading these! A lot to look forward to.