The Magic 25
Saturday, October 25, 2008
It’s time for IFCC to throw a big bang party! Twenty-five years of fabulous art, performance and community involvement will be celebrated in an ode to the ‘80’s Homecoming.
Every week, from May 3rd to October 25th, drop by here to see what magic moment made the top twenty-five.
And then come get “Delirious” with us on October 25. A full Scrapbook Timeline Exhibit will be featured in our gallery, along with dancing, and food and general mayhem.
The party can’t start without you.
Week One - The 1910 Victorian firehouse located on Interstate became a major re-construction project in the early 80’s under the direction of then Commissioner Charles Jordan. Click here to read more
Week Two -There was a lot of excitement and anticipation around the ribbon cutting. Click here to read more
Week Three - This year-long relationship between the artist and IFCC began with Fiber Artist Adriene Cruz and Dancer/ Choreographer Chisao Hata in 1998. Click here to read more
Week Four - I first walked into the doors of IFCC when I was 7 years old, which was 28 years ago. Click here to read more
Week Five - Asante Charlotte Lewis was the center of a family rooted in arts, strength, and knowledge. Click here to read more
Week Six - The three deaf characters in the play were performed by actors who were hearing-impaired themselves. Click here to read more
Week Seven - The Overlook Acting Company was a summer program created through the Portland Parks Bureau in the mid-1970s. Click here to read more
Week Eight - Mardi Gras, Masks and Music was one of the best efforts for the IFCC to open its doors, show off the unique center and raise some much needed operational funding. Click here to read more
Week Nine - The Gullahs are descendants of slaves who were brought from Africa to the South in the 1700s. Early in their time here plantation owners found that the slaves were particularly adept in growing fine quality cotton and rice so they were sent to the fertile low country and islands to work. Click here to read more
Week Ten - Sue Busby was hired in September, 1982 to manage the final leg of construction and the opening of IFCC in November, 1982. She continued through the 15th anniversary in August, 1997 when she was invited to Harvard. Click here to read more
Week Eleven - In 1982, PassinArt: A Theatre Company was founded by Michael J. Grant, Clarice Bailey and Connie Carley. They chose the name PassinArt which is based on the African tradition of passing art, cultural and oral history from one generation to the next.Click here to read more
Week Twelve - From 1982 to 1990, the IFCC was a home-away-from-home to over a hundred talented young artists. The Student Production Company at the IFCC was a theatre company staffed and operated by children and adolescents from ages nine to eighteen.Click here to read more
Week Thirteen - Roberta Wong is a “grounded” person; keeping her cool at last minute deadlines, an excellent communicator covering all aspects of expectations from me as an artist, offering good advice for publicity, creating beautiful invitations, and seeing that all details are covered.Click here to read more
Week Fourteen -ORIGINS was an annual lecture series presented by the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. The series featured artists from diverse ethnic backgrounds, who create personal art forms through written, visual and performance mediums. The artists were invited to present their views on the creative process as well as the ethnic and cultural elements that influence their work.Click here to read more
Week Fifteen -The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) provided the Interstate Max Public Art Program (IMPAP) a place to invite, embrace and celebrate the communities along Interstate Avenue. The mission of the IFCC, giving voice to a diverse array of artists, lent itself to the commitment of IMPAP and directive to the station artists, to give voice to the history and future of the diverse communities through the artwork and art projects.Click here to read more
Week Sixteen -Developed and refined in pilot sessions for PGE departments and community business leaders, “Creative Differences” took place at the IFCC, Portland’s pioneering, multi-cultural arts center. The first cultural inclusivity workshop took place in 1999.Click here to read more
Week Seventeen -“Ethic Seeds/Cultural Blooms: Fiberworks by Multicultural Artists” featured twelve artists who have exhibited at the IFCC : Marg Johansen, Adriene Cruz, Harumi Hooker, Vidya Hivale, Carmenita Coleman, Cleveland Smith, Rebecca Newell, Pat Gold, BK Courtney, Margarita Leon, Tina Martini and Charlotte Lewis. The exhibit was organized in support of the National Surface Design Conference being held at Portland State University.Click here to read more
Week Eighteen -“The Colored Museum” by George C. Wolfe was a satirical revue of the Black American cultural experience. In structure it presented eleven “exhibits” of that cultural history over a musical back beat of considerable power.Click here to read more
Week Nineteen -“In the 1960s a group of high school students started an organization called the Albina Art Center which operated a facility that provided music, dance and visual arts classes. When it closed in the mid-seventies some of the African American visual artists saw a need to continue an alliance, and Members’ Gallery was formed.Click here to read more
Week twenty -“DREAMGIRLS is one of the great successes of both Broadway and Hollywood, a winner of 6 Tony awards and an Academy Award winning film. It is a show about a time in American musical history when what is called rhythm and blues blended with other styles of popular music creating a new American sound.Click here to read more
Week twenty one -“For almost two and a half decades, IFCC has provided wonderful experiences to many youth in dance, theater and other performing art workshops. Community arts programs for young people play a crucial role in their education and social development. IFCC have long recognized that the means by which a youth production reaches show time is often more important than the show itself.Click here to read more
Week twenty two -“Say Hey, NW is a reception held quarterly by Partners in Diversity to welcome new professionals of color. The event is hosted by a group of employers in Oregon/SW Washington working together to make sure their workplaces and the communities they serve are able to attract, hire and retain a diverse workforce.Click here to read more
Week twenty three -“As the original Artistic Director, Gary O’Brien was a driving force behind this vision. During his first stint at the IFCC, Gary crafted theatrical seasons that introduced Portland audiences to cutting edge scripts challenging prevailing assumptions about race, culture, gender and disability.Click here to read more
Week twenty four -”Michelle Harper, Citywide Collaborative Services Manager for Portland’s Bureau of Parks and Recreation, brings a beautiful spirit, a sense of humor, and all the energy she can muster to everything she does. If she’s a little short, on energy, she knows how to cajole it out of others. Luckily, IFCC is among the many organizations benefitting from Michelle’s energetic and lifelong commitment to making Portland a great place to live.Click here to read more
Week twenty five -”*As a college student, I was truly honored to join City Commissioner Charles Jordan’s staff on July 1, 1975. I had no idea this experience was going to be the most life changing opportunity anyone could ever dream. I believe that in a lifetime we may have few chances to witness great leadership and its impact on the community. Mr. Jordan is the type of leader who inspires others to challenge themselves and discover their talents.Click here to read more
A big thank you to our 25th Anniversary Timeline Contributors:
Susan Goodson Fatherree (Formerly Sue Busby), Sue Alperin, Janis Henwood Khorsi, Michael Mendelson, Evelyn C. Minor-Lawrence, Heidi Durrow, Dmae Roberts, Monika Weitzel, Willa Schneberg, Michelle Harper, Trish Bradley, Lillian Pitt, Melissa Lowery, Roberta Wong, Andrea White, Alena Vance, Bettriae Willis, Linda Brown, Sam Mowry, Jay Hunt, Dorothy Martin, Connie Carley, Dan Trujillo, Adrienne Flagg, Shuzet Miller, Pat Courtney Gold, Adrienne Day, Stacey Drake Edwards, Mary Priester, Carole Morse, Kathie R Kerler, Brenda Phillips, Janice Ingersoll, Kirk Mouser, Brian M. Biggs, Lisa Catterall, Chisao Hata, Crystal Williams, Carmela Lanza-Weil, Bea Kiyohara, Judith Yeckel, John P. Whitford, Art Alexander . . .
