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322 Portland-based artists, arts and culture organizations, and creative businesses are slated to receive funding through the City’s grantmaking partners.
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The Office of Arts & Culture is pleased to announce that $1,400,000 will be awarded to 322 arts organizations and individual artists through its Small Grants Program partners in 2025-26. That funding will be granted through programs operated by Arts & Culture's contracting partners at Friends of IFCC, MusicOregon, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC).
"The Small Grants Program is our opportunity to invest in Portland's arts and culture-makers on an individual-level, as well as provide funding support to creative organizations and businesses," says Arts & Culture Director Chariti Montez. "We're proud to help provide funding for our partners' programs—they're vital to sustaining Portland's thriving arts ecosystem."
In this article, we take a closer look at all three of Arts & Culture's Small Grants Program grantmaking partners, the programs they manage and distribute Small Grants investments through, the amount of funding provided for each by the City, and the number of artists funded by each for 2025-26.
Friends of IFCC
- Program name: IFCC Artist Grant & Residency Program
- Funding provided by Arts & Culture: $100,000
- Number of artists receiving City funds 21
- Total funding awarded: $400,000
- Total number of artists funded: 30
Friends of IFCC is a Portland-based nonprofit that stewards the legacy of North Portland's Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC). As part of a larger, community-driven effort to revitalize the community center, the organization manages its Artist Grant & Residency Program, which provides funding, studio space, and professional development opportunities to local artists. In turn, those artists—representing a vast array of creative disciplines, from music and dance to theater, writing, and spoken word—activate and enliven the community center all year. Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded through this program.
For 2025-26, Friends of IFCC awarded grant and residency opportunities to 30 applicants—out of 188 submissions. Of those 30 grantees, 21 received funds from the City of Portland. This year's grantees include:
- Akela Jaffi*
- Andrea Gonzalez*
- Ariella Tai*
- Asùkùlù Songolo
- Brandt Maina | RIOA wa ROE*
- Briauna McKizzie*
- Chibia Ulinwa*
- Chisao Hata
- Dan Eason*
- David Walker
- Dmae Lo Roberts
- Ebony Frison
- Emmanuel "Onry" Henreid
- Flow Jama*
- Jason Hill*
- Jill Giedt*
- Kamryn Fall*
- Kiki Ren with Charles Roy & Latroy Robinson
- Krubel Amare*
- LaRhonda Steele*
- Latoya Lovely with Elias Escafi, Kyra Watkins, Roxanne Seaton & Xavier Taylor
- Marjè Strong*
- Noah Simpson*
- RaShaunda Brooks with
Abibat Durosimi* - Shalonda Menefee*
- Spencer Garland
- Tessa May*
- Toni Hill*
- Vaughn Kimmons*
- Zbu Hoopism*
* Denotes grantees who received funding from the City of Portland
MusicOregon
- Program name: Echo Fund
- Number of artists funded: 27
- Funding provided by Arts & Culture: $100,000
- Total funding awarded: $117,776
MusicOregon is a nonprofit serving independent, commercial, and contemporary musical artists in Portland and across the state through direct financial support, networking, and professional development opportunities. Through their annual Echo Fund program, MusicOregon empowers musical excellence by providing support for non-performance projects. That might look like covering costs associated with renting a recording studio, music production (tracking, engineering, etc.), the creation of promotional or marketing materials, or the printing and/or distribution of CDs or vinyl. Grants awarded through this program range from $1,000-$5,000.
For 2025-26, MusicOregon awarded Echo Fund grants to 27 local musicians and music groups—out of 240 applications. Grantees include:
- Jonas Angelet: LUVJONEZ
- Sophia Babb: Sophie Bird
- Wolfgang Black: Surgery Season
- Andrez Borja: Gata Galáctica
- Supremia Bostick: Supremia
- Ilima Considine: The Sexbots
- Katelyn Convery
- Chad Crouch
- Jen Deale: Camp Crush
- Akila Fields
- Zachery Gerzon: Twin Bridges
- Laura Gibson
- Collin Hegna: Federale
- Inna Kontun
- Theresa Koon
- Andrew Krissberg: Family Worship Center
- Gyllian Mullen: Aslin
- Cyrus Nabipoor
- Hazel Ra
- Alicia Jo Rabins: Girls in Trouble
- Rebecca Sanborn
- Drew Swatosh
- Megan Tucker: Megan Cronin Tucker
- Isabeau Waia'u
- Margaret Wehr: Lo Pony
- Danny Wilson
- Jennifer Wright
Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)
- Program name: Portland Arts Project Grants
- Number of artists funded: 274
- Funding provided by Arts & Culture: $1,200,000
- Total funding awarded: $1,220,000
RACC strengthens Portland's creative economy through funding, professional development, and advancing a nationally recognized public art program. The organization's Portland Arts Project Grants program, in particular, supports innovative art projects across the city, inviting Portland-based artists and organizations seeking to advance their work through programming, presentations, events, or artistic development that engages and benefits the public. Grants awarded through the Portland Arts Project Grants program range from $1,000-$5,000.
RACC's Portland Arts Project Grants are the only Small Grants Program that leverages Arts Access Fund dollars because portion of these grants are awarded to organizations—and funds raised through the Arts Tax cannot be awarded to individuals, per City Code. For 2025-26, $350,000 out of $1,200,000 provided by the City was sourced from the Arts Access Fund and distributed specifically to groups and organizations. All remaining funds disbursed as part of this program were sourced via the City of Portland's General Fund.
For 2025-26, RACC awarded grants to 274 local artists, arts and culture organizations, and creative businesses—out of 625 applications. This year's funding will support 179 individual artists and 95 arts and culture organizations, with 107 recipients indicating that this is their first time receiving a grant from RACC. A full list of grantees can be found on RACC's website.
Mark your calendars: 2026-27 Small Grants Program
All three of the grantmaking programs that comprise Arts & Culture's Small Grants Program open for submissions in the summer. If you, your organization, or business would like to apply for these programs for the next fiscal year, sign up for Arts & Culture's newsletter to stay updated on key dates.
Sign up for the Arts & Culture newsletter
Header image (L-R): Echo Fund recipients in Lo Pony c/o the artist, ariella tai c/o Friends of IFCC, and Eric Griswold c/o Lyndsay Hogland via RACC