The independent artist is being pushed out of Portland. This is not news.
We’ve all experienced rising costs of living, stagnant performance pay, and changing revenue streams for recording musicians—all of which makes a musical life harder and harder to sustain in our changing city.
Unlike other types of performing and visual arts, there is minimal Arts Tax or grant money available to independent musicians who make “popular music.” Through collective efforts, MusicPortland will analyze ideas from other music cities (like Austin, Nashville, Seattle and more) to leverage proven solutions and formulate new ideas that will make life better, more creative, and more sustainable for Portland’s artists. We must work together to find new approaches that support all players in the local music scene. We cannot do it without you.
Photo: Beth Olson, Artist: Edna Vazquez
Photo: Pancho’s Cosas
Music Portland objectives to support musicians:
Enact long-needed Musician Loading Zones at venues (accomplished at 16 venues in Feb 2019). To use these Loading Zones, register with MusicPortland and then apply for a permit here.
Provide ongoing networking, education and collaboration opportunities to expand your creative and professional network, building your community and growing your career. Join us at a First Monday event.
Advocate for affordable musician housing, venue and rehearsal space protections, and more with city and state government
Raising funds to support creative project grants for independent artists in addition to tracking and keeping members informed about all other grant opportunities for which they are eligible
Work with venues, OLCC and public/private funding sources to stabilize and increase musician pay for live performance in Portland
Individual case management (in coordination with Senator Merkley's staff) to secure nearly $500,000 in stalled benefits for music workers who had been waiting for more than six months for their OED benefits during the COVID crisis.
Working closely with OLCC and venues to do the first review of regulations in 20+ years to enable more all-ages music access in Portland, helping to develop the 18-20 year old fanbase for artists.
Gather and develop resource guides for the music community, including Mental Health Resources for the Music Industry with free and sliding scale therapy options for artists.
Engage large corporate employers to grow your fanbase and create well-paying performance opportunities
Amplify collective profile of Portland music to increase effectiveness of touring promotions
Check out all of our initiatives because everything we do will ultimately make life as musician/performer better in Portland.
Do you support our mission?
BECOME A MEMBER
Our work is made possible by the generous support of our members. Please consider joining us as an Individual Member for just $25/year. MusicPortland dues are a fully tax deductible business expense. If you are not able to offer financial support at this time, please register for free as a MusicPortland participant to become a recognized part of our industry. We need to know who you are and what you need to successfully advocate for you.
Spread The word
Tell your friends about MusicPortland! By registering as part of the Portland-area music industry you help us generate real data— and data is power. Only by quantifying the impact music and artists have on our city can we successfully lobby local government, corporate employers, and development agencies to provide more resources, opportunities, and policies to support us.