*UPDATE! We have been able to add $5,000 worth of new speakers, lighting and a new projector to the Abbey! Thank you all so much for your generous support! We are still hoping to add more lighting and continue to improve our sound. Our next critical need is support for funding staffing and keeping the building going. We have had two major floods that unfortunately were not covered by insurance. We are reaching out for support to keep our dreams for this venue alive! Thank you for your consideration!
Here is our story:
Originally a church built with funds raised by a dedicated congregation in the 1920s, the Alberta Abbey has a rich history as a Black community hub in NE Portland. Following a period of disuse in the early 2000s, the Alberta Abbey Arts Foundation has transformed the building into a performance venue with studios and workspace for artists and arts organizations.
The connection to our past is sacred. The Abbey foundation strives to honor our history and strengthen our neighborhood’s cultural diversity in everything we do. The Alberta Abbey Foundation’s stated mission is “to nurture the creative, visual and performing arts in N/NE Portland by amplifying opportunities for Black and underrepresented communities. The Abbey serves this mission by providing affordable education, gallery, studio, and performance spaces, and showcasing events for local groups of all ages.”
We prioritize underserved artists and arts organizations, particularly those representing Black and Indigenous communities and LGBTQ+ communities. By providing mentorship, free and low-cost space, and curating arts programming, the Abbey creates opportunities for underserved artists to develop and express their creative talents in the visual arts, theater, performance, dance, cultural arts, music, film, media, and humanities, with a focus on the Black community.
While Portland has several historic venues that present music and offer space rentals, the Alberta Abbey is unique in its community focus and commitment to prioritizing access to space for the Black community. When the Abbey hosts a mainstream show, the purpose is always to meet overhead to be able to fund mission-aligned programming
The long-term goal is to build out the Alberta Abbey Foundation as a financially solvent and sustainable organization that in the future will be able to take over the ownership of the Abbey. The Abbey Foundation was created with a board of directors charged with making this idea a reality and we have been working on it ever since.
We had been working hard before the pandemic to remodel the building, acquire the proper permits, have neighborhood meetings, secure the Abbey on the historic registry as a place of historic significance for the African American community, get our liquor license and prepare to reopen to the community.
March 2020 was booked with a diverse lineup of incredible locally-produced shows, we were ready to go! When the pandemic hit and we had to close our doors for eighteen months, the future looked bleak.
All of our staff but one was laid off and we went into hibernation while our Interim Executive Director, worked to secure PPP funds, grants and small business loans. The wonderful news was that we received a few grants in 2020. The bad news is since we made more in 2020 than in 2019, we did not qualify for the funding that most other performance arts organizations in town received, as it was based on what was made in 2019.
During the pandemic, the Abbey pivoted and created private spaces for Black Artists, held live streams fundraising for the wildfires, hosted Food Bank organizations and hosted art shows. Starting in September 2021, we reopened the Abbey with comedy shows, local musicians, festivals and many events throughout the year. Unfortunately, Covid lasted longer than anyone could have imagined, we suffered endless cancellations, low turnout, staff shortages and illnesses and ice storms damaging the roof and pipes.
Since that time, momentum has been growing, collaborations happening and wonderful shows have been produced at the Abbey. We have dedicated community members who have been working tirelessly to activate the Abbey, but we need help to pay our staff! We have an awesome board of directors who have brought in fabulous people as well who share the dream of creating a true arts community with opportunities for local artists. Our staff and volunteers are dedicated, hopeful and all in!
We hope that the Abbey will become a thriving arts hub where artists of all types can gather, collaborate and support each other. We are proud to be the place in Portland where the public can still afford to put on vibrant avant-garde shows. We are actively trying to bring in local black talent and engage our neighbors through free community events. We want to start youth education and training programming for Black, minority, marginalized people and communities in North / NE Portland.
We do see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are convinced that we will be able to create an amazing event space for the community, we just need to buy time to let people know we exist, and how to get involved. This funding will pay for staffing and building expenses to get us to the next phase of development.
Most of all, we want people to know that this is their space and that everyone is welcome. Thus, we are now turning to you, the public. We need your help!
We are so close to realizing this vision, please help us make it a reality as the Alberta Abbey is a beacon of hope for so many and we are just getting started!
Thank you for your consideration.
