Sunday Sessions Volunteers Needed

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About ALBERTA ABBEY FOUNDATION

Location:

126 NE ALBERTA ST, PORTLAND, OR 97211, US

Mission Statement

The mission of the Alberta Abbey Foundation 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.

Description

The Alberta Abbey story began more than a century ago when community-members came together to build a church "to serve its community without distinction of person or race." It’s an ethos that Alberta Abbey carries forward in its mission today.

While Portland has become gentrified, our neighborhood has remained a predominantly Black area, and many in the community cherish memories of the Abbey from decades past. We strive to make the Abbey a safe community & artistic space for communities & artists who identify as BIPOC & LGBTQIA+.

Managing to stay afloat during COVID, the Abbey emerged from the pandemic in January 2022 with two events and since has grown exponentially. The Abbey works with area programmers to curate & produce free and affordable community programming & recurring monthly programming by local, independent artists and national acts. In 2022 the Abbey hosted 145 events; 34% served the BIPOC community; 21% were free community events; and 23% supported other nonprofits.

Operations will be sustainable when we can offer 10-12 in-house & partner events per month, each with average attendance of 350 or more. At full capacity, we’ll serve more than 50,000 artists & community members annually, which requires the help and support of a robust base of donors and volunteers alike.