The Living Room Theater is launching Art Spark: Every third Thursday, interested parties gather in their lounge to chat about art. It's a private business looking to break into the art scene, but it sounds like it could be a promising event. Each month there will be a different host from the local art scene, who gets "6@6" - 6 minutes at 6pm to say or do whatever they want, followed by open discussion. March's host is Arts & Culture Commissioner Sam Adams. The event is free, but space is tight, so they ask that you RSVP.

Creative discourse • 5-7pm • March 20 (and every 3rd Thursday)
Living Room Theaters • SW 10th & Stark

Technically, this event has been done before, and it was actually started by Sam Adams. Now it's just looking like it found a permanent home, which is great. It was a fun little social event last time. I question how much it really helps the arts community, but I suppose networking is a rather large part of our job.

Actually, to clarify even further, this event is being coordinated by the Regional Arts & Culture Council and a few great volunteers who want to provide a direct response to a question that RACC and Sam Adams' office hear often: "Where can I go to meet other local artists?" Please come and give us your feedback, including how you think these events could help the arts community even more. Living Room Theaters has graciously offered their space for the next 6 monthly gatherings.

Networking is a necessary evil... Iusually Id rather look at art (like the awesome Richard Pousette-Dart now at PAM) or read a book in the study... but honestly nothing feels better than introducing someone to the right person who then leads to a great exhibition.

It is part of what makes Portland great, people are pretty generous, even at the highest levels.

As far as whether these help Portland? I doubt they hurt... PORT is currently preparing a battery of ?'s for the various candidates... and we plan to make some endorsements for Mayor etc. based on those responses. Expect something pretty erudite.

JJ: That's good to hear that you'll be grilling the candidates. RACC currently has a questionnaire in the field (results will be posted at www.racc.org on April 1st) but as a 501(c)(3), RACC cannot endorse anyone. The Oregon Art PAC *can* endorse, and they're running their own questionnaire right now as well -- see http://www.oregonartpac.com/questionnaire/.

Yes... PORT is a relatively a-profitable "For Profit" LLC ... so we thought we'd provide these candidates a real test and provide an opportunity for them to consider things that I doubt they will encounter in any other venue/forum... Our questions will be very pointed, not general. The PORT staff will then mull over the responses and as a staff choose who to endorse. Overall we wanted an endorsement that would be "no to easy" to get so it might mean something.