Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

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Concordia Art Works – Don’t confine art to just galleries, museums

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Maquette Reeverts | Alberta Art Works

Take the power of art and add community. Art in public spaces creates culture by building character and improves the quality of life.

This artist recommends anyone and everyone can create community art to help get the community through a long winter. Photos by Maquette Reeverts

Art doesn’t have to be a luxury or something in a gallery or museum. Art can happen in your yard. You have an opportunity to improve the quality of place while engaging your brain in something creative.

It is going to be a long winter, so why not use that extra indoor time creating something for everyone to enjoy? Think yard art, little libraries and other ways to enhance your lawn for the good of all.

Engage your neighbors with something that makes them smile, a little surprise along their evening stroll.

Not a painter? Stencils are a great way to enliven a garden wall or concrete steps. Make a stencil using thin cardboard or buy one from a craft store. Hire an artist, or paint a mural yourself on that tired wood fence.

How about a street mural? Start planning this winter by visiting PortlandOregon.gov/transportation/67083, then putting it into action come spring.

Interactive art could be a chalkboard, little libraries or shelves for free piles. Assemblages are works of art that use found objects. Look in your attic, garage and bike shed to find interesting parts to make a yard sculpture.

Those born with green thumbs could start a “kids cut-your-own flower bed” or how about inviting a fairy or gnome into your garden by building them a house or an entry at the base of a tree?

Do it for yourself and do it for your neighbors. Create a smile for everyone to enjoy. By simply participating in a creative way, you can help bring a little humanity to our everyday and improve our community’s well-being.

Editor’s note: After you’ve created and placed your community art, send a photo and its location to CNews for Concordia Curiosities. Or post it on Facebook.com/ groups/ConcordiaPDX.

CNA respects the views and beliefs of all Concordians, and their cultures and faiths. The views expressed by this writer do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA.

Michel Reeverts, aka Maquette, holds a master of arts degree in art education, serves Alberta Art Works as director and Alberta Street Gallery as a board member. She is also a practicing artist. Contact her at Maquette@AlbertaArtWorks.org

Live from Alberta Street … it’s the Annex

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

Opening the Cruzroom Annex was good luck for both owner Octavio ‘Tavi’ Cruz-Uribe and manager Jake Jarvis (pictured). Local residents are finding good entertainment there. Photo by Carrie Wenninger

Sometimes things fall apart, only to come back together better than you ever could have imagined. Such was the case with the Annex, the event venue across the courtyard from Cruzroom’s main bar and restaurant at 2338 N.E. Alberta Street.

Ready to open a second location, owner Octavio ‘Tavi’ Cruz-Uribe had scouted the perfect space across town when the deal suddenly fell through, explained the Annex’s manager and head booker Jake Jarvis.

And that’s precisely when the spacious, empty building mere feet away became available.

A mechanic shop in the 1940s, Cruzroom is now a favorite gathering place known for its cocktails, innovative tacos and popular outdoor patio. The Annex served as car storage for the shop, then sat idle for decades. It has now found new life as a thriving 150-person capacity performance venue.

Open for a year, the Annex hosts a packed schedule of local and larger bands; dedicated nights for jazz and Brazilian music, comedy, trivia and open mic; Yoga and Tacos events; miscellaneous classes; and more.

Jake is also the bassist for the Portland band Fir. He and friends had a huge hand in the renovations and interior build-out. Rumor has it the space also boasts the only full-size pool table on Alberta Street, previously owned by former Portland Trail Blazers great Kevin Duckworth.

Crowds were initially slow to arrive, but things picked up last spring thanks to the increasingly popular open mic night, which draws in an eclectic mix of talent.

Angelyna Tropets of Honey Latte Presents assists with all-ages show bookings and the website and social media presence. Jake focuses on cultivating curated events and residencies in addition to managing the Annex.

Find the event schedule at Cruzroom.com/annex. Looking to book a show? Email CruzroomAnnex@gmail.com

“We want to be a positive part of the neighborhood, a space where people can come, relax and be safe while enjoying a variety of shows,” Jake emphasized.

“We welcome all people and we absolutely do not tolerate any sort of discrimination.”

Not just about skinny jeans, band t-shirts and flannels, the Annex’s wideranging offerings make it clear there’s something here for everyone. The menu is the same as Cruzroom’s, including many vegan and gluten-free options, the patio is smoker-friendly, and all ages are welcome until 10 p.m.

Carrie Wenninger lives on 29th Avenue in Concordia. She is a freelance writer, a mom, a world traveler and a small business marketing consultant. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.

collage builds community through crafting

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Marsha Sandman | CNA Media Team

Maria Raleigh said she named her shops “collage” because the word means, “taking a little bit of everything and making it work.” Photo by Marsha Sandman

You will never be bored again after a visit to collage on Alberta Street.

A sea of color greets customers at the door. Enter to find myriad supplies for the painter, print maker, rubber stamper, journaler, textile artist, book maker, etc. There is a wide array of how-to-books, children’s arts and craft supplies, stationery, greeting cards, rubber stamps, decorative paper and so much more.

It is an inspirational, fun, exciting, vibrant, and a totally happy place – much like its owner, Maria Raleigh, a warm and delightful curator of everything creative.

Fifteen years ago collage opened on Alberta Street with one store. That store has doubled in size and collage now has two additional locations in southeast Portland. A gift store a few doors west on Alberta Street, known as the collage annex, has curated collectibles, handcrafted items, games and unique treasures.

Maria had a long history in retail sales and management experience when the idea for collage started brewing while she was home raising her two young sons.

She recognized a need, found a space and started filling it with everything for the crafter, artist and young crafter. She now employs 35 people in her four stores, and they are warm, friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable.

collage stocks more than 60,000 items from 400 vendors. The inventory is customer driven and the staff tries to fulfill customers’ special requests. Maria’s goal is to supply as much as possible to her diverse clientele while still being organized.

Maria explained the store’s name. “A collage is taking a little bit of everything and making it work.”

Her stores host free crafts nights at nearby Atlas Pizza locations in their neighborhoods. In addition, Maria uses crafting for team building. Among the clientele she has worked with are Nike and Intel, and collage has provided craft tables at Concordia Neighborhood Association events.

“With three supply store locations and one gift shop, collage is so much more than just a local art and craft supply store,” Maria pointed out. She is a joyful presence in the neighborhood, and she is committed to building community.

Her website at collagepdx.com is jam-packed with stimulating crafting details on varied subjects. It includes a calendar of events, store locations and hours.

Maria is currently in the process of creating an online store. But she still welcomes your visits to collage at 1639 N.E. Alberta St. and your calls to 503.249.2190.

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@gmail.com.

Ask the historian: Who knew there were ‘orchard houses’ here?

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, History

By Doug Decker | Historian

This is an orchard house, seen on a walk through the neighborhood. The rear addition was added in later years. This home has been thoughtfully updated and maintained through the years.

I’ve been fortunate recently to spend some time with Jeanne Allen, a 98-year-old neighbor whose sharp and clear memory reaches well back into her childhood days here in northeast Portland.

As we chatted about change during a recent drive through the neighborhood, Jeanne talked about how different things were around here in the early years. Pointing out a small home toward the back of one lot, she said something that required some follow-up:

“I sure hate to see the orchard houses going away.”

Wait. What’s an orchard house? We’ve never heard that term. We want to know more.

When Jeanne and her husband Bob built their home in Concordia back in 1950, they were surrounded by orchards of cherries, apricots, pears and apples that were planted in the early 1900s.

Most of the streets in the surrounding area between Prescott and Killingsworth streets and 42nd and 33rd avenues weren’t paved. Some hadn’t even been constructed.

Jeanne remembers simple small buildings scattered out among the orchards that served as temporary quarters for those tending the orchards during the year and harvesting during the fall. She didn’t call them shacks, but that’s a term that comes to mind.

She and her family always called these little places “orchard houses,” which was a commonly known term and function during those years.

They took a simple form:
• Shed-roofed front and back porch
• Entry door in the middle and a backdoor lined up out the back
• Bedroom and window on one side
• Open living space on the other • Maybe a counter for food preparation
• Often oriented in an unusual way on the lot, either toward the back or sitting at an angle

Pictured is one Jeanne knows for certain was an orchard house. In fact, she remembers the actual nearby orchard. Plumbing was added to the house in 1924, when it was described as an old one-story frame residence.

Do you know of any orchard houses? There are likely just a small handful left and we’d like to document them and explore their stories. If you have one in mind – or think you know a candidate – send along a photo or address c/o CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Doug Decker initiated his blog AlamedaHistory. org in 2007 to collect and share knowledge about the life of old houses, buildings and neighborhoods in northeast Portland. His basic notion is that insight to the past adds new meaning to the present. If you have a question for him to answer in CNews, send it to CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.

Ask the Historian is a CNews standing feature that encourages readers to ask questions about the history of the neighborhood and its buildings. Is there something you’ve wondered about? Drop a line to CNewsEditor@ConcordiaPDX.org and ask Doug Decker to do some digging.

Goal: send right person at right time

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Steve Elder | CNA Media Team

Three months into her first term as a Portland city commissioner, Jo Ann Hardesty compared her performance to the planks in her campaign platform. Concordians packed the room for the CNA general meeting. Photo by Lloyd Kimeldorf

As a candidate for Portland City Council, Jo Ann Hardesty campaigned on homelessness and rogue police. She was described by the Portland Tribune as “a long time rhetorical bomb thrower.”

April 3 she reported at the Concordia Neighborhood Association general meeting on her campaign platform – building a livable and sustainable city – and her first three months in office.

The mayor delegated to her four assignments: Portland Fire & Rescue, Bureau of Emergency Management, Bureau of Emergency Communications, and the Fire & Police Disability and Retirement Fund.

Although close, they did not coincide precisely with her platform. However, she said she’s staying on track.

“My goal is to change who first responders are so we’re sending the right people to the right incidents at the right time,” she pointed out.

“Today sometimes we send the police, sometimes we send a fire truck or an ambulance because we don’t know who to send. In 60 percent of the cases, none of those are the appropriate first responders. My goal is to send the right people at the right time.“

She said 911 operators should ask a series of questions on each call to determine whether to send a mental health professional, triage nurse, social worker, police, fire truck or ambulance. Her goal is to have the improvements in place long before her term ends.

“Four years from now we will no longer be sending armed police to address people who have mental health issues.”

According to Street Roots newspaper, funding for that Portland Street Response plan’s pilot program has been committed to date by only Jo Ann, but not yet by her peers.

In addition to 911 response, the commissioner focused on three topics:

Housing: “We didn’t have an emergency until white middle class people couldn’t find a home they could afford. In Portland 10,000 African American families were displaced. They called it ‘development.’”

Building: “We have 16,000 vacant expensive units. If we stopped issuing building permits today, we would have seven years of permits for developers to build whatever they want.”

Public Transportation: In a world class city public transportation should be free.

Steve Elder, East2@ ConcordiaPDX.org, is an inactive lawyer, a developer, activist and old grouch.

She’s the sister you never knew

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

Dreamy Sea and her curiously calming, pint-sized pup Purple Rain await your visit at Psychic Sister. Photo by Carrie Wenninger

“Go within.” These wise words can be found on Psychic Sister’s website at Psychic-Sister.com.

However, if you wish to find this charming and eclectic shop at 1829 N.E. Alberta St. you’ll either need to use your intuition, or know the entrance is actually around the corner on 19th Avenue. You can also ask for directions via 971.420.2962 or Portland@PsychicSister.com.

Look for the orca mural – if you don’t know the plight of Lolita and the Southern Residents, search Google – and the black-painted double doors.

Feeling called? Accept the invitation and step into Psychic Sister’s mirrored anteroom. If you’ve come this far, don’t turn back now…

An alchemical mix of all things metaphysical – plus vintage clothing and a great hall of a community gathering space – await on the other side of the portal. Pardon, the beaded curtain, as do bewitching founding sister (aka owner) Dreamy Sea and her curiously calming, pint-sized pup Purple Rain.

Dreamy, who claims a natural affinity for the mystical since childhood, has run a clothing line, operated as a professional psychic, and founded her first-born sister shop in Olympia, Washington, in 2012. She felt called to expand the lineage and, while in Portland for an industry conference, was offered the opportunity to lease the space.

Opening the smaller retail area in April 2018 and the larger community room behind it in November, Dreamy noted, “Offering an accessible and inclusive place to create community feels like a mandate for me and, perhaps, an energetic priority for the neighborhood.”

Former occupants included the Wild Unknown and the Red Rose Ballroom. Further back, and far harder to envision, a meat packaging plant once called this lovely, high-ceilinged great room home.

Today, there’s a curated, museum-like feel to the place, with calming and positive energy emanating forth from both the products and services for sale, as well as from Dreamy and her employees.

Psychic readings? Check. Rocks, gems, crystals, cards? Indeed. Metaphysical books, Tarot decks, clothing both new and old? That too.

Classes on strengthening your intuition, healing with sound, and a safe and welcoming community space with the potential to act as a gathering spot for your highest self? Yes, and so much more.

Your spirit is truly welcome here.

Carrie is a Concordia resident and lives on 29th Avenue. As a freelance writer with a penchant for poetic prose, she tries to look for the humor in everyday life. She also is a mom and world traveler who, with her partner, owns a company that restores and repurposes vintage homes. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.

Jaclyn adds to sense of community

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

By Rachel Richards | CNA Media Team

Jaclyn Sisto’s time in Mexico taught her that personal worth is defined by what you give to your community.

Experiences and insights Jaclyn Sisto-Lopez gained in Mexico have helped her build the 3 to PhD program at Faubion/Concordia University into a model for schools to serve as the heartbeat of the community.

The many resources available to families connected to Faubion School on site are something schools across the country will try to replicate. Jaclyn started working for this new program as a part-time services coordinator in 2017. Within a year, her position expanded to full-time.

She grew up in Carlton, Oregon, and at the University of Portland majored in social work with minors in Spanish and social justice. She then volunteered for a children’s home in Mexico for a year.

“Going to work in Mexico changed my world view by teaching me about my own bi-racial identity,” Jaclyn reported. “I am half Chicana ancestry from Mexico.

“Returning to the U.S. was difficult, as I went from speaking Spanish every day in a small insulated community in Mexico to Portland.

“I recognized that, in the U.S. there is a culture of individualism,” she added. “Worth is tied to labor and money – which was different from the culture of community, family and resourcefulness I experienced in Mexico.

“Worth was tied not to money, but to what you can offer the community, like your time.”

Jaclyn’s own time spent serving the Concordia community has put structures in place at the 3 to PhD program that value family success and diversity. But she takes no credit for the program’s success.

“A vibrant, diverse culture of families willing to share their experiences, struggles and dreams helped inform the program,” she explained. Jaclyn pointed to the first accomplishment of the program, a family resource room that offers space to connect.

“It’s not just another meeting space,” she said. Parents gather casually and the room is full of resources.

“Community is the focus of our work, people feel empowered to voice feedback, lead events and start new programs.”

Aztec dancing classes are offered Fridays, in addition to monthly community cooking classes and parent meetings.

Jaclyn invites neighbors to participate in all programming offered at 3 to PhD. And she welcomes volunteers and donations. Contact her at 971.804.9125 or JSisto@CU-Portland.edu.

What does she do when she’s not at 3 to PhD? Jaclyn married Samuel Lopez in November and plans to complete her master’s degree in social work from Boston College in 2020.

Rachel Richards is a 17-year resident of Concordia who enjoys helping her neighbors. Get in touch with her at RachelRichardspdx@gmail.com.

Cerimon celebrates 10th year

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events

By Karen Lotts | CNA Media Team

Randall Stuart was the driving force behind a group of people who 10 years ago founded Cerimon House. That was five years before they found the Concordia building to house their arts and humanities organization.

Cerimon House turns 10 this month and, to celebrate, the arts and humanities organization is hosting “The Ten Spoke Wheel” anniversary fundraising gala Saturday, May 11.

Festivities include a formal dinner, music and storytelling entertainment, art installations, a silent auction, and a surprise announcement, according to Randall Stuart, founder and artistic director.

He promised the building will be bedazzled with current and past art exhibits. The art gallery will transform into an auction hall that extends through the end of the month, along with a musicenhanced performance about Cerimon House’s journey. The month’s festivities also include a new art exhibit.

Cerimon House’s mission is to foster the four Cs: community, curiosity, creativity and ceremony. It accomplishes this with events that spark conversation, togetherness and inspiration, such as art exhibits, talks, discussions, plays, music and crafting.

The Creative Path Walk features a labyrinth that offers a variety of contemplative walking patterns and suggests a different theme for contemplation each month.

The building also offers rental space when available, and it’s used by community groups and nonprofits whose missions align with its own.

The idea for the organization took root in 2009 when Randall, a professor and theater artist, envisioned a space where education, the humanities and arts could mingle and be showcased in a supportive community environment. He presented his vision to friends and peers who then joined him in creating the nonprofit.

Not wanting to wait for funding for a location, they spent the next five years hosting events in shops, book stores and rental spaces throughout Portland. In 2014 they found a home in a large building in the heart of the Alberta Arts District.

The 95-year-old hall at 23rd Avenue and Sumner Street has a history as community space – first a Masonic lodge and then a Baptist church – that inspired Randall. He and the others involved in Cerimon House saved it from the wrecking ball, restored it with a vivid terra cotta color scheme and reunited it with its original purpose.

Cerimon House’s gala is an opportunity to celebrate with the community and thank the ensemble of artists, volunteers and social investors who have supported it along the way.

“We believe that, if our patrons and neighbors convene together for live events, performances and celebrations, they strengthen not only their immediate community, but really the world,” Randall pointed out.

For event tickets and to learn more about the online auction, visit CerimonHouse.org. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit.

Karen Lotts is a local freelance writer who helps local small businesses and nonprofits connect with their audiences through copywriting. She can be reached at KarenLotts.com.

Lovejoy’s offers high tea experience

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Vanessa Miali | CNA Media Team

Brendon Constans credits the early success of Lovejoy’s Tea Room to employees. Left to right are Kelsey Kroninger, kitchen assistant; Sienna Kroninger, server; Equis Kroninger, canine moral support; Brendon; Atlas Criswell Kuiper, server; and Laura Parks, kitchen manager/baker.
Photo courtesy of Lovejoy’s Tearoom.

A worldly tea connoisseur is not someone you’d think of driving a TriMet bus, MAX train or Portland Streetcar, but Brendon Constans, has done it all.

“I’m a transit nerd who realized that I like riding, but not driving.”

After seven years of driving, he knows all Portland-area neighborhoods and chose Concordia to open his own Lovejoy’s Tea Room at 3286 N.E. Killingsworth St. It’s an offshoot of the original Lovejoy’s in San Francisco.

Stepping back in time with the charming decor, enjoying delicate tea sandwiches on unique mismatched china while relaxing with a steaming pot of tea is what Lovejoy’s is all about.

The mood is calm and the atmosphere inviting with its gallery of quirky keepsakes and vintage cabinets full of lacy table linens.

Brendon said he has always adored tea and spent his 18th birthday traveling in England and Ireland. He stayed at bed-and-breakfast establishments and dined in tea rooms.

“It’s all about the experience of sitting and enjoying the tea. The formal presentation attracts you and then you get distracted with the food.”

Lovejoy’s tea list is deep with more than 40 varieties from around the world and a featured tea of the day. The majority of the black teas come from England’s Taylors of Harrogate and some from Portland’s The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company.

The menu offers several options that include a bottomless pot of tea and ala carte. Tempting the diner are more than a dozen house-made tea sandwiches, ranging from pear and Stilton to walnut chicken salad, plus the traditional fare of vegan shepherd’s pie, sausage rolls, salads and quiche.

Brendon is already giving back to the community. During Lovejoy’s March grand opening, he treated the full Queen’s Tea experience to 15 residents of Kenton Women’s Village, a transitional housing project.

The Queen’s Tea is the premier offering at Lovejoy’s and comes with your choice of two tea sandwiches two salads a warm freshly-baked scone with preserves and Devon cream, a crumpet with Meyer lemon curd, fresh fruit, a petit four, and a shortbread tea biscuit.

Exceeding profit estimates for the first month is only the beginning of the tea room’s good fortune. Brendon attributes much of the success of Lovejoy’s to the employees.

“I have an amazing staff,” he pointed out. “They’ve all been so flexible and willing to help.”

Call 503.567.7888 or visit LoveJoysPortland.com/reservations to book a table for Wednesdays through Sundays between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Vanessa Miali has lived in Concordia for 18 years. She is a former public relations professional with two kids who cooks every day and gardens occasionally.

Artist leaves her touch all across the continent

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News, Local Businesses

By Marsha Sandman | CNA Media Team

Residing in Jan Coleman’s home are her business Red Caviar Planning and Design LLC, an array of her creations, supplies of colorful yarns, a painter’s easel, slender lengths of exotic wood and a large loom. Photo by Marsha Sandman.

When touring a museum, zoo, botanic garden, interpretive center or historic site, your visit is often enhanced by the physical manifestation of storytelling, exhibit design and interactive opportunities that intensify your experience.

Concordian Jan Coleman, sole member of Red Caviar Planning and Design LLC, has dedicated her career to planning and designing museums, zoos, botanic gardens, etc. with environmental, historical and cultural messages.

Her original ideas can be seen throughout North America. In Oregon, her efforts are at the “Great Northwest” exhibits at Oregon Zoo and at the National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City.

Before semi-retirement a year ago, Jan was involved from the inception of many projects. She provided exhibit research, led planning workshops and developed goals, concepts and construction documents.

She is currently offering her services pro bono for the proposed McKenzie River Discovery Park.

Jan started her journey in Eugene, where she was raised, attended the University of Oregon and taught interior architecture for six years.

Her expertise was noticed by various design firms throughout the country, she moved east to farther east, and then back again. She worked on large projects that often took two to three years.

For more than 35 years, she drew on her formal background of interior architecture, knowledge of the arts, anthropology, sociology, landscape.

“Extraordinarily creative, Jan’s vast experience and keen sense of how people learn are a terrific addition to any planning team,” reported Scot Medbury, Brooklyn Botanic Garden director.

Since Jan is also an artist, she continues to pursue her interest in loom and non-loom woven structures. She seeks what she called, “engaging ways to connect environmental education and the role of fungi in the health of ecosystems.”

Her home – filled with colorful yarns, a painter’s easel, slender lengths of exotic wood and a large loom – is testament to her abundant creative energy.

Jan’s impressive work combines geometric patterns of woven elements with coil-wrapped yarn and wood.

“There is a long line of weavers stretching behind me to the horizon and beyond until, like a tail, the line traces a route to every locale on the globe,” she said.

“This line of weavers exists across time, emerging from the most distant past and, moving through me, continues on.”

To learn more about Jan and some of her many projects visit RedCaviarStudio.com.

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@ gmail.com.