Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

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.

There may be more ‘free walls’ in future

Posted on by Posted in Arts & Culture, Concordia News

By Nancy Varekamp | CNews Editor

Street and graffiti artists are currently welcome to express themselves any time on two free walls in Portland. This one is in Concordia. Photo by Lloyd Kimeldorf.

Free wall. Legal wall. Rotating wall. You name it, but there are only two in Portland, and one is in an alley intersecting with the south side of Alberta Street between 27th and 28th avenues.

The Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) and a group of Portland State University students are collaborating to convince the city to allow more. They’d like your opinion in an online survey posted in April at PDXStreetArt.org/articles-all.

A proposal to the city this summer will seek permission for building owners to allow street and graffiti artists to express themselves any time on walls that are painted over completely on a regular basis. The wall off Alberta Street is covered once a year.

The PSAA website reported the objective is “for the collective empowerment of Portland’s street artist community to achieve city-wide district revitalization goals and use art as a means to include the voices and perspectives of historically marginalized communities.

“The proposal will combine research, original data collection and analysis to present policy alternatives allowing Portland to better leverage its thriving street arts culture and solidify the city’s identity as a haven for creatives.”

The effort includes analysis of similar policies throughout the Northwest and around the world. Plans call for submitting the proposal to the city this summer.

Nancy Varekamp is semiretired from her career in journalism, p u bli c r e l a t i on s and – her favorite work engagement – writing and editing targeted newsletters.

Concordia Spring Clean Up – Saturday, June 1

Posted on by Posted in CNA, Events, Volunteer Opportunities

We are in great need of volunteers for the cleanup on June 1 to help unload vehicles, direct traffic, and work the electronics, block styrofoam, and #6 plastic recycling stations. We have two shifts to choose from: 7:45 – 10:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Please contact Katie Ugolini at 503-449-9690 or Ktugolini@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering for this event.

 

 

SPRING EGG HUNT

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events, Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday, April 20 Fernhill Park(Playground along NE 37th Avenue)

RAIN OR SHINE!

The hunt begins at 10 am SHARP.
Don’t be late – it ends in a flash!

Volunteer opportunities
Friday, April 19 – Egg stuffing party, American Legion Post, 2104 N.E. Alberta St., 5-8 p.m.
Saturday, April 20 – Hiding eggs Fernhill Park, 8-10 a.m.

Refreshments provided by Mark Charlesworth Real Estate Team

Post egg hunt activities
Petting bunnies, thanks to Mark Charlesworth Real Estate Team
Face painting & children’s games, thanks to Sojourn Neighborhood Church

Sponsored by Concordia Neighborhood Association & American Legion Post 134

Details? Contact Social Committee chair Sonia Fornoni at SoniaGF419@gmail.com

Why are the lots on my block extra long?

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, History

By Doug Decker | Historian

The question: We live on 35th and Ainsworth in a home built in 1941 and – like the rest of our neighbors between 33rd and 37th circling the blocks of Ainsworth and Simpson – we all have lots 50 by 230 feet. Why do you suppose the lots on this block were platted so long?
– Rose and John Yandell

The historian reports: The long, narrow configuration of this block stems from decisions made more than 100 years ago by John D. Kennedy. He once owned much of the property between Killingsworth and Ainsworth streets, and 33rd and 42nd avenues, and Kennedy School was named for him.

The Irishman immigrated to Oregon in 1866, found his way to Baker City and worked in and then owned a dry goods store.

After coming to Portland about 1881, Kennedy bought this property, originally part of the 1855 Isaac Rennison Donation Land Claim. It was outside the city limits and far from any developments.

Kennedy was ahead of his time in the market. Northeast Portland’s ripeness for real estate didn’t take place until the years after the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, when it seemed anyone who could was buying property or building houses.

But Kennedy had platted these lands as the Kennedy Addition back in 1890, a grid of 15 square blocks with more than 200 lots. Two years later, he platted Kennedy’s Second Addition, adjacent to the east, with room for another 120 homes.

Several other nearby plats were filed about that time, but they were also just lines on paper. There was no market yet for residential development. So, in 1906, city council approved his petition to “vacate” five of the blocks in his addition. That officially eliminated platted streets, even if they didn’t yet exist – like all of the north-south streets in the block between Ainsworth and Simpson, from 33rd east to 37th.

Kennedy’s stated rationale was to sell the larger chunk of land as acreage for farm fields.

As urbanization spread in the years that followed, neighborhoods were built to the north, south and west, but the 12-acre parcel – with no north-south through streets – stayed as one big block in farm use.

Kennedy died in December 1936. In 1938 the property was controlled by Ward D. Cook, a Portland insurance and real estate agent, who designated 80 lots on the long block ready for construction.

After World War II the market truly picked up. Most of the houses were built and sold between 1940 and 1950.

So there you have it. In the original Kennedy’s Addition plat, that one long block was going to be five blocks. But then Kennedy did away with the blocks to better sell the property, which he never did.

The market came and went and came back again. Then another speculator saw opportunity and turned the island of farm into the more than 50 lots there today, most of them a very long and narrow quarter-acre each. Read more and check out maps and historic aerial photos on this topic at AlamedaHistory.org.

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.

Mark your calendar for Vanport Mosaic Festival

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News, Events

The 2019 Vanport Mosaic Festival returns for its fourth event May 21-June 2, organized by community-driven nonprofit Vanport Mosaic.

“Through exhibits, documentary screenings, tours, performances and dialogues, we will celebrate the lessons of resilience and resistance as defined and told by historically oppressed communities,” reported the festival’s Facebook page.

The multi-disciplinary festival has received the Oregon Heritage Excellence Award, the Spirit of Portland Award and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council’s Achievement Award. Returning sponsors and funding sources are Oregon Historical Society, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, Multnomah County Drainage District, Port of Portland, Regional Arts & Culture Council and Multnomah County Cultural Coalition.

The festival is seeking more sponsors, funders and volunteers. For details, contact Info@VanportMosaic.org or visit Facebook.com/events/318232912147588.

Photo courtesy of Vanport Mosaic Festival, Oregon Historical Society digital file no. ba018658

$5 million grant goes to CU business school

Posted on by Posted in Concordia News

Concorida University Portland, Oregon logo
Concordia University (CU) in February received the largest financial contribution in its 114-year history.

The $5 million grant from the Robert D. and Marcia H. Randall Charitable Trust will establish the Robert D. Randall Endowed Chair for Business and Technology.

According to university officials, that chair will expand the CU School of Management’s focus on an innovative business education and technology program.

“This gift will be transformative in advancing Concordia’s commitment to developing ethical and impactful leaders,” said Michelle M. Cowing, Ph.D., school of management dean.

“Concordia Portland will continue its long history of innovative partnerships to solve difficult societal and business challenges throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

The focus for the business & technology program is driven by the unique makeup of the regional economy, she added. It’s one fueled by homegrown businesses as well as global enterprises.

A new clinical model and technology curriculum will be co-designed with regional business leaders working in small and large businesses alike, startups and the growing tech sector.

According to the dean, engaging students in a variety of clinical experiences and a strong technology emphasis will prepare future leaders who are able to help businesses respond to ever-increasing economic and technological change.

The $5 million grant kicks off a university campaign to raise an additional $1.25 million. That’s also for the university’s business program, which is now named the Randall Fellows Clinical Program for Business & Technology.