The Portland Brooklyn Project is a new, grassroots organization dedicated to uniting the creative communities of Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York.

Mission Statement: Building on shared cultural DNA, the Portland Brooklyn Project nurtures connections, partnerships and new opportunities between Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York. The goal is to create a rich web of alliances, strategic exchanges, long-term relationships and expanded audiences and markets for creative individuals, forward-thinking businesses and arts and academic institutions.

Brief history: Founded in 2009 by Portland painter, Molly Cliff Hilts and Brooklyn author/host of PRI’s “Studio 360″, Kurt Andersen, the two knew they were on to something when they couldn’t keep track of all the connections they wanted to foster between both cities. Word got out that they were getting organized and the list of people interested in the project grew exponentially. The result has been rich connections between Portland and Brooklyn’s creative communities.

Oh, Portlanders… always finding humor in their gardening!

Molly Cliff-Hilts couldn’t help snapping this photo on her way to a party.

Our Committee members:

Kurt Andersen – has lived in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, for 20 years; he’s a novelist, host of the public radio show Studio 360, and a Pratt Institute board member. Kurt co-founded the Portland Brooklyn Project with Molly Cliff-Hilts and is a PBP committee member.

Katherine Aungier – is an artist that hails from Portland, Oregon and now resides in Brooklyn. Her art background and connections have been put to use in many start up non-profit organizations from galleries to public art spaces, in Boston, Portland and New York City. She is a PBP committee member.

Molly Cliff Hilts – is a painter and social alchemist, known for her salons. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she has lived in Portland for 20 years and advises a number of NW arts organizations. She collaborates with east coast artists and exhibits with the Allen Sheppard Gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, and along with Kurt Andersen, co-founded the Portland Brooklyn Project.

Eloise Damrosch - is the Executive Director of the Regional Arts and Culture Council in Portland. She oversees the management of this tri-county arts and culture council as well as, responsible for the management of the City of Portland and Multnomah County’s Percent for Art Program. She is a PBP committee member.

Tim DuRoche - lives in Portland and is Director of Programs for the World Affairs Council of Oregon. He has always been an advocate for the arts and has worked on other projects such as the Right Brain Initiative, Coalition for a Livable Future, and the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition. He is a PBP committee member.

Ruby Gates – lives in Portland and is Principal of MarketShift Strategies, a business strategy group addressing energy management and climate change. She is a board member of Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Live Wire! radio theatre show and is a PBP committee member.

Phyllis Oster - is the former International and Cultural Affairs director for Portland Mayor Katz. She spearheaded PNCA’s master plan process including the acquisition of the 511 Building and the recent International School acquisition of the Customs House. She is a PBP committee member.

Lisa Radon - writes about contemporary art and design.  In 2005 she founded ultra – a blog dedicated to design, art, dance, and performance in Portland. She has edited or contributed to a number of publications including Portland Monthly, Surface Design Journal, SHIFT (Japan), FLAUNT (LA), Hyperallergic (NY), the Portland Tribune, and The Willamette Week. She is currently working on the website for the new Portland Design Exchange. She is a PBP committee member.

David Savinar - is the owner and founder of RAIN ad agency. He sits on numerous boards including PNCA, Maryhill Museum of Art, and is a sponsor of pdxfashionsynergy.com. His son lives in Brooklyn and David is a PBP committee member.

Chantelle Hylton Simmons – recently re-planted from Brooklyn to Portland after booking the Knitting Factory during its last years in Manhattan. She is Programming Director of Brooklyn’s Northside Festival, and founder of several festivals including PDX @ CMJ, Halleluwah Festival of Enthused Arts and the Portland Folk Festival. Over the last decade, she has had a hand in booking more than a dozen music venues on both coasts, and looks forward to combining this experience with a her new love: farming. She is a PBP committee member.

Marjorie Skinner – lives in Portland and is a writer and editor for the Portland Mercury, with intimate connections and experience within Portland’s creative networks. She is now Managing Editor of the multimedia publication, a fashion columnist, event producer, and is a PBP committee member.

Scott Stedman – lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and is the publisher of The L Magazine. He is also the producer of the Northside Festival & Summerscreen. He is a PBP committee member.

• How are the two communities similar?
• Where do we go from here?
• How are we going to get rich? (ok, that was just Eugene Mirman’s question but we’re glad he brought it up)

Here are some photos of the evening