ALBERTA ABBEY FOUNDATION
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Abbey was created in 2018 to sustainably address the need for affordable arts space in the city of Portland. We utilize the building’s 23,000 sqft by offering below-market workspace to artists and arts organizations, affordable event rental spaces, and signature programming that is responsive to the desires of our neighbors and the city’s arts community.
MISSION
Alberta Abbey aims 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.
VISION
We envision a local arts ecosystem where community members of all demographics can thrive. We seek to cultivate the following values among the building’s staff, tenants, neighbors, artists, and audiences:
SEEK DIVERSITY – our vision for the arts in NE Portland demands that we actively seek out underrepresented artists, perspectives, and ideas. We are committed to embracing and reflecting the broadest possible range of people who live, work, and converge in NE Portland.
SUPPORT ARTISTS – we strive to promote the arts in NE Portland and we do this not only by providing space, but also by making sure that our hiring practices and approaches toward collaboration focus on supporting artists both financially and creatively.
CULTIVATE TRUST & GENEROSITY – as a home to both tenants and short-term event renters, the atmosphere and culture of collaboration within our building is essential to our success. Trust and generosity are the two principles we hope to cultivate within our building and its inhabitants.
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR – we are proud to be part of the King/Humboldt neighborhoods and the Alberta Arts District, and we want to make sure that members of our surrounding community are proud to call us neighbors as well. We work to be a valuable asset to the local community and responsive to its needs.
STAY AFFORDABLE – finding the right space at the right price has become increasingly difficult for artists in NE Portland. We commit to keeping all of our pricing permanently below market rates and strive to make our spaces as affordable as possible for mission-aligned organizations and individuals.
HISTORY
Mallory Avenue Christian Church was founded in 1922 with the purpose “to serve its community without distinction of person or race.” Construction of the basement was completed in 1925, and the congregation met there until adding two additional floors in 1948. In the 1970s, the church became home to the YWCA and “People are Beautiful” program—which offered youth activities, cooking workshops, art classes, and other services to the neighborhood. In the 1990s, Portland Parks & Recreation operated after-school programs out of the building. By early 2012, the building was in poor shape and no longer in use. A pair of Portland developers with an appreciation for history decided to give it new life, turning it into a performance venue that also provides workspace to artists and arts organizations.
The long-term goal is to build out the Alberta Abbey Foundation as a financially solvent and sustainable organization that in the future will be able to take over the ownership of the Abbey. The Abbey Foundation was created with a board of directors charged with making this idea a reality. We have been working on it ever since.
