Building Community Through an Interdisciplinary Center

Beaverton, in Washington County, Oregon, has long been in need of a central gathering space and performance venue for the many local arts organizations. Thanks in part to receiving an NEH Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grant in 2020, the Beaverton Arts Foundation was able to run a capital campaign and raise money from a variety of sources to build the first large arts center in town. The project has already proved to be a huge success: the opening shows have brought thousands of people to the space to attend a variety of multicultural arts and humanities programs.

The project, a long-time dream of residents and many civic leaders in the community, was a decade in the making. Washington County lacked public performance spaces and many organizations had to use churches, universities, or venues in Portland for their performances. The capital campaign drew thousands of donors, with individual gifts ranging from two to thirteen million dollars, demonstrating the community buy-in to the center. In a way, the development of the center was a beacon of hope during the isolation of Covid signaling that there would be gatherings and social activities in the future.

Cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Reser in Spring 2022. Image courtesy of Beaverton Arts Foundation.

The Beaverton Arts Foundation is committed to ensuring that this art center is owned by the community and that people are welcome in the space regardless of socio-economic background. To that end, the center offers free programs and discounted tickets. As a part of the opening events, The Reser offered a day-long community celebration called Shine the Light showcasing a full day of free performances. After opening in March 2022, the venue offered a months-long celebration, during which a range of artists performed, from the Zimbabwean acapella group Nobuntu to the Oregon Symphony. Additionally, the venue offered events from poetry slams around Asian hate to storytelling around immigrant and refugee stories, and community conversations with local artists.

Nobuntu performing as part of the opening events. Image courtesy of Beaverton Arts Foundation.

Count Basie performing at the Reser. Image courtesy of Beaverton Arts Foundation.

The art gallery at the Reser is completely free to the public. Image courtesy of Beaverton Arts Foundation.

A poetry performance in the lobby of the Reser. Image courtesy of Beaverton Arts Foundation.

The reason for creating this space was not just to have a performance venue but also to have a gathering space for the community to come together. According to officials at the Beaverton Arts Foundation, “It feels like people are experiencing not only a show, a lecture, or an art exhibit, but also a place to belong.” The building has also reawakened Beaverton in other ways, with a growth of diverse restaurants in the area and increased attention to the city as a destination for multicultural entertainment.