History:

Artists' Union Local 503 is a not-for-profit, local community-based organization, formed on May 1st, 2016, in response to a growing need for representation of independent working artists.

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Mission:

To empower, and advocate for the welfare of, independent creative arts professionals in the Portland, Oregon area. To provide resources, support, and community for those who want to make a living from their creative work.

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Vision:

• To create visibility for our organization, mission and common values.

• To advance an image of working artists promoting respect and dignity for the creative arts professions.

• To foster comunication and cooperation between different creative groups.

• To advocate for fair treatment of working artists in business regarding any paid, volunteer or internship positions.

• To provide valuable resources to support working artists and the arts community.

• To preserve the rich and varied intellectual community in Portland, Oregon, and enable their contributions towards our cultural advancement.

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Our Values:

 

Freedom of expression is a human right.

 

The 1st Amendment states... valuable enough to be written into our constitution.

 

Countless examples from history, psychology, medicine, social studies, anthropology, world politics, philosophy, and theology tell us that adaptability, open & honest inquiry, and freedom of personal self expression is vital for the health, well being & constructive growth of individuals, communities and societies.

 

Freedom of expression, therefore, is not just a favor done us by one government's largesse. It is a universal, fundamental part of human life that is to be cherished, protected and preserved wherever possible. Creative professionals cannot effectively do their jobs without this freedom to experiment, explore, and use a diverse range of methods and communications in their works.

 

Strength in diversity.

 

Freedom of expression has to include a diversity of viewpoints, styles, topics, cultures, methods etc. in order to function effectively. In the case of creative arts, diversity provides strength by fostering positive competition, growth and development within individuals and across societies, challenging assumptions, and providing incomparable enrichment and learning to everyone's' lives.

 

A genuine recognition of diversity must also recognize the roles that each viewpoint, culture, group and individual play, and the dynamics of how these roles interact. It must acknowledge the uneven balances of power that have resulted by the interplay of people & cultures from diverse backgrounds, and the uneven balance of ideas or expressions that have resulted. We therefore strive to promote, not only opportunities for diversity within our organization, events & activities, but also a “creative culture” that values open-minded, inclusive & well-reasoned dialogue/exploration of themes.

 

Creativity is powerful .

 

The creative spark is the basis of human ingenuity. Tool making, critical analysis, and creative problem solving are the primary routes humans have used to gain all we know about ourselves and the world, build mighty civilizations, and create technology that is close to super-human in potential. Creative efforts can be used for anything we put them towards- whether for good (discovering cures for illness, bringing together a community), or bad (marketing to sell people toxic products; making artwork or writing articles that spread misinformation about social/political issues). Creativity has been used in cultures the world over for healing- but has also been used in ways that have caused divisiveness, enabling of greed, destruction of natural resources, etc.

 

Creative professionals have the autonomy, but also the responsibility, to use sound judgment and wise decisions when deciding what to create, for what purposes, and how this work should be used or displayed. Creatives, industry & society all play a part in deciding how creative endeavors & works are to be used ethically, and preserved or continued sustainably.

 

Therefore, we at Artists' Union will make no commentary on the content, tastes, style or medium of an individual's creative work, unless & until such work demonstrates a significant disruption or threat to the integrity of our organization as a whole, and/or the values it puts forth.

 

Autonomy is vital.

 

There are far too many examples of creative works that have been made in service of causes other than freedom of expression, or other such noble pastimes. Commercial art, agitprop, mass production of mindless “stuff”for quick and easy sales, art in service of a church or religion, music and live entertainment to sell alcohol, creative innovations put to use as weapons or tools for surveillance, are just a few on the list.

 

A list otherwise known as: Things creative professionals have to do to get money.

 

While not all of the above are automatically bad, or less worthwhile than, creative arts- they serve as an example of how much artists & creative professionals tend to have to “bend” their authentic vision to fit the demands of the marketplace, culture, society and political or religious landscape. Time and effort spent coming up with logos for businesses, or jingles for radio ads, is time taken away from potentially valuable, high-quality breakthroughs a creative mind could be working on.

 

Often, this is even further watered down by the need to take on work to “pay the rent”, that has nothing to do with creativity at all. This tends to completely kill the careers of many an aspiring artist or creative. Those who've been able“make it” work exceedingly hard, having to forego basic needs such as sleep or good health, just to move out of dead-end jobs and into their creative careers. This self-destructive lifestyle is somehow valued as “earning one's badge of honor”- even if this means having shortened one's own lifespan.

 

We believe that, in order to best serve the interests of our members & the creative community, we as an organization must remain as close to fully independent as possible. Artists and creative professionals are already vulnerable to having their skills & talents exploited. By staying independent ourselves, we can foster a basis of support that helps artists better focus on, and maintain, independent creative careers pursuing their passions full-time.

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Cooperation over competition.

 

The capitalist marketplace is based on cutthroat competition, and advice from business professionals is often to buy in to this competitive atmosphere in order to “stay afloat”. But the most successful and enduring incubator for the creative arts has always been one that supports and encourages unique voices to flourish, innovate, and to produce and celebrate their best work. We uphold a spirit of cooperative, positive, and mutual support as being central to Portland's creative scene, and its key to lasting success- both here as well as in other cities that have begun to adopt Portland's working model.

 

Value artists as people, not just producers.

 

All too often, creative professionals are valued a less important than the works they produce. The myth of the “starving artist”- based on a fictional novel published over 100 years ago- is still with us today. This negative stereotype is routinely used- by consumers as well as employers- to neglect paying fair prices for creative work- or paying anything at all. Also common is the sharing and promotion of creative work or ideas, while the creator is never asked their permission, or given appropriate credit for their efforts.

 

Moreover, creatives who are otherwise unacceptable in their behaviors, still get rewarded and admired for their creative works, while society turns a blind eye to the problems they have/create, deeming them “eccentric” or “edgy”. What is the ethical impact of admiring, even exploiting, the work of people who may actually need to be helped? Or held accountable for their destructive actions?

 

It's time to acknowledge that creative products are made by creative people. And that these people deserve the same respect, acknowledgment, services- and should be held to the same standards- as those in any other profession.

Creative fields are legitimate professions.

 

Wanna know a secret? Creative professionals are those who have decided to make a living from their creative works. This means they are trained, skilled workers, whether the artist has graduated from a higher educational program, or is self-taught. Art school, however, seems to be one of the only 4-year college program choices that guarantees friends, family & employers will be asking you, “and when will you be getting a real job?” upon graduation.

 

We find this attitude unacceptable, especially since there are plenty of examples of people- not just “famous artists”, but regular folks- who've made a good living from their work.

 

We would all be making a much better living, and distributing much better quality work, if our communities & society would recognize creative professions as on the same playing field as law, medicine, engineering, or any other professional pursuit. We especially advocate for the adoption of a clear measure of standards and criteria for performance in business and freelance sectors, as well as educating and training employers on how to work productively and more efficiently together with creative arts professionals- and vice versa.

 

Creative endeavors benefit in many ways.

 

Creative works tend to operate on many levels at once: As aesthetically pleasing or compelling, as a kind of symbolic message from the creator to the end user/audience, as a product, service or experience produced for consumption, but also as an image or idea that has meaning and inspiration beyond itself. Creative works often inspire creative ideas and insights in others, often to the benefit of the person themselves, but also as source material for further creative works. Visual and critical thinking, intuition, sensory exploration, creative problem solving, free expression, and performance are all ways that humans build vital “brain power”, health, and vitality- as well as share profound moments with one another.

 

A world rich in artistic and creative expression or invention, is one where people are typically happier, calmer, more productive, able to be more in touch with their “higher selves”, and better able to cope with life. This has been demonstrated many times throughout our culture, one example being the use of artworks and creative development of interior design in hospitals, to help foster a sense of peace and wellness in patients, staff, and visitors alike.

 

Support for the arts should be upheld.

 

There has been a special category of “support for the arts” in just about every culture and nation on the Earth, throughout history. Even the most conservative among us still enjoys the products of creative efforts, every day, in many ways.

 

It is therefore unacceptable that “support for the arts” in contemporary America has been reduced down to a handful of show competitions, exclusive grants, and newsletters that tell us how nice certain corporations are for donating money to an arts museum full of dead artists' works.

 

We believe “support for the arts” means a genuine investment in quality arts education at all levels, support for the idea that creativity is as valuable as math, science, politics or religion, personal support and encouragement for the creative development of kids and adults alike, and a strong system of practical support, advocacy, opportunities, and protections for career artists & creative professionals. This used to exist in the U.S. It currently exists in any number of other countries. Why not here? Why not now? We're here to change that. Now. Today!