(Photo: Ethos Music)
What could be more fitting for a Portland community center than a combination of music, arts, food, kids, and bicycles? All those things are wrapped up in a new proposal to take over the lease on a former fire station that has been occupied by the non-profit Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) since 1988.
When the current tenants announced earlier this month that they’d run out of money and would have to close their doors on May 1st, the City of Portland (who owns the lease on the building) began the process of looking for new tenants. Ethos Music founder (and former candidate for city council) Charles Lewis was the first big name to put his hat in the ring.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Now, Lewis has teamed up with local author and non-profit leader Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie and former Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) staffer Angela Koch. The trio have combined all their ideas for the space into one proposal that promises to offer a bike-themed kids cafe, an arts incubator, and a kids camp all-in-one.
Kurmaskie hopes to find a home for his non-profit, Camp Creative, that combines a kids summer camp with active outdoor activities and creative arts. Koch, who owned and operated Peanut Butter and Ellies cafe in northeast Portland before taking a job as Operations Director at the BTA, plans to open a new, bike-themed eatery called, Pop-a-Wheelies. Koch has also taken the Kidical Mass event with her from the BTA and would base the ride out of the new location.
Kurmaskie wants to find a home for his Camp Creative and One Million Bicycles projects.
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Angela Koch wants to open a small cafe and offer a culinary arts program for kids.
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Kurmaskie planned on submitting a proposal for the Firehouse, but when he learned that Charles Lewis was also putting in a proposal he decided that instead of competing against each other, the two should partner up. “I’ve got no ego wrapped up in my projects, I just want to reach more people. I also have known Charles from working with him on his campaign and figured our projects were complementary.”
As part of the proposal, Lewis has decided to make Kurmaskie’s Camp Creative an official project of Ethos as well as folding in Koch’s plans for a cafe/food cart that would offer culinary arts programs for kids. Lewis would maintain his main location on N. Killingsworth and Williams.
Kurmaskie and Lewis have already presented the idea to the Overlook Neighborhood Association and they’re currently gathering letters of support from other neighborhoods and community members. “This is going to be awesome,” says Kurmaskie, “We’re going to combine bikes, arts and active lifestyles in a holistic way.”
The City is expected to make a decision for new Firehouse tenants next month.
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Thanks Jonathan – anyone who wants to write a letter of support for this can email it to info@ethos.org. We are trying to gather several hundred letter of support to go with the proposal. It would mean so much to us, the north portland community and the quest for continuing to make our community a hub for creativity, active living and collaboration. Trillium school would be another partner in this collaboration, as well as charles plans to open up the center to a host of other artists and groups. One more thing – This is an expansion for Ethos’ programs and additions. Charles will not be moving from his current location- just adding to the wonderful stuff already in play – Go check out the eco roof and solar panels recently added to Ethos on Killingsworth. We’ll be doing those types of sustainability projects at the IFCC. One more note of interest – the city is looking for financially stable groups to take over the IFCC – Ethos has thrived even during the recession and is current running in the black. We’ve been very measured in rolling out art expedition projects for several seasons now so we have remained free of debt as well. What few know about my background is that I brought a regional arts council back from the dead when I lived in New Mexico. MRAC is now the leading arts council in that state. I’m very proud of that legacy and will bring those skills I learned as their E.D. to this collaborative project.
Looking forward to this!
this sounds so freaking cool. hope you all can pull it off! we’ll sign up our kid for sure.
Can the rent from the City be lowered?
This sounds like a great idea. If Angela does as well as she has done with Safe Routes to School on this venture, the Interstate Firehouse will be up to its Wheelies in no time. Hope they can get it going.
I echo that, Linda – Angela is an incredible asset to this community and we want to keep her here. With strong collaborations and opportunities for her through projects like this we won’t see a bike/arts brain drain out of Portland.
Cooperation… that’s a great step for this important landmark.
Now, if we could just close Interstate to car traffic…
I live a few blocks from the IFCC, and was really sad to hear it was closing. I’m glad to see the space won’t be vacant long. Though, speaking as a non-breeder, I wish the new tenants weren’t completely kid-centric.
Erinne – There wasn’t room in the article to discuss the range of programing that will be hosted through Ethos and Camp Creative and partners – but I want to assure you that Camp Creative will offer – grown up kids – adults arts and expedition programs – that’s designated programs that are adults only sessions, expeditions camps, workshops, events, etc. from papermaking to bike tours to theatre. So please check in with us – seeing as you’re just a few blocks away. There will be programing for adults with and/or without kids. email us at either metalcowboy@metalcowboy.com or info@ethos.org
Let me summarize what I took from this article:
“Dear Theater/Arts Community: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Sincerely, Bike Portland.”
As a theater practitioner who has performed in, run tech for, and watched numerous theater productions in this space over the last 15 years, I am acutely aware how closure of the IFCC is a big blow to Portland’s arts community. It’s one of the few spaces where you could regularly find real enthusiasm for artists of all colors, identities, beliefs, and backgrounds. An artistic hub inside a small space, visitors were regularly exposed to a variety of mediums, as you could peruse the latest gallery show during intermission of the play you came to see. The building served different uses simultaneously: a professional rehearsal and an arts camp for kids might be held at the same time, which gave the building a very unique energy.
Everything I was involved with at the IFCC positively impacted my life. My first show in the space involved acting alongside at-risk youth from across the city. Later, a production about death that could not have found an audience anywhere else. Over the years I got to witness some of the finest theater productions I’ve ever seen in Portland. It was a home away from home.
This article seems to have only been written to shoehorn bikes into the equation, and fails to even mention the immense community impact the building has made already. That makes my blood boil and my heart ache, as if someone was dancing on my grandmother’s fresh grave.
After deliberating for days, I’ve decided to submit comment because I suspect I’m not the only reader who feels this way.
Heather, I love theatre, and can understand your deep personal ties to the IFCC. However, I just re-read the article and I didn’t see any sign of disrespect for the former tenants of the building.
-perhaps that is your point? Would you liked to have seen an article recognizing the huge impact IFCC has had on our community over the years and then a second part about the new possibilities for the space? …or just a plea for support to save the current IFCC?
I’m glad IFCC had such a positive effect on your life and I’d like to understand your position better.