A Letter from Artistic Director Linda Austin
Dear PWNW friends and supporters,
Thank you for yet another art-and-life-affirming year! Feeling the warmth of your attentive energy—witnessing, supporting, creating, performing—is what keeps us vital. Speaking of feeling, in addition to images of 2023 PWNW events in the collage above, here are feelings and thoughts from audience members and artists:
“PWNW is a pillar of welcoming and affirming experimental art. A unique and fantastic place. …an ongoing, consistent hub for experimentation in what it means to support inclusion and expression. SO absolutely essential to realize a new world!”—Audience members
“PWNW created a sacred space to prioritize art making—a gift that has had profound effects on my practice and career.”—Kaitlin McCarthy, Visiting Parent Artist, August 2023
“No other organization in Portland has championed truly avant-garde performance work as PWNW has—deeply enriching both its artists and audiences.”—Katherine Longstreth, current Alembic Resident Artist
On a personal note, I am grateful to all who supported, attended, and/or purchased the book for my 3 miles of possible September performances, 2 of which comprised all 3 miles in one epic 5-hour experience. Much gratitude for helping to nudge this work into being—as well as new work to emerge in 2024!
The image above contains reminders of what happened this past year. If you are interested a 2023 report by the numbers, scroll on down.
Please support PWNW as we continue to support artists and audiences with residencies, performances, rehearsal space, guest artists, and more!
We try to do our bit, and, we know, so do you! Hoping that in this painful, anger-stoking, and catastrophic time, that we can all find both solace and strength, comforting rest and enlivening energy.
2023 by the Numbers
- Full productions that took place at PWNW = 13
- Individual performances = 29
- Artists in residence = 5
- Lead artists presenting work = 22
- Informal showings = 2
- Total audience = 920
- Artists rehearsing in studio = 75
- Rehearsal hours = 2455
We accomplished all of this in 2023 with one part-time minimally-paid staff member (Linda), two contracted program assistants, our lovely board and volunteers, and $55,000. Of that sum, $39,146 or 71%, went to people: artists, staff, designers, and folks providing tech support. A sizable chunk of the rest covered PWNW studio expenses, the space that makes it all possible!
THANK YOU!
Performance Works NW || Linda Austin Dance 