Northwest Vocal Arts presents an Autumn Celebration of Choral Delights – 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 19

Come enjoy a wonderful, relaxing afternoon of the best in choral music.

Portland, Ore. – Northwest Vocal Arts (NWVA) – celebrates its second season with a fall concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, at Rose City Park United Methodist Church, located at 5830 NE Alameda St. in Portland.

Titled Autumn Celebration, this concert will feature the NWVA professional chamber choir and the NWVA youth choir performing works by Antonio Vivaldi, Jack Runestad, Aaron Copland, and more. Thanks to generous donations from the public and a substantial grant from San Francisco-based non-profit Chance to Excel, all members of the youth choir receive a full tuition scholarship.

The centerpiece of the concert will be Gloria, RV 589 by Antonio Vivaldi. Gloria was composed in 1715, during his residency at a convent and orphanage for girls in Venice. Vivaldi’s orchestras and choirs were famous throughout Europe. Although his secular music, such as The Four Seasons, is better known today, he composed truly stunning and profound sacred works. Gloria is a shining example of Baroque sacred music at its finest.

Other highlights include the Grammy-nominated The Hope of Loving by  contemporary composer Jack Runestad. The piece explores themes of love, spirituality and the natural world in mesmerizing settings of verses by poets ranging from medieval mystics to more contemporary masters. On composing, Runestad said “I write because it’s not about music for the sake of music — it’s music for the sake of helping someone grieve, inspiring positive change in the world, telling someone else’s story that maybe we don’t know about in order to foster compassion. It’s really music with purpose.”

General admission is $35 ($15 for students). Season tickets ($80) can be purchased at nwvocalarts.org/tickets.

More Concerts this Season

Voices of Winter – New Light, featuring Three Nativity Carols by Stephen Paulus, A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten and more, Saturday, December 20, 2:00 pm and Sunday, December 21, 7:00 p.m.

Cordillera: Range of the Americas-Music of Brazil, Featuring Bendita Sabedoria by Villa-Lobos, a pre-concert reception and more, Sunday, March 15, 3:00 p.m.

About Northwest Vocal Arts

Northwest Vocal Arts is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Ore., that strives to foster human connection, inspire the next generation of professional and amateur musicians, and positively impact individuals and audiences in the Pacific Northwest and beyond through the universal language of vocal music and innovative community-focused initiatives.

NWVA currently has two ensembles – a professional chamber choir featuring some of the region’s finest vocal musicians, and a youth choir that is open to high school students of all ages.

Thanks to generous donors, every member of our youth choir is provided with a 100% tuition scholarship, regardless of prior experience and without an audition.

With this groundbreaking approach, NWVA removes a significant barrier of entry for young singers and their families.

Learn more at www.nwvocalarts.org.

Artistic Team and Leadership

Portland native Samuel Barbara is Northwest Vocal Arts’ founder and executive artistic director. He has a doctorate in choral music from the University of Southern California and is currently Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Portland Community College, Rock Creek Campus. He previously served as Director of Choral Activities at Westminster College and as Director of Choirs at Cleveland High School in Portland, where his choirs won the 5A Oregon State choir championships three times.

Karen Bohart directs the NWVA Youth Choir. She is Director of Choirs at Wilsonville High School and is past-President of the Oregon American Choral Director Association (ACDA). She has served on the Oregon Music Educators Association (OMEA) Board and previously served on the Oregon ACDA Board as the Treble Choir Repertoire and Standards Chair.

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Please join us at the next RCPNA General Meeting Tuesday, September 30th, 7-9 PM

Hello Neighbors,

Please join us at the next RCPNA General Meeting Tuesday, September 30th at the German American Society (5626 NE Alameda St) from 7-10 PM.

September meeting agenda:

  • 7:00-7:10 PM: Welcome / Introductions
  • 7:10-8:15 PM: Discussion with District 3 City Councilors
  • 8:15-8:25 PM: Rose City Park Bylaws Update
  • 8:25-8:45 PM: Rose City Park Activities and Committee Reports
  • 8:45-9:00 PM: Adjourn and Social Time

Hope to see you there!

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Ready to declutter and do some good: Rose City Park Neighborhood-wide Clean Up, September 13, 9am-2pm.

Neighborhood-wide Clean Up

September 13, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 2727 NE 54th Ave.

Ready to declutter and do some good? Join us for the Neighborhood-wide Clean Up! Drop off approved items—whether they need a new home or just need to go—and we’ll handle the reuse, recycling, or disposal for free.

Find details on accepted items, prohibited materials, and participating companies on our Clean Up site page and printable flyer.

Want to help make it happen? We’re still looking for volunteers! Reach out to Erik Mitchell at erikmmitch@gmail.com to sign up.

Let’s clean up, give back, and make our neighborhood shine!

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Free Mind Body Medicine Class – Open to All

Friday, September 13 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: University of Western States campus, 8000 NE Tillamook St, Portland OR, 97213

This class is designed for individuals living with chronic pain. You’ll learn simple, practical techniques to support healing and well-being while connecting with others in a supportive environment.

Please note: This is a skill-building class and not a substitute for medical care or professional healthcare advice.

All are welcome – no cost to attend!
Registration is required by Monday, September 8, 2025
Read more about the class and register

Interested in more personalized support for chronic pain? The Connected Whole Health clinic offers integrative care tailored to your needs. Call 503-255-6771 to make an appointment.

Questions? Contact: clinicoperations@uws.edu

The University of Western States is proud to be part of The Community Solution Education System, an integrated, nonprofit system that works collaboratively to advance institutional sustainability, increase student success, and enhance community impact.
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Rose City Park’s Summer Concert with Iron Prophecy presented by Summer Free For All and RCPNA. July 26th

Summer Concert – Rose City Park – July 26, 2025

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Rose City Park, NE 62nd Ave & NE Thompson St.

Get out your picnic baskets and dancing shoes! Get ready for an evening of fun in the park and a live performance from local reggae band, Iron Prophecy. Presented in partnership with Summer Free for All Cultural Events.

Let the good vibes roll with Iron Prophecy! Rooted in the soulful tradition of reggae, Iron Prophecy spreads a powerful message of love, unity, and hope through their music. Their smooth rhythms and uplifting lyrics create the perfect soundtrack for a summer evening of connection and community. Come ready to relax, move, and be inspired by the sounds of reggae under the open sky.

Iron Prophecy photo

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Hollywood Library will close July 22 for important updates as part of Refresh projects

Hollywood Library will close July 22 for important updates as part of Refresh projects

Library will receive new furniture, updated kids’ area from this work

Hollywood Library will close to the public starting July 22 to start on a series of bond-funded improvements. Hollywood’s last day open to the public before construction is July 21. Project teams expect the work to last until winter 2025/2026.

Hollywood Library photo

Multnomah County Library is hard at work to build, expand and renovate library spaces for the public as a result of the voter-approved 2020 Library building bond. This year, the library system will see a dramatic reinvention by building and expanding five libraries and a series of Refresh projects to libraries across the system, requiring a series of temporary library closures.

The work at Hollywood Library is a continuation of the Refresh projects, providing smaller but still important upgrades to 11 libraries on a shorter schedule than some other projects. Similar refresh projects at other locations have taken about four months to complete.

New features will include:

  • Improved shelf height to increase natural light and create more space for people and better sight lines

  • An inviting children’s area with new, movable furniture

  • New reading room chairs (both with and without arms)

  • A Tech Bar which provides an area for patrons to use the copy machine, scanner and computers

  • New meeting room tables and chairs that are easily movable to allow for a flexible space

  • Automated materials handling to increase the efficiency of checking in and sorting holds, freeing up staff time for other work and getting materials to patrons faster

  • Fresh paint and new carpet for an updated, inviting experience

  • New artwork

  • Refreshed restrooms

  • New LED lighting throughout the building

The community is invited to use alternate locations while Hollywood is closed:

Albina Library: 205 NE Russell Street, Portland, OR 97212 (opening July 19, 2025)

Gregory Heights Library: 7921 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR 97213

Hawthorne Holds Pickup: 3557 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97214

 

For help using the library, please contact us. The library routinely posts closure or schedule change notices at library hours and locations.

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Sponsor a Rose City Park sign topper on your block! Plus, you can buy one for your home!

The Rose City Park Neighborhood Association is pleased to offer sign toppers again to neighbors for the first time since 2007! Our goal is to blanket the streets to help identify our neighborhood, build some civic pride, and help beautify our community. The neighborhood association has already dedicated some funds to get this work started. Now, we need your help to sponsor a sign for the many blocks in Rose City Park.
Sponsor a Sign On Your Block
You can have a sign installed on your neighborhood street!
  • To have a sign installed on your street, make a donation of $100 to the RCPNA. This will cover the cost of sign production and installation, which must be done by the city.
  • The installation will be coordinated by the neighborhood with PBOT.
Buy One For Home
You can also purchase a sign and have it delivered to your door. Put a sign up in your basement, garage, bedroom — your front lawn, anywhere! A donation of $100 will help with production costs and help offset the cost of installation of the remaining signs throughout the neighborhood.
Business Sponsorships
We are always looking for ways to mutually support our Rose City Park neighborhood businesses. A business donation can help offset our production and installation costs so we can stretch our dollars as far as possible. Consider sharing this opportunity with your Rose City business network. Those who donate will get a sign topper to proudly display!
How to Sponsor
Sponsor a sign using the RCPNA Venmo account below. Or, you can purchase by mailing a check to the RCPNA Treasurer at RCPNA ℅ Crockett, 2214 NE 51st Avenue, Portland, OR 97213. Make checks payable to RCPNA.
  • If you are sponsoring a sign for your block, please enter the cross streets where you want the sign (“NE 55th and Tillamook”) in the purchase notes.
  • If you want a sign for home, please note your home address where we can deliver the sign.
We are expecting sign production to take 2-3 months as we accrue enough funds for a bulk purchase. Installation by PBOT is also expected to take an additional 2-3 months, depending on workload. We are working to try and combine these installations with other work PBOT has planned in the neighborhood to reduce costs.
Questions
If you have questions, please contact Victor Sanders at victor.cmyk@gmail.com.

How to Purchase
Submit payment via Venmo (@RCPNA or scan the QR code), or make checks payable to RCPNA and mail to:
RCPNA ℅ Crockett, 2214 NE 51st Avenue, Portland, OR 97213

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