January Newsletter: Be Bold in 2017
BE BOLD IN 2017
DON'T LET LEGAL ISSUES STOP YOU FROM BEING BOLD IN 2017
As our board president Lydia Loren wrote in a recent blog post, "In times of great turmoil artists communicate the issues we confront with a frankness, an openness, a subtleness or a directness. We need artists to do this. Boldly. We rely on artists to speak truth to power, to raise our consciousness, to give voice to voices that often aren’t heard, or just to wake us up and get us to think."
OVLA will continue our support of the creative community so that they can continue to create passionately and fearlessly.
A BIG THANK YOU TO THE SBLC
THANK YOU TO THE SBLC, OVLA’S KEY PARTNER IN PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES
It is not an understatement to say that OVLA’s partnership with Lewis & Clark Law School’s Small Business Legal Clinic (the SBLC) is what makes OVLA’s monthly legal clinics possible.
A professional partnership that began in 2013, the SBLC’s staff formerly reviewed client applications and managed the administrative side of the OVLA’s monthly clinics. Today the SBLC continues to provide the space and some administrative pieces for the clinics, helping OVLA clients receive the legal advice they need.
OVLA thanks the SBLC and its staff, particularly Julieanna Elegant and Adam Geisler, for helping to make our monthly clinics run smoothly!
If you are a small business and need sustained legal help, contact the SBLC.
THANK YOU: OAC + RACC GRANTS
THANK YOU! The OVLA is proud and enthused about our recent support from two regional arts organizations. We have received an operational grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and a professional development grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). This investment will help further solidify and support this very enriching time of the organization’s development. Thank you OAC and RACC!
OVLA LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR ITS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Letterpress print demo by Tony Marostica at Wheelhouse Letterpress
OVLA made huge strides in 2016 (check out the December newsletter for highlights) under the leadership of our awesome first Executive Director Pollyanne Birge. Unfortunately for OVLA, Pollyanne’s awesomeness was noticed by others, including newly elected Portland Councilwoman Chloe Eudaly. As Pollyanne leaves us to join the Eudaly team in City Hall, we wish her well, knowing that she will stay connected to OVLA by joining our Board of Directors.
Pollyanne’s departure from the E.D. position means that OVLA is now on the hunt for its next Executive Director. We are looking for a dynamic person to lead our organization, someone who is passionate about helping Oregon creatives navigate the landscape of legal issues they face through informative workshops, partnerships with arts organizations, and our monthly legal pro bono clinic. If you or someone you know is interested, check out the job posting and apply today!
While the position is open until filled, our goal is hiring by the end of January.
EVENT: The Art of Numbers: Bookkeeping and Taxes Made Simple
Sculpture by Jim Pallas
Is tax season stressing you out already? OVLA is partnering with RACC to produce a workshop to demystify taxes for creatives.
The Art of Numbers: Bookkeeping and Taxes Made Simple
This workshop geared towards creatives is for anyone who is self-employed and feels overwhelmed and or lost with the numbers of their business. We will break things down and make this information manageable, understandable and unintimidating!
Topics to be covered include:
* Self-employment tax (what is it and how to calculate it)
* Basic bookkeeping techniques with examples
* An in-depth discussion of tax deductible expenses for self-employed artists
* Tips on how to run a small business.
There will be plenty of time for questions and answers, so please come prepared with any questions that you have regarding your specific experience.
February 4, 2017, 10:00 am – 1:30pm
Location: Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) ANNEX, 4008 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
OVLA LEGAL CLINIC DATES
Print by Tony Marostica from Wheelhouse Letterpress
If you need legal help, apply to get matched with one of our volunteer attorneys through our legal clinic. If driving to our clinic in Portland is difficult for you, we can also offer consultations by phone. Sessions are by appointment and based on household/organization income.
Applications are due two weeks prior to the desired clinic date. Click here for more information and to apply.
Upcoming legal clinic dates are as follows:
February 10th
March 10th
April 14th
May 12th
OVLA 2017 DONORS
Patrons ($5,000+)
The Oregon Community Foundation
The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
Sponsors ($1,000-$4,999)
Immix Law Group
Oregon State Bar, Intellectual Property Section
The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
Oregon Arts Commission (OAC)
Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC)