Creating 4ARTSAKE
Hello! My name is Ryan Tobias, and I am the founding member of 4ARTSAKE — a nonprofit dedicated to connecting artists at every level to the resources they need to develop and create their next great work.
Our organization provides education, workspace, hardware, art supplies, community, and exhibition opportunities to artists of every discipline. Everything we do is on a sliding scale, and is designed to be accessible to working class families and underserved communities
In the first quarter of 2025, we will be opening our doors to our temporary home, located at Portland’s Historic Lloyd Center. In our first months we will offer group art shows, a small collection of launch classes, and space for Portland creatives to build community develop their craft.
4ARTSAKE First Look
Throughout this page and from the links below, I will walk you through our plans for the first year of 4ARTSAKE. We will go over our Education Programming, our Regular Events, our Existing Resources, and our Projected Growth Plan, as well as several other exciting initiatives already in motion. My hope is that you will be inspired by the work that we’re doing, and help us to bring much-needed resources to the artists of the greater Portland metro area.
The page that you are on, and the sections linked throughout, are only accessible from the direct link that you received in your email. These are the 4ARTSAKE Back Pages, built to communicate our long-term plans directly to potential early supporters. To visit the pages of our website that are accessible to everyone, utilize the navigation at the top of this page. To return to this portal page, simply navigate backwards, or return to the original link that brought you here.
The Needs of Artists
4ARTSAKE was developed to help address the following needs of Portland artists, students, and the community at large:
Lack of General Arts Education — for 40+ years, since the 1980’s, public school arts education has been on the decline, with decreased access, fewer resources, and program eliminations. While private schools and charter schools can often raise funds to maintain arts programs (Edsource, 2014), low-income and low-performing schools can not, and their students continue to go without.
Higher Education Inaccessible — Even so-called “affordable” education centers such as Portland Northwest College of Art (PNCA) costs on average $48,300 a year. With the cost of living quickly outpacing wage increases, arts education falls out of reach for most people, causing an access gap based entirely on economic status.
Lack of Community Spaces — There are fewer free, public spaces than ever before; places where people can meet, spend time, and build community. Privatization in recent years has created a monetary barrier on being in public, requiring ticket purchases, food and drink minimums, and other financial hurdles that many folks can’t face. Worst yet, most of the few remaining spaces are not designed to encourage new connections, focusing on the transaction over community and human interaction. This lack of ‘3rd Places’ (a social space outside home and work) has a negative impact on everyone, but especially artists who often need to meet like-minded individuals in able to create the art that they want to make.
How 4ARTSAKE Meets The Need
Free and Affordable General Arts Education — We offer free entry-level art production courses and art history lessons, and access to affordable workbooks and self-guided courses that individuals of all ages can utilize to develop and strengthen their artistic output.
Sliding-Scale Specialized Art Courses — We are developing a rotating curriculum of courses and workshops that touch on every artistic medium, from visual arts to dance, music production to the written word, taught by working artistic professionals and our own in-house educational staff.
Free, Open, Community Space — During all non-class hours, 4ARTSAKE operates Open House: an active and interactive space where members of the public can utilize the space for no charge, taking advantage of our tables, tools, and resources to make art, study, or engage with their community.
You will learn more about our educational programming in the next sections. To learn more about the unique way that 4ARTSAKE is meeting the needs of artists, and what we have to offer that is not already provided by existing arts-focused nonprofits, click the link.
Meet The Team
The 4ARTSAKE team is made up of volunteers and paid staff members, all of whom are working artists dedicated to building community and to the ongoing health of the Portland art scene. In this section you will meet our team, hear about everyone’s individual contribution to the organization, and the classes that they lead.
Ryan Tobias
Ryan is a musician, producer, and podcaster, with 25 years experience in marketing and event production. He has worked with KinderCare, Nike, Red Bull, and The Oregon Historical Society, among others, building out events and active spaces in cities all throughout the United States.
At 4ARTSAKE, Ryan leads Organization Development, assists the Education Committee, and co-chairs the Programming Committee His classes will focus on audio home recording, podcast production, artist branding, and historical trends in art and technology.
Riley Parker
Riley is a writer, illustrator, and filmmaker, living in Portland Oregon since 2006. He has worked as an illustrator for Nike, Kith, and NWMOCA, and he was the head curator and program director at the Art Market PDX Gallery for the 2017 season.
Riley is 4ARTSAKE’s Studio Manager, supports the Education Committee with instructor acquisition and course development, and he co-chairs the Programming Committee with Ryan Tobias. His classes will include comic illustration, designing stickers & t-shirts, writing flash fiction, and artist branding.
Riley Berger
Riley is a graphic designer, copywriter, and marketing specialist with 17+ years in community organizing. She has led after school and summer programs for the youth, organized dozens of community events for private and public entities, and spent two years running Tabor Space Community Center.
Riley does Accounting Services and Logistics for 4ARTSAKE, and is on the Community Outreach Committee. Her planned workshops include equitable & inclusive communication and event organization.
Daniel McEntire
Daniel is musician, educator, and a community organizer. As a musician, Daniel has played in a variety of high-profile Portland bands, and he has been band leader for country-punk band Heaven Skate since 2018. As an educator, Daniel has taught music to various ages at several schools throughout the greater Portland area.
Daniel’s classes will focus on finding the right instrument(s), writing original songs, how to form a band, and how to put on and market D.I.Y. shows.
We have a few more folks we’re not ready to announce, and we are still building out our team. We will be adding new folks to this section as they join the project, so keep an eye on this space. If you want to know more about 4ARTSAKE’s structure and the roles we’re filling, click the link.
Education Programming
4ARTSAKE will offer three types of classes.
In-Person, Hands-On Classes. These will be taught both by our in-house educators, and also guest teachers brought in for their specific expertise.
Free Online Tutorials. These classes will focus on artist fundamentals, and will provided to the public for free through the YouTube platform.
Online Self-Guided Courses. Adapted from our In-House curriculum, these classes will live on our website, and once purchased, students will be able to take the courses at their own pace.
Example Classes
The focus of every class, regardless of format, will be to provide students with the tools needed to explore their own specific brand of creativity. The classes will not focus on rules, but rather various ways to approach the creative process, always centered on helping individuals make art that is unique and specific to them.
At 4ARTSAKE we promote all forms of expression, and our curriculum will always express this core value. Every year we will offer classes catered to visual artists, writers & poets, musicians, actors, comedians, singers, musicians, dancers, and every other medium that artists use to express what it means to be a human being.
Designing Characters For Comics & Cartoons
In this four week class, students explore designing characters for narrative-based comics and animated shorts. In the first lesson, we cover basic drawing, expressions, and body language. In lesson two, we explore costuming, archetypes, and creating supporting characters. In lesson three, we show the value of writing about your characters before you finalize your designs, and adapting their presentation to fit their personality. In the final lesson, students build an original character from scratch, and we provide guidance, support, and critque.
This class is an example of our In-Person curriculum. Over the course of four weekly 90 minute classes, new and established artists alike will learn how to create characters that not only look good, but that function well as the avatars of the story that the artist wants to tell. This course will be taught by 4ARTSAKE staff member Riley Parker.
Introduction to Procreate
This class is a series of videos designed to teach students about the art program Procreate. Procreate is one of the most powerful, and most affordable, pieces of illustration on the market, and a major driving force in the modern creation of visual art. In this series we cover: initial download & installation; creating a project; software tools; style tips and tricks; and final export.
A lot of our planned In-Person classes utilize Procreate, and so this free online tutorial will help students come into our classes prepared and ready to create.
Recording Music At Home
In this Self-Guided online class, we teach students how to record their own music at home. We talk through hardware options (including microphones, instruments, and mixers), and what programs are available for recording and arranging music. We explore a variety of set-ups at different price-points, and potential workarounds if a particular piece of gear is not affordable. We then show how to use each piece of equipment, and how to use it record the best possible sound. Finally, we show the students how to organize and arrange the recordings, and build out their songs to fit their vision.
In our Self-Guided Courses, we break down each class into easily-digestible micro lessons, making sure not to overwhelm the student with information. Each segment includes calls to action, and exercises to reinforce the point of the lesson. A one-time purchase gets you access to the class for life, including any additional segments that may be added to that same course in the future. This particular class will be taught by 4ARTSAKE founding member, Ryan Tobias.
If you would like to learn more about our planned classes, number of students, the cost of classes, or anything else about our education program, click the link.
All of our free, online courses are focused on basics for new and developing artists. These classes are one of the ways that we make art education accessible to anyone and everyone. There are no fees, no homework, and no prerequisites — students have full access to complete lessons, and are able to learn at their own pace.
The Healing Power of Art
There is substantial and growing research supporting the use of art as part of a holistic treatment plan for substance dependency, PTSD, and a host of other mental health challenges that can impact veterans, at-risk youth, and other underserved communities (American Scientist, 2020). Creating art can help people who struggle with verbal communication to better express themselves, and engaging with art can help people to better understand themselves and their own lived experience.
At 4ARTSAKE, we are working with Veterans Affairs, recovery specialists, and mental health professionals to build resources that can be utilized in a holistic therapeutic approach, and we will be pursuing certification to that effect.
If you would like to learn more about how we plan to engage at-risk and underserved communities, or how our method benefits people working through trauma and recovery, click the link.
User Profiles
Everyone is capable of artistic expression, and how that manifests in people is different for every person. As such, what an individual needs is different for everyone as well. At 4ARTSAKE, we provide multiple entry points for people to engage, a wide variety of resources, and rotating curriculum to make sure that artists get what they need.
Charlie, age 16
Charlie knows that she likes art, and that she wants to express herself, but she hasn’t figured out her medium yet. She doodles in her notebooks, and writes the occasional poem now and then, but she needs to build her skills to build her confidence. After finding 4ARTSAKE’s YouTube channel, Charlie starts visiting the space and utilizing resources.
Attends monthly exhibitions to be inspired
Takes several introductory classes and workshops
Contributes to group art shows
Yearly Membership
Quentin, age 24
Quentin is a recent transplant, looking for community. He was in band in high school, and is interested in making music again, but he feels discouraged because most garage bands don’t need a tuba player. After seeing a flier for a free Synth Jam, Quentin visits 4ARTSAKE to see if he has a knack for digital tools. Not only does he find a new passion, but a new group of friends, and future collaborators.
Takes multiple music courses
Attends monthly Synth Jam and New Song Party events
Utilizes 4ARTSAKE recording studio
Occasional Monthly Member for equipment rentals
Olivia, age 31
Olivia loved making art when she was a kid, but she left it behind to pursue a degree and a career. Now that she has all of her basic needs met and feels secure, she realizes she’s often bored and unfulfilled. After hearing about 4ARTSAKE on Instagram, Olivia decides to take a zine class, and rediscovers her passion for art. She starts exploring various mediums, and bringing her friends in for events.
Takes on average one class each month
Becomes a major part of community
Volunteers every two weeks or so
Yearly Membership
Miles, age 73
Miles had never considered himself an artist. He likes to draw, and he’s always lived alone and is too humble to share his work, so he doesn’t even know how good he is. At his weekly AA meeting, a fellow member sees a sketch Miles is working on, and tells him about 4ARTSAKE, and all the resources that they have to offer. After attending a gallery show, and learning that everyone can submit art, Miles gives it a shot, and his piece gets selected.
Takes occasional class in illustration or painting
Contributes a few times a year to group shows
Tells his friends at AA about 4ARTSAKE as a sober space
Not a member, but donates regularly
These are just a few examples of the types of folks that will benefit from an ongoing, accessible, multi-discipline art resource and community center. There’s also the middle-aged poet who sells his chapbooks in our store and attends monthly writing workshops; the aspiring young filmmaker who takes classes to sharpen her screenplay and learn how to write better dialogue; the dentist in his forties who takes up painting to liven up his waiting room; and countless more unique stories that we will discover operating the space.
Regular Events
First and foremost, 4ARTSAKE provides space for artists to create, collaborate, and build community. As such, we offer several events each month that are open to the public, where anyone can come in and make, share, and enjoy art.
Open House
A lightly-themed weekly event, with several art stations set up for people to explore and enjoy.
Vibe & Draw
A bi-monthly drawing jam-session where artists are encouraged to experiment, collaborate, and share techniques.
Free-Writing
A bi-monthly shared-space writing event designed to help people dedicate time to their craft and connect with other writers.
New Song Party
A monthly event where musicians come together and share new finished works and songs in progress.
Books & Comics Swap
A monthly event where people bring used books to share, and to connect with others over a love of reading.
Synth Jam
Every other month we invite the public to collaborate in real time on music utilizing our in-house gear and programs.
Projected Growth Plan
In order to continue to provide resources to Portland artists, as well as a space for the public to engage with and be moved by original works, we need to sustain our day-to-day operations while also continuing to grow and accommodate the ever-changing needs of the people we work with. A such, we have developed a multi-faceted approach to fundraising that starts with services provided.
CLASSES
In the name of equity, all of our classes are sliding-scale, assuring that artists at every income-bracket have access to education and resources. Based on the resources used in the class, the suggest donation for classes ranges from $50 to $250 for one-day workshops, and $150 to $450 for multi-week courses.
MEMBERSHIPS
4ARTSAKE offers a variety of monthly and yearly Membership Plans that help sustain the organization. Members get regular access to our studio resources, discounts on classes, early access to sign-ups, exclusive workshops, and free entry to one entry-level course per year. Memberships range from $10 a month to $500 a year.
GEAR RENTAL & STUDIO TIME
Active members are able to rent music and film gear, computers, and tools, and can book studio time to record music, make podcasts, shoot video, and utilize our various workstations for prolonged periods of time.
CONSIGNMENT
As a way to support local artists, we carry original comics, zines, books, stickers, art prints, albums, films, and anything else produced by artists located in the Pacific Northwest on a consignment basis. Our portion of all sales goes right back into the organization, allowing us to help facilitate the creation of the next great finished work.
GRANTS
Every year, we will apply to all applicable state and federal grants designed to support organizations such as 4ARTSAKE that provide art resources and support local culture and community-building.
DONATIONS
We accept donations all year long through our website, at our events, and through our POS. All donations of finances and supplies are tax-deductible* up to a percentage of the donor’s annual income.
*As a non-profit, 4ARTSAKE can validate the tax deductible status for any eligible donation.
Existing Assets
Though we are only just bringing 4ARTSAKE to the public, the organization itself has been several years in the making. As such, we have gathered together a great deal of resources for artists to use, which means that we will be able to start helping artists towards creating their next great works the first day we open our doors.
Our existing assets include a wide variety of instruments, machinery, software, and art supplies, all of which are owned by the organization, and ready to be utilized by our members and students to create new and exciting works.
Some of our stand-out resources include:
$12,000 in audio & video equipment. An eclectic assortment of equipment that includes a mix of the latest in-home studio recording technology, and vintage, eccentric, & cutting edge gear curated to inspire artists to explore new sounds and approaches to music.
$15,000 in t-shirt production equipment. Our state of the art DTG setup (Direct-To-Garment printer) allows students to print their designs onto t-shirts in a matter of minutes, allowing them to workshop their designs in real time.
For a more detailed list of our current assets, as well as planned acquisitions and our Needed Equipment Donation List, click the link.
Your Support Can Make the Difference!
We are off to a great start, but we still have a long ways to go! Any contribution that you can make to the organization will have a HUGE impact on what we can offer to the community — whether that is money, art supplies, hardware, guidance, or volunteer hours. If you are able to contribute to 4ARTSAKE, please make a donation today, or reach out via the contact portal below and let us know how you would like to help!
Reach Out!
Thank you for visiting our website!
At 4ARTSAKE, our number one priority is building community, so we want to hear from YOU!
What are we offering that you’re the most excited about? What kind of classes would you like to see us add to our programming? Are there any specific types of events that you would like to see in our space?
Whatever questions you may have, or guidance you may be able to offer, we want to hear from you!