Problem: Arts funding is in a sad state, especially in Portland.
Solution (ish): By sharing our skills and specialties with each other, Portland artists can mitigate the effect a lack of funding has on the quality of their work, thus create better work, garner more attention, and be better prepared to be funded in the future.
Local artist, Abraham Ingle (Neighborhood Diaries, Papergirl Portland), recently launched PortlandSkillShare.com as a way to facilitate new exchanges within the Portland area’s creative communities. By allowing users to create profiles based on a wide range of creative skills, the site acts as a directory of local craftspersons and artisans who are willing to share skills within the network. The site’s search engine allows visitors to locate profiles ranging from fine art fields like painting, printmaking, and sculpture to dance, music, and craft. The list of skills also includes fields such as writing, project management and web development.
By this model, Portland Skill Share hopes to encourage conversations that extend across disciplines as a way of challenging existing ways of collaborative making.
“Without resources, a greater potential is harder to reach, and by sharing skills, we can create those missing resources,” said Ingle.
Thought the site has aspects that users have seen in social media, it is not a place users have to check into regularly once creating a profile. Rather, like a directory, it is meant to be used when needed.
As the online network grows, so will the opportunity for Portland Skill Share to serve as a directory for new creative projects.
“This is especially useful for those looking to be in touch with existing creative communities and to open up new dialogs,” Ingle said.
What’s Next?
People are using Portland Skill Share and it is working! Hopefully designers and developers will get involved to improve the site and move it beyond its beta stage.
For more information, contact Abraham Ingle at abe@portlandskillshare.com
