Summer news from p:ear

What’s New at p:ear this Summer

With the arrival of spring and summer has come the re-opening of many deeply missed p:ear programs that had closed due to COVID-19.

After a year of quarantine, our kids were eager to resume outings to local hot spots. It is with much excitement that we have begun going on weekly adventures (pictured) to places like the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Zoo, OMSI, and the Oregon Coast.

In our art gallery, we recently launched a new Artist In-Residency program for BIPOC artists to help us bring back a broad spectrum of artistic opportunity to p:ear each week. This paid, short term residency program hires local BIPOC artists to host month-long workshops with our youth teaching skills such as screen printing, mural painting, pottery, and more!

As fall draws near, we look ahead to the re-opening of our parenting program, the expansion of our education and jobs programs, and the transition of our “safe space” from its current location in our art gallery back to its original location in p:ear’s main gathering space. Although we know the risk of COVID is far from over, we are centering safety measures as we slowly make our way back to full programming while highlighting/creating vaccination opportunities that are accessible to our youth wherever possible.

Reminder: p:ear will close for summer break from Monday, August 16th, to Monday, September 13th, 2021. All programming will resume and p:ear will re-open for services on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021.