MARROW, 2015-2020
summary:
Marrow was a youth-led, youth-centered community space that I founded and directed from 2015-2020.
In a 3000 sq/ft, former office space in North Portland, Marrow had a gallery, shop, and large programming area. We hosted all ages music and performances, art exhibitions, craft fairs, workshops, trainings, open mics, game nights, co-working time, and much much much more—in addition to just being a free space for youth to hang out at. Our schedule changed season-to-season but typically we were open 6 days a week, open for drop-in if nothing was scheduled.
The space was run in partnership with a youth collective (Davis, Momo, Cygnus, Saturn, Devin, David, Hailey, Tovah, Elleona, & Teddy); a handful of grant-funded stipended youth positions, including two shop managers (Izá and Sage), a gallery curator (Nia), an assistant director (Ever), and a librarian (Blaine); rotating college interns (Junix, Amethyst, and Simone); and the Mind & Mouth facilitator/adult ally (Briauna Taylor); in addition to the many youth who may not have had explicit leadership positions, but regularly spent time at Marrow and took ownership of it as a space and organization (too many to name).
Marrow programming was always free for youth. If there were material costs for a specific workshop we would do sliding scale and/or seek donations. For all ages events with youth performers we would charge folks age 25+ at the door, and ask sliding scale (with no one turned away for lack of funds) for folks under 25, and give 100% to the performers. For events with performers age 25+ we would either split the door funds, or ask them to lead a workshop for youth. Our rent and other operational costs were paid solely through donations. With the exception of the five stipended youth positions, Marrow was run on a volunteer and collective model (not ideal under our system of capitalism, but necessary to keep the space accessible for all youth).
my role:
I founded Marrow in 2015 after losing my job at an unschooling nonprofit in Portland due to funding issues. I wanted to do things differently, rooted largely in my MA in Community Education thesis research on teen engagement in compulsory vs. non-compulsory education spaces, and was connected with Anarres—an anarchist infoshop/music venue that was preparing to sublet their old space amidst their move into the neighboring building. It was a perfect partnership (and my introduction to anarchism, mutual aid, and a lot of my value system). So for Marrow’s first 18 months, we operated out of a 500 sq/ft garage without heat or a bathroom.
I made the decision to move into our primary space in January of 2017, right across the street, with the hope of expanding the Anarres collective’s dream of building a radical resource block in the neighborhood, and to increase Marrow’s capacity (and safety).
Throughout the years, I adapted Marrow’s mission to the needs and desires of our growing community; and supported the youth leadership with everything from grantwriting, to managing the calendar, to fundraising, to working the door at events, to helping navigate interpersonal conflict and safety policies, and everything in-between. My favorite parts of my expansive and joyfully bottomless role were that of program director and mentor, but I did any and everything was needed to keep the initiative alive.
programming:
In its approximately 5 years of operation, Marrow was home to:
over 100 live music acts (many returning and playing multiple shows over the years).
16 all youth performed and produced drag shows.
19 solo and group art exhibitions (often youth, in their first solo exhibitions).
over 100 unique workshops and classes, ranging from Gender & Orientation 101, to DIY Healing with Tarot, to What is Masculinity? A Community Discussion, to Know Your Rights Training, to Music Video Production, to Taxidermy Drawing, to Modifying Clothes 101, to How to Get Published… and on and on.
regularly occurring hangouts such as game nights, movie screenings, intergenerational crafting nights, and community care nights.
over two dozen workshops/events organized by partner organizations in need of space.
& many other one-off events, including fundraisers for youth health expenses, dance parties, and all youth vendor craft fairs.
I am working on compiling a full archive of Marrow’s programming. Check back or contact me for more info. You can also find documentation of much of Marrow’s programming over the years on instagram @marrowpdx and in the “past events” section of Marrow’s facebook page.
closing:
Unfortunately the covid-19 pandemic hit right at the beginning of our two-year plan to achieve financial stability so that we could afford a longer-term location at the end of our lease (rent costs and dealing with our corporate landlords were the biggest drain of my time and energy, and Marrow’s funding). With that plan disrupted, our youth leadership at low capacity (many of them are chronically ill and very low income, so 2020 was a lot to navigate), and no clear path for operating safely amidst a pandemic of indeterminate length, we were in a tough spot organizationally.
As a final act for Marrow I was able to use pandemic relief funds and donations to grant $200 microgrants to 51 BIPOC youth creatives in July of 2020, then made the difficult decision to permanently close the space.
Running a youth arts space that was explicitly anti-capitalist was obviously a sustainability risk from day one, but I believe our refusal to stray from our values is a significant piece of what made Marrow so impactful and special, and that without the pandemic’s interruption it would still be operating today.
Being a part of Marrow is my favorite and most valuable thing I’ve done with my time on this planet <3