News & Announcements

Artist Auditions Open April 13 — Performances September 19 & 20 at Alberta Rose Theatre

PORTLAND, OR — What does it mean to create? To imagine something that doesn’t exist yet — and then make it real? Portland Queer Arts Foundation (PQA) is proud to announce that Daniel Switzer (he/him/they) will serve as Artistic Director of the 2026 Portland Queer Arts Spectacular, bringing that question to vivid, multidisciplinary life on…

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Queer Arts Foundation (PQA) has officially launched its search for the next Artistic Director of the 2026 Portland Queer Arts Spectacular, inviting visionary queer creatives to shape the theme and artistic direction of the organization’s flagship annual production. The Request for Proposal, issued February 20, 2026  , outlines PQA’s commitment to…

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Queer Arts Foundation (PQA) is excited to announce a special double-match fundraising opportunity for Giving Tuesday. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, every contribution made on Giving Tuesday will be matched dollar-for-dollar—doubling the impact of each gift and directly supporting queer artists across the Portland metro area. The announcement…

PORTLAND, OR — Following the success of its recently launched Community Needs Assessment, the Portland Queer Arts Foundation (PQA) is introducing a series of Community Listening Sessions — in-person conversations designed to amplify the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ artists in Portland. The one-hour sessions, taking place throughout the fall, will bring together small groups…

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Queer Arts Foundation (PQA) has launched its first-ever Community Needs Assessment to better understand how to support and uplift LGBTQ+ artists in Portland. The initiative begins with a 10-minute anonymous survey, now live at portlandqueerarts.foundation/survey. The survey invites queer artists of all disciplines—including musicians, dancers, drag performers, poets, visual artists, and…

Featuring David Saffert as Emcee

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Queer Arts Foundation is thrilled to announce the lineup for the Second Annual Portland Queer Arts Spectacular, its annual multidisciplinary live performance celebrating LGBTQ+ expression, visibility, and creative brilliance. This year’s show will take place Saturday, September 6 at 7:00 PM at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Northeast Portland. Headlining the…

Welcomes Franco Nieto as Artistic Director

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Queer Arts Foundation is proud to announce the return of its flagship multidisciplinary performance, the Portland Queer Arts Spectacular, on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the historic Alberta Rose Theatre. Now in its second year, the Spectacular continues its mission to uplift and celebrate Portland’s queer artists, advocates…

Shoutout Tim Seelig writing about the first ever Portland Queer Arts Spectacular for Shoutout. “I judge a show on whether it has TLC: Tears, Laughs, and Chill Bumps. All three were present in abundance.” — Tim Seelig, Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Ihsan Rustem “The opening ‘spectacular’ of Portland Queer Arts…

On Sunday, September 8, 2024, The Portland Queer Arts hosted its inaugural  Portland Queer Arts Spectacular, an event focused on uplifting local queer artists and performers, at Alberta Rose Theatre in Northeast Portland. The event featured dance performances by Open Space Dance and Tony Carnell; music by Kimo Camat with Juliet Terrill and Mak Kastelic…