Prismid Sanctuary Unveils Plan for New Community-Driven Urban Retreat in Portland centering Black and Indigenous Artists and Culture Workers
The Dreamchild of Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Bassist & Composer, esperanza spalding, the Community-Led Design Will Intentionally Honor The Land and Culture of the Prismid Community.
Portland, Ore. June 3, 2025 – Prismid Sanctuary, a nonprofit artist community and regenerative space dedicated to nurturing Indigenous, Black and all PoC artists, has announced plans to redevelop its 0.74-acre site in North Portland to create a community-inspired eco-cultural hub and city-based artist retreat. Once completed, Prismid Sanctuary will be the first Net-Zero, Black and Indigenous community-designed and owned facility in the Pacific Northwest.
Through its intentional programming and land stewardship, Prismid Sanctuary currently offers a vital space for a wide range of cost-free creative programs led by and for BIPoC artists and cultural workers. It was devised by co-directors, esperanza spalding and Mick Rose who originally connected through Ecotrust’s Madrona Fellowship for Food System Leaders, a program geared for BIPoC communities working at the intersections of food, land, culture, and climate.
The land was originally purchased in 2021, thanks to a crowdfunding effort which resulted in over $350,000 in donations from over 650 people. The redeveloped space will include artist-in-residence dwellings to house visiting local artists and a community hub with spaces for hosting salons, classes, dinners, readings, intimate concerts, and community meetings. In addition, new garden reconstruction will accommodate a regenerative community-supported agriculture project enabling distribution of free organic produce to the local community.
“Prismid Sanctuary as a process of being in community has expanded my imagination, my conception of reciprocity with place, and it has affirmed the audacious dream that - together with community - artists can create the institutions we need to thrive,” said esperanza spalding, co-founder, Prismid.
The redevelopment will enable Prismid to implement new programming and enhance its creative offerings through the following new features:
Workshop/Studio for community-curated dance, music, and performing arts rehearsal, traditional crafts, poetry, and design
Kitchen designed to support community meals
Tea bar and Library with a curated collection of books about ecology, poetry, art, and music written by local and BIPoC authors
Wellness Center with hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, shower facilities, and sweat lodge
Outdoor covered deck and stage for performances, ceremonies, and celebrations
The vision for the redesign is rooted in community-centered design-making to ensure that the project reflects the shared wisdom and expertise of the Prismid community. The rebuild and design collective consists of a creative partnership between Prismid Community Members, Adre, a socially responsible real estate development firm, Allied Works, a critically acclaimed architecture firm, a landscape architecture team led by community land leaders, and Green Hammer, a net-zero builder.
Since 2022, the collective has conducted site plan workshops with community members to “listen to the land”, map out ideas on future use and programming. All of the spaces have been shaped by this creative community input and coalesced into the final design.
A central goal of the project is furthering land-reciprocity and relational reliance between Portland’s Black and Indigenous communities through inter-community stewardship and ownership of Prismid Sanctuary. The property is pledged as a Land Back site honoring the histories of those who have been disenfranchised or forcibly removed from their lands and is committed to creating a sustainable, intergenerational funding model for Black and Indigenous artists to engage with Land-Back efforts.
The space also encompasses a regenerative agricultural component to empower BIPoC agricultural sovereignty through food and medicine growing practices and distribution of free organic produce to the local community.
“Our vision for this expansion project is to create a blueprint for how our Black and Indigenous communities can build mutual care and collaboration, shared liberation, and stewardship,” said Mick Rose, co-founder, Prismid. “Through our relationships, we work to develop a shared understanding of the impacts of settler colonialism and government policies on our communities and we exercise a willingness to confront systemic exclusion, understanding that what we are learning and growing from will be a useful resource for others on this path.”
The redevelopment encompasses a 32,200 sq ft site which will include new building construction on a 7,044 sq ft space to house a community hub and artist dwellings. The garden reconstruction comprises 25,156 sq ft of green space which will include a First Foods Forest, a ceremonial garden with community altars, an organic vegetable and herb garden for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and a greenhouse.
The rebuild is currently in its pre-development phase with construction scheduled to begin in January 2026 and the opening projected for Spring 2027. Construction costs are estimated at $7M.
Prismid has currently raised 50% of its $7 million rebuild goal. In addition to fundraising to complete the Sanctuary rebuild and operation expenses, Prismid is building a long-term financial model to ensure the Sanctuary grounds and organization remain self-sustaining for decades to come. Organizations and individuals wishing to support the rebuild effort may do so here: https://www.prismid.org/support
The Prismid Sanctuary expansion project will be fully ADA accessible and is targeting 30% BIPoC- and women-owned business participation in the development, design, and construction of the project. To underscore its focus on energy efficiency, building innovation, and sustainable forestry, the development team is pursuing several sustainable wood and energy goals. These include: targeting LEED Gold v4.1 certification, “Path to Net Zero” with Energy Trust of Oregon, 42.4 kW solar array that exceeds onsite energy demand, 40kWh onsite battery storage, and the use of 100% Native-sourced or reclaimed wood.
“Adre is a real estate development company with social responsibility at its core, making our partnership with Prismid a natural alignment of our shared commitment to building innovation, environmental stewardship, and social equity.” said Anyeley Hallová, Founder and CEO of Adre. “Artists are a vital part of our national economy, yet their communal needs are often unmet. The Sanctuary embodies a unified vision of how community leaders can collaboratively establish and fund spaces that sustainably support the enduring creative and social needs of artists."
“At Allied Works, we thrive on collaboration, and we’re thrilled to partner with this community-focused collective to explore new possibilities for Prismid—learning through the process and reflecting that journey in the design,” said Thea von Geldern, Principal at Allied Works. “Our goal is to create a space that embodies creative freedom, where architecture amplifies its surroundings and enriches the lives of those it serves.”
In recognition of this innovative and visionary project, Prismid Sanctuary’s existing programming and planned redevelopment are supported by funding from a growing list of funders including the 1803 Fund, Arlene & Michael Rosen Foundation, Community Crowdfunding, Mellon Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, National Endowment for the Arts / ArtsHERE Program, Oregon Community Foundation, Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), Portland Metro, Prosper Portland - Reimagine Oregon, The Collins Foundation, and additional anonymous donors.
About Prismid Sanctuary
Located in Portland, Oregon, Prismid Sanctuary is a regenerative space dedicated to centering Black and Indigenous artists. Founded and led by BIPoC artists and cultural workers, it is the dreamchild of esperanza spalding, the world-renowned, five-time Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist and composer, and former Harvard University professor. https://www.prismid.org/
About Adre
Adre is a Black- women-owned real estate development company founded by Anyeley Hallová. Adre is a visionary leader in socially real estate development — supporting community, creating new pathways for prosperity, and building new realities through the creation of affordable homes, mixed-use developments, and facilities for mission-driven organizations. https://www.adre.dev/
About Allied Works
Allied Works is a multidisciplinary architecture and design practice rooted in conversation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas. Their work is guided by a commitment to respect and inclusivity, recognizing buildings as open vessels for human engagement — spaces that invite both inspiration and critical discourse. They operate across a wide range of scales and platforms, from strategic planning and acclaimed architectural works to finely crafted objects that engage both hand and mind. In every endeavor, Allied Works seeks to uncover new insights and distill the essential qualities of each project into designs that are responsive, enduring, and timeless. www.alliedworks.com
Press Contact: Oonagh Morgan, oonagh@morgancomms.agency, 503.887.4345
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