Beaverton's Patricia Reser Center for the Arts pulled in $5.7 million in revenue in 2025 while Portland arts organizations fought to stay afloat. A feature first reported by OPB on Oct. 22 explores how the 550-seat nonprofit venue did it: by building an entire season around Hip Hop.
The center's 2025-26 season, called "Rhythm + Revolution: The Legacy of Hip Hop Culture," was its first themed season devoted to a single genre. Director Chris Ayzoukian told OPB the move challenged what he called the "old-school concept of a performing arts center, which tends to be very Eurocentric and white."
The gamble paid off.
OPB reported the season attracted hundreds of new patrons and included several sold-out shows. Since opening in 2022, the Reser has welcomed more than 220,000 visitors. Tickets average less than $40, and the venue sits near a TriMet MAX line in downtown Beaverton.
A community advisory committee helped shape the programming. The committee included MC Mic Crenshaw, Portland Trail Blazers DJ O.G.ONE, Alexandra Washington and Andre Middleton. Crenshaw, a Hip Hop artist and educator based in Oregon, told OPB that two shows during the season ranked among the best of his career.
"I've been doing Hip Hop for 34, 35 years as an independent artist, but both of the big shows we did at The Reser this year … were two of the best shows of my career," Crenshaw said.
The season's final showcase on May 9 captured the energy. Filipino Hip Hop artist Talilo headlined the 503 RISING Hip Hop Showcase, and OPB described audience members standing and dancing by the end of the first song. Talilo, who was born in the Philippines and grew up in Portland, creates what he calls "flip-hop." He has founded the Peer Tribe Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at empowering youth in the arts.
The Reser's finances stand out regionally. OPB reported the center's 2025 expenses totaled $4.1 million against $5.7 million in revenue, with net assets of $9.6 million.
Nearly 70% of revenue came from contributions. Ayzoukian acknowledged rising labor costs but said the center remains financially strong.
That picture contrasts with Portland's older venues. Rachael Lembo, executive director of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, told OPB that attendance at Keller Auditorium and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall has averaged about 800,000 annually over the past three years, down from more than 900,000 before the pandemic. The Portland Chamber Orchestra dissolved earlier in 2026 due to fundraising struggles and lower attendance, OPB reported.
Beaverton's demographics help explain the Reser's approach. According to 2023 city data cited by OPB, the city is 62% white, with 38% of residents identifying as Latino/Hispanic, Asian, Black, Indigenous or multiple races.
The center has launched its fifth-anniversary 2026-27 season. Upcoming shows include a co-presentation with The Immigrant Story on Friday, Oct. 30, Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar and Ballet Folklorico del Rio Grande on Saturday, Nov. 28, and Korean folk fusion band Sangjaru on Feb. 3, 2027. Full listings are at thereser.org.
