With Graham Cole at the Helm, White Bird Is Flying

“Graham has been able to intentionally connect more local arts organizations in Portland with national dance organizations through White Bird.”

Graham Cole (Courtesy of Graham Cole)
By Ray Gill Jr.

Age: 29

Occupation: Executive director at White Bird

Why He Matters: At the height of the pandemic, it looked like it might be curtains for White Bird. In March 2020, the organization announced that if it couldn’t make up a $350,000 shortfall, it could shut down permanently.

Instead, Portland’s most prominent contemporary dance company—named after founders Walter Jaffe and Paul King’s pet cockatoo—took flight like never before. Known for luring both national and international choreographers to Portland, White Bird is a not so secret weapon for the city’s dance community—one that Graham Cole wields skillfully.

Under Cole’s leadership, White Bird has nurtured local artists while collaborating with visiting titans like Dallas Black Dance Theatre. “Graham has been able to intentionally connect more local arts organizations in Portland with national dance organizations through White Bird,” says Kathryn Harden, artistic director of Steps PDX.

Biggest Influence: “My dad. He was a theater producer in Portland when I was a kid, and some of my earliest memories are sleeping in a sleeping bag in one of the back offices in the theater where he and his partner produced work here in Portland. He was incredibly entrepreneurial about it and kind to the artist, and I learned a lot from him about that.”

Greatest Personal Achievement: “Helping steer White Bird out of the pandemic.”

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: “I really love hitting up the dance clubs in town.”

Best Quote About Him: “Graham is a dedicated and thoughtful friend and leader in the arts community.” —Kathryn Harden

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