Sweet, savory, sour, bitter stories by women, trans, and nonbinary folks who are black, indigenous, or POC.

Photo by Christine Dong

Tender Table is a collective of people who take up space, empower one another, and start important conversations. Tender Table began in Portland, OR in 2017 as a monthly event series gathered around food, stories, and community. The series features stories by women, trans, and nonbinary folks who are black, indigenous, or people of color. In a city that is often characterized as “so white,” Tender Table disrupts this narrative by creating spaces that increase the visibility of our community. Tender Table provides a platform for these individuals’ stories to be uplifted, highlighted, and centered — it is a space where we can come together to network, build relationships and community — and it’s always evolving.

At Tender Table, all are welcome — expect to be immersed in stories, and sample delicious food prepared by the speakers.

Tender Table provides compensation to all presenters and contributors we work with for their time and labor — thank you in advance for your donations.

Photo by Marianna McMurdock

Agueda Villaman (left) & Sussy Santana (right) at Tender Table in Providence, RI

Tender Table is made possible by our wonderful hosts:

Portland, OR

Independent Publishing Resource Center

Hey Love at Jupiter/NEXT

Nelson Cash

Orí Gallery

Pacific Northwest College of Art

People’s Food Co-Op

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Regional Arts & Culture Council

Ristretto Coffee Roasters

Seattle, WA

Providence, RI

San Jose, CA

San José Museum of Art

Brooklyn, NY

Wendy’s Subway

Pawtucket, RI

Twenty Stories

New Bedford, MA

New Bedford Art Museum

Boston, MA

Zone 3

Portland, ME
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Tender Table was the recipient of grants from Oregon’s Regional Arts & Culture Council in 2018 and 2019, and Brown Arts Initiative in 2018 and 2019.