Arts and culture organizations 鈥� still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic 鈥� will see a major infusion of cash over the next three years, thanks to a plan by Oregon鈥檚 two largest arts donors and politicians.
The and the have joined with the state Legislature to provide a combined $52 million for the arts.
鈥淭his is a day of joy!鈥� Lisa Mensah, the president of the Oregon Community Foundation, said Wednesday morning during a news conference.
Exhibitions, performances and other live art gatherings experienced seismic drops in attendance during the height of the pandemic, and the sector has been slow to revitalize.
Over the last year alone, Portland Opera to pay debts; the Artists Repertory Theatre due to a lack of money; and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to save its season.
Arts leaders told politicians about diminished ticket sales during this year鈥檚 legislative session and in response, lawmakers approved $11.8 million to be distributed among arts organizations.
鈥淥regon legislators took a major step toward building back the vibrancy of the arts in Oregon,鈥� Mensah said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not settling for merely 鈥榢eeping the lights on鈥� and neither are we. Arts are essential to what makes Oregon, Oregon.鈥�
Mensah described the financial support as a 鈥渓ove letter鈥� to the state鈥檚 arts and culture entities and a much-needed sign of belief in the institutions鈥� collective futures.
The $52 million is aimed at inspiring additional contributions and getting people back into theaters and art museums.
鈥淢aybe this will be a little bit of a flywheel as we set this into effect,鈥� said Senate President Rob Wagner, a Democrat from Lake Oswego.
Liam Kaas-Lentz, Portland Center Stage鈥檚 managing director, said the number of people who subscribe to an entire season of their plays is still down 30% since before the pandemic.
鈥淚 think what many of us had hoped to be a one- to three-year rebound has turned into a three- to six-year rebuild of the entire sector,鈥� he said.
After theaters were closed for one-and-a-half years, he said, audiences fell out of the habit of subscribing to a whole season.
He thinks Portland Center Stage will get close to $2 million from this deal over the next three years, 鈥淎ll of it is for general operating support. To make up for that 30%.鈥�
The Oregon Community Foundation and local arts leaders have drawn-up a strategy to disburse the money and will tell potential grantees soon.
According to a recent report from the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, Oregon鈥檚 arts sector generated about $830 million in 2022.
The state ranks 41st in the nation for spending on the arts per capita, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
鈥淭he arts are an economic driver throughout our state, providing a huge boost to restaurants, shops, and businesses,鈥� said Carrie Hoops, executive director of the Miller Foundation.
鈥淎 diverse ecology of arts organizations brings us together and inspires creative expression in each vibrant and unique community across Oregon,鈥� Hoops said.
Editor鈥檚 note: The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation is a funder of OPB.
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