Oregon’s Arts & Culture Have Not Been Cancelled - Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon

Dear Advocates,
As we approach the end of the year, there is so much to say. This has been one of the most challenging years the Cultural Advocacy Coalition has ever faced. While the doors to our museums, concert halls, and playhouses may have been closed, arts and culture haven’t been cancelled in Oregon. We’ve watched our members and community support each other, and find creative ways to reach Oregonians so desperate for entertainment, expression, and joy at home in a dark time.
In spite of all of the uncertainty this year has brought, as we wrap up 2020 and look forward to the start of 2021 we are filled with hope. The hope that soon, we’ll be inspired by new works of art, feel the connection as we hold our collective breathe as the orchestra strikes its first note, and experience the joy of watching dancers leap across the stage.
We wouldn’t have this hope without you. Our members and supporters have kept us afloat, so that we can advocate for federal and state dollars. Federally, we are supporting efforts to steer more COVID-19 relief and recovery dollars to our venues. There is a second attempt by Save Our Stages to fund local venues and we are working with our congressional delegation to insist on this investment.
For our upcoming state legislative session, we are focused on maintaining the budgets for the Oregon Arts Commission, the Oregon Cultural Trust and the support agencies handling historic preservation and heritage. We are pursuing capital investments for 11 projects, including the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center’s preservation, Artists Repertory Theatre’s ARTsHub, Josephy Center for Arts and Culture expansion and renovation, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education’s expansion, Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre’s Baker Orpheum Theatre renovation, Chehalem Cultural Center’s performing arts wing, Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society’s Cultural Heritage Center, the Shedd Institute for the Arts entrance remodel, the Little Theatre on the Bay expansion, the Columbia River Maritime Museum Lightship preservation, and the Portland Art Museum Mark Rothko Pavilion. We are also working to update Oregon’s state song to reflect the diversity of our state. There is also future work to do around restructuring the governance models of the state’s support agencies and increasing statewide support for the sector.
As you can see, we have a lot of work to do to keep our arts and cultural organizations buoyant. We know this year has been tough, emotionally and financially, but we are asking you to help us keep going.
As you plan your end of year giving, we hope you will give as generously as you are able to the Cultural Advocacy Coalition.
You can do so by donating on our website or by mail at at P.O. Box 9160, Portland, OR 97207. 
We wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season, and a bright new year!
Sincerely,
Dr. Nancy Golden
Cultural Advocacy Coalition
Board of Directors, President

The Cultural Advocacy Coalition is one of the the only statewide advocacy organizations lobbying Salem on behalf of arts, culture, history, heritage, and the humanities.