The Coalition board of directors and arts and culture leaders from around the state met with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and her staffers last week to discuss the future of arts education in Oregon.
“Remember, it’s the stories that really help us make the case, so keep them coming,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. Our board of directors met with the Congresswoman to talk about the importance of arts education in our state, about what’s happening in the cultural sector right now, and finally about federal and local issues the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon is urging policymakers to support, including our request to earmark Cultural Resources Economic Funds (CREF) for capital construction projects, among other priorities.
“I can’t imagine what our communities would be without your cultural organizations,” said the Congresswoman. “There would be a tremendous void. Arts keep us going, arts heal us, and connect us.” Bonamici shared exciting news on the upcoming rollout of the Arts Education for All Act. More details to come.
We are thankful for Congresswoman Bonamici and her staffers (and those who attended our call today, Al Bannan and Andrew Dunn) and for the work around CARES Act dollars that contributed to the highest state support of arts and culture in the country.
Note: If your organization is having challenges with SBA, please reach out to the Congresswoman’s office at Business_Assistance@mail.house.gov.
Thank you to our incredible board of directors for speaking and to CACO staffer, Jamie Painter for organizing the meeting.