The Cultural Advocacy Coalition is celebrating good news this week after the Oregon Joint Emergency Board approved a $50 million relief package to support arts, culture, heritage, and humanities organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you to the Emergency Board for being vocal and standing up for Oregon’s arts and culture communities. We encourage you to send a thank you email to the Emergency Board, whose email addresses are in last week’s Call to Action.
This is an exceptionally proud moment for the Cultural Advocacy Coalition after learning that the Emergency Board received hundreds of emails from our members and advocates, including stories and testimonies. The vote by the Emergency Board was bipartisan and nearly unanimous. You proved that advocacy works, the vital component to what we do.
The Emergency Relief includes the following:
- $9,680,128 to support 78 nonprofit and privately-owned live music and performing arts venues across the state (for a complete list, see page 3 of the recommendation and analysis memo)
- Designated grants to several large arts and culture organizations across the state: Oregon Shakespeare Festival ($4,710,000), Metro ($4,100,000, a portion of which goes to Portland’5 Centers for the Arts), Oregon Symphony ($1,750,000), Portland Opera and Portland Center Stage ($875,000 each), High Desert Museum ($700,000), Oregon Ballet Theatre ($630,000), Pendleton Roundup ($375,000).
- $25,984,872 for Business Oregon and the Oregon Cultural Trust to distribute to other organizations and venues throughout the state
What comes next:
- The state’s Department of Administrative Services (DAS) will reach out directly to venues and arts organizations slated to receive designated grants.
- Watch the Oregon Cultural Trust website and be in touch with your county’s Cultural Coalition for more information to be posted soon on how the remaining $26 million will be distributed. We are advocating for a simplified application process and rapid disbursement of these funds.
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