We’re happy to share some good news from Salem as the short session wraps up! The final budget documents have posted, and the legislature did not make cuts to the Cultural Resources Economic Fund (CREF) projects, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage, or the Oregon Arts Commission. Carry-overs for earlier CREF projects (previously approved
Blog Archives - Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon
January 28, 2026
You belong here!
Getting started with arts & culture advocacy in Oregon When people in the arts hear “legislative advocacy,” it can sound intimidating like something meant for lawyers, lobbyists, or people who already know how Salem works. That’s not what advocacy actually looks like. At its core, advocacy is simply explaining why something matters: to your students, audience,
January 7, 2026
What flat federal funding really means for arts and humanities
Update to this article, 1/9/2026: Oregon Arts Watch published a follow-up article after interviewing Amy Lewin, director of the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust, and Ben Waterhouse, communications director of Oregon Humanities. Lewin said, “Overall, it’s reassuring. This would allow us to continue our plan of steady support for hundreds of arts organizations
As 2025 comes to a close, we want to share our deep gratitude. Thank you to everyone who participated in The Big Re/Think gatherings across the state, in the virtual forum, and through the 200+ submissions we received. Your insights have shaped a powerful, community-driven vision for Oregon’s cultural future. In 2026, the Cultural Advocacy
November 25, 2025
Decolonizing Thanksgiving in Oregon 2025
Decolonizing Thanksgiving in Oregon By Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, Fertile Ground Communications (written in 2021; updated for 2025) Many of us grew up learning the myth of Native Americans teaching the struggling pilgrims how to survive and celebrating with a feast in 1621. But for most Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning. Thanksgiving is in