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More than 125 people have already participated across the state at events in Eugene, Ashland, Baker City, Bend, and Newport.

You still have two chances to join in the discussion:

• Tuesday, November 4, Portland: 1-4 pm at the Patricia Reser Center in Beaverton (register)
• Tuesday, December 2, Zoom: 4 pm (register)

The meetings have been an exciting opportunity for us to re-engage with our statewide community, in many ways for the first time since COVID-19. The convenings have focused on identifying essential themes for a statewide value proposition for Oregon arts and culture. As one participant in Bend said, “The conversations reflected genuine care for Oregon’s cultural future — and a shared recognition that creativity and community are essential ingredients for collective well-being.”

A new Oregon ArtsWatch article by Jim Redden spotlights what we’ve been trying to do to address the growing challenges facing arts and culture nonprofits amid political and funding uncertainty. The effort builds on the original 2014 Big Think and aims to deliver a focused set of priorities to strengthen the state’s arts, culture, and humanities sectors for years to come.

Thank you to Claire Blaylock and welcome to Tristan Perrotti! Claire did an outstanding job launching The Big Re/Think, and now she’s moved onto a full-time job. She handed the reins to Tristan Perrotti, who’s a visual artist, political organizer, and adjunct professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College. He can be reached at Tristan@oregonculture.org.

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Oregon is home to more than 2,400 arts and culture nonprofits that generate over $829 million in economic activity and support 13,000 jobs. Similar to national trends, our smaller organizations are especially feeling the squeeze as funding shortfalls strain their ability to meet rising community demand. Yet Oregonians continue to value cultural offerings highly, positioning the sector as both an economic driver and a vital community resource.

Sobering statistics, indeed, yet we have an opportunity for you to be part of possible solutions.

We’re excited to remind you about the upcoming Big Re/Think convenings taking place across Oregon this fall. These gatherings are a chance for arts, culture, and heritage leaders to come together, share perspectives, and help shape a thriving future for arts and culture in our state.

Upcoming dates and locations:

• Baker City: Monday, October 6, 1-4 pm, Baker Heritage Museum
• Bend: Wednesday, October 8, 1-4 pm, High Desert Museum
• Newport: Tuesday, October 21, 1-4 pm, Newport Performing Arts Center

Your voice is an important part of this process. The insights shared at these convenings will directly inform our statewide strategy and the future of arts and culture investment in Oregon.

 Please RSVP today to ensure we can plan for your participation:

RSVP Baker City
RSVP Bend
RSVP Newport

If you’ve already registered, thank you—we look forward to seeing you! Feel free to share this invitation with colleagues and community members who should be part of the conversation.

Thank you for helping us rethink and reimagine Oregon’s cultural future together.

Questions? Reach out to Claire Blaylock, The Big Re/Think statewide engagement manager. 

Thanks to our sponsors: Oregon Community Foundation, The Miller Foundation, Ronald W. Naito Foundation, and Roundhouse Foundation

The post Your voice matters! appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

The Big Re/Think builds on a 2014 gathering led by arts and culture leaders, which led to initiatives like the statewide arts and culture caucus. This event aims to coordinate advocacy, foster partnerships, and highlight the importance of arts and culture for Oregon’s future.

Why should you participate?

The Cultural Advocacy Coalition Foundation envisions a thriving, interconnected regional arts network grounded in collaboration, strategy, and sustainable leadership. The Big Re/Think is an important step toward achieving this vision. You can participate at any level you choose!

Through public meetings, individual interviews, and statewide surveys, The Big Re/Think will formalize partnerships, amplify advocacy, and energize the arts and culture sector across the region.

By joining The Big Re/Think, you’ll become an integral voice in shaping Oregon’s cultural future. Are you a practicing artist, educator, organization leader, supporter, or community member? Your perspective will help spotlight the unique challenges and aspirations facing our creative communities.

Every story, insight, and recommendation collected throughout this journey will inform actionable strategies and collaborative solutions, fostering an environment where the arts can truly flourish.

Meetings:

September:

Eugene

Ashland/Medford

October:

Bend

Baker City

Portland

Check back soon for more details!

Questions? Reach out to Claire Blaylock, The Big Re/Think statewide engagement manager. 

Thanks to our sponsors: Oregon Community Foundation, The Miller Foundation, Ronald W. Naito Foundation, and Roundhouse Foundation

The post Announcing The Big Re/Think appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Community Advocacy Delivered

This year, the arts community showed up—and lawmakers listened. From an energized Advocacy Day at the Capitol to hundreds of emails, phone calls, and heartfelt testimonies throughout the session, Oregon’s arts supporters made their voices impossible to ignore. And it paid off.

Capital Investments across Oregon

One of the most exciting outcomes: full funding for all 13 projects recommended through the Cultural Resources Economic Fund(CREF). In total, $8.275 million will go to build, restore, and preserve beloved community spaces across the state—from Coos Bay to Bend, Jacksonville to Salem. These peer-reviewed projects, each ranging from $150,000 to $2 million, represent every corner of Oregon and will deliver long-term cultural and economic value to their regions.

“These 13 CREF projects represent more than bricks and mortar—they’re investments in the heart of our communities,” said Ginger Savage, who led the statewide CREF advocacy effort. “From rural towns to urban centers, these cultural spaces bring people together, tell our stories, and drive local economies. I’m incredibly proud that, even in a tough budget year, the legislature recognized the value of these projects and made a commitment to Oregon’s cultural future.”

Historic Preservation Incentives Reauthorized

In another major win, legislators reauthorized Oregon’s Special Assessment for Historic Properties program—a vital tax credit that had expired. The program encourages investment in historic buildings by providing a discounted tax assessment for ten years in exchange for appropriate preservation improvements. This outcome reflects years of advocacy by Restore Oregon and other preservation and arts partners and will ensure Oregon’s architectural and cultural heritage continues to thrive.

Progress on Anchor Arts Funding

While lawmakers did not fund the six large arts organizations the way we had proposed in an amendment to HB 3189, they did make investments in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage.

Oregon Arts Commission Funding Holds Steady

While the legislature did not approve the increase we sought for the Oregon Arts Commission, we’re grateful its budget was not cut, unlike many other state agencies and programs. In a year marked by deep economic uncertainty, budget writers made the broad decision to avoid committing to any new ongoing expenses. Even so, maintaining the Arts Commission’s current funding level reflects lawmakers’ recognition of the vital role it plays in supporting artists, organizations, and cultural programming across the state. And we’ll continue advocating for that increase.

A Historic Letter from the Arts & Culture Caucus

“I am thrilled to see the CREF slate fully funded…it’s such an important opportunity to support arts and culture organizations across the state,” said Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland), co-chair of the Arts & Culture Caucus. “We are looking to the future and we aren’t giving up on increasing the grant fund program for the Arts Commission.”

Looking Ahead

In a year when budget writers had every reason to pull back—facing a $500 million drop in projected revenue and extreme uncertainty in federal funding —arts and culture not only held the line, but advanced. These wins reflect a growing understanding that investing in creativity, culture, and history strengthens every community in Oregon.

We’re grateful to our champions in the legislature—including Rep. Nosse and caucus co-chair Sen. Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City)—and to every advocate who helped get us here.

We’re not done. These wins are a foundation to build on as we continue working toward increased operating support for the Oregon Arts Commission, stronger cultural infrastructure, and equitable investment in every region.

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Founded by Phil Donovan in 1999, Northwest Public Affairs is highly regarded for their honesty, reliability, efficiency, and winning record. They have built strong relationships with Democrats, Republicans, the Governor’s office, agency directors, and their fellow lobbyists.

Ryan has known Phil since they were teenagers. In fact, Phil’s first political foray was managing Ryan’s campaign for student body president at Corvallis High School in 1989. (Yes, he won.)

Ryan spent 15 years in music, including leading an indie band in Austin, Texas, and more recently collaborating on dance projects with his wife, a modern dancer and founder of Pro Lab Dance. Now, Ryan is thrilled to bring that artistic passion to his work for CACO, advocating for increased arts funding and expanded policy support.

Ryan is recognized by legislators and clients alike for his dedication, collaborative approach, and skill in delivering value-driven communication. He actively seeks public opinion and academic research, engages with individuals directly affected by policy decisions, and unites diverse coalitions.

As we look toward a challenging budget cycle, Ryan is determined to ensure the arts have a strong voice in Oregon’s legislature. His primary goals include lobbying to increase grant funding for the Oregon Arts Commission and securing Cultural Resources Economic Funds for capital projects across the state.

Please join us in welcoming Ryan as he champions Oregon’s vibrant arts and culture community!

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The post Recap of 2024 Legislative Session appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

The bill allocates a total of $11.8 million for arts and culture, with $5.9 million going to 13 out of 14 CREF projects. These projects are crucial for the resilience and sustainability of Oregon’s arts and culture organizations:

• Oregon Film Museum (Astoria)
• Black United Fund (Portland)
• Oregon Caves (Cave Junction)
• Columbia County Museum (St. Helens)
• Josephine Community Library Foundation (Grants Pass)
• Southern Oregon Historical Society (Medford)
• PAMCUT (Portland)
• Very Little Theatre (Eugene)
• Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
• Rainier Historical Society
• Eco-Earth Globe (Salem)
• Portland Playhouse
• Painted Sky Center for Arts (John Day)

As this Oregonian article explains, the only CREF project not approved for funding is the High Desert Museum in Bend. Dana Whitelaw, executive director and a CACO board member, expressed disappointment. “It’s a total surprise. We were assured that legislative leadership was supportive of all of the projects. It’s a huge loss for central Oregon.”

The Legislature also approved our request for $5.9 million in resiliency funding for the state’s major arts organizations, including the High Desert Museum, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, Portland Center Stage, and Portland Opera.

While this funding is a step in the right direction, unfortunately our request for $13.5 million to fund a grant program for smaller organizations did not get approved. Advocates had emphasized the need for equitable distribution of resiliency funding to prevent a repeat of the previous session’s shortcomings

“We are grateful to Rep. Rob Nosse for his foresight and continued commitment to the cultural sector. He has tirelessly championed arts and culture funding, and this bill could never have happened without his advocacy.”
–J.S. May, CACO Board President

Ongoing work is needed to ensure that all arts and culture organizations receive the support they need to thrive.

Some of our arts & culture champions are moving on, so we’ll need to identify new champions in the Ways and Means Committee and Senate and House leadership.

Today, we celebrate. Senate Bill 5701 represents a significant win for Oregon’s arts and culture sector, providing much-needed support.

Tomorrow, we continue the work to ensure that all organizations, especially smaller nonprofits, receive the support they need to recover and thrive.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

CACO Board

The post Artistic triumph: Oregon Legislature backs arts & culture appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

The Willamette Week published an editorial by Nigel Jaquiss calling the legislature to account for its failure to funds arts & culture in Oregon. Here are a few excerpts:

“Oregon lawmakers enjoyed a bounteous harvest of tax dollars in the session that concluded in late June, the result of a stronger-than-expected economy that will return more than $5 billion to taxpayers next year, thanks to the state’s unique ‘kicker’ law. But lawmakers stiffed cultural organizations, large and small. How bad is it? On Aug. 15, Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland’s oldest professional theater company (founded in 1982) abruptly suspended its 2023-24 season, citing the failure of House Bill 2459, which ‘resulted in $250,000 not being awarded to us as part of the proposed recovery funding for the arts and cultural sector.”

The article explains how we got here and how State Rep. Rob Nosse has done everything in his power to make arts & culture matter in Salem:

“State Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland), the chair of Salem’s cultural caucus, took a two-pronged approach in 2023 to help a sector that supporters say brings tourists to Oregon and uplifts the state’s residents. Nosse asked his colleagues to allocate $200 million in Oregon Lottery bonds to build an endowment for the Oregon Cultural Trust—fulfilling the promise lawmakers made in 2001—and asked for $50 million in ‘recovery funding’ as well as $12 million in end-of-session capital construction bills.

Nosse didn’t expect to get all $262 million, but he got only $5.6 million in recovery funds for venues and $4 million in capital funding.”

It goes on to explain why arts & culture funding matters:

“‘On a per capita basis, we rank 36th in the nation in state spending on the arts. ‘Oregon spends 48 cents per capita on the arts, whereas Minnesota, the national leader, spends $7.34,’ testified Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the High Desert Museum in Bend.”

The Oregon Children’s Theatre has paused main stage productions, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival has been struggling to stay afloat. In addition, 14 of the 16 organizations we endorsed for capital funding are stuck without the money they were expecting. The legislative session was disappointing indeed.

Rep. Nosse expresses hope for next year…but how many arts & culture organizations will have to stall their programming before then?

The post Lawmakers stiffed arts groups in 2023 appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Tyler Hokama, Interim Executive Director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Tyler is serving as Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Interim Executive Director while on leave from his role as Rogue Theater Company’s resident graphic designer and marketing consultant. He is a retired executive from Adobe Systems, and he continues to use the best tools in the graphic design industry for his work with Rogue Theater Company. He has also worked with hundreds of local businesses and entrepreneurs in an advisory capacity for the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center in Medford, providing counsel in areas of finance, operations, digital marketing, social media, and more. 

Liam Kaas-Lentz, Managing Director, Portland Center Stage 

Liam is originally from Bellingham, Washington, and has worked in theater management in Portland for more than 20 years. Most recently, he was the general manager for Portland Center Stage, having started as a production assistant, followed by stage manager, production stage manager, production manager, and director of production. He’s also served as production manager for Portland Playhouse, Sojourn Theatre, Hand2Mouth Theatre, and Risk/Reward. He has stage managed for Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Hand2Mouth Theatre, CoHo Productions, Teatro Milago, Pixie Dust Productions, the Geva Theatre Center, PCPA, National Public Radio, and The Kitchen in New York City. Liam received his B.F.A. from Southern Oregon University and his M.Ed. from Portland State University, and he has taught theatrical management at Northwestern University, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, Whitman College, and PSU. He lives with his wife and cat in southeast Portland. 

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