For Immediate Release
Contact: Sue Hildick, (503) 816-4710, sue@oregonculture.org
Salem, OR – ­­The Cultural Advocacy Coalition has endorsed a slate of 11 capital construction projects totaling $9.5 million in Cultural Resources Economic Funds (CREF). The Coalition’s board of directors identified the most broadly supported and impactful projects recommended for funding given limited state dollars, and it urged Governor Kate Brown to include these projects in the 2021-2023 budget.
The slate of capital construction projects, which include the construction, expansion, or renovation of a facility or facilities, represents diverse genres in the cultural sector, options for increased equity and access, and geographic distribution throughout Oregon.
The 11 capital construction projects endorsed are: (See more project details HERE)
Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center, Preservation of Maxville Townsite (Joseph, OR)
Amount Requested: $750,000
Artists Repertory Theatre, ARTsHub (Portland, OR) 
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, Facility Expansion and Renovation (Joseph, OR) 
Amount Requested: $600,000
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Expansion into the Charles Hartman Gallery (Portland, OR)
Amount Requested: $400,000
Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre, Baker Orpheum Theatre Renovation (Baker City, OR)
Amount Requested: $295,000
Chehalem Cultural Center, Performing Arts Wing (Newberg, OR)
Amount Requested: $1,250,000
Siletz Tribal Arts & Heritage Society, Cultural Heritage Center (Siletz, OR)
Amount Requested: $750,000
Shedd Institute for the Arts, North Entrance Remodel (Eugene, OR)
Amount Requested: $1,600,000
Little Theatre on the Bay, Liberty Theatre Expansion/Enhancement (North Bend, OR)
Amount Requested: $600,000
Columbia River Maritime Museum, Preservation of the Lightship Columbia (Astoria, OR)
Amount Requested: $304,378
Portland Art Museum, Mark Rothko Pavilion (Portland, OR)
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
“The organizations behind these projects have all demonstrated commitment and momentum in their endeavor and are ready to engage in the collective advocacy necessary for success of the entire slate,” said Isaac Marquez, City of Eugene Cultural Services Director and chair of the Coalition’s capital construction committee.

“Recovery from COVID-19, Oregon’s wildfires, and social unrest is a long-term proposition,” said Representative Rob Nosse. “The path will require new innovations and imaginings of how arts, culture, heritage, history, and humanities will spread across our state under these new challenges. We know that even as our delivery methods pivot to meet new needs, there’s still a need to invest in infrastructure now and for the future.”
The Americans for the Arts reported in its Arts & Economic Prosperity study that Oregon’s arts and culture sector contributed $687 million and 22,299 jobs to Oregon’s economy in 2015. “Our slate of projects will help boost local economies, especially as travel trends have changed and Oregonians are looking for more ways to enrich their lives closer to home,” said Marquez.
In June, the Coalition issued a statewide call for capital construction proposals and received 44 submissions, which were examined in a peer review process conducted by a subset of the Coalition’s volunteer board. The board selected 26 submissions and meticulously reviewed the final applications resulting in the final 11 endorsements. Another 11 remaining are considered pipeline projects, which show merit, but are not yet at the level of readiness needed for the state funds, have already received state funds, or have other factors impacting their development.
Those considered in the pipeline for future funding, include:
Body Vox, Renovate/Upgrade Dance Center
Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Expand Facility
Friends of Baker Heritage Museum, Upgrade HVAC
Imago Theatre, Renovate and Improve Accessibility of Theatre
Kickstand Comedy, Renovate Theatre
Partners for PAC, Restore the Charlene Larsen Center for Performing Arts
PHAME Academy (Portland), Community Arts Building at Grace Commons
Portland Chinatown. Museum, Restore 1919 Kida Building
Portland Institute for Contemporary Arts, Upgrade Facility
Portland’s 5 Centers for the Arts, Accessible Restrooms for Schnitzer Concert Hall
Very Little Theatre, Renovate Facility
Two previously endorsed projects, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton ($1.5M), and the Lincoln County Cultural Center in Lincoln City ($1.5M), which received lottery-backed bond funding in the 2019 session, have had their funds rescinded due to the current economy and the state’s inability to sell lottery bonds. As soon as bonds can be sold again, the Coalition strongly urges the state to carry forward the commitment to these projects as an equally high priority to the new slate.
Gov. Brown will issue her budget in December and the legislature will debate it before adopting it on or about June 30, 2021.
“While the state’s budget situation is uncertain at this time, these capital construction projects demonstrate that arts and culture can break through the current haze of multiple civic disruptions and create spaces for learning and restoration for our people,” said Sue Hildick, Cultural Advocacy Coalition Senior Advisor.

About the Cultural Advocacy Coalition
The Cultural Advocacy Coalition is a 501(c)4 non-partisan advocacy group formed to lobby policymakers in Salem to ensure that all Oregonians have the opportunity to access arts and culture in their communities. The primary mission of the Cultural Advocacy Coalition is to increase ongoing public investment in arts, heritage, history, and humanities. Volunteers serve on the Board of Directors and include representatives from a broad number of interests to best represent the diverse mix of Oregon’s cultural community. oregonculture.org
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