A letter from elected leaders
In this Region, creativity is a part of everything we do, everything we are. We wander in words and in old growth forests, immerse in lakes and symphonies. Bank walls are a canvas of mixed media, and children learn to crawl on art museum floors and stomp through puddles in handmade shoes. The arts are not a luxury here, but an integral part of our everyday lives.
Decades of work by talented artists and diverse arts organizations have attracted other creative businesses and individuals, helping position the region as one of the country’s leading centers of creativity. But we cannot rest on our laurels – especially in this economy. Difficult decisions are being made about where to invest, and where to cut. We know that if we want to fully realize the true creative capacity of our region, and reap more extraordinary benefits for years to come, we must be proactive and we must get organized.
Over the past 22 months, more than 1,500 citizens participated in the “Regional Creative Capacity Project,” an assessment of the region’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to culture, creativity and the arts. This task-oriented Action Plan is the culmination of that effort.
You won’t get too far into this report before you realize there is a significant focus on the need to secure $15—$20 million annually in dedicated public funding for the arts in the region. Public opinion research suggests that it recently has become feasible to ask voters to approve such a thing. Citizens in all three counties are making it very clear that they value creativity, art, culture and arts education – and that requires intentional, sustained investment.
We don’t know for certain what the future will bring, and the specific strategies suggested today may have to change over time, but we are committed to meeting the overarching goals stated in this Action Plan. Over the next five years, scores of organizations and individuals will help us achieve our vision, and they will be shepherded all the while by a new Regional Steering Committee that we have agreed to co-chair.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to everyone who has informed this work to date by serving on a committee, participating in an online survey, attending a Town Hall, or offering other input over the past two years. Now we are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Please join us if you haven’t already.
Mayor Sam Adams, City of Portland
Councilor Carlotta Collette, Metro
Commissioner Dick Schouten, Washington County
____________________________________________________
Groups that are integral parts of this effort include the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC) and the Creative Advocacy Network (CAN).
RACC is the steward of public investment in arts and culture, and works to create an environment in which the arts and culture of the region can flourish and prosper. RACC is funded in part by local, regional, state and federal governments to provide grants to artists and operating support to art organizations in the tri-county region. You can find out more out more about RACC here: http://www.racc.org/about/index.php.
CAN is a broad coalition of arts organizations, businesses, government, and individuals with a mission to create a strong voice in support of the arts in order to strengthen the regional arts ecology and to change how the arts are funded in the tri-county region. You can find out more about CAN here: http://theartscan.org/who.html.
A new Regional Steering Committee is being formed to carry out oversight of the ACT FOR ART Creative Action Plan. This Regional Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette and Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten. We will post the Regional Steering Committee membership in the near future.
Our thanks to the many people who participated in the previous two years of Creative Capacity work:
- The Steering Committee, comprised of civic, education, business and cultural leaders, provides leadership in crafting the strategies for public input and will help galvanize the effort to implement the strategies. [ Member list ] [ Agendas & Minutes ]
- The Strategy Committee, comprised of artists, arts organizations, creative businesses and other creative community members will develop recommendations that will be used to develop plan strategies. They will also reach out to engage the creative community, assist in crafting the plan and galvanize the effort to implement the plan’s recommendations. You can see a membership list here and view meeting agendas & minutes here. [ Member list ] [ Agendas & Minutes ]
- The Coordinating Committee is a small group (4–6 people) with representatives from Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams office, the Regional Arts & Culture Council and a consultant team who help prepare for meetings and facilitate public input.
In addition, there are community meetings, interviews, focus groups and public opinion research to collect input, share information and test strategies.
Be involved! Click here.
For upcoming events, click here.