Public Investment in the Arts: Portland, OR

Posted by 22pc on March 06, 2013 · Flag

Here at MASSCreative, we're always talking about how to make people realize arts are not just nice, they are NECESSARY.  Apparently we need to be looking towards our friends in the west- Portland, Oregon, which has begun accepting their newly implemented Art Tax.  62% of voters approved the tax which will generate an additional $12.2 million for the arts.  The funds will go towards the Arts Education & Access Fund, which hopes to restore arts education to every Portland elementary school and fund arts education and access programs citywide through their Regional Arts & Culture Council.

 You may think the arts are often already supported by your tax dollars, but did you know, according to data from the Cultural Data Project, only 6% of all Massachusetts arts organizations revenue comes from city, county, state and federal support.  Your contributions may only amount to pennies.  Imagine the robust state of the arts if we were all contributing even a full dollar.  

 It will be exciting to see how the city blossoms with such support in place.  In Portland, they're realizing the arts are a necessary investment in the overall well-being of their community and are responding appropriately.  When will we?

Read more about Portland's public investment in the arts here.

 

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