(Photo above: Cate O’Hagan)
A Brief Glance Back: While the Great Recession has been in Portland’s rear view mirror for a while, the more rural areas of Oregon are just beginning to pass that difficult time. According to economist Tom Potiowski, head of the Economics Department at Portland State University, the growth in the state’seconomy “is tepid but still, it is coming up. We are seeing the early stages of a classic recovery.” While comforting, as we reflect on the recent past, it was confirmed that beyond a shadow of a doubt, the arts organizations in central Oregon, while robust in their enthusiasm and activity level, are financially vulnerable.
Bend 2030 Planted the Seeds for Cultural Planning
The first phase of Bend 2030, Bend’s long term visioning process, was to gather information, then plans had to be written. Arts Central was recruited to write the first cultural component of the plan based on input. In looking at solutions to the question of the financial woes of many arts organizations and how there was little to no history of arts organizations collaborating to jointly program, promote themselves or advocate for support, we concluded that we needed to form a consortium of arts and culture groups to build trust and comradery among themselves and move with purpose to advocate for all arts and culture in the region.
Arts Central was tasked to lead the charge. In 2010 we decided the time was right and committed to invest $6,000 to fund the strategic planning process and to also heavily invest Arts Central staff and board time to establish the Arts & Culture Alliance (ACA). In 2014 the ACA became its own non-profit association. It’s one thing for an organization such as Arts Central to create an alliance, but it takes collective commitment and plain old hard work to sustain and grow it. Bravo, ACA!
Cultural Tourism: A Win and an Opportunity for Central Oregon Cultural tourism promotion has been on Arts Central’s radar since we became a regional arts and culture council in 1997. With funding assistance from the Oregon Arts Commission we published a cultural tourist map of Central Oregon called the “Cultural Corridor” in 1998 and 1999. After that we focused on raising funds to help save Bend’s Oregon Trunk Railway building with William Smith Properties and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Once the building was restored, the Art Station was born. Since that time Arts Central has provided arts education programs and activities through the Art Station, as well as in schools and through VanGo, to over 90,000 people ages two to 102.
In 2013 we renewed our interest in cultural tourism. Collaborating with representatives from the regional Cultural Coalitions of the Oregon Cultural Trust, Scenic Byways, the Redmond Chamber and the Central Oregon Visitors Association we revisited a regional tourist map for arts and culture and called it Cultural Byways. The life of a rack brochure proved to be an effective way to disseminate information as 6,000 copies were distributed in 365 days. We will be updating the information this year and reprinting it.
And now, more applause for the Arts & Culture Alliance for being a major force behind the passage of the tourism tax levy that increases funding for police and fire and created the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund. Kudos also to Doug LaPlaca of Visit Bend for stewarding the process. Lodging tax revenue collections of $125,000 have made it possible for the first round of grants to support cultural tourism activities occurring after July 1, 2015. More information is available on the Visit Bend website.
Because the tourism fund is more event-driven the grant application criteria does not allow for much coverage of general operating costs, which is what arts organizations also need. To clarify, operating costs are defined as those that are needed to pay the rent and utilities as well as offer affordable ongoing programming.
Looking Ahead with Public Partners
We have a very interesting development with the Regional Solutions Advisory Committee appointed by the governor.Regional Solutions is an innovative, collaborative approach to community and economic development in Oregon. The state, in partnership with Oregon colleges and universities, established Regional Solutions Centers throughout Oregon. Starting at the local level to identify priorities, each center works from the bottom up to solve problems and complete projects.
These centers integrate state agency work and funding to ensure that projects are finished as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
Last year Mike Hollern, CEO of Brooks Resources and Convener of theCentral Oregon Regional Solutions Advisory Committee invited me to present to the group with the intention of placing arts and culture in Central Oregon as a priority on our regional agenda for economic development. I arrived with about 30 pounds of material supporting the idea and gave a brief presentation. Mike called for the vote and it was unanimous in favor of the proposal. The Central Oregon Regional Solutions Advisory Committee is working on proposing a plan to assess our cultural landscape and consider strategies that will build on what we have already in place.
The intended outcome would be to attract businesses and individuals who are accustomed to and often require a culturally rich environment where they live and work. It has been shown that this has a profound economic and socioeconomic benefit. (See “The Rise of the Creative Class” by Richard Florida.) At their February meeting the Advisory Committee agreed to support moving ahead to secure funding to hire a consultant. The consultant will be tasked with the development of a regional arts and culture plan that results intangible and actionable recommendations.
Arts Central will be following the process and report to our arts and culture colleagues as appropriate.
In our role as a regional arts advocate we have had a long standing of nearly two decades working relationship with Deschutes County. As examples, Arts Central led the public art process for the County when the new administration building was being built. We also co-wrote a grant application to the National Endowment for the Arts for a regional cultural plan (turned down for technical reasons, but it might be time to revisit if it can sync with planning that Regional Solutions is undertaking.
We are currently working with Deschutes County Commissioner Tammy Baney on ways to strengthen our relationship and to locate methods and opportunities to enhance the County’s investment in the arts and arts education in our communities.
Arts Central is always on the lookout for ways to champion the cause for more support of arts and culture in this region. While we are best known for arts education, arts advocacy has been a key component of our mission statement since 1976. With so much exciting, important work to be done, Arts Central board member Marsha Stout has jump-started our Advocacy Committee and we look forward to what the immediate and distant futures hold in this regard. Working together with the Arts & Culture Alliance, other strategic partners and the community at large our cultural future looks bright…and colorful!
Cate O’Hagan is executive director of Arts Central.
cate@artscentraloregon.org
www.artscentral.org
