Basic HTML Version
September 26 - 28, 2012
| Portland Tribune & Community Newspapers |
www.oregondaysofculture.org
>
OREGON DAYS OF CULTURE
3
On Oct. 8, the Oregon Cultural Trust cele-
brates its 10th anniversary. Oregon Days of
Culture — a weeklong rollout of arts, heri-
tage and humanities events leading up to the
milestone date — could well be called the
trust’s birthday party. It is a present to—and
from— cultural groups across the state.
The Oregon Legislature approved the Or-
egon Cultural Trust in 1999. Then, in 2001, in
a near unanimous vote, House Bill 2923 au-
thorized the trust’s revenuemechanisms: the
ability to seek private donations and offer a
unique tax credit. The legislation also autho-
rized special license plate sales and the abili-
ty to transfer state assets to build the Cul-
tural Trust.
After a year of meetings and consensus-
building among cultural leaders, an organiza-
tional scaffolding was erected in 2002. Eleven
area groups met that summer at statewide
and regional summits to hammer out the cur-
rent structure of 36 county and tribal cultural
coalitions.
The unique cultural tax credit, which al-
lows donors to match a gift to participating
cultural nonprofits with a gift to the trust,
and get the match back at tax time, became
effective Dec. 1, 2002. Within a single month,
by Dec. 31, Oregonians had donated $1.5 mil-
lion to the trust. InMay, 2003 the trust award-
ed its first round of grants, $214,000, in each of
its three program programs.
The Cultural Trust’s permanent fund has
since grown to more than $16 million. Grants
totaling more than
$11 million ($1.54
million in fiscal year
2012-13 alone) have
been awarded over
10 years. The coun-
ty cultural and trib-
al coalitions, as well
as five core part-
ners, also receive
Cul tural Trust
funds annually and
re-grant or use that
money to support
local cultural priori-
ties, including the
work of Oregon’s
poet laureate. This
wide infrastructure
supports culture in
Oregon where there was no system before.
The benefit to the state, and to the largest-
populationmetro area in particular, has been
immeasurable, says board Cultural Trust
board member LeeWeinstein.
“The trust has been a really important
source of funding for diverse organizations,”
he says.
From the Oregon Symphony to the Inde-
pendent Publishing Resource Center, trust
grantees have seen
increased program-
ming and promi-
nence, and Port-
land metro area
residents have seen
increased access to
culture. Communi-
ties in which cul-
tural attractions
double as visitor
draws see signifi-
cant impacts from
cultural tourism.
Trust grants
have also supple-
mented in-school
programs, allowing
under-served chil-
dren to access plac-
es and programming such as Caldera’s Youth
Program, Willowbrook Arts Camp, the Mult-
nomah County Library, Phillip Foster Farm,
Oregon Children’s Theater, Oregon Ballet
Theater and Portland Opera to Go.
“What’s been really interesting about the
trust is that it is a uniquely Oregon enter-
prise,” says Weinstein, a resident of The
Dalleswho is president ofWeinstein PR. “Or-
egon looked at this and said our culture is re-
ally important and we need to sustain it and
to grow it.”
As a volunteermember of the trust’s board,
Wenstein is among those hoping the 2013
Legislature will reauthorize Cultural Tax
Credit. The trust relies heavily on private do-
nations, and trust staff and board members
see reauthorization of the credit as vital to
the organization’s future, including its grant-
giving capacity.
Ten years ago, the trust had a vision for
culture inOregon. Voices came together from
all over the state, from regional leadership
and citizens, from the tribes, from arts, heri-
tage and humanities groups. They developed
this vision statement: “Oregon’s cultural re-
sources— the arts, heritage, and the human-
ities, are strong and dynamic contributors to
Oregon’s communities and quality of life.”
Weinstein says the trust continues towork
toward that vision as it enters its double-digit
years.
“It has achieved a great deal in 10 years,”
he says.
Cultural trust celebrates 10th anniversary
Cultural Tax Credit, which is key to the organization’s funding and future, comes up for renewal in 2013
Governor Kitzhaber with members of the Oregon Arts
Commission and cultural community leaders after signing
original legislation authorizing the Trust (HB2005) in June
1999. PHOTO
Courtesy oregon Cultural trust