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WASHINGTON COUNTY ARTS GUIDE SEPTEMBER — NOVEMBER 2013
W
hat does it take to support arts
and culture activities and
services?
According to the folks at Work for Art, it takes
everyone.
By making it easy to give back to the arts and
culture community through the workplace, Work
for Art — part of the Regional Arts & Culture
Council — has raised nearly $4.7 million over the
past seven years. The program funds more than 100
arts and culture organizations, including Bag &
Baggage Productions, Beaverton Civic Theatre,
Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Cuisine &
Culture Festivals (Hillsboro Farmers’ Market),
India Cultural Association, Painted Sky and
Theatre in the Grove.
Any 501(c)(3) arts and culture organization in
Washington, Multnomah or Clackamas counties
can apply for support.
Although $4.7 million may sound like a lot,
Work for Art manager Kathryn Jackson says
there’s still a ways to go.
“The arts and culture community relies on
donations. It’s an expensive proposition to run
an arts education program, or to put on a play, a
concert, a dance performance or an exhibition,”
she said. “While it may seem like ticket prices
should cover these costs, the reality is that sales
account for less than half of the production
costs.”
Additionally, Jackson notes, arts and culture
groups are an integral piece of the social
services puzzle. They provide increased access
through arts education curriculum in the
schools, scholarships, busing and outreach to
underserved populations. These programs help
keep communities vibrant and healthy, and
Work for Art serves as an easy way for those
COURTESY PHOTO
Helping solve the funding puzzle
The regional Work for Art program funds
dozens of arts and culture organizations
Painted Sky, a Native American music and performance
group, is funded in part by Work for Art.
Work for Art
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