May 10: Don't be fooled by artsy Ashland

Amy Richard

Oregon ranks 46th in the nation in state support of the arts and 53rd among the states and U.S. territories (behind Guam and American Samoa).

Seems kind of surprising, doesn't it, when you look around Ashland? After all, we have a new Center for the Visual Arts at the University, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival had a record season in 2000, there are new galleries, new young theatre groups and a new independent film festival in the works.

Don't be fooled, though. There's another side to this story. Every one of the not-for-profit organizations out there - small, large, successful or struggling - is scrambling for the same dollars, making it all a very competitive business.

Just ask the Rogue Ballet, the Arts Council of Southern Oregon, the Rogue Opera, the Southern Oregon Historical Society, or any number of the non-profits just how difficult it is to get local and state funding.

For many non-profits, most of the dollars that do come in aren't coming through state funding. The financial needs of all the state's cultural agencies (like the Arts Commission, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Humanities Council and the State Historic Preservation Office) far outpace the appropriations from the state legislature, and estimates show that those agencies are able to fund, at most, 36 percent of granting requests, and as low as 21 percent of requests in some agencies.

Since the State of Oregon hasn't exactly been doling out dollars, that means those organizations that survive (and we might call that success in the not-for-profit world) usually owe a debt of thanks to generous corporations, private foundations and trusts and individual donors.

Yet if we agree that arts and culture - our sense of heritage, history, place, creativity, tradition and customs of all the residents of Oregon - are important, contributing to the health of society and enabling us to connect with our land, our neighbors and ourselves, then it seems we, as a state, should invest in that idea and have a plan for doing so.

Many in the state have voiced their support for such a plan, and based on two years of broad-based community outreach, led by the state cultural agencies and two state-appointed task forces, the Trust for Cultural Development was created. The goal of the Trust is to invest approximately 90 million new dollars in arts, culture and heritage over the next 10 years.

The funding of the Trust would come from three sources: a tax credit for direct contributions to the Cultural Trust; from the conversion of state-owned surplus assets and from revenue derived from the sale of a special "culture" license plate.

Currently in the legislature, HB 2923 would establish the tax credit, and HB3234 proposes to identify and transfer surplus state assets to the Trust. The hope is that these bills will be approved this session. The Oregon Arts Commission projects that if the bills are passed it would probably take about 10 years to promote awareness of the Trust and encourage people to take a credit against their taxes. Organizations could possibly see new dollars after three years.

There are three mechanisms for distribution of funds for any organization. The first is block grants to counties and tribes on a formula basis, the second is through competitive grants, and the third is funding through cultural partnership, requiring collaboration with one of the state's cultural partners.

The Trust would not only provide new dollars, but also distribute them to communities and organizations that have been underserved in the past. In addition, it's hoped the grants would foster lasting partnerships between civic and cultural organizations and increase access to culture for all residents.

Even as this plan's creation was citizen-driven, its success depends on citizen response. If the Trust sounds like a good plan, let your elected officials know. Tell them how invaluable arts and culture are to you and your community. Then go see a concert, visit a museum, volunteer for a non-profit, or write them a check.

Amy Richard has lived in Ashland since 1990, was Revels editor at The Tidings for three years, and since June of 1998 has been media relations director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Patty Perrin