Joy, Creativity, Community, Essential, Affirming, Education. These are a few of the words used to describe the role of arts and culture in the lives of participants, at a recent Oregon Cultural Advocacy Coalition’s gathering. by Christine Drazan Executive Director Cultural Advocacy Coalition
One word was notably absent from the list: Luxury.
This didn’t surprise me and it probably doesn’t surprise you. It was an arts and culture event. We were there to have a conversation about the state’s role in advancing and protecting Oregon’s cultural life. Of course no one would see arts, heritage or the humanities as a luxury. Instead it was essential.
But, as we near the end of the year, I have begun to wonder: are arts and culture essential–but advocacy is the luxury?
When I talk about advocacy I mean something very specific: active communication with policymakers to raise awareness of the value of arts and culture; and lobbying to protect culture in Oregon, which includes support for needed changes in statute and funding for arts and culture through state budgets.
This is the advocacy that the Cultural Advocacy Coalition exists to provide to the cultural sector. We are entirely member funded, which means that we do this work through the generous support of Oregonians and organizations who see advocacy as essential.
This year that list is fewer than 100 organizations and individuals.
To each of them, we say thank you for your support and active participation. To those who are not current members: will you join us today?
The state spends .o88 percent of its state budget on arts, heritage and humanities. Put another way, this is $1.75 per Oregonian. Compare this to other major categories of spending in Oregon: $6,580 per person for health care and $9,682 per student for a K-12 education and you get a clearer sense of how modest the state’s investment in arts and culture is.
State spending is an expression of our values and priorities, just like it is in our families and organizations. And, these numbers show that we have work to do. Shifting state spending to invest more in arts and culture takes persistence and yes, financial support.
CAC’s individual members are a thoughtful band of do-gooders who help fund the ongoing role of the Cultural Advocacy Coalition in Salem to advocate for arts and culture. Our organizational members are visionary champions of greater progress, in an arena where there is substantial opportunity for growth.
If you are not a current member, will you join them? Will you step up and help with an individual donation of $50, $75 or $100? It will take a much larger coalition of individual and organizational members sounding the alarm and calling for change to make progress-it always does.
We have an opportunity to move forward, but we will move forward more slowly if those who believe arts and culture are vital to our lives personally, and collectively, wait for someone else to help. Don’t wait for your own advocacy understudy to step in, and take the role that should be yours.
Advocacy is not a luxury. If you believe progress is possible and that arts and culture are essential to that progress, please join us today.
Christine.Drazan@OregonCulture.org
www.oregonculture.org
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