‘Radical de-investment’: $600K cut to Oregon arts groups

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Playhouse Artistic Director Brian Weaver would like to focus on the August Wilson play, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” that is now playing. Instead he’s dealing with a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that was withdrawn the day before the play opened.

The grant was initially awarded to help fund the show about Black history. Since it was withdrawn, the public stepped up to help cover the financial loss.

“If you’re saying , ‘Could people just pay for it directly?’ I would say yeah, they could,” Weaver told KOIN 6 News. “They could pay for roads, too. They could pay for schools. If you strip away public money, individuals will pay for it, but it will leave a lot of people behind.”

The head of the Oregon Arts Commission said so far nearly $600,000 promised to dozens of Oregon organizations have been cut.

While some arts organizations can get large donors to help fill gaps, that’s not the case at most performing arts locations, especially in smaller communities. The shows and performances often help local economies as people dine out and explore the area.

“I think what we’re seeing at every level of government is a radical de-investment in arts,” said Josh Hecht of the Profile Theater. “And if we think that art and culture does a public good, then the public needs to support the art.”

On Monday, US Rep. Suzanne Bonamici brought groups together to talk about a strategy going forward.

Bonamici pledged to continue to fight to restore the NEA funding that was promised but taken away. Meanwhile, arts groups will try and figure out how to plan for the future.