1. Portlanders want access to diverse and innovative forms of artistic and cultural expression.

• Many Portlanders cite with appreciation the abundance of artistic and cultural opportunities currently available downtown and in some of the city’s neighborhood districts. Particularly cherished are:
  • Cultural activities in the commons such as Festa Italiana and Salsa en la Calle;
  • Outside performances, such as concerts in the park and free rehearsals of the Oregon Ballet Theatre orchestra; and
  • The city’s vibrant literary, theater and film scenes.
• Many respondents call for even more access to artistic and cultural offerings in neighborhoods as well as better public transportation to connect them to artistic offerings downtown.
• Portlanders want art and culture to surround them in their daily lives and call for:
  • More public art all over the city and not just downtown;
  • More affordable museum access;
  • More cultural festivals;
  • More museums; and
  • More grassroots, community and neighborhood-based art.
• A smaller number of respondents also cite the need for art that pushes boundaries, calling for public art that is “less politically correct” and more daring and inspirational.
• A number of respondents would also like to see more diverse audiences for the arts, including more ethnic and socio-economic diversity among artistic and cultural event atendees.

Sample Strategies:

1. “Provide ways that the everyday person can afford to attend live theater. In New York City, the Theater Development Fund makes it very affordable to visit the theater.”
2. “Our great arts and cultural events need to be more readily exposed for the general public to peruse and pick from. We need a great clearinghouse to post all events in the city—posted by categories.”
3. Create a “Free Museum Day” once a month or provide discounted entry to people who use public transportation.
4. Improve public transportation so individuals in outlying areas can more easily access artistic and cultural offerings.
5. Put high-quality murals inside public buildings and on public transportation, replacing advertising.
6. Have libraries open for longer hours to promote book readings, literary events and other neighborhood artistic and cultural activities.

2. Portland should aspire to regional excellence in creative endeavors.

• A number of respondents voice the opinion that Portland could have an even more dynamic artistic and cultural scene.
• These Portlanders call for more artistic risk-taking as well as greater levels of community support for the arts.
• A few respondents imagine Portland evolving into a sought-out destination for high-quality artists and performers from all over the world. They would like Portland to attract “big names” in theater, music and the visual and performing arts.
• Others imagine Portland becoming a national leader in arts and culture, while an even larger number imagine Portland becoming at the very least a regional center of excellence in arts and culture.

Sample Strategies:

1. More museums, including a museum of modern art that rivals that of San Francisco.

3. People want Portland to become a national leader in community support for the arts.

• There are many calls to better support arts and culture at all levels and from all sectors, including corporations, the local government, philanthropists and community members.
• Many people see support for a “culture of creativity” as essential to maintaining Portland’s desirability as a place to live and do business.
• There appears to be strong support for the “One Percent for Art” program, with many respondents citing this as an essential tool for keeping the arts alive in Portland.
• A number of respondents request more support for small theater groups and lesser-known artists, including affordable/adequate performance space, gallery space and live/work space.

Sample Strategies:

1. “The one percent for art: include musicians and other performing artists, not just public sculptors, as beneficiaries of that.”
2. “Please have the city give rent to artists…and fill all the vacant buildings and store fronts—especially along Fremont 20th-82nd and Glisan (MLK to 122nd). Blank store areas promote crime yet artists would put energy and creativity into a neighborhood community…”
3. Support individual artists (not just nonprofits or groups) with funds for projects. Create small grants so individuals can put into action their visions for a better neighborhood or community.

4. Arts and culture must be present in schools.

• A number of respondents noted that early exposure to arts in the schools builds a lifelong appreciation for arts and culture in students, as well as fostering students’ own creative abilities and talents.
• Many respondents expressed concern that tomorrow’s corporate, philanthropic and community leaders will place less emphasis on supporting the arts if they are not exposed to the arts as children.
• Including the arts in school curriculum is essential to maintaining our cultural and creative vitality into the future.
• Some respondents noted that the arts must not only be present in schools, but must be well-integrated into school curriculums for maximum benefit to students and the community.

Sample Strategies:

1. Provide tax breaks for artists who volunteer in the schools.
2. “Find a way to include artists in the teaching staff who are accomplished in the field but may not have teaching degrees.”
3. “Advocate for the role arts, education and the economy play together, not independently. A ‘good’ kind of co-dependence.”

5. Ethnically diverse groups need more support for their arts and culture.

• A number of respondents call for more cultural activities that appeal to minority populations. Specifically, more movies, plays, restaurants and cultural festivals catered to African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and other ethnic minorities.
• There is also a need to provide greater financial support and visibility to artists, performers and cultural creatives from diverse ethnic communities. A handful of respondents specifically mention the need to provide greater support to Native American and African American artists.
• Many respondents see arts and culture as a means of generating greater understanding and acceptance between members of different ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural groups.

Sample Strategies:

1. Host a Juneteenth Festival on the waterfront similar in size and scope to the Cinco de Mayo Festival.