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I worked with Ben Westlund as the Oregon Cultural Trust was being launched, after he had skillfully moved the idea through the legislative process. I admit that my first impression of him wasn't that great; he struck me as a glad-handing politician. However, my respect for him grew as I learned just how thoughtful he was and, most importantly, what a big heart he had and how much he really cared about the issues for which he fought.  I wish there were more like him in politics today.  He was willing to take political risks to do what was right, including going against his party when necessary.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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The challenge facing all arts organizations in Portland – big or small, “world class” or “local class” – is the lack of adequate capitalization.  A successful restaurant that wants to expand or improve needs capital to do that.  The owners need to draw from cash reserves, take out a loan or secure investors.  They take a risk that the change will increase patronage and be sustainable. In all likelihood the restaurant will lose money at first, thus needing even more capital.  When an art organization decides to expand or improve its programming, it has the same need for capital. The challenge is that it does not have the same access to loans or investors as a private venture—it must rely on the “investment” made by the community. Its investors include foundations, individuals, businesses and, yes, government.  In recent years, many arts organizations took what seemed to be reasonable risks at the time. They improved their programming in the expectation that the community would invest in that vision and patronage would grow.  Then the economy went sour.  Like lots of private sector businesses, they are struggling to survive as a result. We shouldn’t be singling the arts out as examples of bad management or as unsustainable entities just because the economy has walloped them. This is a time when community leaders and philanthropists should be asking, "What do we need to do to sustain these organizations?" rather than asking "Can we afford so many?"

posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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