Keeping the Door Open and the Dream Alive!

In this Sunday’s Oregonian editorial, Susan Nielsen writes of the “confusion, frustration and legal uncertainty” around Portland’s new Arts Education & Access Fund. “As the first bill comes due this week,” she suggests, “it’s time to ask whether arts advocates’ good intentions can be rescued…”

While, at the Creative Advocacy Network, we believe that the resounding answer is “YES!”, we also acknolwedge that our work to establish a new public fund for the arts in Portland’s classrooms and communities is far from over. And we need your help to keep the door open and the dream alive.

To honor the will of the voters who overwhelmingly passed the Arts Tax at the ballot last November, we will continue working to protect and defend the goals of the Arts Education & Access Fund until it is successfully collected and distributed to the classrooms and communities that it was designed to reach.

Together, we can and will fulfill the promise of arts education in every elementary school, stable funding for Portland’s non-profit arts community and access to the arts citywide. Join Us!

Here’s how you can help:

1.   Pay your Arts Tax and spread the word to friends, neighbors and co-workers that you are proud that your tax dollarts will restore arts education to every Portland elementary school and increase access to the arts citywide.

2.   Donate to CAN’s Defense Fund and ensure that the 62% of Portland voters who established the Arts Education & Access Fund in November are represented in ongoing citywide conversations about the future of the Arts Tax.

3.   Volunteer your time and leadership to support CAN’s advocacy, research, social media, administration and program development.

4.  Join Us on Facebook for daily updates, networking and advocacy.