Will Portland Protect Its Big Five Cultural Organizations, Including Its Opera?

Economic support already wasn’t great before the pandemic in Oregon, ranked 39th in the country for its support of the arts. “The subscription model, which has been the life-blood of so many arts organizations, was already faltering and on life support.” Some major foundations have changed their priorities, donors are suffering from “donor fatigue,” and, well, now there’s a pandemic. – Oregon Artswatch

The Hashtag OpenYourLobby, And Theatres Bearing Witness

Many theatres have put out statements of support for Black Lives Matter protesters, and some have put up posters saying the same things on their boarded-up windows. Then New York Theatre Workshop opened its doors to provide water and food and bathrooms for protesters, and a hashtag, and a campaign, was born. “In just a week, what started as one theater opening their doors to 64 theaters around the country opening their doors goes to show how easy you can change an industry. Not by waiting for them to do the right thing, but by artists pressuring them to do so.” – Token Theatre Friends