Guest Blog by Sam Johnson
Photo by Holly Andres for the Oregon Cultural Trust
As we move towards the year end, we are once again presented with a wonderful diversity of cultural opportunities – art displays, musical performances, author readings, theater events, to name just a few. People come in from out of the cold to enjoy each other’s company and the sense of community each event affords.
Art, music, dance, literature, history, theater, graphics. All these things and many more are what make up the warp and weft of the cultural fabric of our world. Small and large organizations throughout the state contribute to this fabric, creating a rich cultural environment for all Oregonians.
I often think of what our society would be like without the many organizations that contribute to this fabric. Imagine that the crossings of the threads of this fabric were lights. What would our communities be like if this fabric were to unravel, if the lights, one by one were to go out? No music, no dance, no theater, no art, no literature. It would be a gray, joyless world indeed.
In the eleven years since the Oregon Cultural Trust was founded, the Trust has given over $14 million to support the work of over 1,300 cultural arts heritage and humanities organizations, county and tribal cultural coalitions and partners state wide. In Clatsop County, The Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Liberty Theater, and the Astoria Column have been among the recipients of grants from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Just a few of the Trust-funded Clatsop County Cultural Coalition grants include Astoria Fiber Arts, Astoria Music Festival, Parents for the PAC, Seaside Museum and Cannon Beach History Center.
A gift to a non-profit of your choice, with a match to the Oregon Cultural Trust qualifies for a cultural tax credit. Donors can give to any of Oregon’s 1300 cultural nonprofits, match with a gift to the Trust (up to $500 per individual, $1,000 per household, $2500 per Class-C corp) and get the whole match back as a tax credit. Of these donations, 42% is distributed; 58% is saved in Oregon’s permanent fund for culture, ensuring that future generations can access the cultural color that we enjoy today.Small and large gifts to the Cultural Trust help keep alive these organizations and help build a strong cultural fabric that enriches all Oregonians.
As we move into the Holiday Season, please keep in mind that your gift will help keep culture alive in your community. Please don’t let the lights go out, don’t allow the fabric to fall apart.
Thank you.
Samuel E. Johnson
Executive DirectorColumbia River Maritime Museum