Reaffirming Our Commitment to DEIA- a message from our Director
March 9, 2025
Dear Friends and Supporters of Oregon Contemporary,
I write with deep gratitude for your dedication to Oregon Contemporary and Portland’s vibrant arts ecosystem. As attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives grow—both nationally and now within our city—we must unite to protect the future of the arts in Portland.
Recently, I testified before the City of Portland’s Arts and Economy Committee regarding a major shift in arts funding. The newly established Office of Arts and Culture has eliminated DEIA impact considerations for funding levels, now distributing funds solely based on an organization’s budget size. As a result, 45 of 80 arts organizations—primarily mid-sized and smaller nonprofits centered on DEIA—have suffered severe funding cuts. While the five largest institutions received more funding, the increase is negligible in addressing broader community needs. Meanwhile, smaller organizations, which rely most on public support, now face layoffs, program cuts, or even closure.
This decision aligns with national rollbacks on DEIA efforts, including restrictions imposed under the Trump administration. To secure funding for our 2026 Biennial, we may be required to certify that we do not operate DEI-focused programs—even beyond our National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) project. Despite this, we remain unwavering in our commitment to DEIA and will not sign anything stating otherwise. Since 2019, more than 50% of artists in our programming has been BIPOC, our board aims for 50% BIPOC representation (currently at 38%), and we provide low- to no-cost opportunities for first-time events supporting BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled communities. DEIA is embedded in Oregon Contemporary, and we will not compromise our values for funding.
Portland stands at a crossroads: Will we uphold these values or allow systemic inequities to grow? The city has already prioritized funding for downtown institutions with substantial financial backing while stripping resources from DEIA-driven organizations throughout the other districts. This isn’t just about funding—it’s about the future of Portland’s cultural identity.
I urge you to take action. Sign in support of equitable arts funding at portlandartsandculture.org. Your voice matters. Together, we can ensure funding reflects the diversity, creativity, and community that make Portland’s arts scene extraordinary.
The Portland we love is a city where creativity thrives, the unexpected sparks joy, and the arts remain accessible to and representative of all. Let’s fight to keep it that way.
With gratitude and determination,
Blake Shell
Executive and Artistic Director
Oregon Contemporary
SIGN TO SUPPORT EQUITY IN PORTLAND ARTS
Equity Statement
Oregon Contemporary believes that our mission of promoting artists and engaging communities can only be fulfilled when all communities have full and equitable access to the arts in its many forms. Oregon Contemporary recognizes the ways in which race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, and economic disparities have excluded many in our community from full participation both as audience members, curators, and artists. Oregon Contemporary commits to dismantling and disrupting these barriers and promoting cultural equity as part of our core mission.
To fulfill this commitment, Oregon Contemporary agrees to the following:
1. Promote voices and points of view that have been historically under-represented in the arts and engage these populations to impact and intervene in the contemporary arts dialogue.
2. Promote cultural equity throughout our organization including in our hiring, policies, systems, programs, and services.
3. Demonstrate our responsibility to recognize the inequities inherent in our culture and take action to dismantle them.
Resources:
https://racc.org/about/equity/
Land Acknowledgment
Oregon Center for Contemporary Art would like to recognize that our programming is being held on the traditional lands of the Chinook, Cowlitz, and many other Nations. We take this opportunity to offer respectful recognition to the Native communities in our region.
Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and colonization as well as the continual displacement of Native people by the United States. Oregon Contemporary, as part of our Equity Statement and Plan, agrees to recognize the inequities inherent in our culture and take action to dismantle them.
Please join us in acknowledging the contributions Indigenous peoples have, and continue to make to our region and beyond.
W.A.G.E. Certified
Oregon Contemporary is W.A.G.E. certified. W.A.G.E. Certification is a national program initiated and operated by W.A.G.E. that publicly recognizes those nonprofit arts organizations demonstrating a history of, and commitment to, voluntarily paying artist fees that meet payment standards.