Rex for Metro

Culture, arts and the humanities play a significant role in building and sustaining vibrant communities. After all, our quality of life is closely related to how well we create, connect and celebrate with one another. Culture and the arts nurture and focus our aspirations as a region, helping us envision communities where we all can live, work, and play.

In short, a dynamic arts and culture landscape is key to the social and economic health of our metropolitan region. Here’s why, and why I believe I’m the best candidate to represent the arts and culture community at Metro.

Jobs and Economic Development

The non-profit arts, culture and humanities sectors contribute significantly to our economy. Together, they represent a $318 million industry, supporting over 14,000 jobs. In fact, the Portland metro region’s 111 arts-related non-profit organizations produced $206 million in personal or business income in 2006 — and let’s not forget, State and local governments collected more than $27 million in taxes and fees from it, more than a 3-to-1 return on investment.

Community-Building

In addition to economic development and the stimulation of trade through cultural tourism, arts and culture contribute dramatically to the region’s vitality and sense of place.

We’ve all seen how culture and the arts can help nurture collaboration around complex issues like gentrification, community cultural development, climate change, and transportation. Harnessing that creativity can be a powerful way to organize communities from the bottom up.

Indeed, culture and the arts can inspire broader participation in civic life, encouraging youth and the wider community to become more publicly involved in the political process. That in turn can foster broader cultural, social, and economic forms of sustainability in the region, giving every citizen a stake in where we’re headed.

Innovation and Education

Business and educational leaders recognize that the ecology of the business and private sector is changing and that our ability to leverage creativity and innovation is increasingly important. This begins with education. The critical skills that nurture innovation begin with strong systemic arts education that addresses the whole mind, the whole child.

My Vision: Dedicated Funding for Cultural and Natural Resources

For all the reasons above, I’ve been a passionate and vocal supporter of arts and culture at the neighborhood, community and institutional levels. And over the last nine years, I’ve delivered results, including increased Metro support for the Regional Arts and Culture Council, improvements at the Portland Center for Performing Arts, and environmental and cultural education through Outdoor School, a program I brought back to life as part of Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods initiative.

That’s also why I’m committed to broad-based regional initiatives to create a permanent, dedicated funding stream for the arts and cultural resources. We need to ensure that equitable access to arts experiences and a well-rounded arts education is the right of all citizens — young and old, rich and poor.

I believe supporting our cultural resources is as important to the Metro region as the preservation of our natural areas, parks and trails, and our historic, cultural and outdoor heritage. So as your Metro President, I will work for broader cultural investment that supports the institutions, individuals, and organizations that contribute toward making this a more culturally sustainable and prosperous community