The Oregon Arts Commission, in partnership with Ford Family Foundation, are encouraging more Oregon artists to join a new statewide Artist Registry to create a more comprehensive database for the purpose of planning and advocacy. Professional artists can sign up by completing a brief survey about themselves and their artistic discipline; the deadline is September 30.
One of the benefits of joining the registry — and one of the goals of creating this registry — is the greater connection artists will have to statewide funding opportunities and programs.
“We know there are many more working artists throughout the state than we currently have in our database,” said Eleanor Sandys, the Arts Commission’s Interim Visual Arts Coordinator. “Our hope is to update and expand our artist network so that we can better support the diverse artists in Oregon’s many communities.”
“We’re pleased to continue a longstanding partnership with the Arts Commission to reach and support the growth of the artists of Oregon,” Anne Kubisch, president of The Ford Family Foundation, told My Oregon News.
The Arts Commission is funded by appropriations from the Oregon legislature, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Cultural Trust. The Commission, active in different formats since 1993, provides leadership, funding, and arts programs through its grants, services, and special initiatives. More information on the Commission is available at www.oregonartscommission.org.
The other partner in the Artist Registry, The Ford Family Foundation’s Visual Arts Program, has supported the most promising established Oregon artists who actively pursue their work. The Foundation has been established in memory of Hallie Ford, whose namesake museum resides in downtown Salem. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.tfff.org.
By Joanna Rosińska
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