While watching the Junior Rose Parade some years ago with one of my young lads, a cart rolled by loaded with little kids and a big sign: Made in Oregon. I snickered just a bit. The young lad, sounding genuinely curious, asked if he and his brother were made in Oregon. “Of course,” I said quickly. Like a fact. But the journalistic drive for accuracy kicked in, which I had never considered a liability before, and without even thinking, I said, “No, wait.”

The young lad’s head shot up and I looked down the street pretending to be intensely interested in the parade. I might have even slyly asked a distracting question.

On this Giving Tuesday, in these parts we celebrate the slightly altered Giving NewsDay, especially the trusted local news that’s made right here in Oregon. ArtsWatch is not at the mercy of the whims of large corporations or billionaire owners – it’s made up of your friends, neighbors, and fellow parade-goers. Its homegrown operation bucks the trend that 42% of Oregon’s newspapers are owned by out-of-state interests.

Almost 2,900 U.S. newspapers have closed since 2005, an average of two a week in 2023, according to a report published earlier this year by the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. In Oregon, in addition to a steep years-long decline, 18 newspapers, or 13%, have closed just since late 2022.

For news organizations with shrinking budgets, arts coverage is one of the first things to go. Oregon ArtsWatch has filled this critical news gap. In fact, ArtsWatch is one of only a handful of organizations in the country that specializes in local arts and culture news.

Why is this an important area to cover? According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, between 2022 and 2023, the arts and culture sector supported 5.4 million jobs and contributed $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy – 4.2% of the Gross Domestic Product. Big numbers can be hard to grasp, but the statistic that always gets me is that this percentage of the GDP is larger than agriculture, transportation, and utilities.

Beyond economics, the arts foster understanding, build the social fabric, and bridge cultural divides.

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Someone told me recently, “You know one thing that cities with great restaurants have in common? Someone who reviews restaurants. Reviews help remind us what high quality actually is.”

The same can be said for all of arts coverage, which has a vital symbiotic relationship with arts practice, holding a dialog that stimulates innovation and pushes standards. Arts coverage is the sounding board and the soap box. The town crier and the night watchman. It’s our collective stories and our historical record.

As Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives recently commented on a review, “This is what we crave from arts criticism, to have our work placed in the context of our time and place.”

And to think this is what ArtsWatch provides to the community right here in Oregon.

Support ArtsWatch today!

When you contribute to Oregon ArtsWatch you’re supporting the people in your community who produce trusted local arts news you can count on.

As much as 94% of ArtsWatch’s budget directly pays people, the heart of the operations. They are all people who are dedicated to telling your stories. They are all people working out of their homes, making sacrifices, and doing this work because they believe in it. They love the arts and they understand how important it is to tell artists’ stories to a bigger audience. It’s coverage that inspires innovation and pushes for higher standards. It’s coverage that strengthens the entire local arts ecosystem. If you believe in this work, too, Giving NewsDay is the perfect time to support it. Think of it like a tip jar at the coffee shop and show your appreciation.

Every donation goes directly to pay people to produce stories.

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It’s game on for Give!Guide’s Big Blazers Day

Donate $10 or more today through Give!Guide for a chance to win one of three game day prize packages featuring the Blazers, March Madness, and Rip City Remix.

Consider also supporting our Give!Guide partners

Partner Spotlight: On this Giving NewsDay, we are proud to be a member of the nonprofit media cohort with organizations that share our commitment to shining a light on essential information through journalism, media, and storytelling. Like ArtsWatch, all of these local organizations are made in Oregon. We encourage our supporters to also check out Friends of Willamette Week, The Immigrant Story, The Lund Report, Oregon Humanities, Oregon Journalism Project, Street Roots, Underscore Native News, and XRAY.fm.

May your holidays be merry and bright!

Laura Grimes
Executive Director
Oregon ArtsWatch