Oregon ArtsWatch

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Amanda Waldroupe

Amanda Waldroupe is a freelance journalist and writer based in Portland, Oregon. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Guardian, Bklyner, The Brooklyn Rail, InvestigateWest, The Oregonian, the Portland Tribune, Oregon Humanities, and many others. She has been a fellow and writer-in-residence at the Logan Nonfiction Program, the Banff Centre’s Literary Journalism program, Alderworks Alaska, and the Sou’wester Artist Residency Program.

Is Portland a war-ravaged hellscape? Portland Book Festival attendees weigh in

November 10, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

“Safe,” “welcoming,” and “awesome” are a few words Portlanders and visitors alike used to describe downtown.

Portland Book Festival: Stacey Abrams, Susan Orlean on the perils, pitfalls, and joys of writing

November 9, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

Melissa Febos and Lidia Yuknavitch also spoke at this year’s festival on their career successes and how they overcame bumps along the way.

Portland Book Festival: Susan Orlean on a ‘Joyride’ of journalism and storytelling

November 7, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

The former Portlander's new book is both a memoir and a tutorial on the craft of writing.

Portland’s Office of Arts & Culture announces $2.8 million awarded to 79 arts organizations

October 23, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

Fewer grant funds, which help arts organizations pay their general operating expenses, are available this year compared to last, due to city budget cuts and rising costs.

Schools receiving Portland Arts Tax funding begin piloting new assessment tool 

October 9, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

The framework will access staffing, quality of facilities, and other factors that impact the quality of elementary school arts education.

Loss of NEA Creative Writing Fellowship “diminishes numerous possibilities for Oregon writers”

September 19, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

The program’s cancellation is among administrative actions leading to turmoil in Oregon’s arts, cultural, and literary organizations.

Cantores in Ecclesia finds cohesion and inspiration from first European tour in 20 years

August 5, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

Traveling to Prague, Krakow and Budapest, the polyphonic vocal ensemble performed Byrd, Palestrina and Gregorian chant.

Keep our public library open, Grant County residents urge county commission

July 26, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

A packed public hearing in John Day this week shows substantial support for the library, with momentum building to create a special tax district.

Portland’s Office of Arts and Culture adds funding for 25 arts groups hit by cuts

June 26, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

Despite the city’s budget woes, the office found an additional $170,000 to help arts organizations with basic operating costs.

Bill prohibiting book bans in Oregon school libraries becomes law

June 20, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

Senate Bill 1098, signed this week by Gov. Tina Kotek, is based in Oregon’s discrimination law related to protected classes.

Oregon Department of Education launches new, virtual arts education program

May 6, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

There are high hopes that the Arts, Care & Connection program will expose elementary school students to art. But will it be successful?

Astoria Public Library’s renovation looks to the future while preserving building’s history

March 27, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

The full-scale refurbishment doubles the library’s size, adds windows, and celebrates Astoria’s history, culture, and architectural heritage.

Elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services would be felt all over Oregon

March 25, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

The Trump Administration's proposed shutdown of the IMLS would be felt across the nation, including the Northwest: A quarter of the State Library of Oregon’s budget comes from the embattled federal agency.

IFCC, looking to renew, makes its Grant and Artist Residency program permanent

January 27, 2025Amanda Waldroupe

The short-term program has helped chart the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center’s future as a thriving home for Portland Black arts and culture.

Does a book challenge constitute discrimination? A bill in the Oregon Legislature offers an answer

December 24, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

Most challenged books in Oregon have LGBTQ themes or authors; proposed legislation would make it illegal to censor books about protected classes.

Oregon libraries see record challenges to books — and record checkouts

December 23, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

Libraries have ordered more copies to keep up with the sudden demand to read books that some would ban.

Efforts to ban books in Oregon libraries are on the rise; library patrons and supporters are pushing back

December 22, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The most common reasons for book challenges include unsuited to age group; LGBTQ content; depicts sex, nudity, abuse; or contains profanity, according to the State Library of Oregon's 2024 report.

Portland Book Festival: Environmental concerns loom large in appearances by Richard Powers, Cara Giaimo, Julie Beeler, and an owl named Hans

November 4, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

Hope and wonder for the world were shared themes in conversations with a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, an “Atlas Obscura” editor, and an expert on mushrooms.

Portland Book Festival: Atlas Obscura’s Cara Giaimo on wonder and awe for the world’s species

November 1, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The editor of "Atlas Obscura: Wild Life," discusses the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, biodiversity, and a bug that lives on the open ocean.

Jordan Schnitzer turns his attention to K-12 arts education

October 19, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The developer, philanthropist, and art collector, already an investor in the arts at Northwest public universities, discusses the need to support arts education in Oregon’s primary and secondary public schools.

Candidates for Portland Mayor and City Council voice strong support for the arts in survey

October 13, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

As the critical November election approaches, City Hall candidates weigh in on how they would approach vital arts issues and policies.

It’s very full circle: Looking back on the career of retired Pacific University choral director Scott Tuomi

August 5, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

Tuomi’s impact as a singer, conductor, educator, and advocate has been felt by generations of students from all over the world.

Remaking the campus: PSU selects Walker Macy to advance its ‘Place Matters’ initiative

July 15, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The design team proposes a new welcome center, colorful paint jobs, bold signage, and justice-oriented collaboration to transform the university campus and help revitalize downtown.

Can art save your life? Author Emma Copley Eisenberg’s road-tripping queer heroes seek an answer in ‘Housemates’

July 8, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The author will appear July 10 at Powell’s Books in Portland to read from and discuss her first novel.

A sense of place: Through a design competition, Portland State University plans to transform its campus, as well as downtown

June 1, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The urban university intends to create a stronger sense of campus identity — and become a leader in revitalizing downtown Portland.

Poetry and pie: Raymond Carver Festival in Clatskanie will feature poet Kim Stafford as keynote speaker

May 14, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

Admission is free to the May 17 and 18 event, which honors one of America’s most influential short-story writers in his hometown.

Violent, aggressive, and personal attacks — language used to challenge books has changed dramatically, research presented at Oregon Library Association conference shows

April 30, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

In Oregon last year, “inappropriateness for children” maintained its top spot in book challenges. For the first time, it tied with another concern: that the book’s content was LGBTQ.

‘Girls in Trouble’: Portland musician Alicia Jo Rabins’ interpretation of Jewish women in the Bible comes to television

April 25, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The YouTube series examines the stories of minor – but consequential – characters through a progressive and feminist lens.

‘I Lived to Tell the World’: Journalist Elizabeth Mehren on finding hope, resilience, and survival in stories of war and genocide

March 27, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The Portland author’s new book about 16 Oregonians who survived atrocities ranging from the Holocaust to Rwandan genocide launches March 29 with an event at Mekong Bistro.

Josephine Community Library receives financial support for new building, even as it faces controversy

February 23, 2024Amanda Waldroupe

The 65-year-old Grants Pass library has not kept pace with the city's growth; funds from the Cow Creek Band and a bill before the Legislature would help pay to replace it.