Bob Hicks

Bob Hicks, Executive Editor of Oregon ArtsWatch, has been covering arts and culture in the Pacific Northwest since 1978, including 25 years at The Oregonian. Among his art books are Kazuyuki Ohtsu; James B. Thompson: Fragments in Time; and Beth Van Hoesen: Fauna and Flora. His work has appeared in American Theatre, Biblio, Professional Artist, Northwest Passage, Art Scatter, and elsewhere. He also writes the daily art-history series "Today I Am."

Oregon gets a new Arts and Culture Director

November 7, 2025Bob Hicks

Amy Lewin will oversee the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust, and will be a part of Business Oregon's leadership team.

Future emerging: Four young classical musicians win Young Artists Competition

November 1, 2025Bob Hicks

The teen winners each get a $1,000 scholarship and will perform with professional musicians in the chatterPDX Sunday musical series.

Portland Art Museum reaches $116 million capital campaign goal

October 16, 2025Bob Hicks

A month before the unveiling of its decade-long construction and expansion project that reinvents the downtown museum's galleries and campus, all the money is in hand.

A little good news: Fresh funding for Oregon arts & culture

October 2, 2025Bob Hicks

At a time of massive federal fund-cutting, the Oregon Cultural Trust awards a record $4.1 million to statewide groups, and the Oregon Arts Commission grants $310,000 for arts education projects.

It’s about time: ‘Who Killed One the Gun?’

October 2, 2025Bob Hicks

A gumshoe slips back and forth in time, trying to solve and prevent his own murder, in Gigi Little's witty new tale upending the conventions of the traditional detective novel.

The shadow of his smile: Remembering David Stabler

September 21, 2025Bob Hicks

The elegant and insightful writing of the longtime classical music critic for The Oregonian helped shape thousands of readers’ understanding of the world of music and the nature of sounds.

Crossing borders, starting new: The Immigrant Story Live

September 19, 2025Bob Hicks

An evening of storytelling, mariachi music and dance tells the tales of a vibrant United States culture of variety and counters the upswell of anti-immigrant sentiment.

For Labor Day, the art of work

September 1, 2025Bob Hicks

As the labor movement faces new challenges, a look at art that reveals the highs and lows of work and its significance in life.

Oregon artists and cultural groups share $1 million-plus in new Creative Heights grants

August 25, 2025Bob Hicks

As federal arts and cultural money dries up, the annual grants from the Oregon Community Foundation allow 14 artists and groups to create their dream projects.

Brian Ferriso to leave Portland Art Museum

August 20, 2025Bob Hicks

Ferriso, the Portland museum's director since 2006, will become director of the Dallas Museum of Art. He'll leave after the Nov. 20 unveiling of PAM's massive redesign.

‘Damn Yankees’: The Devil made ’em do it

August 5, 2025Bob Hicks

Who's on first? Clackamas Rep's bright and sassy revival of the 1950s musical-comedy hit about a phenom who comes out of nowhere beats the Devil at his own nefarious game.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting declares it must shut down

August 1, 2025Bob Hicks

The shutdown, pushed by the Trump Administration and Congress, cuts funding to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System, and threatens regional affliates including OPB and All Classical Radio.

Congressional takebacks of arts & cultural funding hit Oregon and the nation hard

July 18, 2025Bob Hicks

Friday's congressional slashing of previously passed budgets for PBS and NPR put Oregon outlets on a financial hot seat and exacerbate already tight arts and cultural funding across the nation.

As Oregon Legislature session nears an end, arts and cultural bills await final action

June 24, 2025Bob Hicks

Money could go to groups across the state, from Portland Center Stage to the High Desert Museum to the Coos Art Museum; proposed merger of Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust still waiting.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Bag&Baggage name interim leaders, Center Stage emergency fund grows

June 20, 2025Bob Hicks

OSF names Javier Dubon as its interim executive director; B&B announces a four-person artistic leadership team; Center Stage needs $1 million more by Aug. 31.

Gathering in memory of playwright Steve Patterson

June 17, 2025Bob Hicks

A wake will be held June 17 for Patterson, co-founder of Playwrights West and the prolific author of 50-plus plays, including "Waiting on Sean Flynn" and "Ghostlighting."

James Bash, Angela Allen elected officers of Music Critics Association of North America

June 13, 2025Bob Hicks

Oregon ArtsWatch writer Bash is the North American critics' group's new president and fellow ArtsWatch writer Allen is re-elected as secretary on the executive board.

Cole Escola wins a Tony for ‘Oh, Mary!’

June 9, 2025Bob Hicks

Escola, from Clatskanie, Oregon, won for best leading actor in a play and was also nominated for writing the much-praised farce about Mary Todd Lincoln. Four others with Northwest roots were also Tony nominees.

Watching the Tonys Sunday? Keep an eye out for Northwest nominees

June 7, 2025Bob Hicks

Actors Brooks Ashmanskas and Megan Hilty, producers Corey Brunish and Brian Rooney, and actor/playwright Cole Escola are up for awards in Sunday's Tonys ceremony.

RACC faces $300,000 slash in budget

June 4, 2025Bob Hicks

Multnomah County, facing a tight budget and preparing to trim it, is poised to radically cut its support of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. RACC is making an emergency plea for public support to stop the proposed slashes.

‘I Am an American Live’: Telling tales from many cultures

May 28, 2025Bob Hicks

In vibrant music and compelling stories of immigration, The Reser hosts an evening of blending cultural traditions and finding fresh starts in Oregon.

Miller Foundation kicks off Round Two of its $1.5 million artists’ Spark Awards

May 22, 2025Bob Hicks

Twenty mid-career literary and media artists will receive $25,000 each. Plus: A trio of visual artists win $35,000 Hallie Ford fellowships; 29 artists share $97,000+ from the Oregon Arts Commission and Ford Family Foundation.

RACC names its next executive director

May 17, 2025Bob Hicks

Patricia Rojas, chosen after a national search by the Regional Arts & Culture Council as it transitions from a string of setbacks, will begin her new job August 1.

Booknotes: McGregor times two; Brian Doyle’s ‘Mink River’ takes to the stage

May 15, 2025Bob Hicks

Michael N. McGregor doubles up with his novel "The Last Grand Tour" and memoir "An Island to Myself," and Doyle's lavish Oregon Coast novel goes to the theater. Plus: Willie Vlautin's big prize; an Oregon Book Awards finalist stages a musical.

Portland Center Stage launches $9 million emergency campaign

May 8, 2025Bob Hicks

The city's biggest theater company aims to shore up its finances by June 2026 – and needs $2.5 million by the end of August to keep its doors open and begin its next season.

In wake of Madeleine School controversy, 45th Parallel Universe moves concert

April 30, 2025Bob Hicks

UPDATE: 45th Parallel moves its concert out of Madeleine after the Catholic school expels a Black fourth-grade student who reported being taunted with a racial slur on the school playground. After the principal is put on leave, Cascade Composers will keep a May 9 concert at Madeleine.

Remembering veteran Portland painter William Park

April 28, 2025Bob Hicks

The artist, who has died at 79, "loved all the ways of slathering and glopping and moving paint around on the palette and then onto painting surfaces.”

Catching up: April is the busiest month

April 25, 2025Bob Hicks

Tennessee Williams at Fertile Ground, immigrant stories and photographs, what Jim Lommasson carries, the Log Lady gets a museum show, Billie Holiday tribute.

In a time of need, Oregon Community Foundation’s $21 million gift to Oregon arts

April 21, 2025Bob Hicks

As federal funding threatens to dry up, OCF announces grants of up to $100,000 each to more than 300 arts and cultural groups of all sizes throughout the state.

The war on thought: This time it hits the National Endowment for the Humanities and Oregon Humanities

April 3, 2025Bob Hicks

The Trump Administration's latest budgetary amputation cuts down the national agency in support of humanities programs, a deep slash that affects affiliates in Oregon and across the nation.