ArtsWatch is trying something new for the last two months of the year, a way to celebrate the holidays and the season of giving and thanks. We’ve spent months dreaming up a few new features – ArtsWatch Insider included – and we’re jazzed to roll them out.

What’s in store?

Give!Guide

This is launch day! We are honored that we were accepted into Willamette Week’s Give!Guide this year. Our first time! Only 25% of new applicants were accepted and we received a coveted 3-year spot.

The goal is to raise $15,000 to mark our upcoming 15th anniversary.

Your support will enable …

• Independent reporting on urgent threats to creativity, education, and intellectual freedom.
• Expanding coverage of libraries in crisis and banned books (ALL donations pay for stories).
• Pay fair and equitable wages (94% of our budget pays people).

You make our stories possible.

NOTE: The first 4 donations of $150 or more will receive ticket vouchers for Artists Repertory Theatre.

Special Edition emails

Every Tuesday through the end of December special holiday emails will be sent. The trusty regular ArtsWatch Weekly newsletter will still go out every Thursday with recently published stories, but these special Tuesday emails will have a little extra holiday spice in them.

Sign up for our newsletter if you’re not receiving it already.

Each special edition will have these features:

• Events: Spotlighting a few timely events will inspire you to get out and experience the art world firsthand. This time of year is all about connecting with loved ones and community. What better way to do that than to take in a show together?
• ArtsWatch Insider: We’re going to pull back the curtain on our organization and tell you a bit about ourselves and what happens behind the scenes beyond the usual headlines.
• Partner Spotlights: In the true spirit of community giving, we’re collaborating with several other organizations and mutually lifting each other up. We love that about Give!Guide.
• Big Give Day mentions: Each week, Give!Guide will have at least one Big Give Day featuring big prizes such as a beach getaway, dining adventures, groceries, books, and so much more. Big Culture Day on Dec. 30 might be just the ticket. Donors who give at least $10 through Give!Guide on those days will be entered for a chance to win, and there’s no limit on how many times you can donate. If you love incentives, this is for you! Spread your donations among several organizations to increase your chances of winning! This is where our partners come in handy.

35 and Under artist spotlights

Every Monday an artist 35 or under will be featured on social media. Give!Guide especially works to inspire the next generation of caring leaders and help them develop a lifelong habit of giving and community engagement. We’re all for that, and this is our special nod to those efforts. Watch for the knockout posts on Instagram and Facebook. Like. Share. Celebrate these rock stars.

ArtsWatch Insider: The team behind the grand design

I have the deepest gratitude for an ace group of hard workers who are helping to pull off all this.

• Erin Jimerson is our newly named marketing and development associate after working admirably as an intern for a year. This whole campaign is her design vision and reflects her meticulous planning and research. The 35 and Under spotlights are totally hers from beginning to end. It’s been a fun challenge for both of us, and the learning has definitely been a two-way equal street.
• Tiffany Sullivan, our sponsorship manager, is a dream to work with. We appreciate all of the business sponsors who are helping to underwrite the costs. Only one exclusive sponsorship spot is left for a special edition email on Dec. 23. Contact Tiffany if you’re interested, gain some visibility in return, and know that you’re making our stories possible.
• The marketing and engagement committee provides a vital sounding board, and puts many a finger on just the right lightbulb at just the right time. It’s uncanny. The 10-member volunteer group, made up of board members and marketing, advertising and arts professionals, meets only one hour a month, and yet that hour is raucous and packed with really good discussion. We get a lot done. We laugh. We wrestle. And I always come away with a big wow and a few key ideas.
• ArtsWatch’s tech genius likes to fly under the radar so I’ll respect that and not name names, but I appreciate that he troubleshoots pesky issues, figures out logistics, and insists that all of our information be friendly on all devices. If you can read this fine on a tiny phone, say a little amen.

Support ArtsWatch today!

Expand access to trusted local arts news. Your support boosts visibility and drives audiences for hundreds of artists and arts groups across the region.

You can spread your love any number of ways:

• Donate directly to ArtsWatch with either a one-time or a recurring donation. We love recurring donations because they provide reliable funding that we can count on and plan our budgets around, and they help us to work more efficiently. ALL individual donations go directly to pay writers to make our stories possible.

• Donate through Give!Guide: If you donate on Big Give Days, you can be entered for a chance to win big prizes. (More below!)

• Become a sponsor: Support trusted local arts news and reach your targeted audience at the same time. It’s a great way to share your brand and promote your events.

• Like, share, forward, and spread the word: Small gestures go a long way. We appreciate you.

Give!Guide kicks off with a jolt!

It’s Big Coffee Day. Every donation of $10+ today will be entered for a chance to win one of three six-month subscriptions to a delicious coffee of your choice from Nossa Familia. If you’re 35 and under a fourth subscription will be offered, giving you FOUR chances to win.

Consider also supporting our Give!Guide partners

Partner Spotlight: 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. 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