Programs

Enlivening classrooms, strengthening communities, and enhancing public spaces from the coast to the high desert.

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2012 Oregon Arts Summit

2012 Oregon Arts Summit

Photo: Andie Petkus

Benefitting Oregon's Quality of Life

Our work is founded on the following principles: the arts bring people together and strengthen communities, the arts are critical to a strong educational system, the arts add value to Oregon’s economy, and the arts are fundamental to a healthy society.

Our programs ensure that arts organizations across the state have the skills and resources to offer high quality programs, Oregon artists are supported and acknowledged for their creation of high quality work, and Oregonians have access to excellent art opportunities and experiences.

Explore our programs

Art in Public Places

Guided by Oregon's Percent for Art legislation, the Arts Commission manages the state's Percent for Art in Public Places Program, which places art in public buildings throughout the state.

Explore Oregon's Percent for Art Collection

The Arts Commission believes that art in public places promotes visually diverse and culturally rich environments that enhance the state's public spaces and contribute to the lives of Oregon’s residents and visitors.

Art in the Governor's Office

Since 1975, the Art in the Governor’s Office Program has honored selected artists in Oregon with exhibitions in the reception area of the Governor's Ceremonial Office in the State Capitol Building.

Arts Learning

The Arts Commission strategically invests in Oregon’s arts education by providing Arts Learning grants. Grantees become part of a vibrant learning community that includes many regional and national organizations. We provide a dedicated and professional staff to council organizations in the structuring of programs and evaluation of initiatives. 

Capacity Building

The capacity-building work of the Oregon Arts Commission is designed to help arts organizations become stronger, more effective, and more nimble as they move into the future. In addition to awarding grants, the Arts Commission has developed a range of other services to help build the capacity of Oregon arts groups.

Community Development

Strategic investments by the Oregon Arts Commission offer support for local and regional arts councils that maintain dynamic arts organizations across the state. Our dedicated and professional staff provides targeted, specialized assistance in the planning and execution of existing or emerging programs.

Governor's Arts Awards

A partnership between the Office of the Governor and the Oregon Arts Commission, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts in Oregon. The Governor's Arts Awards were established in 1977.

2020 Governor's Arts Awards announcement

Oregon Visual Arts Ecology Project

Through fellowships, grants, the Art in the Governor’s Office and Oregon Percent for Art programs, the Arts Commission has long invested in Oregon’s visual arts legacy.

Oregon Arts Commission

Phone
(503) 986-0082 (phone)
(503) 581-5115 (fax)
Address
775 Summer Street NE, Ste 200
Salem, OR 97301-1280