Building awareness and advocating for the arts.

As economies change, so does the perception of the arts’ value in our communities. That’s why BCA takes a leadership role and works to increase public and private support for the arts.

BCA provides a vital voice for Oregon’s business community and its support for funding and policies that help the arts thrive and drive economic development. We mobilize businesses to work with local elected officials, state legislators and other cultural organizations to strengthen Oregon’s cultural and economic vitality.

We played a key role in the creation and initial funding of the Oregon Cultural Trust, an innovative public/private partnership to improve funding of the state’s arts, heritage and humanities. In 2007 we helped raise a record amount through the Trust, and our work building partnerships helped create extraordinary growth in the Regional Arts and Culture Council’s Work for Art employee giving program. Also in 2007 we lobbied in Salem and helped pass a massive re-investment package for the
Oregon Arts Commission and other cultural and heritage partners, including OPB and the Oregon Historical Society.