Drum roll, please… Introducing OREGON CULTURE: a Field Guide. Nominate your favorite arts, heritage, and humanities activities produced or protected by Oregon’s 1,300+ cultural nonprofits, throw your support behind other nominees, check out the incredible portraits by Holly Andres, watch videos, and more!
OregonCultureFieldGuide.org aims to serve local communities and visitors alike by cataloging the state’s best and most beloved cultural activities in one place. Cultural Trust staff and board members see the Field Guide as a tool to help people share and discover our cultural treasures.
Until November 15th, the site is accepting nominations to build its debut selection of featured activities. Anyone can participate. Users give a “thumbs up” to their favorites, and a live tally of “Trending Activities” displays the most popular.
Among the Field Guide’s additional elements is a series of new portraits by Oregon photographer Holly Andres. Commissioned by the Trust for its 2012-13 ad campaign, Holly has photographed author Cheryl Strayed, wine industry pioneer Susan Sokol Blosser, advertising guru Dan Wieden, and Grammy-winning musician Esperanza Spalding, among other cultural icons.
And there’s much more. This fall, the Trust will be launching a series of 2-minute videos that demonstrate the impact of arts, heritage, and humanities nonprofits on Oregon communities.
The first installment features the High Desert Museum in Bend, a unique interpretive museum blending visual arts and natural history with Oregon heritage and Native culture. The second showcases Bandon’s Washed Ashore project, where volunteers turn marine debris collected from twenty miles of nearby beaches into sculptures of giant sea creatures. The third, released just this week, pays tribute to Miracle Theatre, a Southeast Portland theater company dedicated to the preservation and exploration of Latino culture. Five more videos will follow. “Like” the Cultural Trust on Facebook to learn of each new release.
The videos will be used during speaking engagements with civic organizations, at community events, and in conversations with community leaders, as well as in social media.