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Powered by the Arts Tax, the Arts Access Fund supports arts and music education in schools and local nonprofit arts organizations. Here, you'll find a current list of schools and organizations who receive disbursements from the Arts Access Fund.
What is the Arts Access Fund?
Funded by an annual income tax of $35 per adult in Portland (known as the Arts Tax), the Arts Access Fund supports arts and music education in K-5 schools and grantmaking to support local nonprofit arts organizations. On the grantmaking side, the Arts Access Fund fuels the City's General Operating Support and its Small Grants for Artists & Arts Organizations programs.
Portland Schools (K-5)
School year 2025-26
The City of Portland’s Arts Access Fund ensures that students in Portland—all 28,000 of them—have access to the arts as part of their K-5 education. This collective fund, powered by the Arts Tax, is broad, efficient, and unique to Portland, impacting every public elementary school student in the city. Arts Access Fund dollars are distributed based on the number of students in each district and are used specifically to hire art and music teachers for kindergarten through fifth grade students at the six districts in the city:
- Portland Public Schools
- David Douglas School District
- Centennial School District 28J
- Parkrose School District
- Reynolds School District
- and charter schools
Schools receive enough funding to pay for one arts teacher, music or visual arts, per 500 elementary school students. The Office of Arts & Culture also allocates up to 3% of net revenues to help coordinate arts education services and outcomes across Portland's six school districts.
For the 2025-26 school year, schools in Portland received $8.1 million from the Arts Access Fund to pay elementary arts educators' salaries.
General Operating Support
Fiscal year 2025-26
Since 2012, the Arts Access Fund has provided more than $30 million to local arts organizations via the Office of Arts & Culture's General Operating Support program. Grants are awarded to organizations to support their general operating expenses and to help expand access to the arts for all Portlanders—with an emphasis on serving K-12 students and underserved communities.
The list below outlines all of the organizations that were awarded General Operating Support, powered by the Arts Access Fund, for fiscal year 2025-26. In all, a total of $2,805,000 in funding will go to 79 local organizations. Of that, $1,823,250 was from the Arts Access Fund and $981,750 was from the City's General Fund. All General Operating Support is direct and unrestricted.
| Organization | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alberta Abbey Foundation | $30,000 |
| All Ages Music Portland / Friends of Noise | $30,000 |
| Artists Repertory Theatre | $45,000 |
| Arts for Learning Northwest | $15,000 |
| Blue Sky / Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts | $15,000 |
| Bodyvox | $45,000 |
| Boom Arts | $15,000 |
| Caldera | $60,000 |
| Cappella Romana | $30,000 |
| Chamber Music Northwest | $60,000 |
| Children's Healing Art Project | $15,000 |
| Coho Productions | $20,000 |
| Corrib Theatre | $15,000 |
| Cymaspace | $15,000 |
| Echo Theater Company | $45,000 |
| En Taiko | $15,000 |
| Ethos Music Center | $30,000 |
| Friends of Chamber Music | $45,000 |
| Hand2Mouth | $20,000 |
| Hollywood Theatre / Film Action Oregon | $85,000 |
| Imago Theatre | $20,000 |
| Independent Publishing Resource Center | $15,000 |
| Instituto de Cultura y Arte In Xochitl In Cuicatl | $15,000 |
| Lan Su Chinese Garden | $30,000 |
| Literary Arts | $85,000 |
| Live Wire Radio | $30,000 |
| MediaRites | $15,000 |
| Metropolitan Youth Symphony | $45,000 |
| Milagro Theatre Group | $30,000 |
| My Voice Music | $30,000 |
| New Expressive Works | $15,000 |
| North Pole Studio | $30,000 |
| Northwest Children's Theater & School | $60,000 |
| Northwest Dance Project | $45,000 |
| NW Documentary Arts & Media | $15,000 |
| OK You | $15,000 |
| Open Hearts Open Minds | $15,000 |
| Oregon Ballet Theatre | $100,000 |
| Oregon BRAVO Youth Orchestras | $45,000 |
| Oregon Children's Theatre | $45,000 |
| Oregon Contemporary | $30,000 |
| Oregon Symphony Association | $175,000 |
| Outside the Frame | $30,000 |
| Pacific Youth Choir | $15,000 |
| PassinArt: A Theatre Company | $20,000 |
| PHAME | $30,000 |
| PlayWrite | $15,000 |
| Polaris Dance Theatre | $15,000 |
| Portland Art Museum | $175,000 |
| The Portland Ballet | $30,000 |
| Portland Baroque Orchestra | $45,000 |
| Portland Center Stage | $100,000 |
| Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble | $20,000 |
| Portland Gay Men's Chorus | $30,000 |
| Portland Institute for Contemporary Art | $45,000 |
| Portland Jazz Festival | $45,000 |
| Portland Opera | $85,000 |
| Portland Piano International | $20,000 |
| Portland Playhouse | $60,000 |
| Portland Street Art Alliance | $30,000 |
| Portland Taiko | $15,000 |
| Portland Youth Philharmonic | $45,000 |
| Profile Theatre | $30,000 |
| The Red Door Project | $30,000 |
| Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater | $15,000 |
| Resonance Ensemble | $15,000 |
| Shaking the Tree Theatre | $20,000 |
| Street Books | $15,000 |
| Takohachi | $15,000 |
| Theatre Diaspora | $15,000 |
| Third Angle New Music | $15,000 |
| Third Rail Repertory Theatre | $30,000 |
| Triangle Productions | $20,000 |
| Vanport Mosaic | $15,000 |
| White Bird | $45,000 |
| Willamette Light Brigade/Portland Winter Light Festival | $45,000 |
| World Arts Foundation | $15,000 |
| World Stage Theatre | $20,000 |
| Write Around Portland | $20,000 |
Small Grants for Artists & Arts Organizations
Fiscal year 2025-26
By City Code, at least 5% of Arts Access Fund proceeds are to be invested in "grants and programs to nonprofit arts organizations, other nonprofits, and schools that will give access to high-quality arts experiences to Kindergarten through 12th grade students (K-12) and for grants and programs that will make arts and culture experiences available to Portland residents, with a particular emphasis on programs directed to communities who are underserved by local arts providers."
This list of 95 organizations received a total of $350,000 in Small Grants for Artists & Arts Organizations from the City of Portland's Office of Arts & Culture, disbursed by one of the office's three grant partners, Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) as part of their Portland Arts Project Grants program.
| Grantee | Project | Primary discipline | FY2024-25 total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21ten Theatre | 21ten Summer Residency Program – Emerging Artists & New Works | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| 45th Parallel | Resonant Communities: 45th Parallel Universe's 2025–26 Community Concert Series | Music | $5,000 |
| 82 Roses Community Enrichment Coalition | Roses in the Heart of Portland Parade 20th Annual Event | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $4,000 |
| A.Y.C.O. | Uplift Arts Competition: Celebrating Youth Creativity | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Albina Music Trust | Jefferson High School Choir – Vinyl Album & Release Party | Music | $5,000 |
| All Classical Radio | All Classical Radio Artist in Residence | Music | $5,000 |
| AMP (Artist Mentorship Program) | AMP's Beat Building Academy – 2026 | Music | $3,000 |
| Architecture Foundation of Oregon | Architects in Schools | Design Arts | $4,000 |
| Automatic Pilots LLC | Unmatched: The Team that Changed the Beautiful Game – Proof of Concept | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project | The Wasp | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| Belong Art Community | We All Belong | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Berm | Berm Issue 8 – Physical | Magazine | $5,000 |
| BIPOC Adoptees VOICES | 3rd Annual: VOICES, a BIPOC Adoptee Author Reading | Literature | $5,000 |
| Blackfish Gallery | Many Bridges | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $4,000 |
| Blanchet House of Hospitality | Portraits and Stories of Unhoused Community Members | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Boise-Eliot Humboldt Elementary PTA | Boise/Eliot-Humboldt Elementary Community Mural | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Brain Injury Connections Northwest | Art on the Brain | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Building Five | Engagement 2026 | Multi-Discipline | $3,000 |
| CampOUT Portland | CampOUT – LGBTQIA+ Youth Arts Programming | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Carnation Contemporary LLC | Carnation Contemporary: Portland Artist-Run Gallery | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Cesar Chavez PTA | New Children's Choir at Cesar Chavez K-8 School | Music | $2,000 |
| CETI | XRchive – Block 14 at Lone Fir Book and Qing Ming celebration | Media Arts (Audio/Tech) | $5,000 |
| Chiral Filmworks | Skates and Stilettos | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Chronic Pain Project | Art as Voice: Integrated Community Programming | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Clinton St. Theater | Clinton Street Theater – February 2026 | Film/Video | $4,000 |
| Color Outside the Lines | Voices of Migrant Youth: A Mural | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| congruency dance collective | congruency dance collective presents : waveform | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Constellation Reading Series | Constellation: A Community Reading Series – 2026 | Literature | $5,000 |
| Dana Thompson Memorial Fund of Awesome | Schools Out Rock Out after school programs – Spring 2026 | Music | $5,000 |
| Elemental | Portal of Perception | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $3,000 |
| Espacio Flamenco | Feria de Portland | Multi-Discipline | $4,000 |
| FROGTOWN | FROGTOWN LIVE! | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| From the Ground UP : A Research and Development Center for New Art | From The Ground UP New Works Festival: Spring 2026 | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Futel | Words On A Wire | Media Arts (Audio/Tech) | $3,000 |
| Gal Pal | Help Solve A Murder | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Gather:Make:Shelter | Exhibition featuring fiber, textile and wearable art | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Good in the Hood Multicultural Music & Food Festival | Roots, Rhythm & Power: A National Artist Spotlight & Festival Documentary | Music | $5,000 |
| Heidi Duckler Dance/Northwest | Creative Movement for Community Learners | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum of Oregon and SW Washington | Follow the Thread: The Fabric of the Hellenic Spirit — Spring 2026 Programming | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $1,000 |
| Hi LLC | Hi Books Publications | Literature | $5,000 |
| Hollywood Farmers Market | Live Music at the Hollywood Farmers Market | Music | $5,000 |
| HONK PDX | HONK! PDX 2026 | Music | $5,000 |
| Humans for Housing Education Inc | Humans for Housing Exhibition | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| In Medio | Sing, My Child 2026 | Music | $5,000 |
| In Mulieribus | "Among Women 2026" Celebrating Women Artists on International Women's Day | Music | $5,000 |
| Jazz Society of Oregon | Cathedral Park Jazz Festival – 2026 | Music | $5,000 |
| Katya Presents/Klip Klop Productions | Divapalooza: A Queer BIPOC Centric Celebration of the Arts and Activism | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Kickstand Comedy | Kickstand Comedy in the Park 2026 | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| LES Shakespeare Co. | The Words Will Come | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| Misfit Academy | Art At The End Of The World | Performance | $5,000 |
| Montavilla Jazz Festival | Vestal Social Justice Night 2026: A Latin Jazz Community Performance | Music | $5,000 |
| Mullowney Printing | Gather:Make:Shelter and Mullowney Printing Workshop Series | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Mysti Krewe of Nimbus | Portland Mardi Gras Parade Management | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $4,000 |
| Native American Youth and Family Center | Developing Native performing artists in Portland | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| New Moon Productions | Drama Literacy Program | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $3,000 |
| New Wave Opera | Deep Water | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| North East Productions | Against the Code | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts | Welcome to the NW Museum of Cartoon Arts – Comics Are For Everyone Mural | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Open Space | Do You See Me? | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Opera Theater Oregon | Nu Nah-Hup: Sacajawea's Story | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| Oregon Adventure Theatre | Free outdoor performances of world premiere The Simple Truth by Ken Yoshikawa | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| Oregon Repertory Singers | Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choir: All-Ages Recording Project | Music | $5,000 |
| Oregon Suzuki Institute | Scholarships for underrepresented students | Music | $3,000 |
| Ori Gallery | Sun Kissed | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Outer Voice | Outer Voice 2025/2026 Season | Time-Based Art | $5,000 |
| Pacific Refugee Support Group | Refugee Youth Farm to Table Project | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $5,000 |
| Performance Works NorthWest | Alembic Artist Residency 2026 | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Portland Cultural Dance Collective | Youth Cultural Dance Expansion & Showcase | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Portland Dance Film Fest | The 10th Annual Portland Dance Film Fest | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble | PJCE at Vanport Mosaic Festival | Music | $3,000 |
| Portland Latin American Film Festival | 20th PORTLAND LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Portland Lesbian Choir | Queer Joy June 2026 | Music | $5,000 |
| Portland Panorama | "Mental Health in the Entertainment Industry Conference" | Film/Video | $5,000 |
| Portland Queer Arts | Queer Arts Spectacular | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Portland Revels | Spring Revels 2026 | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $4,000 |
| Portland SummerFest | Opera in the Park 2026: Cruzar la Cara de la Luna | Music | $5,000 |
| Portland Symphonic Choir | VESPERS 2026 | Music | $4,000 |
| push/FOLD | Union PDX – Festival:26 | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Quest Center for Integrative Health | Empowering Recovery through Collaborative Art | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $3,000 |
| Rock Dojo | The Nullsong Chronicles: Pilot Program Launch | Music | $5,000 |
| Rogue Pack | Rogue Pack Cross -Gen Story Circle | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| Sabin CDC | Summer Block Party 2026 | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Sebe Kan Youth African Dance Inc. | Sebé Kan Annual Concert | Dance/Movement | $5,000 |
| Shady Pines Radio | The Bullfrog Stage: Supporting Emerging Musicians at Shady Pines Festival 2026 | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Sincere Studio | Protest Banner-making Classes | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $3,000 |
| Steps for Youth | Spring Performance 2026 | Dance/Movement | $4,000 |
| Sugarpill LLC | Sad Girl Summer 2026 | Multi-Discipline | $2,000 |
| Swingin' Sounds | Swingin' Sounds: Community Events and In-School Instruction | Music | $5,000 |
| The Grief House | Community Quilting – Stitching Our Grief | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $4,000 |
| The Oaks Park Association | Oaks Park Roller Rink Entry Mural | Visual Arts (2D and 3D) | $5,000 |
| Third Eye Theatre | Third Eye Theatre's Portland Pride Play Festival 2026 | Theatre/Musical Theatre | $5,000 |
| Void Center LLC | VOID Tattoo Fest 2026 | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Wonderfolk | Unity Through Arts Program: Amplifying the Power of BIPOC Youth Through Mural Creation | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| World Forestry Center | Forest Hope & Innovation | Multi-Discipline | $5,000 |
| Yiu-Mienh Association of Oregon | Iu-Mien Association of Oregon's Lunar New Year Celebration | Folk Arts/Cultural Arts | $3,000 |