A harrowing and sobering article in today’s Oregonian about the beyond precarious financial position of the Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT). They need to raise $750,000 by June 30 or they may have to shut down. Completely. This on the heels of jettisoning the OBT orchestra for next season, which apparently did not reduce their expenditures enough to avert this catastrophe-in-waiting.
Oregon Ballet Theatre has become the first of Portland’s major arts groups pushed to the wall by the global recession. Unless the company raises $750,000 by June 30 to cover expenses and pay creditors, it may have to close its doors. “It is not clear that we will survive,” said Jon Ulsh, the company’s executive director
The national ballet cavalry is riding to the rescue – or at least to help out. The company will throw a gala benefit concert on June 12 with dancers from such major national companies as the New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, among others, already committed to the cause. Even a successful gala, however, won’t cover all of the shortfall, and the company is continuing to canvas supporters for donations.
Oregon Ballet Theatre’s problem is that individual giving has plunged a full 50 percent in this fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009. Typically, the company receives 25 percent of its total revenue from individual donations
I hope that the planned gala will help bridge the gap, but frankly, as my wife said when I read the article’s gist to her “where the hell is Nike??”. Where, indeed. There is no fine art as athletic and physical as the ballet, and what better way to demonstrate your corporate stewardship of something other than propagation of your global brand image than by saving the premier dance organization in the city? Come on, Phil Knight, you could make a huge positive difference here, and for about 1 percent of the budget for the movie Coraline (made by Phil Knight-owned studio LAIKA) which is estimated to have cost $60-70 million to make.
And why isn’t the New York Times covering this aspect of Portland (under-funding of the arts)? Most likely because trust-funded hipsters don’t really care about the fine arts.
2 replies on “whither OBT?”
“trust-funded hipsters” ??? that’s a great name for a punk-rock band.
seriously, i’m very sorry to hear about OBT. 750K is lunch money for Nike. that’s also spare change for the likes of Weiden+Kennedy.
alas . . .
It is such a shame that Nike is all but oblivious to the plight of arts organizations in Oregon. What a waste. A ton of money for athletics in Eugene but little or nothing for culture in Portland. Some corporate citizen.