The Office of Arts & Culture manages the General Operating Support and Small Grants programs, which provide essential resources to local artists and arts organizations. These organizations host free community and cultural events for all Portlanders, including live performances, art exhibitions, and concerts. Grants from the Office of Arts & Culture not only increase access to the arts for all Portlanders but also drive cultural tourism across the state, generating more than $405 million in economic spending in Portland and Multnomah County alone. These grants are funded through a combination of resources from the City's General Fund and the Arts Access Fund. In FY 2023-24, $1,161,600 in total was granted to 317 individual artists.  In FY 2022-23, $844,709 in total was granted to 235 individual artists. In FY 2021-22, $494,150 in total was granted to 169 individual artists. In FY 2020-21, $520,000 in total was granted to 189 individual artists. 

This metric reflects the total number of individual artists funded annually through the Small Grants Program, which awards grants ranging from $500 to $5,000.  The Office of Arts & Culture’s Small Grants Program supports a wide range of creative activities across Portland—from music grants that help local musicians expand their careers, develop new work, and reach new audiences, to grants that support artists activating the historic Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center in North Portland—one of the city’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods. The program also includes Portland-specific project grants that emphasize public benefit, supporting the creation and sharing of art across a wide array of forms that reflect and engage Portland’s diverse communities.

Individual artists receiving grants report data to the Office of Arts & Culture’s contracted partners—including Friends of IFCC, MusicOregon, and the Regional Arts and Culture Council. The Office of Arts & Culture’s Grants Program Manager oversees grant contracts and aggregates the data.

Learn about the Arts Access Fund on the Office of Arts & Culture's Arts Education webpage.

Additionally, see the Office of Arts & Culture's Grantmaking Overview for more information, and learn how to apply for a grant on the Small Grants Program webpage.