In a first ever move in PHAME Academy’s 28 year history as a Portland-based nonprofit organization, the Board of Directors of PHAME recently voted to endorse and support a City of Portland ballot measure – 26-146, the Arts Education and Access Fund measure. The vote, taken at PHAME’s September 2012 board of directors meeting, was unanimous.
“I am proud to share with the community that PHAME Academy’s board of directors recently voted unanimously to support and endorse the City of Portland’s ballot measure 26-146, which creates the Arts Education and Access Fund,” says PHAME Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin. “PHAME believes that everyone has the right to be an artist, that the arts are a fundamental part of every child’s education, and that the arts should be accessible to every person in every corner of this city. Our endorsement and support of measure 26-146 is in alignment with PHAME’s mission, purpose and guiding principles, and as an organization we offer our enthusiastic support of the measure, and encourage families and friends of PHAME to give serious consideration of supporting 26-146 as well.”
Ballot measure 26-146 is the product of many years of work by arts educators, parents, arts nonprofit leaders, artists and community members from across Portland. If passed, the measure – a limited income tax of $35 for each adult income-earning Portland resident about the federal poverty level – creates the Arts Education and Access Fund, which will hire arts and music teachers for kindergarten through 5th grade students at local public schools attended by Portland students, create grants to nonprofit arts organizations, other nonprofits and schools to provide high-quality arts access for kindergarten through 12th grade students and will make arts, culture experiences available to underserved communities.
Recently the Portland Mercury, Street Roots newspaper and the City Club of Portland joined the growing list of newspapers, organizations and individuals endorsing measure 26-146. Ballots are due by 8 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. For more information on 26-146, visit Schoolsandartstogether.com
