We are pleased to present our Annual Report for our financial year 2023–24, which covers the period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
Read the report here.
Every July I face the daunting task of taking stock of the past year – pulling out financial reports, going through every statistic and writing a story about what we accomplished. Like cleaning a room, I tackle it one piece at a time.
It’s a tough battle. But every year, when I’m in the thick of it, rubbing my eyes and trying to sort out one more thought, there’s this moment, this moment at sunrise and the church choir, when I realize: Damn, look what we’ve done! I’m just a little impressed, almost shocked, and then this warm feeling flows through me and I’m full of gratitude.
Gratitude to be able to work with these stunning photographs, many of them by the incomparable world-class photojournalist Joe Cantrell. What a gift!
Gratitude to our top graphic designer, Jeff Hayes, who is a dream to work with. Communication is everything when working with a graphic designer, especially when working remotely. Finding the right language for words and images can be difficult, and it can be like pulling teeth when you’re out of sync. But that’s never the case with Jeff. (Special thanks to Nicole Lane for putting us together.)
We produced 761 stories, which is our bread and butter. As Editor-in-Chief Bob Hicks (to whom I am also grateful) said in his note on the report, “I am immensely proud of the breadth, depth and high quality of coverage our many writers, photographers and editors have provided on Oregon’s vibrant and diverse arts and culture life as it emerged from the setbacks of the pandemic years.”
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We reached 317,184 readers.
This year, that sunrise and church choir moment came when I added up that 91 people had contributed to our reporting and operations. 91 people! I sat back and marveled a little, not quite believing it, and then I kept adding the total up just to make sure. The number didn’t lie.
Because of course you can add up all the numbers in the world, but the secret lies in the people. It is the people behind these 761 stories and the processes that make it all possible.
Community is at the heart of everything we do, and it is community that makes ArtsWatch what it is. It is people who are committed to an important profession that in turn supports the entire creative community. And it is people who recognise that storytelling has the power to connect, to engage and to make a difference.
I am grateful to all of them.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our reporting and activities over the past year, as well as financially, which has enabled us to continue to earn our income.
Enjoy reading our beautiful annual report (best read on a computer, as WordPress doesn’t support PDF files very well on mobile), and may these stunning photos and the wide range of our accomplishments give you your own sunrise and church choir moment.
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Heartfelt,
Laura Grimes
Executive Director
Oregon Arts Watch
