Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Oregon is known for its unique landscape that includes the Pacific coast and Coast Range from Astoria to Brookings, the breadth of the Willamette River Valley, the beauty of the Columbia River Gorge and high land plateau, the former volcanoes of the Cascade Range, the high deserts of eastern Oregon, and the rugged Rogue River Valley. Oregon is also known for its history of environmental planning. In 1899 the Oregon legislature declared 30 miles of Oregon beach as a public highway from the Columbia River to the south line of Clatsop County. In 1913, they declared the entire coast a public highway. Throughout the 20th century, the Oregon legislature and communities throughout Oregon have placed an emphasis on land use from the role of the agricultural, timber, fishing and mining industries to the planning necessary for cities and towns. Artists Activating Sustainability: the Oregon Story considers the combination of landscape, people and social cultural ethos that influenced the development of specific literary, visual and performing arts groups across Oregon’s diverse landscape. This paper examines the way in which the artists within specific communities, against the background of landscape and history, reveal concepts that help us broaden our knowledge of what is needed to create a sustainable world. As such, each chapter considers the themes and related metaphors of participation, agency and empowerment through the lens of land, history and individual initiative.