Art in Action: Volunteer Today!

The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts’ primary goal is to educate by promoting, supporting, coordinating and exhibiting the arts of the region. The Festival of the Arts is a program division of the Lakewood Center for the Arts / Lakewood Theater Company, a 501(c) (3) non-profit arts institution. Our Festival reaches attendees from around the region, including Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington and Clark Counties in Oregon and Washington. Both regional and national artists participate in the Festival.

As part of The City of Arts, we integrate art into events to create community and build connections across generations. The Festival nurtures this concept by creating a venue for experiencing the arts. The Festival takes place in Lake Oswego at the Lakewood Center for the Arts and George Rogers Park. Popular exhibits and events include: Art in the Park, a juried show of 120 booths of fine arts crafts; premier music acts on the George Rogers Park Main Stage; incredible food and drink; fun and inspiring youth activities. Lakewood Center houses the visual arts: the Open Show Express, with over 1,100 pieces of art submitted by artists from all over the region; juried artwork such as the Artist’s Vision and the new Festival of Arts and Flowers, the Dee Denton Gallery, and the Youth Exhibit.

The Festival has championed the diversity of artistic talent since its inception in 1963! In 1984, the Festival came under the artistic and financial supervision of the Lakewood Center for the Arts. The Festival partnered with The City of Lake Oswego for partial financial support, volunteer labor and complementary programming. From 1985-93 the City provided internal staffing and support personnel for all the events in George Rogers Park. In 1994, when City budgets for staffing were reduced, the Festival assumed the administrative duties, staffing roles and financial liability for park events. Today, a volunteer committee of over 50 art professionals, City employees, over 550 volunteers, civic groups and community leaders come together to create the Festival.

Over $300,000 annual operating budget is administered and supervised by the Lakewood Center for the Arts. A Finance subcommittee of business leaders raises funds and supervises expenditures. 50% of income comes from events and programs and 50% comes from contributions, businesses, foundations and civic organizations.

• The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts attracts 22-25,000 people each year to attend art exhibits, demonstrations and performances.
• 450 artists, 1,800 pieces of artwork and more than 500 volunteers.
• Audiences come from Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho to see the events, gallery displays, concerts, and demonstrations.
• The Festival is cited by the Regional Arts & Culture Council as one of the major events of the region.