Portland celebrates Arts in Education Week with proclamation readings at local elementary schools

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Portland Mayor Keith Wilson declared that September 14-20, 2025 is Arts in Education Week in Portland.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has declared that this week, September 14-20, is Arts in Education Week in Portland. To celebrate, staff from the City of Portland's Office of Arts & Culture and Portland Public Schools (PPS) joined teachers, guests, and students on Tuesday, September 15 for proclamation readings and small showcases of student learning at two schools, Bridger Creative Sciences School and Duniway Elementary.

Proclamation reading at Bridger Creative Sciences School

Music teacher Lisa Dunlap creates music alongside her kindergarten students at Portland's Bridger Creative Science School.

At Bridger Creative Science School in southeast Portland, Lincoln High School Senior Flynn Fitzgerald read Mayor Wilson's proclamation to kindergarten students in Lisa Dunlap's music class-only its third convening of the 2025-26 school year. Fitzgerald, and all of this year's high school seniors, are part of the first class of students in Portland who have had access to an arts education from kindergarten through twelfth grade as a result of the Arts Access Fund (powered by the Arts Tax).

"This is your first year in school, right?," Dunlap asked her kindergarteners. "At the end of high school, you'll be as big as our guest speaker. Imagine if you do music every year, how good you'll be in third grade, fifth grade, and as a senior in high school."

Students then broke into small groups assigned to different instruments-from triangles and tambourines to bongos-for a raucous rendition of "I Know an Old Lady." Their audience consisted of staff from the offices of Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Portland City Councilor Jamie Dunphy (District 1), as well as City Council Vice President Tiffany Koyama Lane (District 3), PPS Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong, and staffers from the City of Portland and its Office of Arts & Culture.

Proclamation reading at Duniway Elementary

Arts & Culture's Director Chariti Montez with Mayor Wilson's Arts in Education Week proclamation in front of Portland's Duniway Elementary.

Later that day at southeast Portland's Duniway Elementary, K-5 students attended an assembly in celebration of Arts in Education Week. The City's Arts Education Program Manager Dawn Isaacs explained to students what a proclamation is and why they're so important. "The mayor is in charge of the City of Portland like Dr. [John] Melvin is in charge of your school. Mayor Wilson declared that this week is Arts in Education Week and that access to arts in schools is important," she said. Arts & Culture Director Chariti Montez followed that with a reading of the proclamation.

The celebration continued as music teacher Lisa Adams took the stage. "One way we can express the power of art in our lives is through a song, so today, from kindergarteners through fifth graders, we're going to share our school song with today's guests."

"We are caring, we are connected, curious, trustworthy, and courageous. We are Dragons and you belong, all are welcome here," they sang.

To conclude its Arts in Education Week assembly, Duniway Elementary music teacher Lisa Adams led kindergarten students in song.

About Arts in Education Week

Established by Congressional resolution in 2010, National Arts in Education Week highlights the essential role of arts education in building creativity and problem-solving skills, strengthening schools and communities, and preparing students for college and careers. Always observed starting on the second Sunday of September, the goal of the designation-nationally and locally-is to highlight the importance arts in a well-rounded education.

Locally, Portlanders support the goals of Arts in Education Week all year through the Arts Access Fund, which ensures that students in Portland have access to the arts as part of their K-5 education. Powered by the Arts Tax, the Arts Access Fund-which disbursed more than $7.8 million to Portland school districts last school year-is broad, efficient, and unique to Portland. Because voters passed the Arts Tax resolution in 2012, all 28,000 public elementary school students in Portland today have access to an arts education.

The work to have Arts in Education Week declared by the mayor was led by PPS, particularly Kristen Brayson, Director of Visual & Performing Arts at PPS, and Eleanor LeClair, PPS Visual & Performing Arts Operations Lead, with support from the Office of Arts & Culture's Arts Education Program Manager.

Learn more about the impact of an arts education