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For the first time in 70 years, Salem won’t have an art fair this summer

Customers browse jewelry at the 2019 Salem Art Fair (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)

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Salem Art Association is pulling the plug on the 2020 Art Fair and Festival, a major source of money for Oregon artists and the organization.

Sandra Burnett, the art association’s executive director, said the nonprofit will lose out on about $250,00 in revenue from the cancellation, which brings about 35,000 people to Bush’s Pasture Park every July. That’s about a quarter of the nonprofit’s annual budget, according to tax returns.

Many Salem events have been canceled or postponed in recent weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from symphony performances to the Awesome 3000. But most were originally scheduled for April or May, not mid-summer, and few have the history of the Art Fair, which has been held since 1949.

Burnett said they had to make a decision now because artists make travel plans far in advance.

“In light of the pandemic it seemed unwise to risk injuring anybody in our community by insisting on going ahead,” she said.

To stay afloat, the association has laid off three people, about one-quarter of its staff, and cut hours for the remaining workers, Burnett said.

Seventy-five bands and performers and 364 artists had applied to participate, events director Chris Neely. Usually about 210 artists are accepted.

Francisco Bautista, a Sandy-based weaver who makes traditional Oaxacan rugs, said he and his wife have sold their work at the Art Fair for about five years. 

They show their work around the Northwest at art fairs and shows, but Salem’s Art Fair has been a major source of revenue.

“It’s one of my favorite shows we do. It’s local and we don’t need to drive too far,” Bautista said.

Other art events are also canceling, he said, raising concerns for many artists who depend on them for income.

“If they keep canceling these shows it will have a really high impact on our business,” he said. He didn’t fault Salem Art Association for the cancellation and said the Portland Handweavers Guild, of which they’re a member, is considering an online store to help artists overcome event cancellations.

Burnett said even with layoffs, the art association is in a tough spot financially. The gallery is closed to the public, and employees who typically organize events are exploring digital events instead, she said.

“We don’t anticipate opening the public facility for the rest of this year,” she said.

Last week, Oregon’s Cultural Trust, a state organization funded by voluntary tax credits, announced it was planning to establish a relief fund for arts and culture organizations seeing revenue drop because of the pandemic.

The fund would be up to $10 million, but the plan requires approval from the Oregon Legislature.

Burnett said that plan could help Salem Art Association stay afloat. She’s also hoping businesses that normally sponsor Art Fair will make the same contributions toward the association’s emergency fund to cover regular operating costs.

They’re also seeking donations from the public to help cover costs.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander at [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.