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03/17/2020

Statement from Artichoke Community Music

By STAFF // Beloved Portland non-profit facing immediate financial challenges amidst closure

Earlier today, we received this message from Bob Howard, the executive director of Artichoke Community Music. We pass it along here in its entirety.

Friends,

Your support following our closure announcement has been heartfelt and overwhelming. If we had any doubts about the steps we were taking, your support erased any fears. After only one week, the news has been stunning.

Artichoke has always been a special place where musicians and music lovers gather and share music. Even now, with our doors closed, our community remains closely connected through social media and personal relationships that have grown from years and years of shared experiences. Artichoke has evolved and changed over the years, and now we are experiencing something none of us has seen before. We don’t know how this will all unfold, and we have no idea how long it will last. However, we know this: the Artichoke community is dear to all of us and we remain connected.

Based on what we know so far, the current outlook is as follows:

• Artichoke Music will be closed for at least a month. Given the current circumstances, we do not foresee being able to open any part of Artichoke’s operations before May 1.
• The Artichoke Music Board of Directors is monitoring the situation and will follow the CDC guidelines to determine when and how we will reopen.
• The closure of Artichoke Music will have a significant and unavoidable negative financial impact on this non-profit organization. We are still obligated to pay our all of our fixed operating costs of $7,500 per month to cover the lease payments, utilities, insurance, payments on the remaining construction debt, and security fees. We have accounts payable of over $6,000 due in the coming months. These expenses will be paid out of what cash we have in the bank now. There will be no operating income during the closure. We are fortunate that we are organized as a non-profit, and your donations will help.
• We are considering other ways to remain connected to you by streaming shows and other events that we have recorded live at Artichoke and to the extent it is safe to do so, we plan to continue our association with Oregon Music News to share stories of the impact of the crisis on artists in our community. Watch for more on our facebook page and future communitcations.

We are grateful for your support. We cannot guarantee we will emerge from this crisis. This will be possible only with your help. Artichoke Music is a 501c3 charitable organization and your donations are tax-deductible. We are fortunate that at the end of 2019, Artichoke was awarded a capacity building grant from the Miller Foundation (https://www.millerfound.org). In 2020, all new and increased donations given to Artichoke will be matched by the Miller Foundation up to a total of $5,000. You may use the donate button below to donate via PayPal or mail donations to Artichoke to my attention.

Our organization is managed and lead by volunteers who have devoted tremendous time and energy and personal financial resources to manage, and raise money, to support our mission in normal times. We are not in normal times.

These are unprecedented times for all of us. You each have our heartful wishes that you are staying healthy and supported in these challenging times. Please reach out with your questions and your feedback.

Sincerely,
Bob Howard
Executive Director
Artichoke Community Music

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