Oregonians urged to celebrate ‘Days of Culture’ on social media

“Active is an understatement. Oregonians are erupting with imagination…” So starts the new brand anthem for the Oregon Cultural Trust and it’s true. Oregonians constantly revel in their culture, but for eight days in October, it’s a statewide event.

Days of Culture 2015 will celebrate the diverse ways Oregonians experience culture with an Oct. 1-8 social media campaign inviting Oregonians to share snapshots and videos of their own cultural experiences. Those posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #OregonCulture will be considered for use in Cultural Trust promotional materials.

Traditionally a week-long celebration of events and activities presented by Oregon’s 1,400 cultural organizations, coalitions and tribes, Days of Culture commemorates the Oct.8 anniversary of the Cultural Trust, established in 2001. The decision to expand the celebration to feature individual experiences came from a desire to demonstrate how interwoven our culture is with everyday life.

“Many people think culture is exclusively about art, humanities and history,” said Aili Schreiner, Cultural Trust manager. “Certainly going to a concert, reading a book or visiting a monument are cultural experiences, but so is celebrating a birthday by eating cake or landing your first salmon on the Columbia River. Our culture is defined by who we are, what we do and how we experience life.”

All Oregonians are invited to share their culture by capturing a photo or video of a cultural moment or event (anything from a visit to a lighthouse, a poetry reading, a sporting event or a concert to a quinceanera or a book club) and posting it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #OregonCulture. The goal is to digitally showcase a range of cultural experiences from around the state.

All posts will be considered for Trust promotional usage; the individual who posted will be contacted if their image or video is selected.

Days of Culture also launches the Trust’s fundraising season; those who gave or give a 2015 donation to one of Oregon’s designated 1,400 cultural nonprofits are eligible for a tax credit if they make a matching gift to the Cultural Trust.

For details on Days of Culture 2015 and the tax credit, visit