[Read all of the articles in our Portland Fun Guide HERE! Looking for a print copy? Look at this handy-dandy map!—eds.]

Did you know that as someone receiving food and/or cash assistance from the State of Oregon, you are automatically able to take advantage of the Arts For All—a program that allows EBT cardholders (the card given to those who receive food and cash assistance) to access some of the city’s biggest and best cultural institutions for a reduced rate? 

Arts For All tickets are obtained differently at different places around the city and usually knocks the price of admission down to $5 a person or, as I found out while researching this piece, even cheaper. I didn’t know about Arts For All for years, even though I was on and off EBT for over a decade! The list of what you can access through Arts For All is immense, and, at times, pretty confusing. Fear not, as someone who has taken deep advantage of this program, I’ve wrangled up a list of just some of my favorite places and happenings you can take advantage of via Arts For All.

By the way, there is ZERO SHAME in using an EBT card, none whatsoever! The government—yes, the City of Portland and the State of Oregon—has done us dirty by refusing to defund the police (and the military/prison industrial complexes) while continually cutting funding to socialized resources including healthcare, education, and the arts—providing those who need it with food and cash assistance is the literal minimum they should be doing. Proudly use your EBT card to get into the fancy concerts at the Schnitz and dress TF down, use it at farmers markets and food co-ops where they double the dollars you spend, use it after you stop receiving food and cash assistance to continue getting into cultural spaces and events on the cheap! You are not doing the institutions or artists a disservice by using your EBT to get reduced admission, you’re actually just saving yourself a few bucks and forcing the government to subsidize the arts—something they should be doing more of without having their hand forced. 

These are just a small handful of the arts and culture institutions offering Arts For All (AFA) tickets to their events and spaces: 

The cherished Alberta Abbey venue offers the $5 AFA deal to most of their shows with a few exceptions. They don’t always have the fullest calendar, but when they have bangers, they’re bangers! They offer AFA tickets on a first come, first served basis—get yours early by emailing info@albertaabbey.org to secure your spot. Hilariously, they will be hosting SAW: the Musical in late April/early May and I reckon that’s a good bang for your (5) buck(s). 

Hosting incredible performances at various churches and cathedrals around town, Cappella Romana is Portland’s premiere resource for experiencing Gregorian chants, experimental choral arrangements, and a capella groups that otherwise would not be seen or heard in our city at all. The easiest way to access AFA tickets for Cappella Romana performances is to use their website to purchase tickets and select the Arts For All pricing when checking out—easy as that. Another feature they offer is student tickets for $15.

The only theater of its kind in the PNW, Corrib Theatre hosts and commissions plays exclusively from the Irish diaspora. This doesn’t mean only white-Irish either, as their programming is diverse and vast in scope—one season has the potential to see multiple performances by playwrights of color featuring players of color. An excellent example of their commitment to diversity is seen in their Godot Is A Woman festival happening this spring. The festival features Godot-esque plays and staged readings featuring women and gender nonconforming people. The best way to get AFA tickets for Corrib performances is to call their box office directly at 503-389-0579.

A Portland classic, Lan Su Chinese Garden is a serene reprieve from the sometimes hectic landscape of the Pearl and downtown. Lan Su boasts a city block’s worth of traditional Chinese gardens complete with a koi pond and tea pavilion. Just head to the box office with your EBT card and ID and they’ll sort you out. The garden recently reduced the AFA ticket price to $3 but, heads up, you’re not able to get AFA pricing for their ticketed events, such as their Lunar New Years celebrations. On top of the reduced AFA pricing, they also offer free admission to one caregiver if someone has mobility needs. 

Hej! The gorgeous Nordic Northwest campus in deep SW Portland hosts myriad events culturally tied to Nordic countries. They offer traditional crafting workshops, music performances, and, in the warmer months, have outdoor film screenings on their lush lawn by nordic directors such as Ingmar Bergman. Just head to their website, select AFA tickets at checkout, and you’re all set—don’t forget to bring your EBT card to the event to show the ticketing folks. 

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, or OMSI as it’s affectionately known, goes hard with the benefits offered to EBT cardholders. You can purchase up to four general admission tickets at $5, either online or at the museum, allowing you to view the permanent collections and, for a small upcharge, the Jurassic World exhibit. OMSI also offers deeply discounted memberships—up to 55%—to those receiving government assistance. Just make sure you bring your EBT card with you as they may ask to see proof of eligibility.

One of Portland’s newest indie theaters, PAM Cut Tomorrow Theater, is quickly becoming known for their pre- and post-screening events that include vinyl swaps, art salons, crafting, and so much more. Portland movers and shakers hosting these events include Nationale, Violet Hex, and Woo-Woo. Tomorrow Theater has joined in on the fun, offering $5 AFA tickets to all their screenings that are $15. These tickets also grant access to the happenings before and after screenings—the only thing you can’t get AFA tickets for are their special events like artists talks, live podcasts, and the like. AFA tickets can be purchased at the theater’s box office day-of-show.

Portland’s grande dame of the arts has to be the illustrious Portland 5 consortium of theaters that includes the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, the Winningstad Theatre, the Keller Auditorium, the Newmark Theatre, and the Brunish Theatre. Portland 5 does offer AFA tickets to many of their events, but it can be a tad confusing to figure out which events are participating and where you procure said tickets. With P5 venues, it’s best to call their box office directly at 503-248-4335 to chat with one of their extremely friendly employees to figure out if the events you’re interested in are offering AFA tickets and, as was the case when I called in, they are happy to tell you about other discounts such as rush and student/educator tickets.

Our city’s largest arts organization, the Portland Art Museum has been active in bringing art from all over the world to the South Park Blocks for over 130 years. The programming has been diversifying in recent years with exhibitions featuring Black Oregonian artists, Indigenous visionaries, and a wide range of queer and femme creators. EBT cardholders can purchase up to two $5 tickets per visit, granting access to everything currently on view. Checking out the forthcoming exhibitions featuring Yoshida Chizuko and Australian Indigenous artists—along with the permanent collections—is well worth the AFA admission, which can be obtained onsite at the box office. PAM also offers many discounts outside of the AFA program, including free first Thursdays and free admission for those 17 and under—head to the “Discounts & Free Days” section of their website for more info.

Portland Center Stage, champions of both traditional and experimental theater, are also advocates of accessibility. Along with offering $5 AFA admission to all of their performances, there are two "pay what you will" nights for each production. So, if you have the scratch and want to pay it forward, you can spend $100 on a ticket, but if your bank roll is getting small, you have two opportunities per production to pay literally $0 to see some of the best theater in Portland. To access either of these discounts, call their box office at 503-445-3700 with a credit card or visit their box office in person with card or cash. Their remaining three productions of the season all look incredible. 

Nestled in the Southwest Hills, right across the street from the International Rose Test Garden, the Portland Japanese Garden is a sight to behold any season of the year. It’s especially stunning if you trek up on a clear day and catch Mount Hood in all her glory. Regardless of the season, get up there whenever you can to check out the gardens, the lovely cafe, and their rotating art exhibitions. Present your EBT card (from Oregon or Washington!) at the front gates to get up to two adult tickets for $5 and four children’s tickets—ages 17 and under—for free. 

The crown jewel of arts and culture in Beaverton, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts—or simply the Reser—is a new, beautiful building hosting cultural events ranging from popular music concerts to queer cabarets, and community events like Beaverton City Library’s annual literary event, One Book, One Beaverton. Not all events at the Reser offer AFA pricing, the easiest way to find out if the events you’re interested in have AFA discounts is to call their box office at 921-501-7722. One of their events I’m most excited about is coming up May 30 and presented by the Oregon Symphony: Carla Kihlstedt’s 26 Little Deaths—a song cycle taking us through the alphabet of Edward Gorey’s darkly twisted children’s book, The Gashlycrumb Tinies. 

These institutions also participate in the Arts For All program: 

Literary Arts, Live Wire Radio, The Old Church Portland, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Symphony, Pittock Mansion, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Portland Lesbian Choir, Portland Opera, Portland Playhouse, Third Angle New Music, Wisdom’s NW Indian Storytelling Festival. 

Find a list of every participant in the Arts For All program at racc.org/artsforall.

Also, as an aside, if you own a business or think someplace you’re connected to would be into offering reduced admission, reach out to Arts For All and get something going! If you’re more on that DIY tip, advertise your events by including NOTAFLOF (no one turned away for lack of funds) or PWYC (pay what you can), or offer a sliding scale! It’s easy to do and truly allows people who just straight up wouldn’t come to your show (or party or screening) because they can’t afford it. Access is a top priority right now and always—we should all be getting with it!