A pair of developments in the Oregon Legislature should offer cheer to advocates of the arts — especially those brave souls who believe in the importance of arts to rural areas of Oregon.

It’s easy to think of arts exhibitions and activities as the province of big cities — Portland, of course, comes to mind as an artistic hub in Oregon — or smaller cities that have been the birthplaces of organizations that grew into artistic giants: Ashland, the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is the premier state example.

But the arts are essential to smaller, rural communities as well. They’re not just options that are nice to have; artistic endeavors — sculpture, music, theater, writing, visual arts, what have you — are an essential part of our quality of life.

Now, this isn’t news to residents of Wallowa County, where the arts are active to a degree that routinely surprises newcomers. Examples abound: Fishtrap is a lure for writers throughout the area. The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture offers provocative shows and also highlights local artists. Local and regional musicians perform regularly at Tunesmith and other venues. Local foundries work with artists and also provide good-paying jobs. This list is, by necessity, incomplete, but you get the drift.

In fact, last year’s socioeconomic report about Eastern Oregon from the Blues Intergovernmental Council specifically cited the arts as one of the key factors driving Wallowa County’s economy. (The others: agriculture, livestock, forest products and recreation.)

Again, this won’t surprise Wallowa County residents. But it might come as a surprise to some members of the Oregon Legislature, and so two recent developments in Salem are encouraging:

First, House Bill 2459 would offer grants to artistic organizations and venues across the state and also takes notice of dozens of locations in smaller towns throughout the state. In many cases, these organizations and venues still are suffering from COVID aftershocks. Attendance at events has yet to rebound from pandemic lows.

If passed, the bill would allocate more than $22 million to artistic venues and organizations. About half of the money would go to big artistic organizations like the Shakespeare Festival. But the other half would go to sites like the OK Theatre in Enterprise and the Elgin Opera House. The money isn’t going to pay all the bills — it would be about $19,000 for the OK Theatre and about $61,000 for the Opera House, but any unexpected money is a bonus.

The other interesting development in Salem is the formation of the Legislature’s first Arts and Culture Caucus — nine legislators (including Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena) who seek to keep other legislators informed about the value of the arts.

The arguments that caucus members will make to their colleagues will go well beyond the simple (if true) case that the arts are a vital part of a full life. They’re vital for the economy as well: According to Harlen Springer, the vice chairman of the Oregon Arts Commission, arts and culture in Oregon represent about 3.3% of GDP, and about 60,000 jobs. It’s about an $8 billion industry.

Those are numbers that might grab the attention of even those legislators who never have darkened the door of an art gallery. And there’s an equally important point behind those numbers: They add up even in smaller communities. Just ask Wallowa County.