Thank You for Supporting the Arts

Thank You for Supporting the Arts (2018) blends Documentary elements. Top cast includes Liv Osthus and Gus Van Sant. Family dynamics play a central role in how the story evolves.

Actor: Liv Osthus • Provider: Prime Video

Directors W. Alexander Jones and Carolann Stoney turn their cameras on Liv Osthus, one of the best-known artists working in Portland’s adult entertainment industry. She also happens to be a published author, musician, breast cancer survivor, mother, and daughter of a preacher. Better known as Viva Las Vegas, Osthus grew to wide notoriety when, along with a handful of other strippers, she faced down Portland city council for greater protections for sex workers. In a city with the highest number of strip clubs per capita in the country (and probably strippers), this unique woman not only revels in the glorious grit of the profession, but also manages to raise social perceptions with her creative successes, bravery, and artistry.