
Steven Tonthat
Steven Tonthat is a researcher and writer for arts and culture at Oregon Public Broadcasting, where he helps produce OPB’s flagship arts programs “Oregon Art Beat,” “Oregon Experience” and “State of Wonder.”
Before moving to Oregon, he was an online producer at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawaii’s biggest daily newspaper. He covered breaking news, worked as a videographer and managed the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s social media platforms.
He was also an associate producer at KITV Island News.
Steven graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2009 with a bachelors degree in English and Broadcast Journalism and again in 2012 with a masters degree in Composition and Rhetoric.
He hopes to sample many of Oregon’s most popular breweries and attend as many Blazers games as he can.
Latest Stories

Oregon couple launches new Asian American and Pacific Islander food and wine festival
This weekend, wine lovers can enjoy fine sips and bites from some of Oregon’s most popular Asian American and Pacific Islander establishments at the first Oregon AAPI Food & Wine Festival.

Bend conference for student artists puts empowerment, equity on stage
The Tower Theatre in Bend is hosting its second annual Stage the Change student conference. For two days, students participate in workshops ranging from dance, music and acting classes, all centered around equity, inclusivity and finding their voices through the arts.
Oregon sculptor Scott Foster reflects on colorful career from LAIKA to streets of Lake Oswego
Sculptor and puppet maker Scott Foster has worked with studios like LAIKA to create unforgettable characters for films like "Coraline" and "The Boxtrolls." But at home with his chickens and his workshop, he dives into his own creative process for his distinctive personal work.

Oregon flutist puts on Portland benefit concert for Ukraine aid
During the pandemic, Oregon musician Amelia Lukas originally set out to create a music program that reflected her thoughts about Portland's homelessness crisis and the idea of what it means to have a home. But after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she found herself pivoting the concert to focus on the ongoing conflict. Three years after she began the project, Lukas will premiere her newly evolved music concert, now titled “Natural Homeland: Honoring Ukraine,” at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Northeast Portland on Thursday.

Eugene film festival spotlights Asian American and Pacific Islander stories
The DisOrient Asian American Film Festival in Eugene was created in 2006 to spotlight Asian American and Pacific Islander stories in Oregon. This weekend, the festival returns with a roster of new independent films, all celebrating AAPI experiences.
Eugene dance school teaches the beauty of Native Hawaiian hula
Hālau Hula O Nā Pua O Hawai'i Nei is a hula school based out of Eugene, Oregon. Its instructor, Akiko Colton, is committed to creating a space that teaches Hawaiian culture through hula dance.

Oregon’s Vietnamese families reflect on how and why they celebrate Tết
Over the weekend, Vietnamese communities around the world celebrated Tết, more commonly known as the Lunar New Year. For many, it’s the time of year to honor ancestors and pray for good luck in year ahead. OPB reached out to Vietnamese American Portlanders to reflect on the holiday, its meaning and their traditions.

Newport symphony debuts orchestral ode to nature and history
This weekend’s world premiere uses music to explore the painful past treatment of Indigenous peoples who once made Oregon’s Yakona Nature Preserve their homeland.

Inaugural census will track Oregon music industry’s economic impact
Through Jan. 15, commercial music workers including musicians, producers and venue owners, can make some noise in the first Oregon Commercial Music Census. The goal is to present policymakers with hard data on how well the music economy is doing across the state.

A Portland affordable housing project spotlights BIPOC lives in art
Las Adelitas is an affordable housing project in Portland's Cully neighborhood. Artist Michelle Angela Ortiz painted the centerpiece; a giant mural that depicts some of Cully's Latino residents. The mural is the final piece of a project meant to give low-income families a chance to find a place to call home.