Oregon Heritage Commission has awarded nearly $60,000 in grants to nine museums throughout the state. The grants will help fund a variety of projects including collection preservation, visitor education and heritage tourism. Award amounts ranged $4,500 – $8,000. Funded projects: Clackamas County Historical Society, in Oregon City, for collections inventory and shelving at the Stevens Crawford House. Deschutes County Historical Society, in Bend, for the “Cruisin’ 97” exhibit and geotagging tourism project. Fort Rock Valley Historical Society and Homestead Museum for repairing the Belltable Home at Fort Rock museum complex. High Desert Museum, near Bend, for the “By Her Hand” exhibit, and other historic and contemporary indigenous art. Mount Hood Cultural Center and Museum, in Government Camp, to organize and digitize a historic photograph collection. Oregon Jewish Museum, in Portland, to place online finding aids that link to the museum’s object collection. Oregon Nikkei Endowment, in Portland, to preserve the WWII Minidoka Incarceration Site collection at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. Umatilla County Historical Society, in Pendleton, to install the “Umatilla Gold: The History of Wheat in Umatilla County” exhibit. Willamette Heritage Center, in Salem, to preserve and create a finding aid for over 800 plans created by architectural firm Payne, Settecase and Smith. The museum grant program is offered annually by the Oregon Heritage Commission, part of the Oregon Heritage program at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The grant program began in 1965 when only 24 organizations were eligible for the program. The Oregon Heritage Commission works to secure, sustain and enhance Oregon’s heritage. The Commission sponsors heritage initiatives that educate the public about the value of heritage and celebrate the state’s diversity. The Oregon Heritage Commission consists of nine members appointed by the governor and nine agency advisors. Members are chosen from state agencies and statewide organizations, and represent a diverse geographical and heritage background. To learn more about the Oregon Museum Grant or the Oregon Heritage Commission, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.