Grants for the Arts, Aug. 15

A record 149 grants totaling $2.9 million will be awarded to Oregon’s cultural nonprofits by the Oregon Cultural Trust in fiscal year 2016-17, a 9 percent increase over last year. The increase is the direct result of another record year of fundraising. The awards include a total of $714,045 to the Cultural Trust’s five statewide partners (Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Humanities, Oregon Historical Society and the State Historic Preservation Office); $714,045 to 45 county and tribal cultural coalitions – for re-granting in their communities; and $1,433,798 in competitive Cultural Development Grants to a record 99 cultural organizations across the state. Cultural coalition base awards rose from $6,000 to $6,300; total coalition grants include a per capita multiplier that ranges from $15.62 for the Burns Paiute Tribe to $.12 for the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition. “The uniqueness of the Cultural Trust in the national landscape is a testament to Oregonians’ dedication to supporting culture,” said Carole Morse, chair of the Cultural Trust Board. “More than 10,000 families, individuals and businesses invest in the Trust every year to ensure future generations have access to active and culturally vibrant communities.” “It is extremely gratifying to see the numbers continue to rise,” said Brian Rogers, the Cultural Trust’s executive director. “We are grateful to the legislature for the flexibility to award more of the money we raise to the groups contributing to Oregon’s cultural vitality. It’s an investment in the creative expression and cultural exchange that makes Oregon so special.” The Cultural Development Grants include first-time awards to 45 organizations and the largest grants ever awarded – $40,000 – to eight groups: The Benton County Historical Society; The Dalles-Wasco County Library Foundation; Japanese Garden; Miracle Theatre Group; National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Oregon; Oregon Public Broadcasting; Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and Portland Center Stage. More than half of the grants were awarded to organizations outside of the Portland Metro area. Cultural Development Grants fund projects that address access, capacity, creativity and preservation. Local awards include: Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay (Creativity): $8,390; 50th Anniversary Art Exhibitions: To support the 16 special art exhibitions from October 2016 through July 2017 for the organization’s 50th anniversary.; Little Theatre on the Bay, North Bend (Capacity): $16,984. Restroom Construction: To support the needs of patrons of North Bend’s historic Liberty Theatre, by adding accessible and appropriately sized restrooms; South Coast Folk Society, North Bend (Creativity): $11,349; Folk Orchestra Formation: To support a permanent folk orchestra on the Southern Oregon Coast to enrich cultural life and bring new resources to local communities.