Oregon Heritage Commission, June 17

Oregon Heritage Commission has awarded $74,999 in grants to 11 museums throughout the state. The grants will help fund a variety of projects including collection preservation, visitor education and heritage tourism. Award amounts ranged from $1,063 – $8,284. Funded projects: Aurora Colony Historical Society, in Aurora, to move collections to a new preservation facility. Baker Heritage Museum, in Baker City, to develop and implement a heritage passport tourism promotion project. Bush House Museum, in Salem, to develop a timeline of Salem history documenting traditionally marginalized groups. Independence Heritage Museum, in Independence, to install Storage shelving in their new facility. Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, in Portland, to update their cataloging system. Polk County Historical Society and Museum, in Rickreall, to improve collections Storage. Portland Chinatown History Foundation, in Portland, to develop oral history videos. Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House, in Eugene, for collections Storage improvements. Southern Oregon Historical Society, in Medford, to catalog, rehouse, digitize and make available online glass plate negatives from Sawyer’s postcard company. Wallowa History Center, in Wallowa, for promotional projects including interpretive planning, website development, and highway signs. Willamette University Hallie Ford Museum, in Salem, for the preservation and digitization of the Rick Bartow print collection. 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. This grant cycle was funded by other OPRD funds and not lottery or park fee funds. 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.