OPRD release – SALEM, Oregon – The Oregon Heritage Commission has awarded $75,722 in grants to 12 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 $2148 – $8,000. Funded projects: Cape Blanco Heritage Society, in Port Orford, to digitize historic newspapers. City of Woodburn, in Marion County, to develop additional exhibits and reinstall exhibits at the Woodburn Museum and Bungalow Theatre. Columbia River Maritime Museum, in Astoria, to develop a Spanish language audio tour. Coos County Historical Society, in Coos Bay, to rehouse and digitize a map collection. Dufur Historical Society and Living History Museum, in Wasco County, to reroof the Schreiber log cabin. Eugene Debbs Potts Society, in Josephine County, repair the roof on the main entrance building. High Desert Museum, in Deschutes County, to develop and install the Living Stories exhibition of work created by artists of the Indigenous Plateau. Pacific Railroad Preservation Association, in Portland, to repair the exterior of Passenger Car 105. Rainier Oregon Historical Museum, in Columbia County, to re-house collections in archivally safe Storage. Springfield Museum, in Lane County, to catalog and digitize a portion of the historic photo collection. The Museum at Warm Springs, in Jefferson County, to develop and install a multi-faceted, multi-media exhibit that features firsthand accounts and personal stories about the culturally significant places and experiences of Indigenous people from the Columbia River system. Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society, in Toledo, to repair and construct shelters for historic velocipedes.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 grant is funded OPRD lottery dollars. 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@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.
