Oregon Cultural Trust

Announcing a record $3.85 million in FY2025 Cultural Trust grant awards!

An increase in FY2024 donations and an administrative budget allocation revision has resulted in an increase of close to $1 million in Cultural Trust FY2025 grant awards, with an all-time high of $3.85 million awarded to 148 Oregon cultural organizations.

Generous Oregonians increased their donations to the Cultural Trust by more than $300,000 in FY2024. In addition, through HB3532, the Legislature revised the Trust’s administrative budget to be assessed as a small percentage of the permanent fund allocation rather than from the grantmaking budget allocation.

The $3.85 million includes awards to 148 arts, heritage and humanities organizations across the state. Among them is a total of $962,880 for the Cultural Trust’s five statewide partners (Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Humanities, Oregon Historical Society and the State Historic Preservation Office) and $962,880 for 45 County and Tribal Cultural Coalitions – who award an average of 450 additional awards annually in their communities.

In addition, $1,925,760 in competitive Cultural Development Program grants were awarded to 98 cultural nonprofits serving most geographic regions of the state.

“To increase the value of our awards to the many amazing cultural nonprofits who enrich the lives of Oregonians every day is incredibly exciting,” says Sean Andries, chair of the Cultural Trust board. “This funding stretches broadly across our state and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to culture makers in communities large, small and everywhere in between."

Read the full release, with links to all grant awards: https://bit.ly/3XmAgjY

Attention culture keepers/traditional artists!

It's time to apply for Oregon Folklife Network's 2025 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (TAAP).

Successful artists will receive a $3,500 stipend to teach their artform to apprentices.

An application informational webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10.
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Oct. 1.

More information below.

The Oregon Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (TAAP) is looking for applicants to complete apprenticeship projects in 2025. Applications are due Tuesday, October 1st.

This program offers Oregon traditional artists (also known as culture keepers) a $3,500* stipend to teach their tradition/artform to apprentices from their same communities, Tribes, sacred or occupational groups. The stipend supports mentor artists in sharing their knowledge, skills, and expertise with apprentices of great promise. Apprenticeship projects carry on and strengthen Oregon’s living cultural traditions.

Oregon Folklife Network will host an application informational webinar and provide live support via ZOOM on Tuesday, September 10th from 10:30 – 11:30am.

Visit https://mnch.uoregon.edu/apply-taap-award to access the application, guidelines and eligibility, and webinar information.

The Oregon Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Arts Commission

Register now for the 2024 Pacific Northwest History Conference!

Scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19 at the Portland Hilton, the conference will feature sessions highlighting new scholarship on events related to public health, racial injustice, climate disruption, Indigenous sovereignty, q***r history and the fragility of democratic institutions, all from a Pacific Northwest history lens.

Presenters include activists, academics, students, and public history practitioners from a variety of backgrounds and locations. With ample time for each session as well as breaks for connecting with colleagues, the conference provides opportunities for reflecting on completed work and gathering energy for projects in the making.

Discounted registration is available for educators, students, and members of OHS and WSHS, but the price for all categories will increase by $25 on October 1, so register today: https://bit.ly/3MwhX6Q

Congratulations to new Confluence Executive Director Leah Altman!

Leah has more than 12 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a focus on developing strong fundraising teams, designing and implementing donor engagement programs, and managing complex government grants and private funders.

Leah (Oglala Lakota) was most recently the Philanthropy Director at the Intertribal Agriculture Council where she oversaw the fundraising activities of the organization.

She begins her new role at Confluence Monday, Sept. 9

OPB previews this weekend's Montavilla Jazz Festival, supported by the Cultural Trust.

Now entering its second decade, Montavilla Jazz is the only jazz festival in Portland that focuses on original music by local musicians. And this year's festival is the biggest yet, with multiple venues, indoor and out.

A look ahead to the Montavilla Jazz Festival The Montavilla Jazz Festival is entering its second decade. It's the only jazz festival in Portland focused on original music by local musicians.

Heads up Oregon authors!

If you have published a book in the past 12 months, now is the time to apply for Literary Arts' 2025 Oregon Book Award!

Learn more about the awards and guidelines, including eligibility requirements, at https://bit.ly/3X8RilQ

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Sept. 6.

Incredible gratitude to the Portland Chinatown Museum for hosting our community reception and board meeting this week!

It was wonderful to connect with the cultural nonprofits who define Portland’s Old Town and Chinatown, including Lan Su Chinese Garden, Japanese American Museum of Oregon and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.

Special thanks to the Yat Sing Music Club for their moving performance!

High Desert poet and author Ellen Waterston named Oregon’s 11th Poet Laureate!

Governor Tina Kotek has named Ellen Waterston of Bend, a celebrated poet/writer, teacher and speaker who founded the Writing Ranch and the Waterston Desert Writing Prize, to a two-year appointment as Oregon Poet Laureate. Waterston will be Oregon’s 11th Poet Laureate and succeeds Anis Mojgani, who has held the post since 2020.

"Ellen Waterston stands out for her commitment to community engagement, her focus on bringing different ways of living and different parts of the state together, and her notable ability to describe the moments, places and people that make Oregon, Oregon,” says Governor Kotek. “I am eager to see how she applies her talents in the literary arts to serving the state as Oregon’s eleventh Poet Laureate."

Much of Waterston’s award-winning poetry and prose is inspired by the remote reaches of southeastern Oregon’s Outback. She has published four poetry titles: “I Am Madagascar, Between Desert Seasons,” “Vía Lactéa” and “Hotel Domilocos,” of which poet and author John Calderazzo said, “In a world of both staggering beauty and loss, from the tropics to the high desert, Ellen Waterston offers us intimate conversations among heart, mind and place, stories that speak to hope, recovery and joy.”

The Oregon Poet Laureate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon. Waterston will provide at least 10 public readings per year in settings across the state to inform community, business and state leaders about the value and importance of poetry and creative expression. The program is funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust and administered by Oregon Humanities.

Read the full release: https://bit.ly/4fOanBY

Esperanza Spalding headlines this weekend's Vanport Jazz Festival.

Vanport Jazz Festival returns to Portland this weekend “Discover the legacy, experience the revival” is the tagline for this Portland festival returning for its seventh year.

Two-time Grammy Awards winner Lucy Kalantari and the Jazz Cats will perform at Coos Bay's Mingus Park Amphitheatre Thursday Aug. 1*!

Kalantari engages her audience with interactive, jazz-scat-along play, while singing foot-tapping songs highlighting the joys of life, community and resilience. Family members from 0 to 122 will find themselves lighter and smiling through and through!

The event is funded by the Cultural Trust through the Coos County Cultural Coalition, which supports cultural and artistic programming throughout Coos County. It's part of the Coos Bay Public Library's Summer Reading Program.

*Note the date in the article is incorrect -- the concert is Aug. 1

Lucy Kalantari and the Jazz Cats perform July 31st Get ready for an elegantly silly time with the bilingual, swingin' sounds of Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats! Thursday, July 31 at 6:00pm, Kalantari will perform at the Mingus

Just one of the many cultural events potentially impacted by Oregon's current wildfires.

The Oregonian reports there more current fires in Oregon than anywhere in the western states.

ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING WILDFIRES!

All Chief Joseph Days Rodeo events are set to continue as planned! Please stay informed and prepared by following these important guidelines:

Highway Closures and Route Information: Check ODOT Trip Check and Elkhorn Media Group for any updates on highway closures and alternative routes.
Air Quality: Use a weather app or website to monitor the air quality in our area.

Please note, we will not issue any refunds for tickets. Your safety is our priority, so please plan ahead and travel safely. We look forward to seeing you at the rodeo!

Meet Oscar Arana, Chichimeca, the new CEO of the Native American Youth and Family Center.

Portland urban Indigenous center announces new leader The Native American Youth and Family Center, Portland’s largest urban Indigenous organization, has a new leader: current interim CEO Oscar Arana, Chichimeca

More grant funds available this year!
Plus we announce the new Coalition Leadership Council and share funding impact stories.
Read all about it in our latest newsletter:
https://conta.cc/4bMo3u1

Pictured: Open Signal: Portland Community Media Center of Portland received a $26,053 grant award to support Train the Trainer, a trauma-informed media arts program supporting media production and education for community and justice-oriented nonprofits.

A great Oregon story!

These socks traveled the Oregon Trail with the Keizur family, namesake of the city outside of Salem. They were worn by four generations of grooms before being donated to the Oregon Historical Society.

Soon they will return home to the Keizer Heritage Museum.

Wedding socks made in 1813, a Keizer namesake family heirloom, to return home The 211-year-old socks, worn by at least four generations for their respective weddings, have been preserved since by the Oregon Historical Society.

Mark your calendars!!

Meyer’s hitting the road and we want to meet you! We’re traveling throughout Oregon to share details about our new issue-based portfolios — Our Resilient Places, Our Empowered Youth and Our Collective Prosperity — and our $12 million Funding Opportunity opening this August.

Register today to secure your spot at an information session near you. https://mmt.org/2024-info-sessions

Celebrating the work of Gather:Make:Shelter, a Portland nonprofit that provides creative programming and hope to people experiencing houselessness.

Last year a $19,000 grant award from the Cultural Trust supported access to arts mentorship through a citywide sculpture project, public exhibitions and a mutual aid festival in downtown Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square.

“Unrolling: The Scroll Project,” on view through Sunday at the group’s Annex, features participants’ 6x3 feet large format scrolls, from abstract drawings and alternative mixed media to figurative paintings.

The Annex is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. today and Saturday. It’s located at 1335 NW Kearney St.

Photos courtesy of Gather:Make:Shelter.

Another first for Oregon!

PSU offers new Social Justice and the Arts program.

That spark of inspiration: Social Justice & the Arts at Portland State University A new degree program at PSU by Darrell Grant and Suzanne Savaria will be the only one of its kind in the country.

This is an important event!! Sacred to Oregon's Native community.

Pacific lampreys are an Oregon First Food found in watersheds throughout Oregon. Pacific lamprey numbers greatly declined with the resettlement of Oregon and the construction of the hydropower and flood control systems across the state.

Today the most notable and consistently viable harvest is at Willamette Falls on the Willamette River near Oregon City, on the ancestral lands of the Clackamas and Clowewalla people.

The lamprey eel is Symbol #106 on the Celebrate Oregon! artwork. See it here https://culturaltrust.org/celebrateoregon/license-plate-narrative/

Grant opportunity!

The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is accepting applications for its Cultural Sustainability program targeting small arts organizations of color.

With support from The Wallace Foundation and in partnership with the five other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, WESTAF expects to grant a total of $1.1 million in the region, with approximately two grants per state or jurisdiction.

The program is open to arts organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000 with a minimum of three years of programming history that meet at least two of three criteria related to leadership or community service in communities of color.

Part one applications must be submitted by Monday, July 1.

For more information and to apply: https://tinytg.com/jEZwP

Cultural Trust funding requests hit all-time high!
The number of applications to the Cultural Trust’s Cultural Development Program are at an all-time high – we are now processing a record number of 204 applications requesting support for an incredible array of worthy projects.
Clearly word continues to spread through the arts, heritage and humanities community that the Cultural Trust is a stable and reliable source of statewide funding. In the last year alone, we have added more than 100 organizations to our list – which now includes more than 1,650 cultural nonprofits enriching the lives of Oregonians.
We encourage cultural donors to consider making their matching donations to the Cultural Trust by the end of the fiscal year (June 30), which would allow us to fund a larger percentage of the applications received. It will have an incredible impact on cultural organizations in need of funding now to produce their cultural programming in communities across the state.
Pictured: enTaiko of Portland received a $20,000 FY2024 Cultural Trust grant award to support an inclusive, multi-sensory concert experience for deaf and hearing audiences.

Did you know? Much of Oregon's apple history is attributed to Japanese immigrants who worked clearing land, cutting trees and packing fruit.

Today there are approximately 5,000 acres of apples grown in the Willamette Valley, the Mid-Columbia Valley and the Milton-Freewater area. Oregon’s most popular apple varieties are Fuji and Gala.

The apple is Symbol #70 in the Cultural Trust's Celebrate Oregon! artwork. Learn more about this and other Celebrate Oregon! symbols: https://bit.ly/3XlugtF

Their love story began in an age of fear; their legacy grows in a Hood River Valley orchard Michiko Kiyokawa, the 100-year-old matriarch of Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Parkdale, looks back on her life with Mamoru Kiyokawa, whom she met at Tule Lake War Relocation Center.

Ursula Le Guin's family home to become a writing residency!

The Montavilla Jazz Festival has doubled down to kick off its second decade!

The 11th annual Montavilla Jazz Festival, scheduled for Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30-Sept. 1), will feature more than twice the number of events as last year (30+), spread across a dozen venues including Mt. Tabor Park, Alberta Rose Theatre and a host of community clubs such as Montavilla Brew Works and Driveway Jazz.

The Nicole Glover Trio will make their first Portland appearance, and other featured artists include Dan Balmer, Christopher Brown, Joe Kye, the Jasnam Daya Singh Trio and the Bryn Roberts Trio, among many others.

The full lineup and tickets can be found at http://montavillajazz.org.

Montavilla Jazz Festival received a FY2024 Cultural Trust grant award to provide a half-time salary for its executive director after 10 years of volunteer service.

Heads up! Oregon Community Foundation is offering arts and culture grants.

Opportunity to get funding! More info here:

https://oregonculture.org/2024/06/grantsavailablejune24/

Announcing our new Strategic Plan!

Read our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan Record number of applications received! News and Updates June 2024 Record number of applications Cultural Trust funding requests hit all-time high The number of applications to the Cultural Trust’s Cu

This is a fascinating story about how underground spaces were illuminated through "vault lights," or grids of glass that allowed natural light to filter below.

Vault lights in Astoria, originally installed in 1922, are being restored with help from Trust Partner Oregon State Historic Preservation Office.
Oregon Heritage

Walking on Light If you’ve ever walked the streets of downtown Astoria, chances are you may have walked directly on a piece, or many pieces, of history.  Astoria is one of several cities, including Seattle, Po…

This "poetic palette" is made possible through funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust through the Clatsop County Cultural Coalition.

North Oregon Coast Symphony samples a 'poetic palette' Two spring concerts from the North Oregon Coast Symphony will sample a "poetic palette."

Our Celebrate Oregon! artist will be featured on Oregon Art Beat!

Arts and Culture Caucus announces bipartisan leadership!

Sen. Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City) will join Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland) in organizing Oregon’s Arts and Culture Caucus, establishing bipartisan leadership of the Caucus.
“Senator Dick Anderson has been a wonderful partner in showing that arts funding truly is a bipartisan, bicameral priority,” says Rep. Nosse, who has coordinated the Caucus since its formation. “We look forward to growing our coalition together in the 2025 long session, as the Arts and Culture Caucus seeks to further advocate for arts and cultural venues of all parts of Oregon.”

The Arts and Culture Caucus launched in early 2023 in recognition of the vital role arts and culture play in the livability and prosperity of Oregon communities – and in enriching the lives of Oregonians. It serves as a resource to the Oregon Legislature on key issues impacting the arts and culture sector.

Sen. Anderson was one of the inaugural members of the Caucus, which now includes 23 Legislators and is one of Oregon’s largest bipartisan caucuses.

“Inside the Legislature, we can find strong bipartisan bonds across the aisle with the Arts and Culture Caucus,” says Sen. Anderson. “I have witnessed the value of having a thriving arts and cultural community within the cities I represent. Recognizing this value and assisting its growth throughout all of Oregon is needed; it is an endeavor I am excited to be part of.”
Read the full release listing all Caucus members: https://bit.ly/4aLzVvP
Pictured: Sen. Dick Anderson (left) and Rep. Rob Nosse.