 September 2022 News & Updates Welcoming two Arts Commissioners and a new staff member, announcing an opening on the team and celebrating almost 200 recent grant recipients! Visit our Website Roberta Lavadour and Kamilah Long appointed to Arts Commission Roberta Lavadour, the executive director of the Pendleton Center for the Arts, and Kamilah Long, founder and CEO of The Black Whole, have been appointed to the Oregon Arts Commission by Governor Kate Brown. Roberta is an artist and arts administrator who lives and works in Pendleton. In addition to her leadership position with the Pendleton Center for the Arts, she serves as an advisor to the Roundhouse Foundation Residency program and as a member of the City of Pendleton’s Art Commission. Kamilah is an innovative leader and dynamic theatrical professional. Her multifaceted theater career includes roles as an actor, director, producer, educator, fundraiser, activist, and speaker. The Black Whole is a multimedia company focused on centering the Black global community through art and storytelling. It recently co-produced and served as a writer on the short film “You Go Girl,” selected for the Sundance Film Festival.“ Roberta and Kamilah epitomize the depth of passion and experience we need to support the arts in Oregon,” says Commission Chair Jenny Green. Read the full release.  Roberta Lavadour  Kamilah Long Sarah Baylinson named art collection and artist services specialist Sarah Baylinson, the former exhibitions coordinator and collections manager for the High Desert Museum, has been named the Arts Commission’s new Art Collection and Artist Services Specialist. Sarah will manage artist materials and records of the State’s Percent for Art in Public Places collection, oversee the condition and location of artworks and provide service to the public, client agencies, artists and contract project managers in the specialized area of expertise related to public art, collections management and visual arts. They also will oversee the Art in the Governor’s Office exhibition series and support artist programs and special projects. Their previous experience includes work with the Bowman Museum in Prineville and the Log House Museum in Seattle. They served as vice president of the Oregon Museums Association for six years.  Sarah Baylinson We are hiring! Applications open for public art and artist programs coordinator The Arts Commission is now recruiting for a new public art and artist programs coordinator. The position administers the statewide Percent for Art in Public Places program, which involves working with artists, architects, state agency representatives, educators, heads of institutions, contractors and the general public. The position is currently held by Eleanor Sandys, who will leave the Arts Commission at the end of October to explore creative pursuits and spend more time with her family.“ Eleanor’s contributions have been amazing and we will really miss her,” says Arts Commission Executive Director Brian Rogers. Learn more and apply. Application deadline Monday, Oct. 10.  Eleanor Sandys, who will leave the Arts Commission at the end of October. FY2023 Arts Learning grants announced Twenty-four arts organizations will each receive a $10,000 grant award to illuminate the power of the arts for K-12 students through $240,000 in FY2023 Arts Commission Arts Learning funding. All funded projects feature partnerships with Oregon schools reaching communities across the state. “So many schools lack adequate funding for arts education,” says Arts Commission Executive Director Brian Rogers. “We are grateful to these arts organizations for providing creative and enriching experiences for our youth. Arts education inspires further development and creative problem-solving skills, important for Oregon’s future leaders,” he adds. Read the releasewith recipients and project descriptions.  “Silus on Fire,” from the Illinois Valley Community Development Organization’s RiverStars Performing Arts program. 165 arts organizations receive $1,271,840 in Operating Support awards Unrestricted awards totaling $1,271,840 will be distributed to 165 Oregon arts organizations through the Arts Commission’s FY2023 Operating Support Program. There are 13 organizations new to the program this year due to a growing number of eligible organizations. Ranging from $3,000 to $25,000, the grant awards are available to nonprofit organizations with arts at the core of their mission and budgets over $150,000. “We regularly hear that operating support is the most important type of award,” says Arts Commission Chair Jenny Green. “Especially now, as arts organizations struggle to recover from losses caused by the pandemic, these awards help relieve a bit of the financial pressure.” Read the full release listing all awards.  Tualatin Valley Creates’ 2022 LaStrada Artists. Photo by Michelle Bauer 106 statewide arts organizations receive FY2023 Small Operating Grants Small grants that often make a large difference in ensuring arts access for Oregonians, especially in rural areas, have been awarded statewide to 106 arts organizations by the Arts Commission for FY2023. Awarded to arts organizations in virtually every region of the state, Small Operating Grants are designed to provide support to arts organizations with budgets under $150,000. Each organization will receive $2,261. “Although the Drexel H. Foundation (Vale) and our community is rural and small compared to other parts of Oregon, our impact is HUGE,” said Sandijean Fuson, president of the Drexel H. Foundation. “This grant helps us keep an unbroken existence of programs we have had for over 25 years, reminding our community they are important.” Read the full release, listing all awardees by region.  Participants in the Open Hearts Open Minds Columbia River Correctional Institution Music Studio. Upcoming grant deadlines Arts Build Communities: Monday, Oct. 3 Individual Artist Fellowship (Performing Arts): Thursday, Oct. 13 Oregon Arts Commission | Phone 503-986-0082 | www.oregonartscommission.org |
For great posts about the business of art, check out The Artsy Shark HERE!
  | As a tool for sharing funding opportunities, the Oregon Arts Commission partnered with The Ford Family Foundation to create the Oregon Artist Registry. Professional artists are strongly encouraged to sign up for the registry by completing a brief survey about themselves and their artistic practice. The goal is to reach and connect with as many Oregon artists as possible, including those who haven’t previously accessed funding programs. Call to Oregon artists
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| Launching our new Artist Registry, welcoming a new Arts Commissioner and sharing timely grant opportunities! |
| Call to artists New statewide Artist Registry now open! To ensure artists’ access to funding opportunities and build a case for more artist resources, the Oregon Arts Commission partnered with The Ford Family Foundation to create an Oregon Artist Registry. Professional artists are strongly encouraged to sign up for the registry by completing a brief survey about themselves and their artistic practice. The hope is to reach and connect with as many Oregon artists as possible, including those who haven’t previously accessed funding programs. “We know there are many more working artists throughout the state than we currently have in our database,” says Eleanor Sandys, the Arts Commission’s interim visual arts coordinator. “Our hope is to update and expand our artist network so that we can better support the diverse artists in Oregon’s many communities.” Read the full release. |  Sam Hamilton (foreground) with the Camas High School Choir following a 2019 performance of THIS IS A CHOIR at Portland Art Museum. Hamilton recently received a Career Opportunity grant award from the Arts Commission and The Ford Family Foundation to support production of video and visual artworks for a solo exhibition at the Transmediale Festival in Berlin. Photo by DJ. |
| David Harrelson appointed to Arts Commission David Harrelson, the Cultural Resources Department manager for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and a Grand Ronde tribal member, was recently appointed to the Arts Commission by Governor Kate Brown. David has championed the use of his people’s ancestral art forms for the purpose of public art. His support for this work has resulted in five public art installations in the last four years throughout Northwestern Oregon. He has worked in the field of cultural resources for 10 years and before that worked as a wildland firefighter. “We are thrilled to have David join the Arts Commission at this important time,” says Commission Chair Anne Taylor. “As we pursue ensuring greater equity and inclusion in all we do, his experience and expertise in tribal artistic practices will enhance our conversations.” “It is an honor to join the Oregon Arts Commission,” says David. “I look forward to lifting up indigenous artists and art forms while ensuring broad reach and accessibility of the arts statewide.” Read the full release. |  David Harrelson |
| Arts Access Reimbursement grants now available Organizations may now apply for grants to fund expenses related to providing access to arts activities and programs, including virtual events. Access reimbursement grants fund: offset of expenditures for specific access expenses; public access to all individuals who want to participate in arts activities offered by Oregon arts nonprofits; activities to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the identification of best practices in accessibility throughout Oregon. For more information contact [email protected]. |  Sign language at Portland Playhouse courtesy of Oregon Art Beat. |
| Upcoming grant opportunities* WESTAF ARP Deadline July 15 National Endowment for the Arts ARP Deadline Aug. 12 NEA Our Town Deadline Aug. 5 Oregon Humanities ARP Deadline Aug. 27 Oregon Arts Commission Arts Build Communities Deadline Oct. 1 Oregon Arts Commission Career Opportunity Grants Deadline Sept. 8 Oregon Arts Commission Arts Access Rolling Deadline Oregon Cultural Trust Organizational and Professional Development Grants Quarterly Deadlines |
| *Included are current grant opportunities from other funders for your information and convenience. Be aware that you may apply to multiple funding sources for American Rescue Plan funds as long as you request funds for different eligible expenses in each application. The details on how the $50 million in ARP funds awarded by the state of Oregon will be distributed have yet to be finalized. |
February 2021 News & Updates Words of gratitude from Artist Relief recipients and evidence that the arts are important to economic recovery, plus the upcoming Poetry Out Loud Virtual State Contest and lots of grant news! Visit our Website Artist Relief grant recipients share gratitude, inspiration Before I even opened the email, I exhaled a sigh of relief,” says Eryk Donovan of Portland, one of 646 Oregon artists to receive an Artist Relief Program grant award from the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Community Foundation and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. “When you are weighed down, and every step is a struggle, anything that lightens the burden is an immeasurable gift,” adds Donovan, who is one of dozens of awarded artists who have shared stories of impact and gratitude with the Arts Commission. “These funds give me hope,” says Joni Kabana. “I promise to utilize them for the benefit of community in some way. I am trying to find an old abandoned building near my home in the Fossil/Spray area to open an art studio and if I can get this to happen in this rural area, I will make sure I use the funds in some way that brings art to residents who live in remote areas. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the tips of my toes.” “The notes are so heartfelt and inspiring,” says Brian Rogers, executive director of the Arts Commission. “They remind us how far a little relief can go in bringing hope right now.” Read more artists comments.  Spray art students gather in front of the old Spray General Store Feb. 17. Artist Relief recipient Joni Kabana will use her award to support transforming the store into a community art center. Photo by Rosie Day. Arts and culture investment boosts economic recovery Here in Oregon and across the nation, arts and culture have a critical role to play in stimulating economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. That is the conclusion of a recent study commissioned by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). The Arts and Culture Sector’s Contributions to Economic Recovery and Resiliency in the United States reveals that the arts are an agile and resilient sector with the capacity to ignite job growth, reduce economic risk, stimulate commerce and attract tourism. Among the key findings is that the arts and cultural sector can improve – not merely reflect – the health of the broader economy. The arts offer economic diversification and can rapidly recover from economic downturns. This was evidenced in the years following the Great Recession of 2008-2009, when states’ arts economies grew much faster than the general economy – and states with larger arts economies showed faster recovery. Learn more about the study.  A scene from Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2020 production of “The Copper Children.” Poetry Out Loud goes virtual March 13 As Oregon’s Poetry Out Loud contest will be fully virtual this year, anyone with internet access can help celebrate our state’s talented youth presenters via a live Facebook streaming event starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 13. Featuring special remarks from Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani and other poets from around the state, the event will be streamed on the Arts Commission Facebook page. Sign interpretation will be included. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in cooperation with state arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to memorize and perform highly regarded poems.  Students from the 2020 Salem regional contest who qualified for the Poetry Out Loud State Contest were (left to right) Faith Palma; Christina Brennan; Jamila Walker (alternate), Olyvia Oeverman; Sevyn South; Gabriella Shirtcliff; and Alejandra Ortega. 247 arts organizations receive operating support awards A total of 247 Oregon arts organizations have received FY2021 operating support grant awards through the Arts Commmission’s Operating Support and Small Operating Grant programs. Awards totaling $910,568 have been distributed to 150 arts organizations through FY2021 Operating Support Program, 12 more recipients than last year due to a growing number of eligible organizations with budgets over $150,000. Another 97 organizations with budgets under $150,000 received Small Operating Grants. Awards reached organizations in virtually every Oregon region. “We often hear that operating support is the most important type of award,” says Arts Commission Chair Anne Taylor. “Especially now, as arts organizations continue to suffer great losses due to the pandemic, these awards can help relieve a bit of the economic pressure.”  Operating Support grant award recipient Ballet Fantastique, Eugene. 2021 Individual Artist Fellowships announced Leading a group of five Oregon performing artists awarded 2021 Individual Artists Fellowships, Okaidja Afroso and Michelle Fujii will share the Oregon Arts Commission’s honorary 2021 Joan Shipley Award. The three additional performing artists awarded 2021 Fellowships are Michael Cavazos, Heidi Duckler and Darryl Thomas. All 2021 Fellows receive $5,000 awards. The Arts Commission’s Fellowship program is open to more than 20,000 artists who call Oregon home. Applications to the program are reviewed by a panel of Oregon arts professionals who consider artists of outstanding talent, demonstrated ability and commitment to the creation of new work(s). The Arts Commission reviews and acts on the panel’s recommendations for fellowship recipients. A total of 113 applications were received for 2021 Fellowships. Performing and visual artists are honored in alternating years. Read the full release including artist bios.  Okaidja Afroso. Photo by Jacob Jonas, The Company. Arts Build Communities grant awards announced Forty organizations using an arts-based solution to address community need will share $180,000 in FY2021 Arts Build Communities grant awards from the Oregon Arts Commission. Projects funded include Applegate Regional Theatre’s drive-in venue where audiences can enjoy musical concerts and theater performances from the comfort and safety of their cars; Portland Playhouse’s live-streamed performances and trauma-informed talkbacks that break down cultural norms about Black masculinity; and The Next Door’s metal art sculpture project with local youth in The Dalles. Read the release listing all recipients and projects.  A student happily receives her violin and music during the Eugene Springfield Youth Orchestras’ recent Instrument Pickup Day. Arts Access Reimbursement grants now available Organizations may now apply for grants to fund expenses related to providing access to arts activities and programs, including virtual events. Access reimbursement grants fund: offset of expenditures for specific access expenses; public access to all individuals who want to participate in arts activities offered by Oregon arts nonprofits; activities to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the identification of best practices in accessibility throughout Oregon. For more information contact [email protected]. Sign language at Portland Playhouse courtesy of Oregon Art Beat. Behind the scenes Caring for the Oregon State Hospital Memorial Eleanor Sandys, the Arts Commission’s interim visual arts coordinator and registrar/research specialist, recently shared her experience documenting the condition of a memorial installation at the Oregon State Hospital in an Oregon Heritage blog post. The Memorial was designed in 2014 by artists Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo of Lead Pencil Studio. “It is has been an honor to spend time with these canisters – to witness their beauty and know their story, ” says Sandys.  Cremains canisters honored at the Oregon State Hospital Memorial. Upcoming grant opportunities Career Opportunity Grants Application deadline: Thursday, March 4 Operating Support Program Application deadline: Monday, March 29 Small Operating Grants Application deadline: Monday, March 29 Shuttered Venue Operator Grants Application to go live soon; read FAQs and prepare now. Oregon Arts Commission | Phone 503-986-0082 | www.oregonartscommission.org STAY CONNECTED |
| Oregon Arts Commission | Oregon Cultural Trust | 775 Summer Street NE #200, Salem, OR 97301 |
| News & Updates Deadline coming right up for the Artist Relief Program, plus a pitch for the new Artists Sunday movement and a shout out to an Oregon artist who just won a big award! Visit our Website Artist Relief Program deadline Tuesday, Nov. 10 As the Nov. 10 deadline looms, more than 700 Oregon artists have already applied to the Oregon Arts Commission’s new Artist Relief Program, offered in partnership with Oregon Community Foundation and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. Awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be distributed until the program fund, totaling just over $1.25 million, is depleted. “Without our artists, there would be no art in Oregon,” says Brian Rogers, executive director of the Arts Commission. ”We are very grateful to our funding partnership to help artist through this difficult time.” The program supports professional artists from specific disciplines who have experienced or anticipate experiencing loss of revenue of $1,000 or more between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2020. Watch a KGW story featuring Governor’s Arts Award recipient Darrell Grant and Corvallis theater artist Tinamarie Ivey.  Performing artists such as members of Third Angle New Music Ensemble have been hit particularly hard by the ongoing ban on large gatherings. Join us to celebrate Artists Sunday on Nov. 29 The Arts Commission is one of 12 Oregon partners in a new national movement to support artists as entrepreneurs – Artists Sunday. Think of it as Black Friday or Small Business Saturday except the focus is holiday shopping for art! Search on the website to discover Oregon artists who have joined the movement. Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 29, Artists Sunday celebrates artists and craftspeople and helps local artists sell more of their work. Members include 650 individual artisans as well as 125 state art agencies, municipalities, counties, chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations, representing thousands of additional artists. Artists who would like to join can register here.  19 organizations receive FY2021 Arts Learning grant awards Nineteen arts organizations received $10,000 grant awards to support their educational projects in partnership with Oregon schools through $190,000 in FY2021 Oregon Arts Commission Arts Learning funding announced today. “Given the challenges Oregon communities are facing, due to the pandemic and the devastating wildfires, this is an especially important time to protect our students’ social and emotional well-being,” says Arts Commission Chair Anne Taylor, who chaired the review panel. One of the organizations receiving funding is Rogue World Music, to support virtual arts instruction for students in the Phoenix Talent School District – recently devastated by wildfires. Rogue World Music is working creatively with teachers to ensure those students will still have access to the program. See the release listing all awards.  Students at Talent Elementary School learn an African gumboot dance as part of the Rogue World Music Songbirds project in fall 2017. Rogue World Music pledges to begin the program online with a FY2021 Arts Learning Grant award from the Arts Commission. Arts Access Reimbursement grants now available Organizations may now apply for grants to fund expenses related to providing access to arts activities and programs, including virtual events. Access reimbursement grants fund: offset of expenditures for specific access expenses; public access to all individuals who want to participate in arts activities offered by Oregon arts nonprofits; activities to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the identification of best practices in accessibility throughout Oregon. For more information contact [email protected]. Sign language at Portland Playhouse courtesy of Oregon Art Beat. Watch on demand 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards Celebration now posted The 2020 Governor’s Arts Award Virtual Celebration, held Thursday, Oct. 15, is now available for on-demand viewing on the Arts Commission’s YouTube Channel . Oregon’s highest honor for exemplary service to the arts, the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards were presented to: Darrell Grant, a jazz musician and educator from Portland; Roberta J. Kirk, a traditional artist and educator from Warm Springs; John Laursen, a writer, designer, editor and typographer from Portland; Toni Pimble, the founding artistic director of the Eugene Ballet; and Portland Gay Men’s Chorus in Portland.  “Wanderers Delight,” one of the 2020 Governor’s Arts Award objects created by wood artist Jim Piper. Metal artist Sara Thompson wins national honor Oregon congratulates Sara Thompson of Portland on winning the prestigious Eric Berg Memorial Prize for Excellence in Metal at the 2020 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Thompson has been working on her craft since she was a child. Apprenticing for a bench jeweler from age 11 to 16, she learned metalsmithing while gaining experience in making a living as a jeweler. She received a bachelor of fine arts in craft with a metal specialty from the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2017. Thompson is drawn to the simplicity of taking a flat, two-dimensional sheet of silver and hammering it into her three-dimensional utilitarian objects and vessels, which she does by using an ancient metalsmithing technique .  Silver nesting bowls and serving tray by Sara Thompson. Oregon Arts Commission | Phone 503-986-0082 | www.oregonartscommission.org |
| Oregon Arts Commission | Oregon Cultural Trust | 775 Summer Street NE #200, Salem, OR 97301 |
Oregon artists may now apply to a new Artist Relief Program created by the Oregon Arts Commission in partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. Awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be distributed until the program fund, totaling just over $1.25 million, is depleted.
“Without our artists, there would be no art in Oregon,” said Brian Rogers, executive director of the Oregon Arts Commission. “We feel strongly that, in addition to the significant relief we were able to provide to arts and cultural organizations through federal CARES Act funds allocated to the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Cultural Trust, we need to offer relief funding to struggling Oregon artists as well. We are extremely grateful to The Oregon Community Foundation and the Miller Foundation for joining us in that effort.”
The purpose of the Artist Relief Program is to provide relief funding to Oregon artists who have experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic due to cancellations of exhibitions, performances, rehearsals or other activities with a stipend, events, teaching opportunities, book signings or other professional presentation opportunities. Guidelines are now posted on the Arts Commission website.
“In times of crisis, artists help us make sense of our world and stay connected to one another,” said Martha Richards, executive director of the Miller Foundation. “The Miller Foundation stands with Oregon artists in this difficult time because we recognize the critical roles they play in our communities and our lives–they are the foundation of our state’s arts ecosystem.”
“Oregon Community Foundation is thrilled to be a partner in this new Artist Relief program,” added Jerry Tischleder, Oregon Community Foundation’s program officer for arts and culture. “We recognize that independent and freelance artists are vital to the recovery of our communities, bringing hope and inspiration to the world while using their creativity to help process the collective trauma, grief and loss we’ve all experienced in these unprecedented times.”
The program supports professional artists from specific disciplines who have experienced or anticipate experiencing loss of revenue of $1,000 or more between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2020.
The artistic disciplines supported are: Literature (creative non-fiction, fiction, play writing and poetry); dance (including choreography); music (composition and music performance); theatre and performance art; folk and traditional arts; visual arts (crafts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media and new media); design arts; and media arts.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Awards must be spent by July 31, 2021.
Artists from underserved communities, including (but not limited to) rural communities and communities of color, as well as artists with disabilities, are especially encouraged to apply.
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Dear Arts and Culture Community,
We must act now. We at the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust stand in solidarity with those who are outraged by the killing of George Floyd and many other Black victims of despicable racial violence.
In the words of Governor Kate Brown, “mourning their loss is not enough. We must commit ourselves to racial justice.” These unforgivable acts of violence are a tragic symptom of a society that tolerates systemic racism, police brutality, white supremacy and oppression.
Now is the time to say enough. All of us, including the thousands of artists and cultural organizations that call Oregon home, must commit ourselves to immediate action. We must examine ourselves and our business practices to ensure we hear, and respond to, the voices that call for change.
We at the Arts Commission and the Cultural Trust promise to listen and learn from Black voices and other voices of color as we navigate our actions forward. We will continue to advocate for, amplify and stand beside the artists, cultural activists and arts professionals who work toward changing long-standing systems of power so that Black people experience equal rights and access, and are free from threat and violence.
To the Black community: we see you, we hear you and we support you. We are working to establish and implement better ways of serving artists of color, especially with artist relief funding. We hope to share details on a program soon.
We ask that you also commit to action now. Begin by reading this compelling open letter from Marcus C. Mundy, the executive director of Oregon’s Coalition of Communities of Color – in it he outlines steps he believes the justice system needs to take immediately.
Please join us in saying YES, Black Lives Matter – then back up those words by working for positive change in Oregon now.
Sincerely,
Anne Taylor, Chair, Oregon Arts Commission
Chuck Sams III, Chair, Oregon Cultural Trust
Brian Rogers, Executive Director, Oregon Arts Commission/Cultural Trust
All Commissioners, Board Members and Staff
PS: More information and ways to get involved in the call for racial justice are available from Don’t Shoot Portland, the Black United Fund, The Portland African American Leadership Forum, The Urban League of Portland, NAACP Oregon and the MRG Foundation.
May 2020 Oregon Arts Commission News & Updates
A call for Governor’s Arts Award nominations, updated COVID-19 resources, a live Facebook event to celebrate 2020 Poetry Out Loud students and 2020 Individual Artist Fellows announced!
Deadline May 26
Nominations open for 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards
Governor Kate Brown recently opened nominations for the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards. The Arts Awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts in Oregon. They are held periodically as funding allows.
The Governor’s Arts Awards are open to any individual, organization or community that currently resides in or has a significant presence in Oregon and has made outstanding contributions to the arts in the state. A special category for 2020 recognizes virtual arts engagement during the COVID-19 health crisis.
Awardees will be honored on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg. Note: If social distancing prevents a public gathering, the event will be produced as a live-streamed Facebook event.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26. The 148 past recipients of an Award are not eligible. Read the full release.
Traditional American Indian storyteller Esther Stutzman, a 2017 Governor’s Arts Award recipient.
CARES Act funding awarded to Operating Support recipients
Relief funding awards will soon be distributed to more than 130 Oregon arts organizations who have previously received Operating Support grant awards from the Arts Commission. Made possible through CARES Act funding awarded to the National Endowment for the Arts, the awards require review for artistic merit and quality, which is included in Operating Support panel review. Awards will range from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on budget size.
In approving the awards at its May 1 meeting, the Arts Commission also called for the creation of an Ad Hoc committee to discuss FY2021 grant fund allocations.
Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, an Operating Support grant award recipient.
Updated COVID-19 resources for arts organizations
The Arts Commission continues to update relief resources for arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis. New to the list is $450,000 in funding from Oregon Humanities made possible by the CARES Act funding to the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Western States Arts Federation’s WESTAF CARES Relief Fund for Organizations, which opened May 6.
The Business Oregon Small Business Navigator is updated daily, with many resources open to nonprofits.
Live Facebook event to celebrate Poetry Out Loud students –
Mark your calendars!
The Oregon high school students who qualified for Oregon’s State Poetry Out Loud Contest will be celebrated in a live Facebook event at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27. The State Contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 health crisis, as was the national Poetry Out Loud contest.
“The students worked so hard to prepare their poems for the State Contest,” said Deb Vaughn, who coordinates the Arts Commission’s Poetry Out Loud contest. “They deserve this opportunity to share their achievements.”
Poetry Out Loud is a national contest for high school students, organized in Oregon by the Oregon Arts Commission in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
2020 Individual Artist Fellows announced
Nine Oregon artists have been awarded 2020 Individual Artist Fellowships by the Oregon Arts Commission. The 2020 fellowships recognize and support artists working in the visual arts.
The visual artists awarded 2020 fellowships are: Julia Bradshaw, Corvallis; Melanie Flood, Portland; Erik Geschke, Portland; Colin Ives, Eugene; ruben garcia marrufo, Portland; sidony o’neal (Shipley Fellow), Portland; Kaj-anne Pepper, Portland; Maya Vivas, Portland; and Sarah Wertzberger, Portland.
Fellows are recommended by a panel of Oregon arts professionals who consider artists of outstanding talent, demonstrated ability and commitment to the creation of new work(s). The Arts Commission reviews and acts on the panel’s recommendations.
sidony o’neal, “And Now, Square Trees,” Installation View, Fourteen 30, 2019
Americans for the Arts surveys national relief success
Americans for the Arts recently launched The CARES Act Arts Funding Tracker to learn who in the arts has applied for federal relief funds (PPP, disaster relief, NEA, etc.) and their success as well as harvest stories about how the arts are being used in local pandemic response or recovery efforts.
Upcoming grant deadlines
Small Operating Grant Program: Monday, June 1. Contact: Liora Sponko
Operating Support Program: Monday, June 1. Contact: Kat Bell
Arts Learning Program: Wednesday, June 17. Contact: Deb Vaughn
Oregon Arts Commission | Phone 503-986-0082 | www.oregonartscommission.org
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