News & Events
Today is Grant Application Deadline. Now, What's Next?
Cultural Trust Development Grant applications are due TODAY at 5pm!
Once that deadline has passed, Cultural Trust staff will read and summarize applications and enter the information into our database.
In June and July, four grant panels will convene. The creativity panel leads with its session on June 25. The capacity panel will meet on June 27. In July, access and preservation panels will gather - July 10 and 11, respectively.
Panel meetings are open to the public and applicants are encouraged to attend. However, representatives from applicant organizations may not make presentations to the panel or participate in the discussion.
Again this year we are offering the opportunity to participate in the panel meetings via teleconference webinar. Visit the Webinars page of the Cultural Trust website for information closer to the dates on to call-in and listen to the panel discussion. www.culturaltrust.org/webinars
Panelists will discuss and score each application in their respective categories. Then the ranked applications from each of the four review panels in Preservation, Capacity, Creativity and Access will be reviewed by a "super panel" which will develop a final list of awards.
The Trust Board will award FY2014 grants at its July 25 meeting and grant announcements will be made by July 30, 2013.
Opinion Pieces Abound in Support of the Cultural Tax Credit
From Pendleton to Medford, from Sisters to McMinnville, 15 business, arts and community leaders across Oregon wrote opinion pieces in support of the Cultural Trust for their local papers this spring.
These intrepid writers included Lee Weinstein (Hood River News), Bob Speltz (Portland Business Journal), Rachael Cristine Woody and Richard Schmidt (McMinnville News-Register), Kathleen Davis (Medford Mail Tribune), Amy Cuddy (Ashland Daily Tidings), John Byrne (Corvallis Gazette-Tmes), Mike Thorne (East Oregonian), Rebecca Bond (Albany Democrat-Herald), Katy Yoder (Nugget Newspaper, Sisters), Kate Lasky (Grants Pass Daily Courier), Riki Saltzman (Eugene Register-Guard), Ed Arrington (Hillsboro Argus), Greg Fitz-gerald (Eugene Register-Guard), Brad Betz (Corvallis Gazette-Times), and Stephen Marc Beaudoin (Oregon Humanities Magazine).
In addition, three newspapers wrote spring editorials in support of the Trust - The Daily Astorian, Medford Mail-Tribune and East Oregonian. Thank you for raising awareness about the Cultural Tax Credit and all that the Trust does to fuel our economy, inspire our children, engage our citizens and enhance our quality of life.
"Supporting the Cultural Tax Credit is good economic policy. To many, arts and culture seem nice but not necessary. But Jackson County's economic strength would be bleak without our thriving cultural institutions... the enormous economic benefit that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Britt Festivals, and other cultural attractions bring to our county. Visitors to our area spend many thousands of dollars in hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, and local shops supporting jobs from entry-level to sophisticated management. Cultural tourism in Jackson County enlivens every aspect of our community economy, our community pride, our community identity. "
-Kathleen Davis, Medford Mail Tribune
"As Sisters Folk Festival's Development Director, I see firsthand the correlation between the Cultural Trust tax credit and contributions SFF receives. The tax credit shines a light on organizations like ours and is an incentive for donors to choose SFF as a beneficiary of their donation dollars. The money SFF receives funds art and music classes in the public schools as well as programs like the Americana Song & Art Academy, Americana Song Academy for Youth and the Americana Arts Outreach Scholarship fund."
-Katy Yoder, Nugget Newspaper
"The Trust builds community in counties large and small, and it increases philanthropy in Oregon, requiring donors to give to cultural groups, then to the Trust in order to use the innovative tax credit. Trust grants must also be matched, attracting additional community investment in culture."
-Lee Weinstein, Hood River News
"The Trust is a wonderful way in which a small portion of an individual's Oregon tax obligation can be given to a worthy local activity or entity." -Mike Thorne, East Oregonian "As business leaders, we know the arts, heritage and humanities create the kind of environment where people want to live and work, and where business wants to locate, invest and grow."
-Bob Speltz, Portland Business Journal
Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Humanities Make New Hires
The Oregon Arts Commission's new assistant director, former Corvallis Arts Center Executive Director David Huff, will join the Commission on May 17, 2013.
Prior to his two-year position at The Arts Center, Huff was curator and exhibition coordinator at Pro Arts, the largest community-supported arts nonprofit in Oakland, CA. He is a graduate of California College of the Arts. In Corvallis, Huff worked in concert with The Arts Center's board of directors to strengthen programs, advocate for the role of the arts in civic life, and balance the center's budget, following city-wide budget reductions. Under his leadership, The Arts Center increased its arts programs serving incarcerated youth and expanded its visionary ArtsCare program offered in partnership with Samaritan Health Services. The Center's thought-provoking exhibition, The Last Supper, showcasing the work of Corvallis artist Julie Green, was profiled in The New York Times and has since traveled to other venues.
As Oregon Arts Commission's assistant director, Huff will oversee grants, technology and finances, which includes helping to make and award grants, tracking the money and following up with artists and art organizations.
Christine D'Arcy, executive director of the Arts Commission, said, "David Huff is recognized as one of Oregon's most promising young arts managers. He knows the Arts Commission's work not only as a grantee but as a participant in the Leadership Exchanges that are part of our capacity building work for arts organizations. His work at The Arts Center in Corvallis has brought national recognition to Oregon. We look forward to his joining our team."
Adam Davis, the current director of The Center for Civic Reflection in Chicago, will join Oregon Humanities as executive director on August 5.
The Center for Civic Reflection is a national organization that uses the humanities to encourage diverse groups to think and talk about the meaning, value, and impact of their work in the world. While working for CCR, since 2007, Davis focused on building community and strengthening commitment to civic life. Davis also co-founded Camp of Dreams (2004-08), a nonprofit providing year-round programming for under-served youth in Chicago.
He teaches philosophy and literature in the Odyssey Project, an analog to Oregon Humanities' Humanity in Perspective program for low-income adults and he has worked with the Illinois Humanities Council. He holds a doctorate in political philosophy from the University of Chicago.
Carole Shellhart, Oregon Humanities' director of finance and operations, will serve as interim executive director until Davis' tenure begins.
Tax Day Has Passed. Let the Refunds Begin.
Yesterday was tax day. Hopefully Trust donors filed 2012 taxes on time and are anticipating a refund or diminished tax liability from the Oregon Cultural Tax Credit.
New donors in particular have expressed pleasant surprise at their refund amounts. One first-time Cultural Trust contributor, who gave as an individual in 2012, reported an $1100 refund, "in a year where I freelanced four months and thought I would owe."
The pull to do year-end giving is strong among Trust donors. Many contributors tally their nonprofit donations after Thanksigiving and match the total with a gift to the Trust in December. Others await the Willamette Week Give!Guide to find resonant nonprofit projects. Others give holiday gifts in honor or memory of a friend or family member.
Although the tax year is a calendar year, the Trust operates on a fiscal year system, July 1 - June 30. That means the amount of money raised by June 30 will directly impact what can be given in grants this coming summer. Not only will contributions between now and June 30 affect the funding available for competitive grants, it will affect the amounts available for the county cultural and tribal coalitions and the five statewide partners that do significant outreach across all of Oregon.
Therefore, please consider making your gift to the Trust this spring instead of this winter, to ensure maximum funding for the worthy projects that make Oregon a great place to live, work, play and visit. Give to the Trust today and increase grant making for the 2013-14 year!
Partner Focus: Oregon Historical Society Expands Digital Outreach
Oregon Historical Society may specialize in tactile primary source material, in rooms and rooms of historic photos, letters, manuscripts, artifacts and documents, and in interactive exhibits for the whole family, but that doesn't mean this Cultural Trust partner has not embraced the digital age.
Through a grant from the Hallie Ford Endowment and funding from another Cultural Trust partner, the Oregon Heritage Commission, OHS will up its investment in the Oregon Encyclopedia, originally created and run by Portland State University with significant help from Willamette University.
OHS has also reinvested in two of its own digital programs that, while operational, have been underutilized. The Oregon History Project and Oregon TimeWeb, created in 2003 and 2009, respectively, will soon be fully utilized thanks to the Hallie Ford grant, OHC funding, and National Endowment for the Humanities awards to fund Oregon TimeWeb and the integration of all three platforms. The Oregon Encyclopedia is an online encyclopedia of Oregon historical figures, events, places, and cultural norms, 1100 entries strong, with 500 authors having contributed, and specializing in topics underrepresented in traditional sources, including women and minorities. Oregon History Project is more primary source driven, with archives and artifacts annotated, digitized and uploaded to the web, according to new Project Manager Amy Platt, who oversees all three digital outreach tools. OHP has also introduced historical narratives and lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom. Oregon TimeWeb contains much of the same information as the history project, but in a in an intricate timeline format.
The current integration of the three resources means that OHS now holds the largest authoritative digital collection of information on Oregon history and culture. Anticipated as an educational resource, Platt said she has noticed more activity on the sites during the school year, with hits dropping off in the summers and over winter and spring breaks.
Oregon History Timeweb
The Oregon History Project
The Oregon Encylopedia
Partner Focus: Oregon Heritage Commission Seeks and Designates "Heritage All-Star" Communities
Rife with heritage sites, homes, museums, a carousel and a 150-year old mill, not to mention antique stores and historic downtown, Albany, Oregon is indeed a model heritage community, attracting local and out-of-state visitors to its charming main street, pastoral surroundings and nearby historic covered bridge loop.
Albany was the first city in Oregon to be recognized by the Oregon Heritage Commission as an "Oregon Heritage All-Star Community" in October, 2012. Oregon Heritage Commission approved the new designation based on criteria hammered out by its board and staff last summer.
According to OHC Coordinator Kyle Jansson, the new program was "homegrown" and not based on national models. "This designation is a pat on the back for the communities that are doing great things in this area, and also incentive for other communities to improve local heritage efforts."
He noted that the designation, which has now been extended to two other cities, Roseburg and Cottage Grove, "is something communities can use on grant applications, in promotional efforts, and tourism marketing."
The OHC also sees the designation as a way of bringing local heritage organizations together to collaborate with each other. "It raises awareness within communities about heritage resources," said Jansson. Communities seeking the Heritage All-Star designation must satisfy 15 of the 20 criteria.
Those criteria include having a heritage preservation program in place, having a process for surveying and documenting historic properties and applying to the National Register of Historic Places, nonprofit partners, history museum, cultural heritage coalition, school programs, heritage website, public archive (including photo archive), heritage tourism partnerships, historic cemetery designation, oral histories, and heritage events.
In addition to Albany, Roseburg and Cottage Grove, several more cities and towns have applied for the designation. OHC is requesting applications for 2013 designation by April 11, 2013.
Trust Around Town: The Capitol Comes Alive with Arts Leading Up To Advocacy Day April 25
As the 2013 Oregon Legislature swings into session (February 4), many eyes will be on the unique Cultural Tax Credit, the main, vital revenue stream for the Oregon Cultural Trust.
This innovative Oregon law enacted in December 2002, will sunset at the end of this year if not renewed by the Legislature this spring. On April 25, the Creative Advocacy Coalition will hold a rally and day of advocacy meetings at the Capitol Building in Salem, to support renewal of the Cultural Tax Credit.
Leading up to and following this event, several performing arts groups will be showing excerpts from their current seasons in the Capitol Rotunda at noon.
March 8, Portland Opera
April 11, Metropolitan Youth Symphony
May 10, PHAME Academy
June 14, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Dragon Puppet Theatre
Partner Focus: Oregon Humanities is Seeking a Few Good People
Oregon Humanities' The Conversation Project is all about talking to strangers. And recruitment efforts are underway for Oregon leaders who want to facilitate public discussions as part of this statewide program, funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust.
The Conversation Project offers Oregon nonprofits free, educational public discussion programs about important topics that affect our daily lives.
The program goal is to give diverse communities statewide-neighbors and strangers alike-the opportunity to engage in humanities-based, public conversations that are timely and relevant.
Through Friday, March 8, 2013, Oregon Humanities is seeking humanities scholars - artists, community leaders, innovators, provocateurs, and other engaged thinkers to apply to become conversation leaders for our 2013-15 season.
Great Conversation Project leaders are smart, passionate about ideas, able to listen to others, and curious-individuals who understand the role of the humanities in the public sphere, but who are also teachers at heart, regardless of their day job. Since 2009, this opportunity has afforded Oregon scholars the chance to travel the state and share their passion for ideas with Oregonians, thus enhancing civic discourse and broadening their own perspectives in the process.
A current conversation leader from Portland State University recently told Oregon Humanities, "Thanks for setting up all these amazing opportunities. I was just thinking the other day how incredibly different my life would be if I hadn't decided to take the chance and apply."
For more information, including Request for Proposals and online application, please visit oregonhumanities.org
-Annie Kaffen, Oregon Humanities
Conversation Project leader Pancho Savery, photo by Kim Nguyen
Coos Art Museum The Sole West Coast Venue For American Society of Marine Artists' National Exhibit March 22-May 18
The 15th Annual National Exhibition of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) is more than a traveling exhibit for the Coos Art Museum (CAM) in Coos Bay. It is a prestigious nod from an important national arts group. The show, which runs March 22 - May 18 at the museum is supported, in part, with a $4,800 grant from the Cultural Trust.
The Coos Art Museum is one of only seven museums in the country chosen by ASMA to host this exhibiton, an important distinction that will raise the museum's profile. The museum also is the sole venue West Coast venue selected to participate; as a result, the museum will be featured in all ASMA's national advertising and marketing materials throughout the year.
CAM will also host its 20th Annual Maritime Artists' Exhibit this summer. The regional show will include work by local, regional and national artists specializing in maritime art. Both exhibitions are expected to attract upward of 2,000 visitors, many from out of town. In the past, the ASMA has been a sponsor of the CAM Maritime Artists' Exhibit, leading to greater national exposure for several Oregon artists as well as for the museum itself.
Tourism brings money to the coastal economy, and museum officials expect the exhibit will be big for Coos Bay. "We know that when a dollar is spent here it travels around (the community). When visitors come here, they eat, sleep, they visit the beaches, and other museums," said CAM Financial Manager Deryl Beebe.
CAM also received Cultural Trust grants in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011 for various projects, among them improvements to the Claire Wehrle Community Gallery, which will host a photo exhibit of the Coos Bay Longshoremen, sponsored by the Boat Builder's Association of Coos Bay, during the ASMA exhibit. The Cultural Trust's FY2011 grant to CAM supported the installation of a hanging system for schoolchildren's and local art, creating a gathering space for locals as well as visitors.
Beebe said CAM is honored to have received these Cultural Trust grants. "(It means) the Cultural Trust has faith in us, that they know this will help keep the museum alive."
FY2014 Grant Application process Open; Proposals due May 15
It is that time of year again!
The Cultural Trust's Fiscal Year 2014 Cultural Development Grant application cycle begins February 15, 2013, with all applications due online, by 5pm May 15, 2013.
Cultural Development grants support significant cultural programs and projects in Oregon. Grants are awarded in four broad categories: Access, Capacity, Creativity, and Preservation. Only 501©(3) arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits based in Oregon are eligible to apply.
We are encouraging all potential grant applicants to visit our Cultural Development Grants page on our website where grant guidelines, answers to frequently asked questions and information on how to register for “Grants Chat” a webinar series.
Cultural Development grants are available for activities that will take place between August 1, 2013 and July 31, 2014.
Oregon's county and tribal cultural coalitions, funded by the Cultural Trust, also award important grants to cultural programs in their communities.
Oregon’s 42county and tribal coalitions also award local cultural programs with grants funded through the Cultural Trust. To find a coalition and its grant application information, click here.