Trust Manager Kimberly Howard (R), with members of the Stayton Public Library Foundation, an MCDC grantee for this year.

Last night Trust Manager Kimberly Howard and I ended our day in the beautiful town of Silverton, east of Salem. We had come for the Marion Cultural Development Corporation’s annual grant awards ceremony at the Silverton Inn & Suites. After 6 weeks on the job at the Cultural Trust, this was my first trip beyond Portland, Salem and Government Camp.As the grant recipients stood to be recognized, I was struck by the emphasis on education among the successful applicants. From storyteller programs at the Stayton Public Library to guitars and lessons for Mill City Middle School 8th graders, it occurred to me that the non-profit world has stepped up in a big way to supplement the programming lost in our public schools.

Given the slow economic recovery and diminished cultural instruction in schools, the Oregon Cultural Trust could not be more important. In addition to our direct granting process, the Trust supports all 36 county cultural coalitions and 9 tribal coalitions; in turn the coalitions grant much of that money to organizations in their communities. The Marion County MCDC’s results have been mind blowing. Children’s Educational Theater will provide scholarships for up to 20 children to partake of their 5 week summer camp. Gates Elementary School will be able to operate its summer reading program. The Gordon House can now implement its “Trunk Show,” a mobile school curriculum on Frank Lloyd Wright. The AC Gilbert House will run an educational outreach program and Willamette Heritage Center will partner with Boys & Girls’ Club and YMCA on presentations, tours and traveling exhibits. The Woodburn Arts Center will help high school students recreate some of their art, which was lost in last Friday’s fire at Woodburn High School.

But the grants were not all about kids. After all, the arts are for people of all ages. The Willamette Master Chorus, for example, will be able to offer free and reduced cost tickets for military veterans to attend a concert in their honor, the Aurora Colony will host “A Walk With Emma,” a living history walking tour, Salem Multicultural Institute will hold its 15th annual World Beat festival June 30-July 1. The Native American Cross Cultural Association will buy a PA system and teepee for its traveling presentations, reaching out to Native Americans of all tribal affiliations.

For the last two years, the Trust has been using the tagline, “This is Culture.” I’m beginning to think the tag should be, “This is Culture. We Make It Happen – Together.” The Cultural Trust; the county and tribal coalitions; the community organizations; their armies of volunteers, and our fabulous donors. When we invest in culture, we can see the stunning results of communities pulling together. Thank you for making culture happen in Oregon. Congratulations Marion County grantees!

-Meryl Lipman, Trust Communications Manager.

Photo by Kay Pendleton, Trust Manager Kimberly Howard (R) with members of MCDC grantee, The Stayton Public Library Foundation.