Over a million dollars has been deployed by a philanthropic organization--to support the arts in Oregon.
The Oregon Community Foundation is one of the state’s largest supporters of the arts. The newest round of grants will assist historically under-funded artists including those in BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.
Jerry Tischleder is Program Officer for Arts and Culture with OCF. He said the funding will assist artists impacted by the pandemic. “You know, arts and culture groups have been especially hard hit over these last two years with losses reported at over $66 million dollars in 2020 alone,” he said. “Social gathering is often their life-blood so the impact has been huge.”
Seventy-six community-based arts organizations have been awarded grants through the Arts and Culture Recovery Fund. One recipient is Oregon Black Pioneers, an historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting African American experiences. Another is the Soromundi Lesbian Chorus of Eugene. Tischleder added money will also go to nine tribes throughout the state.
In addition to the grants, OCF has awarded $1 million in funding to the Oregon Arts Commission to support individual artists across the state through the Artist Resilience Program.
