Amid a federal government shutdown, Trump-ordered troops rolling into Portland to quell a fabricated uprising, the federal shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and large-scale canceling of previously approved arts and cultural grants from the national endowments for the arts and humanities, Oregon artists and arts & cultural organizations have received a little good news: The Oregon Cultural Trust has awarded a record $4.15 million in grants across the state, and the Oregon Arts Commission has awarded $310,000 in arts learning grants to 31 organizations, also across the state.
The Cultural Trust credits its record disbursement to an increase in fiscal year 2025 donations, as well as investment earnings. The Arts Commission grants are aimed specifically for arts education projects by cultural groups from Astoria to Portland to Baker City, Klamath Falls, and more.
The grants are important not only for their recipients, but also, at a time of across-the-board fiscal upheaval, for the economic and cultural stability of their communities.
“The arts, heritage and humanities thrive in every corner of Oregon, and the Oregon Cultural Trust is proud to support this essential work in communities large and small,” Sean Andries, board chair of the Cultural Trust, said in a news release. “In the face of national funding disruptions, we invite all Oregonians to take advantage of our unique cultural tax credit right here at home and help ensure a steady, reliable endowment for culture both now and for generations to come.”
Oregon Cultural Trust awards
Among the $4.15 million in awards is $1,038,285 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 $1,038,285 for 45 County and Tribal Cultural Coalitions, which in turn award about 450 grants annually in their communities.
Another $2,076,570 in competitive Cultural Development Program grants was awarded to 91 cultural nonprofit groups across the state. Those grants range from $5,000 to $40,000, with an average of $22,810. You can see the Trust’s explanation of each grant here.
A sampling of the grants, as reported by the Cultural Trust:
Sponsor
High Desert Museum, Bend: $20,000 to support development of its Volcanoes exhibit and associated programming.
Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts, Pendleton: $40,000 to support its resident printmaking and traditional arts programs for Native artists.
Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Wallowa: $28,000 to support the growth and sustainability of the Tamkaliks Celebration and Friendship Feast.
Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, Joseph: $40,000 to support access to Nez Perce culture and history for both tribal members and rural Oregonians through a cultural engagement project.
Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge, Beaverton: $40,000 to install an environmentally friendly and long-lasting septic system as part of the restoration of the historic Santiam Pass Ski Lodge Community Center.
Medicine Bear Native American Spiritual Encampment, Portland: $20,000 to support expansion of Medicine Bear’s Artist Apprenticeship Program and arts programming at the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center.
Northwest Alliance for Alternative Media and Education, Portland: $40,000 to support arts programming for more than 360 young people in youth correctional facilities throughout the state.
Sponsor
Old Church Society Inc., Portland: $20,000 to support roof repairs for the historic building, home to many musical and other cultural events.
Portland Street Art Alliance, Portland: $40,000 to aid the launch the Clatskanie Mural Festival, a new regional initiative led by Street Art Alliance (in partnership with the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce.
Portland SummerFest (Opera in the Park), Portland: $30,000 to aid the first-ever free public performances of the mariachi opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, at Peninsula Park in Portland and Shute Park in Hillsboro in August 2026.
Restore Oregon, Portland: $27,200 to help provide technical and advocacy support for historical renovation projects statewide.
SMART Reading, Portland: $10,000 to aid access to culturally inclusive children’s literature and reading experiences for underserved Oregon communities by funding the purchase and distribution of new, culturally diverse books in rural parts of Oregon.
Oregon Repertory Singers, Portland: $5,000 to upgrade the group’s outdated Constituent Relationship Management system.
Fool House Art Collective, Lake Oswego: $8,000 to help transform Fool House’s ADA-accessible rehearsal and performance studio into an affordable, fully equipped black box venue.
Sponsor
Astoria Arts and Movement Center, Astoria: $40,000 to help historically restore the center’s space in an old Odd Fellows ballroom.
Neskowin Coast Foundation aka Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Pacific City: $40,000 to support access to high-quality arts education for more than 5,000 low-income children and youth by partnering with Title 1 schools in rural areas of Oregon’s north coastal region.
Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival Association, Newport: $24,000 to help expand activities and events and the number of high school orchestra students and professional conductors and composers participating in the 10-year anniversary of the Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival in Newport.
Ballet Fantastique, Eugene: $7,500 to aid the purchase of a high-resolution laser projector for in-house theatrical use.
Lane Arts Council, Eugene: $27,000 to support “embedding belonging, inclusion and accessibility into all aspects of its work.”
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Association, Ashland: $40,000 to support the festival’s FAIR Program, a career development initiative that bridges equity gaps by providing hands-on training, stipends and mentorship to emerging artists and administrators.
***
Sponsor
First time recipients include 19 organizations, the majority serving communities outside the Portland/Metro area:
- India Cultural Association (Portland)
- Columbia Gorge Discovery Center (The Dalles)
- Wild Rivers Coast Foundation for Dance (Brookings)
- Casa de la Cultura Tlanese (Salem)
- Hood Unida (Rhododendron)
- Siletz Regalia Sharing Closet (Portland)
- Fool House Collective (Lake Oswego)
- Dry Canyon Arts Association (Redmond)
- Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association (Portland)
- Flip Museum Incorporated (Beaverton)
- Dorymen’s Heritage Center (Pacific City)
- Medicine Bear Native American Spiritual Encampment (Portland)
- BASE (Medford)
- Bedrock Theatre (Gresham)
- Astoria Arts and Movement Center (Astoria)
- Oaks Park Association (Portland)
- Columbia Basin Basketry Guild (Portland)
- Albina Music Trust (Portland)
- Historic Jacksonville, Inc. (Jacksonville)
See a full list of County and Tribal Cultural Coalition award allocations.
See a list of the 91 Cultural Development awards, alphabetical by region.
Oregon Arts Commission learning grants
The $310,000 in awards breaks down to $10,000 for each of 31 arts organizations to strengthen K-12 arts education during the 2026 fiscal year in collaboration with local schools and communities across Oregon.
“Through this grant program, thousands of students will have an opportunity to engage with creative practices that enhance cognitive skills, problem-solving and self-empowerment through the arts,” Tiff Harker, Arts Education Coordinator, said in a news statement. “We congratulate these awarded arts organizations that partner with educators to make these new learning projects possible for Oregon students.”
See the full list with explanations of the projects here. Receiving grants are:
- Architectural Foundation of Oregon, Portland
- Art Center East, La Grande
- Astoria Arts and Movement Center, Astoria
- Beaverton Symphony Orchestra, Beaverton
- Crossroads Creative and Performing Arts Center Inc., Baker City
- Dalles Art Association, The Dalles
- Echo Theater Company, Portland
- Empowered Movement Aerial, Hood River
- Ethos Inc., Portland
- Fishtrap Inc., Enterprise
- Illinois Valley Community Development Organization, Cave Junction
- Lane Arts Council, Eugene
- Literary Arts, Inc., Portland
- Maxtivity, Philomath
- MetroEast Community Media, Gresham
- Miracle Theatre Group, Portland
- Montavilla Jazz Festival, Portland
- Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland
- Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival Association, Newport
- Oregon Symphony Association in Salem, Portland
- Play It Forward, Beaverton
- Portland Playhouse, Portland
- Rainbow Dance Theatre, Monmouth
- Rex Putnam Music Boosters, Milwaukie
- Riverbend Live!, Winston
- Rogue Valley Art Association, Medford
- Ross Ragland Theater, Klamath Falls
- STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy, Hillsboro
- The High Desert Museum, Bend
- Willamette University – Pacific Northwest College of Art, Salem
- Wordcrafters in Eugene, Eugene