Cultural Coalition of Washington County Awards $44,061 in Grants to Local Organizations for 2021

Washington County, Oregon: The Cultural Coalition of Washington County (CCWC) recently awarded grants totaling $44,061 to 25 local organizations for cultural projects to be conducted between January and December 2021. Grants were distributed through a competitive process to address goals of the Washington County Cultural Plan in amounts ranging from $670 to $2,000.

 

“Our local arts, culture, heritage organizations and schools rely on funding to provide educational and cultural programming for our communities. The CCWC is pleased to invest the Oregon Cultural Trust funding at the local level in Washington County during this critical time,” notes Melissa Moore, CCWC Coalition Chair. Projects will take into consideration state COVID guidelines. Grants will support projects including mentoring of students in technical theater skills, production of original plays, musical events and training via virtual and in person experiences, virtual theater, children’s programs, library programs, heritage, marketing, and digital art experiences in communities from Tualatin to Hillsboro and all points in between.

 

Funding for this grant program comes entirely from the Oregon Cultural Trust, which distributes money to Oregon counties and tribes annually to support local community cultural programs. This year’s awards bring the total of grants distributed in Washington County over the past seventeen years to over $719,000. The Oregon Cultural Trust receives its support through a unique tax credit program. Any Oregon resident can make a donation to the Trust and then match that with a donation to a local arts, heritage or humanities organization, for example one of the organizations listed below. Then, when it is time to pay their Oregon taxes, the donation to the local organization qualifies as a charitable contribution, and the donation to the Trust can be deducted as a full Oregon tax credit (you get the whole match back). For details on the program or to make a donation, visit the Oregon Cultural Trust website.

 

The CCWC was appointed by the Washington County Board of Commissioners to administer and distribute funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust to support locally based arts, heritage and humanities projects. For more information about the CCWC, visit its website.

 

The CCWC 2021 Grant Awards:

Organization Name Grant Awarded Project Description   Association of Seniors of Indian Origin $      2,000 To build awareness of web and social media-based support network for seniors of Indian origin. Recruit and coordinate volunteer-based cultural engagement activities. ARTMAX Academy $      2,000 Expanding ArtMax services by creating and uploading educational videos for public use including common and exotic instruments, language(s), calligraphy. Bag & Baggage Productions $      2,000 A fully-staged and recorded World Premiere of the play created by the 2019/20 Emerging Artist cohort at Bag & Baggage Beaverton Arts Foundation $      1,500 Convene facilitated listening sessions for leaders of historically underrepresented arts and cultural communities to inform PRCA operations and programming. Beaverton Civic Theatre $      2,000 8-week series of one-hour interactive theatre workshops for elementary school students that explore arts, math, and science. Broadway Rose Theatre Company $      2,000 Paid technical theatre internships foster relationships between professionals and high school/college students to train/mentor young adults interested in careers in theatre. Curvy Chic Closet Foundation $      2,000 We host the only virtual fashion show in Washington County featuring over 35-45 models, 9 Pacific NW designers, 4 photographers. Experience Theatre Project $      2,000 A family-friendly free summer festival celebrating the art of William Shakespeare featuring live performances, artists, and vendors. Golden Road Arts $      2,000 Providing online art education resources free and accessible for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents for K-5th graders in Washington County. Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra $      1,000 Develop modern and relevant corporate documents to better support HSO as we grow into the future. Hillsboro Tuesday Night Market $      1,000 This grant will help us secure local bands and entertainment for our Main & 3rd Ave stages and plaza. Library Foundation of Hillsboro $      2,000 The Generous Words project will help get quality, representational children’s literature into the hands and homes of Hillsboro youth. Mask & Mirror Community Theatre $      1,900 Free, online “radio theatre” performances made available to all during the COVID-19 shutdown of live theatre performances. Oregon Chorale $      2,000 Emerging Voices will help high school students with a self-defined project, offering free voice lessons, professional recordings, and harmony coaching. Portland Community College Foundation, Inc. $      2,000 The “Experience Music Series” is a lecture and concert series that brings the excitement of live music to Washington County. Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals $      2,000 The Museum seeks funds for hardware that will help us generate digital content and navigate the effects of COVID-19. Sherwood Public Library $         670 Social Justice Story Hour is a program to normalize discussions about race, cultural differences, and the work of creating equity. STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy $      1,400 An innovative platform for youth using a digital camera to create visual theatre. The Immigrant Story $      2,000 The Immigrant Story Live is a free public event series that celebrates immigrant communities of color through music and storytelling. Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District $      2,000 THPRD will host a neighborhood concert and celebration in honor of African American Music Appreciation Month in June 2021. Tualatin Valley Creates $      1,966 TVC is creating a cultural art pass intended to provide exposure for local businesses and strengthen Washington County’s art audiences. Twality Band $      2,000 All students deserve to have specialized instruction in music education. We will bring more opportunity for students. Washington County Play to Stage $         995 Provide a venue for local playwrights to have their new and original plays performed on stage. West Union Elementary (Hillsboro School District) $      1,630 All students in grades 4-6 will receive an integrated cultural learning kit to complete a curricular unit of study. Willowbrook Center for the Development of Human Potential $      2,000 Willowbrook is building capacity for virtual arts and culture-based programming in partnership with the City of Tualatin.   $    44,061  Total Amount Awarded