Oregon Council for the Humanities awards $34,000 to nonprofits across the state
Grants awarded for projects that address controversial topics, explore rarely heard Oregon stories.
29 June 2008 | Permalink
Nine organizations across the state, some of whose programs address difficult, controversial topics or explore rarely heard Oregon stories, will receive $34,000 in grants from the Oregon Council for the Humanities (OCH).
The OCH board of directors has awarded Public Program Grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to support projects that explore the humanities in participatory and dynamic ways.
OCH Program Director Jennifer Allen says, “The board and staff are pleased that many of the programs we funded this cycle will explore the diverse stories of Oregonians, including the oral histories of rural families who have farmed the same eastern Oregon landscape for generations, a documentary about Portland-area teens and adults who are transforming their lives through writing, and a GLBT film festival in southern Oregon.”
OCH Public Program Grant recipients for the spring 2008 cycle are as follows:
Ashland—$3,500 to Not Straight Not Sure/Abdill-Ellis Lambda Community Center for the Opening Our Eyes: Southern Oregon GLBT Film Series, a component of the Opening Our Eyes film and educational project. The series will be held in two parts, during GLBT PRIDE week in July and “Coming Out” month in October.
Cannon Beach—$3,000 to the Cannon Beach Historical Society for the “Politics of Sand” exhibit, which will be displayed in the Cannon Beach History Center rotating exhibit space from February to December 2009. The exhibit will include artifacts related to the Oregon Beach Bill and Measure 6, a documentary, and 23 oral histories.
Pendleton—$2,500 to the Umatilla County 4-H Youth Program for the interactive project “Telling the Stories of Umatilla County Century Farm Families.” The program will engage youth in preserving the rich agricultural stories of Umatilla County through interviews, films, and websites portraying century farm families as a legacy for future generations.
Portland—$5,000 to B-Word Worldwide for the Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture Lecture Series, a four-evening lecture series that will be held in September 2008, November 2008, February 2009, and April 2009 at the Portland State University Smith Memorial Ballroom.
Portland—$5,000 to the Media Project for the one-hour radio documentary “Heavy Weather,” which will examine the social, economic, ecological, and ethical implications of climate change-induced weather patterns in the Pacific Northwest and how they shape future urban development patterns and design.
Portland—$5,000 to Northwest Documentary for the full-length documentary “To Pay My Way with Stories.” Filmmaker Brian Lindstrom explores the struggle to join the civic discourse faced by members of several largely invisible communities in Portland. The film will follow their work in writing workshops offered through Write Around Portland, showing how their stories help them carve out places in the greater community.
Portland—$3,000 to Oregon Children’s Theatre for the Gossamer Project, which will, in conjunction with the world premiere adaptation of Gossamer by Lois Lowry, develop post-performance discussions, community resource guides, and a community forum that will spark dialogue and exploration of humanities subjects related to the play’s themes.
Portland—$4,000 to the Oregon Lincoln Bicentennial Commission for the Oregon Lincoln Bicentennial Town Halls. Held across the state, the nine town halls will focus on Abraham Lincoln’s leadership and values as they relate to today and will feature a Lincoln actor, two Lincoln scholars, and a musician. These are not lectures but will encourage a topic-based dialogue with the audience.
Portland—$3,000 to Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) for the 2008 TBA Festival Institute. The TBA:08 Institute will feature four components: workshops, panels/chats, gallery tours/salons, and lectures, which will serve to acknowledge and advance new developments in contemporary art while fostering the creative explorations of artists and audiences.
OCH Public Program Grants were previously offered twice each year in semi-annual fall and spring cycles. Beginning in 2008, OCH is moving to an annual grant cycle. Information and guidelines for the 2009 grant cycle will be available on the Oregon Council for the Humanities website (http://www.oregonhum.org) in late summer 2008.
