(A pre-COVID Sisters Folk Festival performance. The 2021 Festival is tentatively scheduled for October | Photo courtesy of the Oregon Arts Commission)
Awards totaling $910,568 have been distributed to 150 Oregon arts organizations through the Oregon Arts Commission’s fiscal year 2021 Operating Support Program, including five from Central Oregon. There are 12 more recipients than in fiscal year 2020 due to a growing number of eligible organizations.
Ranging from $2,828 to $ 22,888, the grant awards are available to nonprofit organizations with arts at the core of their mission and budgets over $150,000*.
“We often hear that operating support is the most important type of award,” said Arts Commission Chair Anne Taylor. “Especially now, as arts organizations continue to suffer great losses due to the pandemic, these awards can help relieve a bit of the economic pressure.”
In 2019, organizations receiving Operating Support from the Arts Commission expended $213 million, employed 11,681 FTE and produced events and activities that were attended by close to 3.7 million people.
*Organizations with budgets under $150,000 are eligible to apply to the Small Operating Program. This program funds an additional 97 arts organizations.
The five Central Oregon nonprofits awarded fiscal year 2021 Operating Support Grants were:
- BendFilm, Bend: $3,898
- Sisters Folk Festival, Inc., Sisters: $5,368
- Sunriver Music Festival, Sunriver: $3,335
- The High Desert Museum, Bend: $14,180
- Tower Theatre Foundation, Inc., Bend: $4,751