OperaBend is one of 119 arts organizations receiving nearly $2,400 in small operating grants from the Oregon Arts Commission. The money goes to support arts organizations throughout the state with annual budgets of less than $150,000. 

Here is the full release from the Oregon Arts Commission:

Salem, Oregon – Small grants that make a big difference for ensuring access to arts programming, especially in rural areas, have been awarded to 119 arts organizations by the Oregon Arts Commission. Each organization will receive $2,363. 

Small Operating Grants support arts organizations throughout the state with annual budgets of less than $150,000. Eligibility is limited to organizations that provide ongoing, sustained artistic and outreach programming and have operated as an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit for a minimum of one year. 

“Although the Drexel H. Foundation and our community is rural and small compared to other parts of Oregon, our impact is huge,” said Sandijean Fuson, president of the Drexel H. Foundation in Vale. “This grant helps us keep an unbroken existence of programs that we’ve had for over 25 years, reminding our community they are important.” 

“This grant program was developed to increase the Arts Commission’s support of Oregon’s small but mighty arts providers,” said Arts Commission Chair Subashini Ganesan-Forbes. “These organizations frequently represent the only arts presenter for remote and under-resourced regions of the state.”

For more information about the Small Operating Grant Program, contact Tiffany Harker at 971-719-6169 or [email protected].

FY2024 Small Operating Grants by region:

Central

OperaBend, Bend

Greater Eastern – North

College Community Theater, Pendleton

Inland Northwest Musicians Inc, Hermiston

Greater Eastern – South

Drexel H. Foundation, Vale 

Portland Metro

Airlie Press, Portland  

Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, Portland

Art In The Pearl, Portland

Bach Cantata Choir, Portland

Beaverton Symphony Orchestra, Beaverton

Bells of the Cascades, Tualatin

Big Horn Brass, West Linn

Big Mouth Society, Portland

Boom Arts, Portland

Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre, Portland

Bump in the Road Theatre, Portland

Cada Casa International, Portland

Casa Della Zisa Collegium Musica, West Linn

Cascadia Chapter of National Association of Composers, Portland

Cathedral Park Performing Arts Collective, Portland

Classical Close Up, Tigard

Community Jams, Oregon City

Conchords Chorale, Tualatin

CymaSpace, Portland

Dance Wire PDX, Portland

enTaiko, Portland

Experience Theatre Project, Beaverton

Fear No Music, Portland

Fool House Art Collective, Lake Oswego

Future Prairie, Portland

Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre Northwest, Portland

Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum of Oregon and SW Washington, Portland

Hillsboro Symphony Orchestra, Hillsboro

Light Opera of Portland, Hillsboro

Many Hats Collaboration, Portland

Media-Rites, Portland

Montavilla Jazz Festival, Portland

One World Chorus, Lake Oswego

Open Hearts Open Minds, Portland

Oregon Bluegrass Association, Portland

Oregon Symphonic Band, Beaverton

Performance Works NorthWest, Portland

Peruvian Cultural Festival and Events, Beaverton

Piano Santa Foundation, Portland

Portland Chamber Music, Portland

Portland Chamber Orchestra, Portland

Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, Portland

Portland Radio Project, Portland

Portland Symphonic Choir, Portland

Portland Taiko, Portland

PUSH FOLD, Portland

Rasika Society for Arts of India, Hillsboro

Risk-Reward, Portland

Scrap Performance Group, Portland

Signal Fire, Portland

STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy, Hillsboro

Steps for Youth, Portland

Sunset Apollo Marching Band and Auxiliary, Portland

Takohachi Inc, Portland

The Geezer Gallery, Portland

Tualatin Valley Community Band, Tigard

Water in the Desert, Portland

Westside Orchestra Association, Hillsboro

Women in Film-Portland, Portland

Zena Zezza Inc, Portland

Mid-Valley

Ash Creek Arts Center, Independence

Casa de la Cultura Tlanese, Salem

Festival Chorale Oregon, Salem

Keizer Creative Art Association, Salem

Keizer Heritage Foundation, Keizer

Keizer Homegrown Theatre, Keizer

McMinnville Short Film Festival, McMinnville

Oregon Artists Series Foundation, Salem

Oregon Spirit Chorus, Salem

Salem Philharmonia Orchestra, Salem

Salem Pops Orchestra, Salem

West Valley Community Campus, Willamina

Willamette University, Salem

North Central

Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association, Hood River

Dalles Art Association, The Dalles

North Coast

Arts Council of Clatsop County, Astoria

Astoria Arts and Movement Center, Astoria

Astoria Visual Arts, Astoria

Cascadia Concert Opera, Astoria

Columbia Chorale of Oregon, Saint Helens

Partners for the PAC, Astoria

Ten Fifteen Productions, Astoria

South Coast

Bay Area Community Concert Band, North Bend

Pelican Bay Arts Association, Brookings

Riverbend Live!, Winston

South Valley/Mid Coast

Applegate Art Guild, Veneta

Applegate Regional Theatre, Inc, Veneta

Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene, Eugene

Corvallis Guitar Society, Corvallis

DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon, Eugene

Eugene Symphonic Band, Springfield

Florence Regional Arts Alliance, Florence

Gallery Calapooia, Albany

Instaballet, Eugene

Integrated Arts (DBA Harmonic Laboratory), Eugene

Kind Tree Productions, Inc, Eugene

Mid-Valley Prelude Sinfonia Inc., Albany

New Zone Gallery, Eugene

Opal Center for Arts and Education, Cottage Grove

Oregon Brass Society, Eugene

Oregon Children’s Choir Association, Eugene

Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival Association, Newport

Soromundi Lesbian Chorus of Eugene, Eugene

West African Cultural Arts Institute, Eugene

Willamette Jazz Society, Eugene

Willamette Valley Symphony, Albany

Xcape Dance Company, Eugene

Southern

Art Presence, Inc, Jacksonville

Ashland Children’s Theatre, Ashland

Ashland Flute Circle, Medford

Guitar Society of Southern Oregon, Ashland

Rogue Valley Wind Ensemble, Ashland

Siskiyou Singers Inc, Ashland

Siskiyou Violins, Medford

Southern Oregon Guild, Cave Junction

Region and counties key: 

Central (Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook Counties)

Greater Eastern North (Gilliam, Morrow, Umatilla and Wheeler Counties) 

Greater Eastern South (Grant, Harney and Malheur)

Portland Metro (Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties)   

Mid-Valley (Yamhill, Polk and Marion Counties) 

North Central (Hood River, Wasco and Sherman Counties)

North Coast (Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties) 

Northeast (Wallowa, Union and Baker Counties)

South Central (Klamath and Lake Counties) 

South Coast (Douglas, Coos and Curry Counties) 

South Valley/Mid-Coast (Lincoln, Benton, Linn and Lane Counties) 

Southern (Josephine and Jackson Counties)