Oregon Arts Commission Announces
New Cultural Tourism Grant Awards
Grant Program Made Possible by Governor Kulongoski’s Support
Of Arts Commission’s Creative Oregon Initiative
The Oregon Arts Commission announces nine awards, totaling $74,750, in its inaugural round of Cultural Tourism Grants. This new grant program, made possible by increased funds approved for the Arts Commission’s 2007-2009 budget, supports projects and partnerships that advance arts-based cultural tourism activities. “ These grants expand the Arts Commission's portfolio of services by investing in arts and cultural tourism efforts that will benefit many regions of the state," commented Ron Paul, Oregon Arts Commission Chair.
“These cultural tourism grants advance the Commission’s interest in developing stronger links between the arts, culture, the tourism industry and local economic development,” said Christine D’Arcy, executive director of the Arts Commission. “The projects selected for funding reflect strong collaboration between arts and tourism groups to increase tourism based on the arts assets of a community or region.”
Organizations and projects selected for Cultural Tourism grant funding:
Bend Arts Central , $10,000
To support a collaboration between Arts Central and the Bend Visitors and Convention Bureau to develop the region’s first cultural tourism marketing initiative. Funds will support Arts Central’s creation of the arts and culture content for the new effort.
Contact: Cate O'Hagan , ( 541) 749-2291, cate@artscentraloregon.org
Eugene
Oregon Bach Festival , $6,000
To support the Bach Festival’s participation in Travel Oregon’s cooperative project with Travel Channel Europe to create a 13-episode European TV series highlighting the lifestyle, geography and attractions of Oregon. As a participant, the Bach Festival will have a featured segment in two programs and will have unlimited use of professionally produced B-roll footage, which it will use for its own marketing efforts.
Contact: George Evano , ( 541) 346-5666, gevano@uoregon.edu
Grants Pass City of Grants Pass/Grants Pass Visitors & Convention Bureau , $6,000
To support increased promotion of the annual Art Along the Rogue art and music festival through increased print, radio and television advertising within the Rogue Valley and expanded exposure to targeted communities beyond a 50-mile radius of Grants Pass, aiming to increase event participation from southern and central Oregon and northern California.
Contact: Kerrie Walters , ( 541) 476-5510, kerrie@visitgrantspass.org
Hood River Columbia Arts, $5,000
To support increased marketing and promotion of Columbia Arts as a strategy to draw people to the Columbia Gorge and to the Art Center itself. Grant funds will support increased advertising in print media and improvement of the design and navigability of Columbia Arts’ website. Contact: Joanie Thomson , ( 541) 387-8877, director@columbiaarts.org
Oregon City Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs Department , $10,000
To support expanded marketing of Clackamas County tourism attractions by developing stories for telephone retrieval, a system that will be particularly helpful to Clackamas County heritage sites with limited resources to host visitors full time. Existing CD driving tours of the Barlow Road and “Feast for the Senses” will be reformatted for podcast and new podcast tours will be created.
Contact: Linda Bell , ( 503) 655-8420, linda@mthoodterritory.com
Portland Live Wire! Radio , $10,000
To support Live Wire!’s efforts to transform virtual tourists into real ones by expanding the radio show’s website to seek, capture and serve more listeners. The project plans to expand platforms, audiences, visibility and brand, with the goal of making Live Wire! a state tourist destination like A Prairie Home Companion. Contact: Robyn Tenenbaum , ( 503) 548-4920, robyn@livewireradio.org
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) , $10,000
To support additonal marketing for the 6th annual Time-Based Art festival featuring 10 days of theater, dance, music and film and month-long visual arts installation by national, international and regional artists. Grant funds will support advertising campaigns to targeted audiences in Seattle and Vancouver, BC.
Contact: Luisa Andrianzen Guyer , ( 503) 242-1419, luisa@pica.org
Wordstock (Community of Writers) , $10,000
To support the marketing of Wordstock’s 2008 festival to out-of-area attendees and through media placements, e-marketing and cross-promotions with partners such as Powell’s Books, the Heathman Hotel, Wieden+ Kennedy, Maxwell PR and Live Wire! Contact: Greg Netzer , ( 503) 546-1012, greg@wordstockfestival.com
Warm Springs The Museum at Warm Springs , $7,750
To support the enhancement of the Museum’s website by adding German, French and Spanish language pages as well as the ability to book tour reservations online. This prepares the museum to take advantage of its selection by the Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA) and Travel Oregon for inclusion in a 13-part series on Oregon for for the European Travel Channel, reaching 48 million viewers.
Contact: Carol Leone , ( 541) 553-3331, carol@redmond-net.com
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The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department in 1993 in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. The Arts Commission is supported with General Funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature, federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust.
