In celebration of the uplifting power of art and its value to Oregonians’ quality of life, Governor Kate Brown today announced she is reinstating the Governor’s Arts Awards in honor of the Oregon Arts Commission’s 50th Anniversary. Established in 1977, the once-annual awards have been on hiatus since 2007. A call for nominations is now posted on the Arts Commission website.

Salem, Oregon -- Thirty-six recently awarded Arts Build Communities grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, totaling $210,400, engage the arts as a means of addressing and alleviating community needs.

In 2015, when the Inland Musicians became one of the first recipients of an Oregon Arts Commission Small Operating Grant, the ensemble’s future became more stable. “The $1,000 we received allowed us to continue to offer free concerts to our audiences,” says programs director Lori Johnson. “We continue to reach communities that rarely have access to fine arts.”