Salem, Ore. – Art as a medium to rally community around a shared need is reflected in 34 Oregon projects awarded $200,000 in 2015 Arts Build Communities grants from the Oregon Arts Commission.

Vacant downtown storefronts become celebrations of community in Corvallis; incarcerated youth fulfill treatment requirements by sharing their stories through pictures or performance in Clackamas County; and in Enterprise, Fishtrap inspires 1,700 people to read Luis Alberto Urrea’s “Into the Beautiful North” before engaging in discussions, events and activities that explore Latino issues.

The Arts & Culture Alliance of Central Oregon (ACA) is partnering with the Oregon Arts Commission to produce the first Central Oregon Arts Summit on Monday, Oct. 6, at the Riverhouse Convention Center in Bend.

Fifteen Oregon arts groups that provide services to broad populations have been awarded $200,000 in 2015 Arts Services grants to fund ongoing operations.

Anne Taylor, a violinist and OHSU senior research assistant from La Grande, has been appointed to the Oregon Arts Commission by Gov. John Kitzhaber.