Medford and Ashland Organizations Awarded Oregon Art Commission Grants

Salem, Oregon – Thirty-one arts organizations across Oregon have been awarded $10,000 grants each to enhance arts education for K-12 students. The funding, totaling $310,000, comes from the Oregon Arts Commission’s Arts Learning Program for the fiscal year 2025. The grants support initiatives aimed at providing educational opportunities through the arts in partnership with schools statewide.

Brian Rogers, Executive Director of the Oregon Arts Commission, emphasized the critical role these programs play in supplementing arts education. “Unfortunately, so many schools lack adequate funding for arts education,” Rogers said. “We are grateful that arts organizations are providing well-rounded education through creative and enriching learning experiences for our youth. Arts education inspires further development and creative problem-solving skills that are important for Oregon’s future leaders.”

The Arts Learning grants aim to foster connections between artists and educators, offering students opportunities to learn through the arts. Projects funded by the grants are evaluated based on quality, support, and their potential impact on student achievement, skills, and attitudes. Special consideration is given to projects serving schools that are Title 1 participants, located in high-poverty counties, or in rural communities.

Among the recipients are two organizations from the Rogue Valley:

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Association, Ashland: The grant will support the relaunch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s School Visit Program. Teaching artists will travel to underserved Oregon schools in fall 2024, providing performances, workshops, and talkback sessions for an estimated 15,000-22,500 students.
Rogue Valley Art Association, Medford: This grant will help fund the Elementary Arts Outreach program, which offers visual arts instruction to up to 900 fifth-grade students in Jackson County’s underserved schools. The program includes comprehensive arts programming and field trip options.

These initiatives reflect the broader goal of the Oregon Arts Commission to provide equitable access to arts education across the state, particularly in under-resourced areas. The funding is part of a continued effort to enhance the role of the arts in shaping students’ learning experiences and future problem-solving abilities.