SALEM, Ore. — Six Mid-Willamette Valley organizations will receive a combined $111,100 as part of a record $4.5 million in Oregon Cultural Trust funding supporting arts, heritage, humanities and cultural programs across the state.
The local awards will help fund Spanish-language television programming in Salem, youth theater, music lessons for low-income students, performing arts in Polk County and expanded access to concerts and theatrical productions.
The statewide funding for fiscal year 2027 was made possible by donations from more than 10,000 Oregonians during fiscal year 2026. Through its state partners, regional cultural coalitions and grant programs, the Trust supports more than 450 organizations annually.
Capital Community Media in Salem received the largest award among the six local recipients: $40,000 to develop a new Spanish-language television broadcast featuring Salem-specific content. The project includes community outreach to identify the media needs of the local Latino community, media arts training for Spanish speakers and production of local video programming. Content will be distributed through a regularly scheduled cable television block and made available on demand through digital platforms and the organization’s mobile app.
Children’s Educational Theatre in Salem will receive $15,000 for its 2027 summer season. The five-week program serves 250 students in grades three through 12 from Salem and the surrounding region. Professional teaching artists, directors, designers and technical staff guide students through training, rehearsals and public performances.
The program also works to expand participation for young people facing financial, geographic, language or disability-related barriers. Its 2027 season is expected to culminate in eight public productions reaching more than 2,000 audience members.
The Music Lessons Project in Salem received $5,100 to continue providing instruction to approximately 400 low-income band, orchestra and choir students during the 2026–27 school year. The volunteer-run nonprofit serves eight Title I secondary schools in the Salem-Keizer School District, contracting professional instructors to provide individualized lessons at school for students who cannot afford private instruction.
In Monmouth, the Western Oregon University Development Foundation will receive $30,000 to support the Smith Fine Arts Series. The funding will help expand educational outreach and sustain performing arts programming serving rural Polk County.
The series offers free performances for Western Oregon University students and subsidized tickets for the broader community. Each performance is paired with a free educational outreach event, helping address financial and geographic barriers to participation.
Willamette Master Chorus in Salem received $6,000 to expand access to its 22nd annual Veterans Concert. The funding will help remove cost barriers for veterans, Gold Star families and student performers throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Willamette University’s Theatre 33 received $15,000 for its 2027 Regional New Play Festival. The project uses a donation-based attendance model that allows patrons to contribute according to their financial circumstances, expanding access for young people, lower-income adults and underserved communities. It also seeks to increase opportunities for artists and students who lack resources.
Statewide, the Trust will distribute $2,250,846 through 104 competitive Cultural Development grants. Individual awards range from $5,000 to $40,000 and support projects that expand cultural access, strengthen organizations, encourage community creativity or preserve cultural heritage and historic places. Applications were reviewed and scored by peer panels.
Another $1,125,423 will go to the Trust’s five core partners: the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Humanities, Oregon Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office.
An additional $1,125,423 will support 45 county and Tribal cultural coalitions. Those volunteer-led groups distribute funding within their communities using allocations determined through a per capita formula.
Oregon’s director of arts and culture, Amy Lewin, said the funding model continues to support community vitality and resilience, while requests for assistance have increased alongside donations. She described the Trust as a critical resource for learning, historic preservation and cultural engagement in communities across Oregon.
Established by the Oregon Legislature 25 years ago, the Cultural Trust is supported through Oregon’s Cultural Tax Credit. The program allows donors who contribute to a qualifying cultural nonprofit to make a matching donation to the Trust and claim a state tax credit, subject to program requirements and limits.
More information about the Trust and qualifying cultural nonprofits is available at culturaltrust.org
