$63,800 granted to artists, arts projects, and arts organizations in Eugene

Eugene, OR – Lane Arts Council announces awards of $63,800 through three local grant programs to support art makers, projects, and organizations in the Eugene area. The Community Arts Project Grant, Program Grant, and Artist Grant programs are funded by the City of Eugene Cultural Services Division and administered by Lane Arts Council.

The Community Arts Program Grant supports small- and mid-size nonprofit arts organizations in their strategic development and organizational goal fulfillment. Supporting organizations like these is essential to sustaining Eugene’s vibrant and diverse arts and culture community. 2024-25 Community Arts Program Grant awardees include the following 13 organizations:

  • #instaballet
  • DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon
  • Eugene Gay Men’s Chorus
  • Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras
  • Maude Kerns Art Center
  • Oregon Contemporary Theatre
  • Oregon Mozart Players
  • Pacific International Choral Festivals
  • Soromundi Lesbian Chorus of Eugene
  • The Eugene Gleemen
  • The Jazz Station (Willamette Jazz Society)
  • Women’s Choral Society
  • Wordcrafters in Eugene

Community Arts Program Grant recipient DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon celebrates films with authentic Asian Pacific American voices, histories, and stories. DisOrient’s efforts promote representation, diversity, and inclusion to broaden the narrative of who is American while strengthening and building community.

Pacific International Choral Festivals will utilize their Community Arts Program Grant to advance their next iteration.  After 26 years of presenting summer festivals, the organization will redirect their accrued creative and administrative capacity into picfest 2.0. picfest focuses on youth choral music with the Serving Our Schools initiative through projects like Musical Detective Academy.

The Community Arts Project Grant supports individuals, collectives, and organizations creating Eugene-based programming that emphasizes accessibility to underserved audiences. This year’s eight awarded projects include artist marketplaces, educational programs, circus productions, community dance events, and more. 2024-25 Community Arts Project Grant awardees are:

  • Community Supported Shelters
  • Eugene Friends of the Farmworkers
  • Free Shakespeare in the Park Theatre Company
  • Oregon Supported Living Program
  • Queer Choir Collective
  • Revelers Contemporary Circus
  • Track Town Swing Foundation
  • Whiteaker Community Market, LLC

Track Town Swing received a project grant to present the fourth annual Track Town Throwdown, a celebration of the cultural significance of jazz music and dance. The festival will take place October 11-13, 2024, in Kesey Square and will include free open social dancing, line dances, and The Throwdown jazz dance competition, featuring live music and dance performers from all along the West Coast!

Queer Choir Collective, led by Lisa Forkish, will create an a cappella choir for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth (ages 14-20) in Lane County, focused on joy, expression, and cultivating a sense of belonging and community. The experience will culminate in a one-day vocal music festival and performance opportunity for the a cappella group, as well as opportunities to participate in educational workshops with local queer music educators.

Artist Grants provide financial support to individual artists to produce a new creative endeavor, invest in their artistic capacity, or bolster their artistic skill development to advance their career. Six applicants were selected for the 2024-25 Artist Grants awards:

  • Bonnie Simoa
  • Chauncey Mauney
  • Jessilyn Brinkerhoff
  • Josephine Angier
  • Mica Anton
  • Yvonne Stubbs

Jessilyn Brinkerhoff, a teaching artist, muralist, and recipient of a 2024-25 Artist Grant, will use funds to refine her public art methods and expand into new mediums for professional commissions. Her explorations include large-scale works that go beyond a flat surface, incorporating multiple dimensions with tactile experience and innovative edge.

Artist Grant recipient Yvonne Stubbs will use the funds to develop her exhibition Bloodlines, which shares some of the hidden history of “Black Indians.” With her roots reaching to Africa as well as to people of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes, Yvonne communicates the struggles, resilience, and celebrations of mixed-identity experiences through storytelling and encourages viewers to discover their own hidden histories.

Lane Arts Council Executive Director Stacey Ray shared: “It is critical that we continue to fund arts organizations, culture keepers, artists, and arts projects in our community, especially post-pandemic, as many organizations and individuals in the arts sector are still struggling from the impacts of those years. The arts are a force in Eugene: bringing us together, boosting our economy, building community, and creating space for empathy, connection, and belonging. Arts and culture are the soul of our city, and these grants are one small but meaningful source of support during a time of increased need. Lane Arts Council is grateful to the City of Eugene for continuing to provide dedicated arts funding through this local grant and other City-funded programs.”

About Lane Arts Council
Lane Arts Council cultivates belonging, learning, and investment to engage all of Lane County in the transformative power of the arts. Founded in 1976, Lane Arts Council is a nonprofit organization and regional arts agency that provides high-quality arts experiences, engages people of all ages in arts education, and encourages artistic endeavors. Learn more at lanearts.org.