Salem's Willamette University is among the institutions in a statewide coalition urging Oregon legislators to approve $10 million in grants for 11 arts and cultural construction projects when the 2027 session opens in January.
The Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon announced the slate of Cultural Resources Economic Fund projects on Sunday, Aug. 16, according to Oregon ArtsWatch. The fund provides capital construction grants of $150,000 or more to build, restore and improve public access at arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits statewide. It is backed by the Oregon Lottery.
Willamette University, which houses the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at 900 State St., is a member of the coalition alongside the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Opera and the Oregon Symphony. The coalition is the only statewide group lobbying the Legislature for public arts and culture funding.
State Rep. Rob Nosse, a Portland Democrat, will sponsor the legislation. He said the slate "stretches from Portland's bridges to the Wallowa Mountains, and every project on it is doing something essential: keeping Oregon's arts and cultural spaces alive, accessible, and ready for the next generation."
The projects range from a $2 million historic building renovation at the Britt Gardens Music and Arts Festival in Jacksonville to $250,000 in ADA upgrades at Art Center East in La Grande. Other recipients include the Hollywood Theatre in Portland ($1 million), the McKenzie River Discovery Center in Walterville ($2 million) and the Cumberland Community Events Center in Albany ($250,000).
CREF was first approved by the Legislature in 2013. The coalition has successfully advocated for 66 projects totaling $48 million since then.
How Salem residents can weigh in
Sue Hildick, senior advisor for the Cultural Advocacy Coalition, said supporters should reach out to their legislators now, before the bill is formally introduced in January, calling early contact "outstanding."
Salem-area residents can find their own state representative and senator through the Oregon Legislature's website. Rep. Nosse's office can be reached at (503) 986-1442.
General Fund dollars could flow to approved projects as early as fall or winter 2027, according to the coalition's Facebook page. Lottery bond funding would not arrive until spring 2029. The coalition's endorsement does not guarantee funding; final decisions rest with the Legislature.
Upcoming
The Hallie Ford Museum of Art on Willamette University's campus is showing "Handmade Revolution: Craft in the Pacific Northwest" through March 13, 2027. The 2027 Oregon legislative session begins in January.
