Makaela Kroin

OFN is pleased to share news about our 2017 Regional Collaborative Partnerships (RCPs). RCPs provide funding for local programs that bring together culture keepers and presenting organizations in regions where OFN has completed fieldwork for our multi-year statewide folklife survey. RCPs foster collaborations between folk and traditional artists and local organizations and also raise awareness about the Oregon Culture Keepers Roster – a programming resource for arts organizations, museums, libraries, parks, schools, and other organizations.

2017’s RCPs targeted the Columbia River Gorge and Northeastern Oregon regions surveyed in 2015. They reflect collaborations with the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, Radio Tierra, and Tamástslikt Cultural Institute.

• The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum is expanding an ongoing initiative to include more Native American voices. The Center will showcase a variety of rostered Native artists, storytellers, and performers for programs throughout the summer.
• Radio Tierra will feature Mariachi Los Temerosos, Pepe y Los Amigos de la Sierra, and the Matthews Family Gospel Singers for Radio Tierra’s live broadcast on July 3, 2017 for the annual Mayors’ Independence Eve Celebration. The towns of Hood River, Bingen, and White Salmon come together each year for this celebration of diversity and community.
• Tamástslikt Cultural Institute will bring culture keepers closely associated with the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla to share stories and songs about Celilo Falls in public program on May 31, 2017 to enhance Tamástslikt Cultural Institute’s exhibit, “Celilo: Progress vs. Protest.”

Funding for these partnerships comes from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Arts Commission.