by Emily Hartlerode, Associate Director

Following each leg of the statewide folklife survey, OFN invites organizations in the surveyed region to partner with us on programs featuring artists from the Culture Keepers Roster. Cheers to our 2020 Culture Fest partners from the Willamette Valley who worked creatively with their $3000 awards to ensure continued cultural programming during the pandemic.

• Salem Multicultural Institute (SMI)’s World Beat Festival turned their annual live event to a series of Facebook talks, performances, and demonstrations featuring five OFN artists in the World Beat Wednesdays program. “Without the Culture Fest Partnership with OFN, it is difficult to imagine how SMI would have produced cultural programming throughout this summer. To put it simply, this collaboration allowed us to fulfill our mission despite challenging times and to proceed in the face of great uncertainty.”
• Whiteaker Community Market partnered with Eugene Arte Latino and Noche Cultural to present pre-recorded Latin American music, dance, and performances with livestreamed commentary by four OFN artists as part of the market’s “Cozy & Connected” series. “Many people who have been marginalized do not feel safe in public space or to go to a public market in fear of harassment, cultural appropriation, or exclusion. Funding from OFN to connect market-goers with culture keepers has allowed us to further cultivate our commitment to supporting multicultural artists, musicians, and foodways.”
• West African Cultural Arts Institute presented six OFN artists in an Oregon Black Artist Spotlight Series presented through blogs plus live and pre-recorded interviews. “Thanks so much for understanding this need to create programs that intentionally give organizational support and exposure to new audiences to marginalized artists as well as an artist honorarium to compensate us for our time, energy, and expertise. […]. Offering artists exposure is not enough and I am so grateful that Culture Fest recognizes this.”
• McKenzie River Guides gave three recorded interviews for a future exhibit on their place-based livelihoods, tight-knit community, and the ongoing impacts of the Holiday Farm Fire. The exhibit is slated to go on view at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History in the coming year.

Watch for 2021 Culture Fest programs in Oregon’s North and Central coast regions with partners at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center and Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Culture Fest is funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Cultural Trust.