Oregon Public Broadcasting

Friday was a big day for those who appreciate arts and culture across the state.  As Andrew Theen reports, the Oregon Cultural Trust announced $1.65 million in grants for the next fiscal year.

Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish said the grant money is a 21 percent increase over the previous year.  Funds will trickle down to non-profit projects in every county in the state and 16 cities.

The money goes to everything from writing workshops in Enterprise to a Hip-Hop Cabaret production in Portland.

Adrienne Flagg is the creative director the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center in Portland.  She said the $4,000 grant sealed the deal for her hip-hop showcase next year in North Portland.

Adrienne Flagg: "It's going to be sort of a traditional cabaret with multiple art forms, there's room for music, dance, emcees, and there's probably going to be a heavy emphasis on spoken word since that's a big part of the hip-hop movement."

The Oregon Cultural Trust gets the majority of  its funds from private donations and sales of cultural trust Oregon license plates.

Oregon Public Broadcasting was a recipient of $25,000 in grant money for OPB TV's Oregon Experience series.