SALEM — Using the arts as a means to address community need is the focus of 40 projects awarded a total of $180,000 through the Oregon Arts Commission’s FY2021 Arts Build Communities grant program. The Arts Build Communities program targets broad geographic impact and arts access for underserved audiences in Oregon.

Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton was awarded a grant for $3,863 to increase Native American cultural representation on campus through art, books, media and programming featuring contemporary Native American artists. Funds will be used to purchase artworks and develop programming that describes the artworks’ significance to foster a more welcoming college environment, with a focus on art as a means of cultural awareness and representation.

“This program provides financial support to arts and other community-based organizations for projects that address a local community problem, issue or need through an arts-based solution,” said Arts Commission Vice Chair Jenny Green, who led the review panel, in a press release. “Local citizens employ creative thinking and collective response to identify a local need and provide an arts-based solution.”

The grants also spark and leverage many other investments and resources, serving as a catalyst for greater economic and civic impact, said Green.

In recent year, Arts Build Communities projects attracted more than $600,000 in additional investment, much of it representing salaries paid to artists and others, as well as products and services purchased in the funded communities.

Arts Build Communities grants are made possible through a funding partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.