Students in the Eastern Oregon Symphony's Pendleton strings program pluck the strings of their violins while learning the different notes in Pendleton in 2011.

SALEM — The Oregon East Symphony of Pendleton is one of 19 arts organizations to receive a $10,000 grant from the Oregon Arts Commission during its Fiscal Year 2021 Arts Learning awards.

OES will use its grant to fund 62 hours of after-school string instrument instruction, including violin, viola and cello classes, for fourth- and fifth-grade students in the Pendleton area.

Arts Learning grants are designed to support high-quality projects that provide a responsive opportunity for learning in and through the arts to benefit K-12 students; foster exchange of knowledge between artists and educators; and impact the achievement, skills and/or attitudes of learners.

Applications were evaluated based on project quality and artistic excellence, artistic merit: project support, and artistic merit: project impact.

The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon Legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust. More information about the Oregon Arts Commission is available online at www.oregonartscommission.org.