A10
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Josephy Center receives large OCF grant
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — The Jose-
phy Center for Arts and Cul-
ture has received a grant that
will give it a major boost
in funding its programs in
2021, especially as it looks to
restructure the information it
presents.
The center has received
a grant of $30,000 from the
Oregon Community Founda-
tion, an award that was part of
more than $4.3 million OCF
announced in May.
“This funding was primar-
ily for us to build upon our
existing programs, But in a
way that really refl ects what’s
going on in our community
and in the world,” said Kellee
Sheehy, Josephy’s develop-
ment director. “For instance,
with our youth services, the
funding is helping to pay to
help maintain the programs
we already have in place. A
lot of the momentum really
came to a screeching halt in
2020.”
OCF said in a press release
the grant monies were priori-
tized to support communities
“disproportionately impacted
by the multiple crises in Ore-
gon, including Black, indig-
enous and Latina/o/x com-
munities, people of color and
rural communities.”
Information specifi cally
on the Josephy’s funding
from OCF said the money
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph received a grant of $30,000 from the Oregon Community Foundation.
would be used to help build
the
audience
“through
rebuilding and restructur-
ing programs to address and
focus on (diversity, equity
and inclusivity) priorities and
issues in a rural, largely white
community.”
“It was asking about ulti-
mate success, and what our
ultimate vision of success for
these programs is we’re help-
ing nudge the culture of Wal-
lowa County in the direction
of inclusivity and understand-
ing,” Sheehy said.
Sheehy, who handles grant
writing for the center, said it
has received funding from
OCF in the past, and that it
applied for a grant from the
foundation because the val-
ues of the two align.
“It does have to do with
that lean toward maybe
becoming leaders in the com-
munity as far as introducing
diversity, equity and inclu-
sion,” she said. “It’s part of
what the Josephy board is
integrating into it’s plan.”
She added that many of
the groups that give grant
money, like OCF, want to see
programs run by organiza-
tions like the Josephy resume.
“It’s because a lot of the
granters too, they want to see
programs started back. They
want to support the organi-
zations that are doing that,
just to restart and get every-
one connected again,” she
said. “Then adding our diver-
sity, equity and inclusion and
extending our reach, those
are all things to do with our
growth.”
She added improvements
within Americans with Dis-
abilities Act accessibility and
audio in the center also could
be included in “inclusivity,”
and how the center continues
to present its teaching about
the Nez Perce.
“We’re retelling their
story, but what does it mean?
Maybe it’s a drum circle out-
side,” that could be used as a
teaching mechanism for visi-
tors, or for a tool to help tribe
members feel more welcome,
she said. “Wallowa County,
it’s kind of a place that … I
tell people all the time, we are
diverse in our own ways. We
got ranchers and farmers, but
there are other ways that we
can share that type of infor-
mation with kids and help
them learn about it.”
Call to artists goes out for festival
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JOSEPH — The Josephy
Center for Arts and Culture
invites artists to submit orig-
inal works of art for inclusion
in the 39th annual Wallowa
Valley Festival of Arts.
The application dead-
line is Aug. 1. All artwork
must be submitted through
the online site at callforentry.
org. Acceptance emails will
be sent Aug. 9-13. For more
information and for the pro-
spectus visit www.josephy.
org/festival-of-the-arts.
The festival is the larg-
est juried fi ne art exhibition
in Eastern Oregon, featur-
ing representational realism
as well as contemporary art
from the Pacifi c Northwest
and beyond.
This year’s festival —
which includes an opening
reception, a fi ne arts show, a
quick draw, a silent auction,
the Joseph Gallery Walk and
live music — will be held
Sept. 17-19.
Leading up to the week-
end, the Center will off er art
workshops for local and vis-
iting artists, as well as an En
Plein Air Competition from
bronze, or other metal, oil,
acrylic or watercolor.
• Pastel, pencil, graphite,
charcoal, ink, or any combi-
nation thereof woodblock,
engraving, etching, mono-
print, aquatint, linotype,
lithography, silkscreen or dig-
ital art prints.
• Any photograph that
begins with the capture of the
image through lens, including
digitally-altered photography.
Accepted artists also are
invited to enter one piece of
art in the silent auction. An
auction piece is not required
as a condition to exhibit in
the festival. For more details,
please refer to the prospectus.
Dennis DeHart, a distin-
guished photographic artist
and associate professor of art
at Washington State Univer-
sity, will be this year’s festi-
val judge. DeHart, who has
exhibited broadly — includ-
Josephy Center for Arts and Culture/Contributed Photo ing dozens of solo exhibi-
Laura Gable’s Pinnacles at Smith Rock, an entry in the 38th tions — creates interdisciplin-
Annual Wallowa Valley Arts Festival.
ary projects that are informed
by the connections and con-
Sept. 11-17. The festivities limited, so jurors will select fl icts of the natural and cul-
will wrap up with a Sunday, pieces that are most appropri- tural worlds. For more infor-
Sept. 19, evening music con- ate for the venue and diverse mation about DeHart, please
visit josephy.org.
cert held at the center.
audience.
For any questions regard-
The festival refl ects the
The categories are:
ing art submissions, con-
beauty, culture and traditions
• Sculpture.
tact the center at 541-432-
of the region through its arts
• Painting.
0505, or coodrinator Cheryl
and artists. Consistent with
• Drawing.
Coughlan at 541-398-1294,
that intent, any subject, style,
• Printmaking.
director@josephy.org or Jeff
or medium within the catego-
• Photography.
ries listed below will be con-
• Any three-dimensional Costello 510-390-2121 jeff -
sidered. Exhibition space is work in wood, clay, stone, costello1234@yahoo.com.