A6 BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2022
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Crossroads Carnegie Art Center/Contributed Photo
Crossroads Carnegie Art Center has launched a Giving Tuesday campaign, which starts Nov. 29. Donations help support programs such as ballet classes.
Giving
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By contrast, a deduction can reduce
the amount of your income before you
calculate the tax you owe.
The cultural tax credit works like this:
• Donate to one or more cultural
organizations that are registered with
the Oregon Cultural Trust (find a list,
by county, at https://culturaltrust.org/
get-involved/find-a-cultural-non-
profit/).
• Donate the same amount to the Or-
egon Cultural Trust (you can combine
donation amounts made to several non-
profits).
• Report your donation to the Trust
on your state tax form to get 100% back
(up to $500 for individuals or $1,000 for
couples filing jointly).
“Every penny you give to us, you get
that back on your state taxes,” said Brian
Rogers, executive director of the Oregon
Cultural Trust.
What does the trust fund?
These cultural donations are ear-
marked for very specific uses.
First, a percentage goes to the Trust’s
five partners: Oregon Arts Commission,
Oregon Humanities, Oregon Heritage
Commission, State Historic Preserva-
tion Office and the Oregon Historical
Society.
Then, each of Oregon’s 36 counties
and nine tribes receives money, which in
turn is distributed in local communities
for 400 to 500 awards across Oregon.
“Their reach is pretty tremendous,”
Rogers said.
Locally, the Baker County Cultural
Coalition awards grants up to $500
through an application process. Appli-
cation deadlines are Dec. 15 and May
15. For details, go to https://www.baker-
county.org/cultural_plan/grants.html.
Pandemic problems
Rogers said, judging by reported data,
cultural nonprofits lost 70% to 75% of
revenue when the pandemic put a stop
to performances, concerts, classes and
more.
“The bottom fell out,” he said.
However, contributions during that
time increased by about 11%.
“People recognized the value cul-
tural experiences have in their lives,”
he said.
He said donations to the Trust also
increased — in 2021, a total of 11,000
contributions equaled $5.7 million.
The average donation was $450.
“It’s a lot of small donations that add
up to a big impact,” he said.
The Trust also distributed $26 mil-
lion in federal funds through the
CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief,
and Economic Security Act) to help
both nonprofit and for-profit cultural
venues rebound from the pandemic.
“It’s slowly building back up,” he said.
He said the pandemic did have a sil-
ver lining — with many meetings going
to a virtual platform, OCT was able to
attend board meetings across the state to
talk about the Trust.
He said they attended 160 meetings
in 2020.
The license plate
Funds raised through the tax credit
program can only directly support cul-
ture and arts in Oregon.
Marketing and promoting the Trust
— including the tax credit — is funded
through sales of a special license plate.
A new design, 18 months in the mak-
ing, was released Oct. 1, 2021 — coin-
ciding with the Trust’s 20th anniversary.
The plate is a colorful depiction of the
vast landscape of Oregon — mountains,
rivers, coastline.
And, embedded within the design,
are 127 symbols representing aspects of
Oregon culture.
“The goal was lofty — we wanted a
single piece of artwork that represented
all of Oregon culture,” said Carrie Kikel,
communications manager for the Or-
egon Cultural Trust and Oregon Arts
Commission.
To begin the process, a group drafted
a creative brief to explain the project.
Then, 33 people across the state nomi-
nated artists and designers.
This garnered interest from 36 people
who were asked to share a resume and
work samples.
Then, a jury of statewide represen-
tatives reviewed the submissions and
narrowed the list. The remaining art-
ists and designers were asked to create
a preliminary concept, and paid a $250
honorarium.
An expanded jury reviewed the con-
cepts and scored each based on how
well it related to the creative brief.
Liza Burns of Eugene was chosen as
the artist for the project, titled Celebrate
Oregon!
Then planning began for the final de-
sign, which included Burns meeting with
experts through the Governor’s Office of
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“How do you make sure you’re in-
cluding symbols to make sure every Or-
egonian feels like part of the art?” Kikel
said.
The symbols are incorporated into
the design, but an interactive map on-
line makes it easy to see them all, in
black and white. And, if you hover over
a number, a box pops up explaining the
symbol and how it relates to Oregon.
Find the map at https://culturaltrust.
org/celebrateoregon/license-plate-nar-
rative/.
Kikel worked with many people to
develop the narratives.
“To make sure it’s as true as possible
to that symbol’s connection to Oregon,”
she said. “More than 100 people worked
together to fulfill this dream.”
She learned a lot about Oregon
during the research — for instance, Or-
egon has the oldest magic society west
of the Mississippi River, and Rogue
Creamery’s Rogue River Blue was
named the best cheese in the world at
the 2019 World Cheese Awards in Italy.
Here’s a sample of what else you’ll
find on the plate:
• Ramona Quimby, beloved book
character created by Oregon author
Beverly Cleary.
• A wagon wheel to celebrate the Or-
egon Trail.
• A glass of beer to honor the craft
beer industry.
• Paintbrush to honor artists.
• A hat to recognize George Fletcher,
a Black man who competed in the 1911
Pendleton Round-Up.
Celebrate Oregon!
Kikel said license plate sales have qua-
drupled since the new design debuted.
In addition to the plate, Burns created
murals that are on display at four air-
ports: Eugene, Medford, Portland and
Redmond.
“The artwork serves as a wonder-
ful introduction to Oregon,” Kikel said.
“The whole concept is to celebrate our
art, culture and humanities. It is so
much more than a license plate.”
For more information, visit cultural-
trust.org/celebrateoregon/.
The goal is to inspire a love of read-
ing for children beginning years be-
fore they can actually make out the
words themselves.
On Monday, Nov. 21, OTEC pre-
sented the first book bag to Cebrina
Phillips-Baggerly and her infant
daughter, Erin May Warner.
Each bag contains a book, packet
of information, and sign up informa-
tion for the free Imagination Library
program.
“We wanted to gift the first book,
so that book is directly from OTEC,
to really make the program stand out
a little bit,” said Lea Hoover, director
of memberships and strategic services
and executive director of the OTEC
Member Foundation.
Children receive a new book every
month through the foundation, and
multiple children in the same family
can sign up to receive their own book.
Hoover said each age range gets
different books, so there aren’t dupli-
cates. The books offered change every
year.
“What we find is that kids are so
excited to get that mail from Dolly
Parton,” Hoover said. “They’re so ex-
cited to get that mail that they’re look-
ing forward to the book and we hope
that it really inspires parents to read
with their children.”
Hoover said OTEC considers the
book program the first scholarship
offered to the cooperative’s youngest
members.
“We know that early childhood lit-
eracy is a huge part of making healthy
communities,” she said.
Since OTEC started offering the
Imagination Library program in 2019,
the cooperative has mailed informa-
tion to more than 55,000 children
in Baker, Grant, Union and Harney
counties.
Hoover said the program runs
through the nonprofit OTEC Member
Foundation and is funded through
OTEC unclaimed capital credits.
Aletha Bonebrake, an OTEC
board member and chairwoman of
the Baker County Library Founda-
tion, learned about the Imagination
Library program after meeting Jan
Rippey.
Starting in 2022, OTEC made it
possible for people to sponsor a mem-
bership in the Imagination Library
program for children who live outside
OTEC’s service area. The cost is $25
per year.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a
child can email OTEC at communica-
tions@otec.coop or call 541-524-2847.
Proud to Welcome
Samuel Capra, MD
to Baker City
Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Surgeon
If your life has been disrupted by a bone, joint or
muscle problem, Dr. Capra is here to provide the
necessary surgical and non-surgical treatment
you need here locally – compassionately,
collaboratively and with the highest level
of quality care.
Whether you’re a student-athlete
with a torn ACL or an active adult
who wants to return to golf, Dr.
Capra and his team of athletic
trainers and physical therapists
have you covered. They will tailor
a recovery plan that is right
for you, to get you back to
performing at your best.
Treating injuries related to:
Ligament sprains/tears
Shoulder
Tendon or muscle strain
Hand
Elbow
Tendinitis
Hip
Knee
Fractures
Foot
Ankle
Sports/activity injury
Saint Alphonsus
Orthopedics
3325 Pocahontas Rd.
Baker City, OR 97814
Phone: 541-524-8000
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210 Bridge Street, Baker City
541-523-3679
Walk-ins Welcome