The Grant T. Johnson and Peggy Pipes-Johnson Memorial Fund announced early November that it has awarded $22,500 in grants to three local organizations supporting arts and culture in the community: the Hillsboro Artists’ Regional Theatre (HART), the Westside Community and Youth Orchestra, and the Oregon Chorale.
The Hillsboro Artists’ Regional Theatre received a $10,000 grant to support the Fertile Ground Festival of New Works, featuring 12-18 original productions by artists from Hillsboro and surrounding areas, including full-length plays, musicals, one-acts, and short works. This is the festival’s second year after a successful, well-received first year.
The Westside Community and Youth Orchestra received a $7,500 grant to support marketing efforts to encourage attendance at live classical music concerts through social media and marketing initiatives.
Finally, a $5,000 grant will support the Oregon Chorale’s Emerging Voices Internship Program. Established in 2005, this program provides talented high school musicians with the opportunity to experience professional training and involvement in professional choral performance. “Thank you for helping us lift voices and song, give voice to everyone in our community, and to continue to bring that to all of you,” said Caitlin Stave, Operations Manager at the Oregon Chorale.
“The quality of the applicants and their innovative approaches to include a broad array of performers alongside appealing to diverse audiences resulted in the committee’s enthusiastic support,” said Fred Johnson, eldest son of Grant T. Johnson. “We are excited about the potential.”
In 2012, Peggy Pipes-Johnson established the Grant T. Johnson Memorial Fund for Arts & Culture to honor her late husband, his service and dedication to the Hillsboro community, and his support for arts and culture. When Peggy passed away early last year— her estate leaving $776,938 to the Memorial Fund— the Johnson family renamed the fund to honor Peggy’s life and the love she shared with their father as well. Together, Grant and Peggy were two individuals who had a powerful desire to give more than they took and leave Hillsboro a better place because of their involvement. They were interested in improving the quality of life for Hillsboro residents and viewed arts and culture as an important facet of that effort. Over the last 13 years, the Grant T. Johnson & Peggy Pipes-Johnson Memorial Fund has been a supportive force for the arts in Hillsboro, contributing $44,500 to local arts and culture organizations.
In existence since 1986, the Hillsboro Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Hillsboro by supporting local programs, services, and initiatives. Through community giving, grantmaking, and donor partnerships, the Foundation strengthens the social, cultural, educational, and civic fabric of the region.
To learn more about the Hillsboro Community Foundation, visit www.hcf-or.org.
