Amy Lewin is Executive Director of the Oregon Cultural Trust and Vance Beach is Executive Director of the Black Alliance & Social Empowerment a.k.a. BASE, headquartered in Medford, Oregon.
Both Amy Lewin and Vance Beach join the Exchange.
BASE (Black Alliance & Social Empowerment) is among 91 cultural organizations to receive a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, which awarded a record $4.15 million statewide this year. A first-time recipient, BASE will receive $34,000 to support its signature cultural events, public history collaborations and community art initiative.
ABOUT THE GRANT FOR BASE
For years, Southern Oregon’s Black community has faced what Vance Beach calls “cultural invisibility and underrepresentation.” The region has lacked consistent, celebratory spaces for Black history, art and identity, leaving a critical void for residents seeking to see their heritage valued and reflected. A $34,000 grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust will support the work BASE is doing to address the cultural deficit. The funding enables BASE to launch its “Black Cultural Legacy Series.” On Feb. 28, 2026, BASE will host its annual fundraiser, an all-white formal gala, at the Ashland Hills Hotel in Ashland.
ABOUT THE OREGON CULTURAL TRUST
Created in 2001 by the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Cultural Trust has supported more than 1,600 organizations across the state, generating more than $40 million for Oregon's cultural communities. The Oregon Cultural Trust was established as an ongoing funding engine for arts, heritage and humanities across the state.
Funding comes through the Cultural Tax Credit, which empowers Oregonians to direct more of the taxes they pay to supporting cultural opportunities for all. Oregon is the only state in the country that gives its citizens this choice. No other state provides a 100 percent tax credit to inspire cultural giving. Fifty-eight percent of the money goes directly to cultural organizations and agencies in the form of grants. The remaining 42 percent helps grow a permanent fund for culture. The Trust’s three grant programs fund five Statewide Partners, 45 County and Tribal Coalitions and qualified cultural nonprofits through competitive Cultural Development grants. Learn more at CulturalTrust.org.
