Representatives of the Dry Canyon Arts Association donated $68,975 to the Redmond School District, accepted by Superintendent Charan Cline. The funds will be used to implement art programs at every elementary school in the district.

The Dry Canyon Arts Association presented a check for $68,975 to the Redmond School District, which will help provide visual art programs at every elementary school in the district.

Representatives of the DCAA presented the funds, raised through their new Jumpstart Art program, on Dec. 13.

“It is not every day that a group of concerned residents can give to a school district the funds needed to put visual art education into their programs,” said Mel Archer, DCAA board chair.

The funds came from a $25,000 donation by the Christel and Fritz Gabriel fund through Oregon Community Foundation, $7,500 from the Autzen Foundation, $5,000 from the Reser Family Foundation and $2,500 from the Deschutes Cultural Coalitions. The rest was donated by the Redmond community and DCAA members.

Elementary students in Redmond will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on visual art education in the classroom. Projects will be headed by an artist-in-residence, and will culminate in a display activity including parents and community members.

The project has demanded a level and extent of fundraising DCAA board members had not previously encountered. Archer and Josie Powell, a board member specializing in grant writing, as well as Brad Rafish, a board member experienced in nonprofit development, worked long hours researching available grants and writing grant applications.

“We have worked hard on this project because we know what exposure to visual art meant to us as young kids and we want to make sure our newest Redmond citizens get that same chance to discover the joy of art,” said Archer.

The $68,000 is only a portion of the full cost of the mission of Jumpstart Art. Fundraising throughout the community continues. DCAA is actively looking for area corporate and community sponsorships to be able to stabilize the Jumpstart Art project as an annual gift.

Community donors can participate in Oregon’s cultural tax credit wherein contributions can be made by Dec. 31 for a state tax credit. More information is available at drycanyonarts.org.