Two Lane County cultural nonprofits are poised to receive a total of $2.4 million in state arts funding, provided Oregon legislators in Salem give final approval. The projects – the historic Shelton McMurphey Johnson House in Eugene and the McKenzie River Discovery Center near Walterville – were among 11 capital projects endorsed by the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon for the 2027‑29 biennial state budget.
Funding recommendations
The Cultural Advocacy Coalition’s list recommends $400,000 for the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House to build a new garden terrace, and $2 million for the McKenzie River Discovery Center to complete renovation of former fish‑hatchery buildings and install interactive exhibits. The money would come from the Cultural Resources Economic Fund (CREF), which the Legislature distributes every two years.
McKenzie River Discovery Center
Nonprofit president Gene Jones says the center will become an educational destination that showcases the McKenzie River’s geological and cultural heritage. Exhibits are planned to highlight the river’s aquifer‑fed flow, native fish species, and the region’s Native American and pioneer history. Jones added that the center aims to develop a generation of river stewards who understand the value of the resource.
Phase one of the project, the renovation of the historic Old McKenzie Fish Hatchery, is already complete after more than $4 million in private funding. An additional $2 million from the state would allow the nonprofit to finish renovating the remaining hatchery buildings, fund interactive exhibits designed by Portland’s Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and support future capital campaigns. The grant would also help rebuild a maintenance barn destroyed in the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire, converting it into additional exhibit space.
Jones emphasized that the endorsement does not guarantee the money: “It’s not money in the bank,” he said. The $2 million request is tied for the largest single endorsement in this CREF cycle, matching a $2 million recommendation for the Britt Gardens Music and Arts Festival in Jacksonville.
Shelton McMurphey Johnson House garden terrace
Located on Skinner Butte, the Victorian‑style Shelton McMurphey Johnson House serves as a museum and event venue. Executive director Leah Murray notes the building currently accommodates only about 50 guests, limiting its ability to host larger gatherings.
The CREF‑endorsed garden terrace project, first explored in 2015 and actively fundraised since 2022, proposes a 5,400‑square‑foot cedar‑decked terrace that would increase capacity to 250 people. Designed by landscape‑architecture firm Cameron McCarthy, the terrace would provide a scenic setting for weddings, large group events, and Chamber of Commerce functions.
The estimated cost of the terrace is $838,000. To date, the nonprofit has raised roughly $250,000, including a $150,000 gift from the Jacqueline Laraway Giustina Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. The state’s $400,000 recommendation would leave a remaining $188,000 to be raised. Murray said several private donors have indicated they would step in once the project reaches two‑thirds of its funding goal.
“We’re really lucky that this year we were the only project that applied for our area, and it’s important to that program to have projects around the state,” Murray said, noting the significance of representing Eugene in a statewide arts‑funding competition.
Next steps
The recommendations will be presented to the Oregon Legislature during the 2027‑29 budget deliberations. Lawmakers must vote to allocate the funds from the Cultural Resources Economic Fund. If approved, the projects could move forward later this year, providing new cultural venues and educational opportunities for Lane County residents.
Both nonprofits stress that the funding would be transformative, expanding community access to arts, history, and environmental education while preserving important local heritage sites.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
