Wilsonville City Council approves grants for projects including public art, green space restoration

This year, six community projects will receive Wilsonville-Metro Community Enhancement grants.

Wilsonville City Council approved $109,876 in grants for the upcoming fiscal year on Monday, May 6; grants are funded through money given to the city by the Metro regional government

According to a staff report the city received six project applications, all of which were approved.

The Wilsonville Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee will receive the largest grant at $29,000 for the “Many Cultures, One Heart” public art project, which seeks to uplift diverse cultures and will commission artists to paint fiberglass hearts for installation throughout the city.

Nearly $20,000 for Friends of Trees, a Portland nonprofit that works to plant trees and restore green spaces, to remove invasive blackberries and ivy from Tranquil Park, and $19,500 to the city’s Natural Resources Department for creating a Wilsonville Field Guide on local geology, habitats and wildlife. A letter from Amy E. S. Schauer, director at the Center for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies at the West-Linn Wilsonville School District, said the schools will incorporate the field guide into teaching.

The city Parks and Recreation Department was awarded $17,000 to add outdoor musical equipment to Murase Plaza, including “perfectly tuned sound sculptures,” according to the staff report. Portland State University will receive over $11,000 for a visual arts project created by inmates at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility for display at the Wilsonville Public Library.

Grace Chapel will receive over $13,000, on behalf of local social services organization Heart of the City, to fund new furniture and technology like computers and IPads.