THE ARTS

Whether you prefer rock and roll or classical music, street dances or formal balls, line dancing or the waltz, movies or live drama, small intimate plays or large stage productions, there is opportunity to enjoy it all in Union County. The diversity and quality of cultural activities and enjoyable entertainment is rivaled only in large population centers and major urban areas.

The presence of Eastern Oregon University adds a great deal to the cultural scene. Symphony concerts, theater and dance are an important part of life. The Mary Jane Loso Hall, an eight million dollar arts center, has expanded our cultural horizons several times over. This state of the art performing arts facility houses two theaters and an art gallery. The 450 seat McKenzie Theatre is home to several major dramatic productions and Broadway musicals each year. The 125 seat Lyle Schwarz Theatre offers a setting for student directed plays and smaller, more intimate productions.

McKenzie Theatre is also home to a number of community sponsored and produced events annually. The Observer, a local newspaper, sponsors an annual Festival of Christmas Music each December featuring both college and community performers. The Blue Mountain Barbershoppers, a large close harmony men’s chorus, showcase their annual Parade of Harmony in the theater.

Performances of the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra and a The Community Chorus, as well as student and faculty recitals are also held in the theater.

The Nightingale Art Gallery, located within the Mary Jane Loso Hall, exhibits work from many local, Oregon, and nationally known artists, as well as student exhibits. The La Grande Arts Commission hosts an annual event known as Season’s Faire – a northwest regional artists event with sculpture, water colors, oil paintings, and other media on display – each fall. The evening includes an art auction, entertainment, wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Children are not left out of all this cultural activity. The La Grande Arts Commission also sponsors Arts for All, an exciting hands-on art event for more than 1,000 children from Union, Baker and Wallowa counties. This festival of art for kids is multi-disciplinary, including visual arts, music, dance, theater and language, and allows the children to become involved in the processes of creation.

Think Link, a nonprofit Discovery Center for Children and Adults, is a community resource which provides a variety of novel, dynamic, thought-provoking educational experiences to expand curiosity, creativity, inventiveness and global awareness in the humanities, arts, and sciences through hands on, educational experiences.

Opportunities for actors, musicians and dancers abound in campus productions, and in concerts and recitals held elsewhere across the county. The Blue Mountain Barbershoppers, The Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra, and The Grande Ronde Community Chorus all welcome new members.

The Elgin Opera House, a theater built in the town of Elgin in 1912 is another performing arts center of importance to Union County. Located inside Elgin’s city hall, the theater was fully restored in 1985 to reflect its original elegance. Movies are shown weekends, and live performances are often featured. A local Elgin theater group, The Eighth Street players, schedules melodramas and plays each season.

EDUCATION

Most of the communities in Union County have their own school districts with the exception of Summerville, whose students attend schools in Imbler. Each district serves grades K-12, usually with an elementary school and high school, and each is served by its own elected school board. Island City has an elementary school that is part of the La Grande School District. The La Grande School District offers a high school (grades 9-12), middle school (grades 7-8), and five elementary schools (grades K-6). In addition to its regular schools, the district offers a comprehensive set of services for students with special learning problems and to students with unusual academic abilities. Scheduled activities are offered at the La Grande Middle School as well as intramural athletics and a beginning band program. An extensive athletic program is in place in the La Grande High School, along with a variety of clubs and a widely-recognized music program.

The Union/Baker Education Service District (ESD) provides a wide variety of additional services to all school districts within the county. The ESD oversees special education programs designed to provide an appropriate public education for all disabled students. In addition, the ESD provides a variety of integrated services for the county, offers alternative educational programs, provides GED preparation and high school completion programs and non-traditional programs for at-risk students. They also provide coordination for credit and non-credit continuing education courses through Eastern Oregon University and Blue Mountain Community College. School to Work programs are under development or in place in all of the county school districts and are administered by the Regional Workforce Quality Council.

Adult training programs are available through Training and Employment Consortium and the Vocational Rehabilitation Division in La Grande.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Eastern Oregon University is fast on its way to becoming Oregon’s Selective Undergraduate Institution. With a national ranking as one of the top four Western Public Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, dramatic increases in enrollment, improved retention and new innovations in course development and program offerings, EOU is proving that the best is yet to come. Already well-known as a student-centered university, EOU places the interests of all its students – both traditional and nontraditional – at the forefront of its curriculum, student services, and extracurricular activities. Under the leadership of President Khosrow Fatemi, EOU has strengthened its commitment to preparing students for today’s global marketplace with “cornerstone experiences,” which provide opportunities for internships, international experiences, undergraduate research, and community involvement. As a nationally-recognized leader in distance learning, EOU provides educational services to students throughout Oregon and across the country.

Unique among most public colleges and universities in the U.S., all undergraduate students at EOU, whether an Oregon resident or not, pay the same tuition as their classmates – there is no out-of-state tuition. International students who attend EOU even pay the same as their Oregon peers. EOU is also the most cost-effective institution in the Oregon University System, with annual tuition and fees of just $3,387 which is 66 percent below the national average for public universities and 85 percent below the national average for private institutions. EOU offers 26 baccalaureate degrees, incredible student involvement, great faculty and a strong athletics program for a tuition value we believe you won’t find anywhere else in Oregon or beyond. Students live and learn on 143 acres surrounded by the Blue and Wallowa Mountains.With a student body just over 2,700 students, interaction with faculty and peers is commonplace and opportunities for involvement are limitless. It’s an open invitation for learning! Whether you are preparing to become a teacher, a business leader in an emerging global marketplace, a show-stopping performer, or just want to discover all the opportunities available to you and your future, EOU is the place to help you realize your dreams.

ACTIVITY AND INVOLVEMENT

There are many opportunities for involvement in Union County with more than seventy clubs, sororities, fraternities, and other organizations of every sort. Participation may range from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts through fraternal orders such as the Elks, Eagles and Eastern Star, to chapters of the Good Sam club, coin and gem clubs, a photography club, and two dozen or more athletic clubs and groups. Whatever your interest – clogging, square dancing, bow hunting, weight loss, neighborhood fellowship, model aircraft, classic cars or ham radio – there is a group with which to become involved.

The Union County Ambassadors, a group of residents banded together to promote the county and assist local business with ribbon cuttings and grand openings, offers a great way to make a contribution beyond self. The Ambassadors serve as the right arm of the Chamber of Commerce, helping to promote growth and development. Rotary International has two clubs in La Grande, a Thursday morning club, and one meeting at noon on Tuesdays. The Lions have a club in La Grande, Island City, Elgin and Union. Soroptimist International, the Optimist Club and Kiwanis hold weekly meetings in La Grande.

In addition to these clubs and organizations, there are at least sixty associations, councils, volunteer programs, agencies, festival groups, support groups and ministries with programs in Union County. The La Grande-Union County Chamber of Commerce maintains lists of all of these, which are available upon request by mail or telephone.