Tisdel honored with Westlund award

According to his friend Sen. Betsy Johnson, Ben Westlund "couldn't play the spoons." But the former state representative and Oregon treasurer who died after a battle with cancer in 2010 had a deep appreciation for the value of music and the arts. That appreciation led him to help spearhead the creation of the Oregon Cultural Trust, which supports arts and culture in the state. The trust was approved by the Oregon Legislature in 1999.

On Monday, October 8, the Oregon Cultural Trust Deschutes Cultural Coalition presented the first Ben Westlund Memorial Award for Cultural Excellence, Access and Advocacy to Brad Tisdel of Sisters.

Tisdel is the executive director of the Sisters Folk Festival and was instrumental in founding the festival's music outreach program, The Americana Project.

"(Ben) would be thrilled that Brad Tisdel is the recipient of the memorial award in his name," Sen. Johnson wrote in a letter read by Kathy Deggendorfer to a gathering at Sisters Art Works. "The Americana Project is the kind of creative enterprise that Ben envisioned for the Oregon Cultural Trust. The children who have learned to make music with the help and dedication of Brad Tisdel and The Americana Project will continue to make music long after they leave school. They will share music with their children and grandchildren in the decades to come."

Americana Project students Jaimee Simundson and John Morton performed for the assembled community members, coalition representatives and Tisdel's friends and family. Both made it clear that participation in The Americana Project had an impact on their lives far deeper than simply learning music.

Morton described finding a home and a sense of purpose.

"I found my people and it carried me through high school, really," he said, noting that performing in the program taught him a key lesson: "To connect with people, you have to be vulnerable."

In his remarks, Tisdel noted that at this point hundreds of students have learned such lessons through participating in The Americana Project. He said that Westlund clearly understood the power of such a legacy. Tisdel expressed deep appreciation at being honored with an award that is part of Westlund's public service legacy.

"Having my name tied in any way to him - I'm honored by it," he said.

In the first 10 years of the Oregon Cultural Trust, 21,000 Oregonians have raised $25 million for culture, created more than $9 million in grants that benefit every county in Oregon and have built the trust's endowment to nearly $15.5 million.

The trust is able to offer a tax credit in return for donations. That tax credit comes up for reauthorization at the legislature in 2013. Staff and board members see reauthorization as critical to the organization's future, including its capacity to continue to provide grants.

For more information on the Oregon Cultural Trust, visit www.culturaltrust.org. For more information on the Sisters Folk Festival and The Americana Project, visit www.sistersfolkfestival.org.