top of page

Ben Westlund Memorial award

The DCC created the annual Ben Westlund Memorial Awards in 2012 to honor an individual or organization who has worked tirelessly to forward the cause and development of arts and culture in central Oregon. 

As a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, Ben Westlund co-sponsored the bill that created the Oregon Cultural Trust.  As a representative Westlund represented much of Central Oregon, driving every road and cow path to assess the needs of his district.  He was by nature a great supporter of unsung heroes and believed in creating access to arts and culture to everyone in this state.  As a resident of Tumalo he was a true advocate for the arts in Central Oregon.  Ben was taken too early by cancer in 2010 at the age of 60 while serving as our Oregon State Treasurer.  

Ben Westlund.jpg

2020 Ben westlund awardee: Deschutes Public Library

Library You Tube.png

The DCC awards the Deschutes Public Library the 2020 Ben Westlund Memorial Award for its extraordinary level of delivery and access to library services and programs to the citizenry of Deschutes County.  The award recognizes the library’s response to the programmatic accessibility challenges presented by the COVID pandemic.  The recognition includes a $1,000 award to the Deschutes Public Library Foundation.  A ceremony to celebrate the award recipient is postponed until February 2021.

          

During the pandemic the library quickly pivoted from in-library programs to an online format. Within 10 days of the library buildings closing because of COVID-19, library staff began creating programs online from story times for babies to cultural programs for adults to classes for all ages.  The “A Novel Idea… Read Together” program was redesigned in two weeks’ time and went completely digital for the month of April. More than 9,000 residents participated in the “A Novel Idea” making it the highest participant level in “A Novel Idea’s” 18-year history. Between April 1 and July 31, 2020 the library created more than 300 online programs and made the programs available for free on the library’s YouTube channel.

Past Awardees

Jean Wells.jpg

2019

Jean Wells Keenan, Sister Outdoor Quilt Show

Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection.

Les Joslin.jpg

2017

Les Joslin, U.S. Forest Service

Recognized for authoring or editing half a dozen books on various aspects of Forest Service history in Central Oregon and instigating the  restoration of several historic Forest Service ranger stations and guard stations

BWMA Redmond2.jpg

2015

City of Redmond

The city was chosen because of its high aesthetic standards in urban renewal planning and development

Jean Wells.jpg

2013

Brad Porterfield, Latino Community Association

Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection.

BWMF Pam Bezely.webp

2018

Pam Beezely, Sunriver Music Festival

Pam broadened SMF’s youth and after school programs bringing music education to schools in need.

Jean Wells.jpg

2016

Bob Boyd, Curator, High Desert Museum

Introduce your team! Click here to add images, text and links, or connect data from your collection.

BWMA Leone.jpg

2014

Carol Leone, Museum at Warm Springs

Carol was recognized for being a strong advocate for arts and culture. She has

been instrumental in creating programs that promote,

inspire and teach about the arts.

BWMF Brad Tisdel 2012.jpg

2012

Brad Tisdel, Americana Project in Sisters

Brad was instrumental in founding the festival's music outreach program, The Americana Project. The program is an innovative music and arts education program with broad community outreach.

bottom of page