Sisters Folk Festival awarded scholarship grants

This year Sisters Folk Festival’s Americana Arts Outreach Scholarship (APAOS) fund received over $15,000 in grant awards.

The fund provides arts-related scholarships for children in Sisters Country. Funding came from foundations, businesses and individual donors, all helping to expand the program and reach more children. Sisters Folk Festival Inc. (SFF) and Family Access Network (FAN), formed a partnership in 2011, and the fund has grown steadily.

Last month, two large grants were awarded to SFF. The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation provided $5,000 for low-income children to have access to the arts in Sisters.

Also in December, the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts provided an Arts Build Communities grant of $4,050.

“We’re nearing our goal of doubling the dollar amount in the fund and the number of children we can serve,” said Development Director Katy Yoder

FAN advocate Theresa Slavkovsky attended the Sisters Dance Academy Christmas recital and witnessed first-hand how APAOS funding is changing lives. “I saw the children dance that receive scholarships and thought what a wonderful, wholesome, positive, joyful, fantastic program these children are participating in.”

Sisters Folk Festival’s mission is to enrich lives through the arts; the program ensures more Sisters families can participate.

“Sisters attracts many families to the area because of arts-related programming in the schools, but that doesn’t help our children if they can’t afford to participate,” said Yoder. The funding is also helping local businesses. “Prior to APAOS, teachers often gave free lessons to families that couldn’t afford to pay. The scholarships are strengthening these businesses as well.”

Slavkovsky and FAN advocate Dawn Cooper work hard to make sure families in Sisters Country have access to resources designed to help them when times are tough. “To see those children perform warmed my heart and I could only smile with gratitude for the village it took to get those children on the stage,” said Slavkosvsky.

FAN has received positive feedback from parents, teachers and students. APAOS levels the playing field for many children, ensuring they are included and able to realize their full potential. Families in need of scholarship funds can contact the FAN office at 541-549-0155 for more information.

To make a contribution to the APAOS fund please can contact Katy Yoder:

Phone – 541-549-4979 • Email: katy@sistersfolkfestival.org , or drop by the SFF office in the Sisters Art Works building 204 West Adams Avenue, Suite 202.