Winners of the ABC Award Announced

The City of Bend Arts, Beautification & Culture Commission (ABC Commission) selected three winners of the ABC Award. The field was outstanding, and hopefully those nominees not selected this year will re-apply next year. The winners were honored by their peers, City Council, and the ABC Commission. The awards were presented by Mayor Jim Clinton at City Hall on Wednesday, June 19. The annual ABC Awards honor individuals, organizations and businesses that made significant contributions to the promotion, beautification or preservation of the City’s arts, culture, natural environment, or public spaces in 2012.

The ABC Award winners are: Dillon Schneider, “Cascade School of Music”; the Environmental Center for the Kansas Ave. Garden; and Joe Rohrbacher, “Just Joe’s Music”.

Pictured above: Mayor Jim Clinton, ABC Co-Chair Linda Cohen, Joe Rohrbacher, Denise Rowcroft, Dillon Schneider, and ABC Co-Chair Liz Rink. 

• When Dillon Schneider founded the Cascades School of Music in 2002 he had between 30 and 50 students and not enough money to pay himself a salary. Today, the school’s enrollment is 500 and growing, and boasts a nurturing environment that helps students get through the difficult first few years – and gives them an invaluable life lesson in the process. “When students get a chance to perform as a group they really bond,” Schneider says. “They have to really rely on each other.”
• Joe Rohrbacher, the owner of Just Joe’s Music, makes his living selling or renting musical instruments, mostly to younger people. He satisfies his soul by arranging six to eight jazz concerts a year in Bend. Since 2008, he has been importing some of the best musicians in the Pacific Northwest to play for his grateful followers, many of whom grew up on jazz. He started the jazz series in his store, with an audience of 24. Since 2009, the concerts have been held at the Greenwood Playhouse, which has a capacity of 130. Rarely is there an empty seat. Whatever proceeds are left after expenses are used to assist students who aspire to play but don’t have enough money to pay for instrument rentals and instruction.
• The Kansas Avenue learning garden replaced an eyesore with a vibrant community supported gathering and growing space. The garden included raised beds, art, sculptures, gathering spaces an attractive and evolving layout and flower beds. The garden is located adjacent to the parking lot next to Troy Field and McMenamins.

Liz Rink and Linda Cohen, co-chairs of the ABC Commission, and the other commissioners, believe that the annual awards let our citizens know that we appreciate their passion for supporting the visual and performing arts, the richness of our culture, and the enhancement and maintenance of the beauty in our community. Winners are selected from nominations submitted by community members, and selection is based on criteria, including the nominee’s level of community impact.

The ABC Commission acts in an advisory capacity, making recommendations on the appropriate role for the City of Bend to take in supporting the arts, beautification and culture, and annually identifies the appropriate City involvement in arts, community beautification and culture with emphasis on community gatherings, events, cultural tourism and the arts.