Creative icons to be honored in Portland

PORTLAND – The Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission have selected the seven award winners for 2026 for a variety of work to strengthen cultural life, creative work, and community identity throughout the state.

Gleaned from more than 630 nominations, the recipients will receive their awards at a ceremony in Portland on Dec. 1 at the Oregon Convention Center. Two of the seven are from this area.

Pendleton Center for the Arts Executive Director Roberta Lavadour has been selected for the Lifetime Achievement in Arts & Culture Award. An accomplished artist and longtime leader of The Arts Center, Lavadour has spent decades expanding access to arts education, exhibitions, music, and cultural programming in Eastern Oregon.

Stephanie Craig of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde/Dayton will receive the Traditional Arts and Culture Keepers Award. She is a traditional weaver, educator, and cultural keeper dedicated to preserving indigenous weaving traditions, sharing knowledge across generations, and sustaining the natural materials and cultural practices that are seen in her creations.

Photo above of Lavadour by Colin Bell and photo below of Craig with no photo credit are provided by the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission.

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Elkhorn Media Group