Recipients include four high school seniors from Jefferson and Deschutes Counties for performing arts.
The Tower Theatre Foundation and Marianne Watson established the Doug Watson Scholarship for Performing Arts in memory and honor of the Tower’s longtime member, sponsor, volunteer, and Board Chair. Doug was a true advocate for the arts, especially the Tower’s LessonPLAN education programs, and reveled in seeing an audience of enthusiastic school kids react to live performances.
The Doug Watson Scholarship empowers students across Central Oregon who plan to actively pursue their creative passions after high school. The following 2023 recipients will each receive $4,000 to further their arts education:
Gavin Felciano: Gavin is a senior at Summit High School. After graduation he plans to attend Oklahoma City University, with the intended major of Musical Theatre.
Madeline Wooster: Madeline is a senior at Summit High School. After graduation they plan to double major in Theatre and Psychology at Willamette University.
Zach Bennett: Zach is a senior at Bend High School. After graduation he plans to attend Belmont University, with the intended major of Commercial Music.
Olivia Johnson: Olivia is a senior at Madras High School. After graduation, she plans to attend Southern Oregon University, with the intended major of Digital Cinema.
“The recipients of the Doug Watson Scholarship are serving Central Oregon through their creative pursuits, and our community is richer for it. Doug’s legacy lives on through the power of arts in education,” said Rep. Emerson Levy of Central Oregon’s 53rd House District, assisting the Tower’s Director of Education, Dani Wyeth, in announcing the winning applicants.
“We are so grateful to the Watson family and the additional support from the community. This wouldn’t be possible without them,” adds Wyeth.
More information about LessonPLAN education programs and the Doug Watson Scholarship Program is available at towertheatre.org.
About Tower Theatre Foundation:
The historic 466-seat Tower Theatre is owned and operated by the nonprofit Tower Theatre Foundation. Our mission is to be Central Oregon’s leading performing arts organization, providing cultural and educational programs that make essential contributions to the region’s lifestyle and strength of community.