Recently, the Harrison Festival lost the person who shaped, nurtured and curated the Harrison Festival Society for 35 years. Phyllis Stenson passed away on November 22, 2020. We cherish her memory and send our love and condolences to her husband Ed, children Callie and Chris, grandchildren Shyloh and Violet, brothers Nelson, Peter, Paul, Chris and Quentin and sister Susan. And of course, to the many, many other people in Canada and beyond who were touched by Phyllis’s kindness and intelligence.
The Harrison Festival Society – and its flagship event, the Harrison Festival of the Arts – would not be what they are today without Phyllis. Her immense dedication to and love of the arts, her ability to foster honest, lasting connections with individuals and communities, and her down to earth work ethic all combined to keep this event, in this little tourist village of 1600 people, healthy and flourishing for decades.
It’s hard to imagine a more worthwhile life than one that has successfully created opportunities for folks to celebrate the things that make life worth living, and to honour the best aspects we share as humans, no matter what our backgrounds, or the colour of our skin, or who we love. I know that Phyllis got immense pleasure from seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they danced to or sang along with the performers she had booked. All her running around, stressing over the many little things that go into getting those artists to the stage, created a space that for the audience was relaxed and joyful – a place to expand cultural horizons, refresh the spirit, and feel close to your fellow humans. How amazingly wonderful!
Phyllis approached her work with very high ideals, but carried it out with plain old, day to day hard work – putting out the fires that pop up, letting no details slip through the cracks, and even doing the books for the organization! Phyllis’s unique skill set, as a bookkeeper turned AD, made her incredibly effective at her job. There are few ADs around who have that kind of understanding of the minutia of finances. Thanks to this, and to Phyllis’s grasp of the higher purposes of cultural work, the Harrison Festival Society is built on a solid foundation, both philosophically and organizationally.
Phyllis became Treasurer of the Festival organization in 1983, then Coordinator and Chair in 1985, and ultimately the organization’s Executive and Artistic Director. Under her leadership, the festival gained its status as a charity not for profit, and grew into a professionally run event, always maintaining a high standard of accessibility and culturally diverse, quality programming. She established the funding relationships that still allow the festival to present free shows on the waterfront and reasonably priced hall shows, and kept the festival running through some challenging fiscal times.
One outstanding aspect of Phyllis Stenson’s career was her ability to reach out and partner with organizations and communities both locally and across the country. Her partnerships with Sts’ailes over the years were particularly meaningful to her, with one special memory being a cultural meeting between Rwandan musicians and Sts’ailes members in 2006. She was honoured by Sts’ailes in a naming ceremony at the 2013 festival. The Harrison Festival has also been intimately connected with the University of the Fraser Valley since the beginning, and Phyllis nurtured that connection carefully.
Phyllis received numerous other honours, including an honorary Doctorate from the University of the Fraser Valley in 2006 and a special award from Folk Alliance International called the “Spirit of Folk” award in 2016. She was chosen by the Canadian Association for Arts Presentation (CAPACOA) as “Presenter of the Year” in 1997 and 2010, and served on several Boards and committees, including as Chair of Board of the University of the Fraser Valley and President of CAPACOA from 2011-2013.
Through her regular attendance at conference events, she developed an extensive and solid network of treasured friendships among like-minded arts presenters and performers, who see her as an inspiration and a source of knowledge on everything from grant writing, to community engagement, to programming. In 2013 she retired from the festival, and continued to be called upon for her extensive experience.
The best way we know to honour Phyllis’s memory is to continue to produce the festival she loved so much with integrity and care. Her inspiration will carry us forward, and we hope we can live up to the ideals she cherished. As Phyllis always signed off with her emails – onward and upward! Love you Phyllis!
Her family has noted on the obituary that donations can be made to the Festival Society. To make a donation in Phyllis’s honour, please click the yellow button below.
We would love to hear your memories of Phyllis. This is a temporary blog post that will be converted into a permanent page on our website. If you would like to leave us a note in the comments below, we would be happy to include it on the page. Photos can be sent to info@harrisonfestival.com. Thank you!
