The selection of Bart Brashers for the Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Memorial Award presented a fascinating opportunity to explore how a person’s daytime occupation might seem unrelated to the avocation where they spend most of their time after work. Bart was brought to our attention because of his extraordinary achievements in preserving Swedish traditional music and dance. However, an interview of Bart revealed that what he does as an atmospheric scientist touches all our lives every day and happens to have a Nordic connection, just as his commitment to cultural preservation does.
As a musician Bart Brashers is renowned in traditional music communities, both here in the U.S. and in Sweden, for
leadership in preserving the nyckelharpa, Sweden’s revered folk instrument. During the day he is a consultant in air quality in the Lynnwood offices of Ramboll, one of the world’s most respected research and development companies. It was founded in Denmark in 1945 by Børge Rambøll and Johan Hannemann who went out on the rooftop of their university building, looked out at the destruction to their beloved city of Copenhagen during WWII, and decided they wanted to start a company to help rebuild and protect society.
The Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Memorial Award was established in 1983. It recognizes an individual(s) who has contributed significantly to a Northwest ethnic community and the community-at-large through efforts to preserve, document, or present that community’s culture as part of the ethnic experience in the Pacific Northwest.
It is presented at the Ethnic Heritage Council’s Annual Meeting.
| 2020 | Bart Brashers |
| 2019 | Edith Christensen, EdD |
| 2018 | Christine Anderson |
| 2017 | Iraj Khademi and Estela Ortega |
| 2016 | Martha Golubiec |
| 2015 | John and Joann Nicon |
| 2014 | JoAnne Rudo |
| 2012 | Mary Sherhart |
| 2011 | Bettie Sing Luke & Lora Chiorah Dye |
| 2010 | Kristine Leander |
| 2009 | Peter Pawluskiewicz and Martha Brice |
| 2008 | Leo Utter |
| 2007 | Flori Montante |
| 2006 | Kathy Bruni |
| 2005 | Eduardo Menconça |
| 2004 | Norman Westerberg |
| 2003 | Richard L. Major |
| 2002 | Afifi Durr |
| 2001 | Sharon McBride Ritelis |
| 2000 | Sue Isely |
| 1999 | Joan Rudd |
| 1998 | Bernard “Bernie” Whitebear |
| 1997 | The Families of Jose & Norma Gomez and Juan & Marcolina Sosa |
| 1996 | Schobha Raman |
| 1995 | John Keane |
| 1994 | Lennie Meder |
| 1993 | Maria Medina |
| 1992 | Lucy Fueresz |
| 1991 | Ingeborg Hansen |
| 1990 | Ralph Hayes |
| 1989 | Rosanne Gostovich Royer |
| 1988 | Yuki Nakamura |
| 1987 | Sirkka Wilson |
| 1986 | Esther Mumford |
| 1985 | John Kovtunovich |
| 1984 | Ali San |
| 1983 | Dorothy Cordova |