Legacy of Love

The Legacy of Love will be a special account established to honor Jo Scott. It will be used for operating reserves when other funding sources are not sufficient to cover the operating costs of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

We are looking for those whose lives Jo has touched, including students from “Jo Scott’s Musical Nursery School”, “Jo Scott’s Jr. High Fine Arts Camp”, the public schools at which she taught, and the Festival. Students and their parents, children of former students, and other friends of Jo (i.e. anyone who wants to contribute!) will be given the opportunity to donate to the fund. It should be made clear that any amount, no matter how small, will be gratefully received.

For more information about the Fund, please contact us at festival@alaska.net.

It is a privilege to serve as the Honorary Chair of the Festival's Legacy of Love Fund to honor Jo Ryman Scott.

A champion-extraordinaire of the arts, Jo has fostered the development of our community's commitment to artistic expressions. She has a deep-rooted dedication to Fairbanks and to the arts. Over the years, she has inspired thousands of curious students, fortunate citizens, wandering visitors, and classically-trained artists to passionately pursue artistic excellence, expression and appreciation. She has raised the quality of life for people in our local community as well as many people throughout Alaska and the United States.

I can think of no finer tribute to Jo than to help ensure that the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival will endure well into the 21st century to be experienced by the next generation of students, citizens, visitors and artists.

—Mike Powers, CEO, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

If you wish to contribute to the Legacy Fund, you may do so right here with your credit card. You could also download our flier which can be printed and mailed to us with a check or credit card number.



When did you know Jo Ryman Scott?

  1. September 1947-May, 1950:
    Teacher in Wright School, a one-room country school house in Brown County, South Dakota (about 14 miles from Aberdeen).
  2. September 1950-1953:
    College—first two years at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. Transferred to San Jose State in California in fall, 1952. Graduated in June 1953 with honors.
  3. September 1953-May 1956:
    Elementary grade school music teacher at the then ‘new’ Denali School in Fairbanks.
  4. November 1956-May 1957:
    Completed the school year for the junior and senior English teacher at the then ‘new’ Lathrop High School.
  5. January 1958:
    Substituted that month for 1st grade teacher at Denali.
  6. September 1958-May 1959:
    Began the school year as part-time music teacher for the then ‘new’ University Park school. In January took over a 4th grade class.
  7. January, 1961:
    Substituted for over a month for kindergarten teacher at Hunter.
  8. September 1962-May 1968:
    Founded Fairbanks' first educational pre-school called, “Jo Scott's Musical Nursery School.”
  9. March-May, 1969:
    Took over for teacher at University Park.
  10. September 1969-May 1970:
    Music Teacher at University Park Elementary.
  11. September 1971-May 1974:
    Taught kindergarten at Denali Elementary.

Retired from Fairbanks Public Schools in May, 1974.

  1. Summers of 1976 through 1983:
    Established a youth camp in Scott's yard. Was originally for grades 3, 4, 5. Each succeeding year it was moved up a grade until it got to grades 7, 8 and 9 and then it became called “Jo Scott's Jr. High Fine Arts Camp.”
  2. April 1980:
    Founded the first Festival with Eddie Madden, Boston, “Jazz Festival '80” on the UAF campus with several classes in local high schools too.
  3. July 1981 through August 2009:
    Produced the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival (first summer Festival called “Jazz to Classics”).
  4. Over the years
    Friend and relative who have known Jo.



To get into contact with Jo, please input your name and how Jo can get ahold of you (like email and/or phone). If you would like to send her an extra message, feel free to include that.





Supported in part by Alaska State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Rasmuson Foundation, Fairbanks Arts Association / City of Fairbanks Bed Tax Regrant, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, in partnership with UAF.

© 2010 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival