Portland, February 22nd, 2014. The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center is kicking off its 25th Anniversary with the new exhibit “Capturing a Generation through the Eye of a Lens: The Photographs of Frank C. Hirahara, 1948 – 1954.” On display are vintage photos taken by Hirahara.
Frank C. Hirahara’s photo of the Portland Rose Festival Portland Realty Board float from the 1950’s .
This collection of post‐war photographs feature the Japanese and Chinese American communities in Portland, activities of the Oregon Camera Club and the Portland Photographic Society, the Portland Rose Festival, the Epworth Methodist Church, and the Oregon Buddhist Temple.
Portland Rose Festival Float in the 1950’s Oregon Nikkei Endowment
One of Frank C. Hirahara’s award winning portraits was of Oregon’s own Patti Throop, who was a Portland Rose Festival Princess, Miss Portland, Miss Oregon, and a semi‐finalist in Miss America in 1954, which is prominently shown in the exhibit.
The photographic exhibit is at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, located at 121 NW 2nd Avenue. The Center was created to preserve, educate, and honor the history and culture of Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest and to advocate for the protection and civil rights for all. This collection of over 1,000 images was donated to the Oregon Nikkei Endowment, by Frank’s daughter Patti Hirahara of Anaheim, California, and these newly discovered images have helped to provide a pictorial record of this time in history.
After Frank C. Hirahara’s graduation from Washington State University in 1948, Frank was hired by the Department of Interior’s Bonneville Power Administration as an Electrical Engineer in Portland and he worked there till 1954 before moving to California to enter into the new aerospace boom in Southern California. This serious amateur photographer’s work has surprised visitors during advance previews with his attention to composition and detail.
The Frank C. Hirahara photo collection will become a part of DENSHO’s online digital collection which received funding from the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Sites Grants Program. Frank Hirahara honed his skills as a photographer while as a high school student at Heart Mountain High School, where he was a photo editor and photographer of the school’s “Tempo” annual. He and his father George took and processed over 2,000 photos of the Heart Mountain Japanese Relocation Camp in Wyoming from 1943‐1945 and this collection is considered to be the largest private collection of photos taken there. This Heart Mountain collection was donated to Frank’s alma mater of Washington State University and WSU’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections has collaborated with the Oregon Nikkei Endowment for this exhibit in showing photo panels and artifacts from their George and Frank C. Hirahara Collection.
George Hirahara and his family, including Frank ’48, had their lives in Yakima disrupted in 1942 when they were forced to relocate with about 10,000 other Japanese Americans to Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
16 Time Emmy award winner David Ono, co‐anchor for ABC7’s Eyewitness News in Los Angeles, utilized the Hirahara Heart Mountain photos in his documentary “WITNESS – The Legacy of Heart Mountain” and a preview of the documentary is being shown with the Heart Mountain section of this exhibit. Frank Hirahara’s daughter Patti Hirahara, will be coming to Portland to show this new hour long version of the Heart Mountain documentary at the Hollywood Theatre on March 5th.
The exhibit also incorporates photos and historic documents of the “Hirahara Story – 100 Years and Four Generations” from the Hirahara Family Collections at the City of Anaheim Libraries Heritage Center, the Oregon Historical Society, and the Yakima Valley Museum in Yakima, Washington and is a sanctioned event of the Portland Rose Festival. The exhibit is open through– June 15, 2014. The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center is located at 121 NW 2nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon and the exhibit will be open from Tue‐Sat 11AM‐3 PM and Sun 12‐3 PM. Admission is $5, $3 seniors (62+) /students, children under 12 free, and free to members of the Oregon Nikkei Endowment. Updates on affiliated exhibit events can be found on the organization’s website at www.oregonnikkei.org. For information about the exhibit and Heart Mountain screening, call (503) 224‐1458.
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About the Oregon Nikkei Endowment
The mission of the Oregon Nikkei Endowment is to preserve and honor the history and culture of Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest, to educate the public about the Japanese American experience during World War II, and to advocate for the protection of civil rights for all Americans. Our two projects include the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Waterfront Park, designed by landscape architect Robert Murase, and the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, a place to explore the culture and history of Japanese Americans, located in Portland’s historic Old Town neighborhood.
Portland, February, 15th, 2014. A diverse group of local business owners, parents, parishioners, teachers, staff, and community members gathered to support Holy Redeemer Catholic School at its annual benefit. Organizers expect to gross $200,000 from the event. Holy Redeemer School’s current enrollment is 313 students in preschool, prekindergarten and kindergarten through eighth grade. Administrators explain that the school is, “The most ethnically diverse Catholic school in Oregon. 72% of our students are Catholic. We welcome students from other Faiths. 96% of our students graduate from high school, compared to 76% neighborhood rate. 32% come from homes at or below the federal poverty levels and qualify for free or reduced lunch.”
Fr. John Dougherty, Congregation of Holy Cross Priest and Pastor at Holy Redeemer, catches up with old friends.
The Holy Redeemer Dinner and Auction theme was “A Night in Paris.” Guests arrived at The Holiday Inn at the Portland Airport to find a photo booth, the Heads or Tails game during the live auction, the French-themed dinner Live auction. The biggest moment of the night, and most anticipated each year by guests, is the Bids4Kids Paddle Raiser. Guests hear from parent and student speakers about Holy Redeemer students’ overwhelming need for scholarship assistance and then enjoy a video showcasing the students of the school. Guests this year also learned that an anonymous donor had challenged the audience to match a $25,000 donation. The audience rose to the occasion, making the Bids4Kids total just over $50,000.
Perhaps the most heart-warming story of this year’s Bids4Kids was that of Serapiya.
Serapiya’s family of 9 was brought to the United States 7 years ago by the Holy Redeemer community. They had been living in a refugee camp in Africa for the entirety of Serapiya’s life. When she came to Portland, she and her family did not know any English. With dedicated support of Holy Redeemer community members, Serapiya’s family adapted and flourished. Serapiya is now the first of her family to graduate 8th grade, which would never have been possible without the scholarship assistance she received from Holy Redeemer. She now is going on to high school, a promising young woman who studies hard, volunteers, and helps her younger siblings each night with homework. She has big dreams and is willing to work hard. As she told the audience, “I want to thank my parents, my teachers, and Holy Redeemer for showing me that not only is it important to dream big, as high as the stars, but that it is the work, the reach for the stars, that makes life full for you and all those around you.”
Guests start to make their way through the silent auction.
Portland, February 13th, 2014. Supporters donated $355,000 to care for children at this year’s Providence Child Center Heart of Gold event. Gerry Frank is pictured with 8-year-old JC and his parents Laura and Lee. JC benefits from therapy at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. The annual event was held at Pure Space in Northwest Portland. During the evening, the namesake of the Gerry Frank Center for Children’s Care at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, was honored for his longtime support of children’s services at Providence.
Gerry Frank, longtime supporter of children’s services at Providence, is the 2014 Heart of Gold award recipient.
Proceeds from the 2014 Heart of Gold event support the Children’s Health Initiative and help Providence caregivers serve one of the area’s most vulnerable populations.
From Providence Child Center:
Providence Child Center (PCC) has been caring for Oregon’s most vulnerable children for over 60 years. Today it continues to fill an important gap in the community not provided by any other organization regionally. We are rooted in the commitment to promote the inherent dignity of all children by providing each child in our care the opportunity to achieve his or her potential and the highest quality of life in an atmosphere of acceptance and love.
Portland, January 16th, 2014. Local business DTI Portland threw an artful benefit to celebrate its new 20,000-foot office space in the historic Pittock Building. The venue walls served as a canvas for the colorful, Four Seasons in Portland-inspired artwork created by Sabin Elementary School 2nd through 6th graders. An estimated $5,000 from the event and individually purchased pieces will support the Sabin Art Program and Portland-based, Friends of Trees.
Concentric Circles Hanging @DTI
Eric Allen and Scott Fogerty talk about the art.
“We are proud of our new space in the Pittock Building. We’re also proud of our technology-company roots in Portland that date back to 1999,” said Donna Peterson, VP of DTI Portland. “When deciding how to decorate the walls in the new space, we wanted to reflect our appreciation of the Portland community—the landmarks, the natural abundance and our people that make this a great place to live and work. Hence, the partnership between DTI, the Sabin Art Program and Friends of Trees was born.”
Chris Lamp Donna Peterson hang “Summer.”
“We’re delighted to be a part of this project that will encourage budding young artists and also help our communities plant trees together,” said Scott Fogarty, executive director of Friends of Trees. “DTI has found a unique way to give back to the community while showcasing the need for local arts and green spaces.”
DTI Portland is also committed to the metro area’s downtown core—not simply by remaining in the Pittock Building, but also by gutting the 8th floor space, rebuilding it completely, and signing a seven-year lease—all without the use of public funds. The organization operates a 24/7 data center supporting legal teams as they manage vast collections of electronically stored information related to litigation. It designed the space to comfortably host depositions, arbitrations and videoconferences, as well as document review teams. Included in the Portland space is a full-service printing shop with scanning and coding capabilities as well as the core of the company’s software development team.
“DTI is a national organization with a local, community focus, which is why it marries so well with both Friends of Trees and the Sabin Art Program with its commitment to International Baccalaureate learning,” said Peterson.
The Sabin Art Program, while local, is unique as it furthers the International Baccalaureate (IB) focus of Sabin Elementary School. Student pieces have been hosted by art galleries around town, and are a mainstay at the NE neighborhood’s Starbucks at 15th & Fremont. IB schools focus on the development of the whole child in the classroom and in the world outside.
DTI Portland hopes more businesses in the metro area will consider partnering with local nonprofits like Friends of Trees and schools like Sabin Elementary to underscore the community spirit that makes Portland such a unique place to call home.
About DTI
DTI acquired Portland-grown Bridge City Legal in 2011, and Fios, Inc. in 2012. The Portland office consists of 120 employees who specialize in serving legal teams with e-discovery processing and hosting services. DTI is the nation’s largest independent provider of e-discovery, managed document review, facilities management, and knowledge process outsourcing. DTI serves the nation’s leading law firms and Fortune 500 corporations through its 27 highly secure service centers, located in major cities across the United States. For more information, visit DTIglobal.com.
About Friends of Trees
Friends of Trees empowers people to improve the natural world around them through a simple solution: plant trees, together. They operate in Portland, Vancouver, Eugene, Salem and surrounding areas. The Neighborhood Trees program provides homeowners with discounted trees to plant at their homes with their neighbors. Through its Green Space Initiative, trained crew leaders guide volunteers at weekend events to restore green spaces. www.friendsoftrees.org
About Sabin Art Program
The Sabin Art Program has a widely respected visual arts program that has grown and flourished under the care of Chris Lamp, a longtime Sabin Elementary School teacher. Beginning in kindergarten, students are exposed to a wide variety of styles, media and approaches. They learn sophisticated vocabulary to accurately discuss and describe their work and they use high-quality materials, which helps them respect their own efforts and see themselves as real artists. Sabin’s longstanding commitment to art has meshed smoothly with the International Baccalaureate program that values the arts equally with more traditional cores subjects like math and reading. Sabin artwork is on display all over Portland. Sabin students have had showings in City Hall and there are permanent installations at the district’s central office and the new Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.
Portland, February 7th, 2014. It’s time for The Northwest Film Center’s 37th annual showcase of new world cinema. The festival will feature 128 films—104 features and 24 shorts. According to organizers, “The Portland International Film Festival explores not only the art of film but also the world around us. The cultural diversity, the extraordinary range of subjects, genres, and experiences explored—for all ages and from matinee to midnight—invite exploration and discovery, movie-lover or not.” Jessica Lyness and Northwest Film Center Director Bill Foster enjoyed the evening. The Festival is also being extended through 2/26. Here is a link with those details: http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff37/updates/
Northwest Film Center volunteer Jill Murphy-Long and her husband Greg Long enjoy the opening night festivities on a snowy night.
Russ Repp (middle) and colleagues from OMSI take a moment to enjoy PIFF opening night.
Filmgoers enjoy the warmth of the fireplace at OMSI’s Theory Eatery on opening night.
OMSI’s Theory Eatery filled with filmgoers.
The 37th Portland International Film Festival hosts screenings at the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium inside the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Avenue), the Empirical Theater at OMSI (1945 SE Water Avenue), Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Avenue), Cinemagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Boulevard), World Trade Center (121 SW Salmon Street, 1st Street, Building 2), and Regal Fox Tower (846 SW Park Avenue).
Over the last 37 years, the Festival has populated its schedule with diverse and innovative films for an audience of more than 38,000 annually from throughout the Northwest. As Oregon’s largest, most culturally diverse film event, the Portland International Film Festival pulls together a multi-faceted experience with 128 films and special events presenting a full spectrum of features, documentaries, shorts, and visiting artists – and featuring submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and works by both returning masters and emerging talents.
This year’s Festival includes the return of the popular PIFF After Dark program, showcasing midnight movies like Ti West’s (THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL) THE SACRAMENT and Ari Folman’s (WALTZ WITH BASHIR) THE CONGRESS for adventurous festival attendees. Contained within the PIFF 37 lineup is a sizable animation block with seven animated features on offer, including THE APOSTLE, MY MOMMY IS IN AMERICA AND SHE MET BUFFALO BILL, and the latest film by Portland-born animator Bill Plympton, CHEATIN’.
Other highlights of PIFF 37 include screenings of Tsai Ming-Liang’s (WHAT TIME IS IT OVER THERE?) STRAY DOGS, Rithy Panh’s THE MISSING PICTURE, Doug Pray’s (HYPE!) LEVITATED MASS, François Ozon’s (SWIMMING POOL) YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL, Jillian Schlesinger’s MAIDENTRIP, Alain Guiraudie’s STRANGER BY THE LAKE, Anthony Chen’s ILO ILO and Claude Lanzmann’s (SHOAH) THE LAST OF THE UNJUST.
FULL SCHEDULE The full PIFF 37 Program is available to the public online January 24 at nwfilm.org. Press screenings begin on January 27.
ADVANCE TICKET OUTLET Mark Building, Portland Art Museum, 1119 SW Park Avenue
Daily from 12-6 p.m.
Advance tickets by phone at (503) 276-4310
Advance tickets online at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff37/.
Admission Prices: $11 General; $10 Portland Art Museum Members, Students, Seniors; $8 Silver Screen Club Friends, Children
Opening Night: $25 general; $20 Silver Screen Friend and Portland Art Museum and OMSI Members
The Portland International Film Festival is sponsored by The Oregonian, Regal Cinemas, LAIKA, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Alaska Airlines, Wieden+Kennedy, Delta Airlines, James F. Marion Miller Foundation, and many others.
The Northwest Film Center is a regional media arts organization offering a variety of exhibition, education programs, and artist services throughout the region. The Center presents a program of foreign, classic, experimental, and independent works year-round at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum. For more information, visit www.nwfilm.org.
Portland, February 11th, 2014. Multnomah Athletic Club elected lifelong member Darcy Henderson to serve as president for 2014. The club announced Henderson’s election at its Annual Meeting. She serves one year in the position of president.
Darcy Henderson
MAC Annual Meeting — at Multnomah Athletic Club
Henderson, 50, is a freelance photo stylist and Portland native, though her work and education have taken her around the world. After graduating from Colorado College, she lived in New York and Chicago before returning to Portland in 1993. Henderson has also worked in commercial banking, advertising and public relations. She has served on MAC’s Membership, Nominating and Ad Hoc Survey committees, and has chaired the Communications and Family Events committees. Henderson lives in southwest Portland with her husband, Mike Urness, and children Jack, 8, and daughter Laney, 7, students at Ainsworth Elementary School.
“As a lifelong member of MAC, I know what a wonderful club this is, and I am honored to have been selected as President. Through the past 50 years, I have seen the Club evolve to meet the changing needs of members while continuing a tradition of excellence in the MAC’s social offerings, facilities, and athletics,” Henderson said. “I plan to continue this tradition and the work of trustees who have served before me.”
Joining Henderson are Vice President Dwight Terry, owner of Terry Family Funeral Home in North Portland; Treasurer Ann Blume, a senior associate with commercial real estate company CBRE; and Secretary David DeBlasio, attorney and managing partner at Harrington, Anderson & DeBlasio,
Henderson replaces past President Carl Burnham III, managing partner at Deschutes Wealth Management. The Board’s other outgoing officers include Vice President Jim Cleary, Treasurer Craig Iverson and Secretary Gwen Farnham, managing director at Intel Capital.
The 2014 officers were elected Monday, Feb. 11 by the club’s 12-member Board of Trustees, and announced to the general membership at the 123rd Annual Meeting, held Tuesday, Feb. 11. Each four-member class of trustees serves three years, serving as officers in their final year.
Second-year trustees are Doug Dawley, interventional cardiologist with Northwest Cardiovascular Institute; David Horstkotte, engineer and full-time father; Robert W. Nunn, attorney with Sussman Shank LLP; and Scott Sakamoto, internet marketing specialist and owner of Ronin Studios.
Newly elected trustees include Linda Higgons, a retired partner with Turtledove Clemens marketing communications firm; retired commercial property manager Janice Marquis; entrepreneur Scott Stevens; and Mike Wells, Managing Director and Local Market Area Leader for commercial real estate firm CBRE. This incoming class of trustees was selected by a special nominating committee led by past President Darwin Green, and elected as Trustees during the Annual Meeting.
The Multnomah Athletic Club’s mission is to enrich lives, foster friendships and build upon our traditions of excellence in athletic, social and educational programs.
Founded in 1891, the Multnomah Athletic Club is a family-oriented club that offers a variety of activities to its 19,900 members. Located at 1849 S.W. Salmon Street in Portland, Oregon, the club occupies two buildings totaling 550,00 square feet. The eight-level main clubhouse overlooks the 30,000-seat JELD-WEN Field and is within walking distance of downtown Portland. Covered parking is provided in the club’s garage located across the street from the main clubhouse.
MAC’s membership includes national and world champions. More than 40 MAC athletes and coaches have participated in Olympic Games, winning a total 28 medals through the years. Honors include Dan Kelly’s world records in the 100-yard dash and the 220-yard dash; Louise Kuehn’s first United States Olympic diving gold medal; swimmer Nancy Merki’s 27-second margin in her 1,500-meter freestyle record; and Jim Grelle’s 21 sub-four-minute miles.
Beaverton, January 25th, 2014. Over 150 supporters kicked up their heels as Northwest Chinese Academy (NWCA) held its annual auction, the Hong Bao Gala – Year of the Horse. KGW’s Emcee, Drew Carney, Event Co-chairs, Joel Simon and Lisa Snyder and Auctioneer, Kelly Russell enjoyed the evening. The benefit celebrated Chinese New Year and the tradition of giving money in red envelopes, Hong Bao, to wish people good luck in the new year.
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Donna Laoshi, speaking to guests about her experiences at NWCA
Event guests included Sate Representative Dennis Richardson, City of Forest Grove and North Plains city officials, community members, parents, family and friends. Guests celebrated special student achievements, exquisite student art projects and bid on a variety of silent and live auction items. The school is thankful for the overwhelming support of donors that helped raise $85,000 to maintain Northwest Chinese Academy’s high educational standards. The proceeds allow NWCA to deliver an outstanding Mandarin immersion education unlike any other in the Portland Metro area.
Auction Co-chairs, Lisa Snyder and Joel Simon
Lisa Snyder and Joel Simon Co-Chairs – extended caption: Auction Co-chairs, Lisa Snyder and Joel Simon
NWCA’s 4th Grade, Preschool and 3rd Grade Chinese Teachers
Portland, February 8th, 2013. It was Portland’s biggest February snow storm since 1993 and kids around the city took advantage of the opportunity to go slip-sliding around. Portlanders in the Dunthorpe neighborhood took the street on foot to admire the layer of white stuff, at least 6-inches in some areas. Here are a few photos from out and about:
Kids headed to Mary Failing Drive, a favorite spot for sledding.
Lewis and Clark College under a blanket of snow.
Riverdale Grade School was a gathering place for friends.
Fresh tracks were quickly covered by a new layer coming down.
Walking the dog on Breyman.
And the mailman upheld the cred, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their … Rain or shine, snow or sleet, we deliver your mail!”
Portland, January 30th, 2014. Champion Zia McCabe was re-crowned at the Celebrity Spelling Bee benefiting Schoolhouse Supplies. OnPoint Community Credit Union Celebrity Spelling Bee, presented by Comcast was no “fan-toc-ci-ni!” But musician Zia McCabe knew how to spell it and took home the trophy again. The benefit raised $230,000 for students and teachers across Portland.
Celebrity speller, (right) Kodi Sawyer, guest (left) Ashley Samson with Pencil Pete
KGW NewsChannel 8 newscaster Drew Carney, SHS Executive Director, Jen Barth and Rob Stuart, President / CEO OnPoint Community Credit Union
The last three standing and Reggie Aqui told audience members he has to leave to go “do the news.”
(left) Pat Janowski and (right) Mary McDonald-Lewis note: Pat stepped in at the 11th hour to co-moderate with Mary when Mary broke her arm just days before the event.
C.J. McCollum tries to stay in the game with charm
Perhaps one of the biggest stories to come out of Thursday night was that of the performance of NewChannel 8’s Reggie Aqui. The now three-year vet of the Spelling Bee entered the contest having always been one of the first spellers out. But this year, Aqui stepped up his game. But despite openly admitting to the crowd that he hadn’t studied any of the vocab terms, Aqui managed to become one of the final three spellers before he had to “go do the news,” and finally got knocked out of the contest.
Candace Bouchard, Soloist, Oregon Ballet Theatre bows out gracefully with her misspelled word
Right from the get go, the Moderators – Mary McDonald-Lewis & Pat Janowski – meant business, challenging spellers with words such as “Kavya” and “Piazza” (no, not Pizza), “pee.AZ.uh.” And that was just the beginner words. In fact, words were so stiff, seasoned veteran of the Bee John Erikson even commented to the moderators, “You’re really trying to thin out the heard fast, aren’t ya?” But despite fierce terms like “jipijapa,” “sarsaparilla,” and “bobbejaan,” and equally solid competition, Zia McCabe answered the call, and reclaimed her title as Champion of the Celebrity Spelling Bee (or as we like to call it, “The Bees Knees”).
Guests enjoyed the silent auction, cocktails, and Pencil Pete’s Spelling Challenge. They listened to live music from the Lincoln High School Jazz Ensemble, and sat down to a gourmet dinner in the Grand Ballroom. They were able to bid on people – yes, people – during our save a speller “Word Nerd” live auction, double their giving impact in a special appeal paddle raise, and were finally serenaded by the Madison High School Drum Line closing the event.
The benefit raised $230,000 in vital funds that will help stock the Free Store for Teachers, and ensure that every child in our community has the tools they need to succeed. Sponsors to thanked including: OnPoint Community Credit Union, Comcast, Washman, Vista Market Intelligence, PEMCO Insurance, and NW West Natural, as well as K103, Portland Monthly, and KGW NewsChannel 8 serving as media sponsors.
Portland, February 4th, 2014. Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) has started construction on a $32 million transformation of the historic 511 Federal Building, once the central post office, at 511 NW Broadway Street in Portland, Oregon. This new hub for creative practice and collaboration will open in January 2015 as the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design.
PNCA’s new state-of-the-art blackbox theater.
PNCA’s expansion will bring new vitality to Portland’s North Park Blocks, as well as the Old Town and Chinatown neighborhoods. The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design will become the flagship of PNCA’s North Park Blocks campus, which includes the student residence, ArtHouse (which opened in September 2013), and Museum of Contemporary Craft. Along with developing a dynamic campus on the North Park Blocks, the expansion positions the College to continue growing the student body over the next decade.
“PNCA fosters creative problem solving by preparing students for a life of creative practice grounded in critical thinking. With its location in the heart of Portland’s thriving Creative District, our new campus allows us to greatly expand our ability to deliver the kind of innovative education our students need for the 21st century,” said Tom Manley, PNCA President. “Our students will activate the North Parks and create a new focal point for creative entrepreneurship. We are extremely grateful to the Portland community and the many supporters who have helped us turn a seven-year dream into a reality.”
PDC Financing
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) is a significant partner in the development of PNCA’s new home. PDC was grantedauthorized a deed for the 511 NW Broadway building from the National Park Service through a national monument transfer. The PDC will lease the building back to PNCA for 99 years at $1 per year. The Commission, with support from the City of Portland, has committed to $20.3 million in bridge and long-term financing to PNCA for the project. The College also received a $740,000 grant from PDC for project planning and design.
“We are deeply grateful for the support of PDC in this visionary remodel, which positions PNCA to be a cultural bridge between the Pearl District, the North Park Blocks and Old Town and Chinatown,” said Manley. “It was PDC Board Chair John Russell who initiated this in 2002 when he sent the original inquiry about redeveloping the building.”
Creativity Works Here Campaign
In June 2012 PNCA launched a $15 million philanthropic campaign, CREATIVITY WORKS HERE, to support its strategic move to renovate the historic former federal post office building.
CREATIVITY WORKS HERE, led by honorary co-chairs Arlene Schnitzer and Dorothy Lemelson and a Campaign Cabinet of volunteer community leaders, has raised more than 75% of its $15 million goal since the campaign was launched 18 months ago with a lead gift from PNCA alumna Arlene Schnitzer to name the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design. Under the leadership of current PNCA Board Chair Ann Edlen and incoming chair Aric Wood, Board members have contributed more than $3.3 million to the effort.
Some major commitments to the campaign to date include $1 million from Dorothy Lemelson to establish the Dorothy Lemelson Innovation Studio, $1 million from Al Solheim to name the Solheim Library, $500,000 from the William . G. Gilmore Foundation, Mary Lee Boklund, President; $500,000 from the estate of Ernest Swigert in honor of past PNCA president Sally Lawrence; $400,000 from the Meyer Memorial Trust; $350,000 from The Collins Foundation, $350,000 from Maribeth Collins, and $300,000 from the Swigert-Warren Foundation.
“Our deep sincere thanks to everyone who is supporting this campaign,” said Manley. “Portland-style collaboration is essential to PNCA, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who’s helped make today a reality. We expect this to change PNCA and Portland for generations to come.”
Architectural rendering of the atrium in the new Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design. Courtesy of Allied Works Architecture.
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales said, “We expect PNCA to do for the city’s North Park Blocks what PSU’s expansion has done for the South Park Blocks. We are proud to be a part of PNCA’s vision for expansion and revitalization – not just of the old post office, but also the surrounding neighborhoods and the community where its students live. Creativity is essential to Portland’s economic development, and I expect this school of influence to have a significant impact on growing our local economy.”
Acclaimed architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture created the plans for adaptive reuse that will preserve key historical features of the 134,000 square-foot building, which opened in 1919, while introducing contemporary design and dynamic flow to the light-filled core of the building. The project’s general contractor is Howard S. Wright, with Gerding Edlen as project manager.
Allied Works’ design will highlight new areas for public programs and arts education, with exemplary spaces for art exhibitions, lectures, and events in addition to classrooms, production facilities, an elegant library, and innovation studio and incubator. The building, originally designed by architect Lewis P. Hobart, is identified as the geographic center of Portland by a U.S. Geological Survey marker on its rooftop. It was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979.
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