Portland Child Art Studio

THE PORTLAND CHILD ART STUDIO (PCAS) EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE PERCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AGES 3-14 THROUGH ARTISTIC LEARNING. OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IS ALSO COMMITTED TO INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION BY PROVIDING FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNDERSERVED FAMILIES. 2021 WAS OUR TENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF OPERATION OFFERING CLASSES FOR PRESCHOOL, AFTER-SCHOOL, AND HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN AS WELL AS FOCUSED ART CLUBS, FREE WEEKEND ART WORKSHOPS, AND ART BASED GROUP EVENTS. PCAS CLASSES OFFER CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE AN IMMERSIVE ART ENVIRONMENT, LEARNING ABOUT AND WORKING WITH A WIDE RANGE OF MEDIUMS INCLUDING ILLUSTRATION, PAINTING, PLASTER, CERAMICS, PAPER-MACHE, RECYCLED SCULPTURE, PRINTMAKING, AND MORE. PCAS IS A PROCESS BASED CHILD ART STUDIO FOCUSED UPON THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF MAKING ART FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD AND USING PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF RHODA KELLOGG. FOLLOWING A PROLONGED CLOSURE IN MARCH 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND THE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS, PCAS RELOCATED TO A NEW STUDIO SPACE AT THE BASE OF A LOW-INCOME HOUSING BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN/NW PORTLAND. FROM MARCH THROUGH AUGUST 2021, EMPLOYEES AT PCAS BUILT OUT A NEW STUDIO; INSTALLED THE PAINTING ROOM AND NECESSARY APPLIANCES, PURCHASED AND BUILT FURNITURE, COLLECTED AND ORGANIZED SUPPLIES, AND DESIGNED A GALLERY EXHIBITION WINDOW. PCAS RESUMED OFFERING OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER 2021. THUS, PROGRAM REVENUE AS WELL AS OTHER DATA FOR THIS YEAR GENERALLY REFLECTS FOUR MONTHS OF OPERATION. SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN 2012, PCAS HAS PROVIDED OVER 26,500 ART EXPERIENCES AND 173 FULL SCHOLARSHIPS, AS WELL AS COUNTLESS PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH SLIDING SCALE OPTIONS. IN 2021, PCAS PROVIDED 416 ART EXPERIENCES TO KIDS THROUGH CLASSES AND GROUP EVENTS. PCAS ALSO PROVIDED 45 FREE ART EXPERIENCES TO KIDS FROM THE VIBRANT BUILDING IN WHICH WE ARE LOCATED, A LOW-INCOME HOUSING BUILDING THAT ALSO SEEKS TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. THESE ART EXPERIENCES WERE PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM THAT PCAS CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH VIBRANT STAFF, IN ANTICIPATION OF ESTABLISHING A MORE PERMANENT AND EXPANSIVE ART PROGRAM FOR KIDS LIVING IN THE VIBRANT AND THE SURROUNDING LOW-INCOME HOUSING BUILDINGS. PCAS ALSO SECURED OVER $20,000 IN FUNDS FROM LOCAL FOUNDATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUPPORT THIS NEW PROGRAM. PCAS CELEBRATES CHILDREN'S ART IN OUR COMMUNITY BY MAINTAINING AN EXHIBITION GALLERY WINDOW, VISIBLE FROM THE STREET TO ALL PASSERBY AND REGULARLY FEATURES SPECIFIC PIECES MADE BY CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. PCAS ALSO CONTINUES TO SHARE AND CELEBRATE CHILDREN'S ART THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS WITH OVER 3,000 FOLLOWERS.