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. 2022 WAS OUR ELEVENTH 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. IN 2021, EMPLOYEES AT PCAS BUILT OUT A BRAND NEW STUDIO SPACE AND DESIGNED A GALLERY EXHIBITION WINDOW. PCAS RESUMED OFFERING OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER 2021. 2022 REFLECTS THE FIRST YEAR OF FULL CAPACITY OPERATION IN OUR NEW LOCATION, WITH SOME COVID PRECAUTIONS STILL IN PLACE IN THE EARLY PART OF THE YEAR, INCLUDING REDUCED CLASS SIZE. SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN 2012, PCAS HAS PROVIDED OVER 29,500 ART EXPERIENCES AND 198 FULL SCHOLARSHIPS, AS WELL AS COUNTLESS PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH SLIDING SCALE OPTIONS. IN 2022 ALONE, PCAS PROVIDED 25 FULL SCHOLARSHIPS AND 2,945 ART EXPERIENCES TO KIDS THROUGH CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, AND GROUP EVENTS. THIS NUMBER INCLUDES THE 276 FREE ART EXPERIENCES PROVIDED TO KIDS SPECIFICALLY FROM THE VIBRANT BUILDING IN WHICH WE ARE LOCATED, A LOW-INCOME HOUSING BUILDING THAT PROVIDES HOUSING FOR FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. PCAS HAS WORKED CONTINUOUSLY IN COLLABORATION WITH VIBRANT STAFF TO ESTABLISH A PERMANENT AND EXPANSIVE ART PROGRAM FOR KIDS LIVING IN THE VIBRANT AND THE SURROUNDING LOW-INCOME HOUSING BUILDINGS. PCAS ALSO 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 CONTINUES TO SHARE AND CELEBRATE CHILDREN'S ART THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS WITH OVER 3,000 FOLLOWERS.