September Newsletter


 
Five people wearing black standing on a stage with music stands. Behind them is a curtain lit to be purple, orange, and black.

In This Newsletter

  • A Letter from Our Executive Director

  • An Interview with New Student Fermina

  • A Spotlight on Fall Term Classes

  • Drawings by PHAME student Timmy

  • Upcoming Events

  • & More!

 

 

Change Makes Us Stronger

A note from our Executive Director

What an altered world we are living in compared to six months ago. Like many of you I’m sure, recent events have left me reflecting on equity, both nationally and here in Portland. Every day I’m grateful to work for an organization like PHAME—an organization in which equity is central. But as PHAME responds to the challenges the pandemic creates, I find myself regularly considering how this year has placed a magnifying glass on the inequalities that many in our community regularly face.

We were lucky to be able to move our programs online in April. Our spring and summer terms were robust and creative, with new classes mixed in with the familiar, and new faces mixed in with our existing student body. We now have students at PHAME from six different states, including Tennessee and Massachusetts. We’ve been able to keep most of our teaching staff employed and are continually impressed by the creativity they—and our students—have harnessed while staying at home.

But we’ve also faced the fact that many of our students were the first to lose their jobs in the pandemic, and how for some, PHAME is now the only bright spot in otherwise empty weeks. We know those of us who live with disabilities are more likely to be deeply affected by Covid-19 if we do fall ill. And we at PHAME are realizing that while we’ve been actively working on equity for people with disabilities in the arts for years, we still have work to do when it comes to racial equity within our organization.

At PHAME, we remain committed to meeting inequities head on. Our staff and board have formed racial equity working groups in order to assess where we are now and where we need to go. Our team will continue to find creative ways to reach out to community members who are experiencing challenges because of Covid-19, or who lack the economic, technological or social supports to participate at PHAME. We are committed to weathering this storm, and to becoming stronger because of it. PHAME students and staff will be here for the long run, creating and sharing art, fostering community, and doing our part to build a more equitable world.

Be well, stay healthy, and I hope to see you in person soon.

—Jenny R. Stadler, Ph.D.

 

My Love
A poem by Austin Landau

My love
Hides behind screens
She can’t see my love for her
Her room is dark, but her screen glows.
Who do you think she is?

 
Five people seated with drums in front of large light-filled windows.
 

2019-2020 School Stats

• Total students served: 139
• Total new students: 43
• Total tuition assistance awarded: $37,841
• Total classes: 85
• Total online classes: 33

 
 

New Student Spotlight: Fermina

Fermina L. joined us for online classes this summer all the way from Tennessee! Better yet, she and her family are moving to Portland in the near future. Fermina is an artist, a strong advocate for people with disabilities, and she just graduated from college this spring! We had a great chat when she was recently visiting Portland—here are a few edited highlights from our conversation.

On being an artist and advocate
I’ve been dancing for almost five or six years. It’s called Mexican folkloric dance. I [also] love to paint people’s faces for shows. So I do consider myself an artist.
[I’ve taken] a lot of classes, so now getting into PHAME, I really want to do more like directing, making a play, writing a play. I really want to see myself do a fashion show. I want to show that people are different and that’s ok! I call myself an advocate for people with disabilities. I go out and speak for their rights and everyone’s rights.

On finding PHAME
I was like, let me take some classes during the summer and see if I like it. When I started to look at [PHAME’s] YouTube channel and I was reading stuff on [the] website, I was like, oh my!

It’s a program that I can stay in how ever long I want to. When I started to hear other students say, “I’ve been here for 16 years…” I’m like, wow that is amazing, that can be me one day.

On taking online classes
My experience has been awesome! It’s been challenging, it’s been getting out of my comfort zone, a lot more. I’m already independent but now I’m seeing skills I didn’t have before. I [had] never seen myself until I took PHAME classes as someone [who could] draw or paint. I just painted a moon and sun. I never saw myself doing that.

Thank you, Fermina! We’re so happy you found PHAME!


Spotlight on Fall Term 2020

Q: What’s cool, creative, and connected??
A: PHAME’s online Fall Term, that’s what!!

Fall Term runs September 14 - November 19 and we’re offering 20+ classes, weekly online hangouts, meditation sessions, and more!

Here are just a few of our favorite fall classes:

  • Radio Drama: After choosing a script to work with, students in this collaborative class will create sound effects, record dialogue, and finalize the drama while building their problem solving, voice, and acting skills. Co-taught by Laura and Stephanie!

  • Videography: Calling all movie-lovers and TV-devotees! This class will focus on video editing: slicing footage, adding effects and music, and more. Taught by the multi-talented Jason!

  • Kitchen Concertos: Just about anything can be an instrument when you’re making impromptu music at home. Learn how to make your own instruments—or repurpose ones you already own—in this collaborative class taught by David!

Visit phamepdx.org/fall2020 to download the full course catalog.

New to PHAME? The first step to becoming a student is to complete a prospective student interview. Call Rob Smith at (503) 764-9718 ext. 2 to schedule yours today!


Student Art Spotlight: Timmy

Check out these fun drawings by PHAME student Timmy M., made during this summer’s Line Drawn Animation class!

These drawings and many more will be brought to life in an animated video that will also feature student poetry, voice acting, and original music. We’ll share the video in a virtual event on September 30!


Upcoming Virtual Events

One Community Breakfast
Wednesday, September 16, 8 am
Reserve your free spot

PHAME’s One Community Breakfast is a virtual opportunity for business leaders to learn about the benefits of hiring people with developmental disabilities, and gain practical knowledge about how you can make it happen. Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA by taking a stand for workplace inclusion, and join PHAME for remarks from Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, a keynote from JP Morgan Chase Vice President and Global Head of the Autism at Work Program Anthony Pacilio, and take-home policy documents you can put into action right away—and of course, outstanding PHAME performances.

Video Release Party
Wednesday, September 30, 7 pm
Join us for the grand premiere of three original PHAME videos: a virtual mega choir, a dance and percussion collaboration, and a multimedia spectacle combining animation, poetic storytelling, voice-actors, and original music. We can’t wait for you to see our students’ amazing creativity and hard work on the silver (Zoom) screen! The Zoom link will be shared in an email the week of the event.

 
 
Anya Roberts