ART FOR ALL: FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF
JORDAN D. SCHNITZER AND HIS FAMILY FOUNDATION
This exhibition was the first-ever in the newly-opened JSMA at PSU. The museum opened its doors on November 7, 2019 and because “art for all” is the museum’s motto, the exhibition served to introduce the public to this accessible space. The educational and creative programs offered during this exhibit were meant to reach a broad audience and introduce many to the space. Our programming consisted of one-time events associated with the exhibition, and foundational building of on-going educational programming.
The Art for All exhibition provided an ideal opportunity to introduce how the JSMA @ PSU can meet its mission to be a cultural and intellectual laboratory that explores ideas relevant to our time through the lens of art, opens the university to its communities, and inspires students and the public to build a just world. During the thirteen‐week run of the exhibition, we welcomed nearly 10,000 visitors, including more than 30 class visits.
Classes that visited included:
Introduction to Drawing, Art and Accessibility, David Douglas High School art students, among many others.
Grand Opening Events
November 6, 2019: VIP Grand Opening Sneak Peek Reception
Speakers: Interim Director Linda Tesner, benefactor and businessman Jordan Schnitzer, Provost Susan Jeffords, and PSU Foundation president Bill Boldt
November 7, 2019 AM: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Speakers: Interim Director Linda Tesner, benefactor and businessman Jordan Schnitzer, Provost Susan Jeffords, and PSU Foundation president Bill Boldt
November 7, 2019 PM: Grand Opening Reception
November 14, 2019
Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize Reception
Three PSU students were awarded the 2019 Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize. Their work was on display in the lower gallery next to the Art for All exhibit. Maya Stoner, Leah Maldonado, and Samantha Ollstein accepted their awards and celebrated the opening of the show. Presented by the College of the Arts.
Artist & Curator Talks
Artist Talks
January 24, 2020: Vanessa German
Art for All exhibited more than 40 artists as part of a group show. Thanks to generous funding from the Oregon's Percent for Art in Public Places Program we were able to bring in Vanessa German whose sculpture “no admittance, apply at office” was on view. German led an interactive performance and artist talk. Knowing it was the first performance in the space, German wrote a powerful poem for the museum. This interactive intention-setting live piece was a highlight of the evening. The event was free and open to the public.
Curator Talk
January 15, 2020: Interim Director Linda Tesner
To celebrate Black History Month, Linda led a gallery discussion about the Black artists on view for Art for All.
Performances
February 1, 2020: Resonant Response
A sonic exploration of selected works that were on display at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University. Each experimental sound artist selected a piece of visual art from the exhibition Art for All: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. They performed a response to the work and shared a bit about their process and inspiration.
Featured Artists:
Coast2c, Performing in response to Night Inside by Diana Al-Hadid
Mafgar, Performing in response to Glyphworld by Leah Maldonado
Maya Stoner, Performing in response to her own installation, room subject changed to "untitled"
All-Ages Workshops
The JSMA @ PSU hosted two family fun days with multiple workshops throughout the day. We worked with visiting artists and the PSU Helen Gordon Child Development Center to develop and staff the workshops.
November 9, 2019, Family Fun Day (part of grand opening celebration)
Co-hosted by the Helen Gordan Child Development Center
February 24, 2020, Power figure workshops with Vanessa German
German led several workshops for participants of all ages. These were guided instruction in crafting and composing with acclaimed visual and performance artist Vanessa German. Participants left with small power figures created with found objects and imbued with your deliberate ingredients of hope and purpose. The power figures were based off of German’s sculpture “no admittance, apply at office” which was part of the exhibition.
The Art for All exhibition featured an entire floor of portraiture representing a diverse background. To complement the theme, participants were guided through portrait workshops with multi-media materials. The workshops were free and open to the public and led by experienced art instructors for Helen Gordan Child Development Center.
