PHAME

PHAME students were honored musical guests for Pink Martini's "Singin' in the Square" event, March 30, 2013 in Pioneer Courthouse Square

PHAME announced today the debut of their inaugural Artistic Advisory Council, a new body of regional and national arts leaders coming together to offer strategic artistic counsel, advice, support and advocacy for PHAME, the Portland region’s acclaimed fine and performing arts academy for young and older adults with developmental disabilities.

“PHAME continues to grow and thrive as we approach our 29th year of inspiring, essential work in Portland,” says PHAME Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin. “Today we serve more students in more arts programs than at any other time in our history, and this exceptional group of national and regional arts leaders that comprise our new Artistic Advisory Council will support us in continuing to innovate, in staying at the forefront of new trends and opportunities in arts education, inclusive performance and developmental disabilities, and in connecting us with national networks of arts champions that believe, like PHAME does, that everyone deserves the chance to be an artist and to lead a full, inspired creative life.”

Brisa Trinchero – Tony Award winning Broadway producer and Founder of Make Musicals – had this to say about her new role on the PHAME Artistic Advisory Council:

“Seeing the incredible artistic endeavors of the students and staff of PHAME reinforces the life changing power of the arts for both the students and the audience members who are fortunate enough to experience their work. PHAME is thriving under exceptional leadership, and is one of the true bright spots of Oregon’s cultural community. I’m so very pleased to serve on PHAME’s inaugural artistic advisory council.”

Please welcome the members of PHAME’s inaugural Artistic Advisory Council:

Christopher Acebo – Associate Artistic Director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Yulia Arakelyan – Co-Founder, Wobbly Dance
Rhoda Bernard – Director of Professional Education and Enrichment and Director, The Boston Conservatory Program for Students on the Autism Spectrum, The Boston Conservatory
John Frohnmayer – Chair, Oregon Humanities; Former Chair, National Endowment for the Arts
Laura Gibson - internationally touring pop-folk musician
Paloma Griffin – violinist and Artistic Director, Fear No Music
Courtenay Hameister – Head Writer and Co-Producer, Live Wire Radio
Andres Lopera – conductor and Music Director, Metropolitan Youth Symphony
Julie Mancini - Mercy Corps
Jonny Shultz - Fashion Director, Q6 Model and Artist Management
Brisa Trinchero - Tony Award winning Broadway producer; Founder, Make Musicals

Step up to the green for PHAME!

PHAME Academy is thrilled to announce a fabulous new event, the likes of which has never been seen (or heard!) in Portland before: on Thursday, June 13, 2013, PHAME’s “Musical Mini-Golf Mash Up!” will flood the mini-golf greens at Portland’s Oaks Park with Broadway showtunes and Broadway themed costume fabulousness! And it’s all to benefit PHAME, Portland’s acclaimed fine and performing arts academy for young and older adults with developmental disabilities.

PHAME’s Musical Mini-Golf Mash Up encourages players to dress up in costume theme to celebrate your favorite Broadway musical show or character! Come dressed as “Annie” or one of the “Dreamgirls” – maybe Simba from “The Lion King” or get groovy as a hippie from “Hair!” Your imagination can take you wherever you want to go with your creative costume, as you’re hitting the greens in support of PHAME.

Registration for PHAME’s Musical Mini-Golf Mash Up is NOW OPEN - and is just $25 ($15 for currently enrolled PHAME students), which includes a 16-hole game of mini-golf (either individual or as part of a four-person team) and a special post-golf party featuring Broadway musical entertainment from PHAME students and friends. Registration is limited to 100 mini-golfers, so be sure to sign up today!

Prizes will be awarded for Most Creative Costume (Individual and Team), Best Fundraising Accomplishment (PHAME student, Individual Overall and Team Overall) and much more!

*Event sponsorships are available for this event! To join us as a Hole Sponsor, Course Sponsor or Presenting Sponsor, contact Jennifer ‘Mac’ McDonald at jmcdonald@phameacademy.org or 503-764-9718

PHAME student Jace McFeron in our 2012 musical production, "Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka!"

Tickets to PHAME’s upcoming summer musical production of “Bye Bye Birdie” are now on sale!

PHAME’s annual musical production is always a summer highlight and hit, starring a cast of over 40 inspiring PHAME student performers in a classic American musical. This year’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie” is directed by Jessica Dart with music direction by Matthew Gailey, and runs June 22-23, 2013 – 7 pm on Saturday, June 22 and 2 pm on Sunday, June 23 - at the Mt. Hood Community College Mainstage Theatre in Gresham, Oregon.

Tickets are $31-$26 for Gold Circle reserved tickets, and $19-$15 for general admission tickets. PHAME’s last two musical productions were sold to capacity, so it’s wise to buy your tickets before “Birdie” sells out as well!

PHAME Academy - the Portland region’s acclaimed fine and performing arts academy for young and older adults with developmental disabilities – announced today the selection of “Bye Bye Birdie” as its 2013 fully staged musical production, the 34th production in PHAME’s 28-year history. The production – starring a cast of inspiring PHAME student performers, with stage direction by Jessica Dart and musical direction by Matthew Gailey - will run June 22-23 at Mt. Hood Community College mainstage theatre in Gresham, Oregon.

The Tony-award winning musical “Bye Bye Birdie” is one of the most tuneful, feel-good musical comedies of all time. A satirical take on American life in the 1950′s, “Birdie” is filled with throw-back references and plenty of irreverence for oversize rock’n'roll personalities, the power of the almighty television, and the quirks of the 1950′s-era American family itself. “Birdie”‘s Tony-winning score by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams includes gems like “One Boy,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” “Kids” and the evergreen favorite “Put on a Happy Face.”

Tickets to PHAME’s “Bye Bye Birdie” are $25-$31 for Gold Circle seats, and $15-$20 for General Admission, and are on sale as of February 4, 2013 - click here to purchase your tickets once they’re on sale. PHAME’s ”Bye Bye Birdie” is produced with permission of Tams-Witmark Music Library.

PHAME Academy presents
“Bye Bye Birdie”
Saturday, June 22, 2013 – 7 pm
and Sunday, June 23, 2013 – 2pm
Mt. Hood Community College mainstage theatre – 26000 SE Stark Street – Gresham, Oregon

Jessica Dart, stage director
Matthew Gailey, music director
- and starring a cast of inspiring student performers from PHAME Academy -

Tickets: $25-$31 for Gold Circle reserved seating; $15-$20 for General Admission (on sale as of February 4, 2013)

As 2012 comes to an end, PHAME sends a special thank you to all our students, families, staff, board of directors and our amazing PHAME friends and fans, for all of your support of PHAME.

In the words of our students, staff and friends, 2012 at PHAME has been “inspiring, incredible, awesome, exhilarating, expressive, entertaining, life-changing, amazing, spectacular, pure freaking magic,” and much more. We have lots to celebrate as we look back at an amazing year at PHAME!

Some of our 2012 accomplishments include…

*PHAME Combo was honored to open for and collaborate with Portland’s own globe-trotting band, Pink Martini, in two performances at the Oregon Zoo, in August. In those performances alone, PHAME was seen by over 7,000 audience members!
*PHAME: the H is for Honored Tour offered a dozen free performances in ten communities across the Portland metro region in 8 days, starring 47 of our honored artists and performers – and the Tour culminated in a packed performance at the Aladdin Theater featuring PHAME students in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards Big Band, Live Wire Radio and other special guests
*In collaboration with Runaway Mustache Productions, produced “In This Together” – a feature-length documentary film about PHAME’s honored artists on tour, and hosted a VIP screening of the film at Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre
*The PHAME board of directors voted unanimously to endorse City of Portland measure 26-146, to establish the Arts Education and Access Fund – the measure passed with a 62% yes vote in the November 2012 election
*Introduce cutting-edge technology into PHAME’s arts education curriculum, starting with the addition of iPads into the music program, and launching the PHAME iPad Music Lab
*Produced an acclaimed fully staged production of “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” at Mt. Hood Community College mainstage theatre, with a cast of over 40 PHAME student performers – and launched an interactive Golden Ticket campaign in which PHAME students and staff sold specialty PHAME chocolate bars, 5 of which contained special golden tickets!
*With support from volunteers from The Standard and Red Pine, completed the first two phases of an ambitious and essential systems and IT assessment and improvement process, resulting in: new HP desktop and laptop computers for all PHAME staff; an on-site dedicated server; conversion to new accounting software; and the first steps toward a major conversion to a new CRM (customer relationship management) system
*PHAME was featured in dozens of news stories on television, print, radio and online, including major stories on KPTV, KGW, the Portland Tribune, the Oregonian, the Portland Mercury, Hollywood Star News (cover story of the September issue!), Estacada News, KBOO Radio, Disney Radio and Oregon Music News, among many others
*We welcomed Jennifer “Mac” McDonald as our new Development and Communications Manager
*Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin was featured as “1 of 15 outstanding arts personalities” in the 2012 Artslandia publication, and was also recognized in the Willamette Week “mayoral madness” mock mayoral campaign, where he advanced to the “Sweet 16!”
*Launched a new “First Thursday style” open house community arts series called “Get PHAMEous!” taking place the last Thursday of each term at PHAME
*Cultivated new and continued community partnerships and relationships with organizations across the region including Full Life, Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp, St. Mary’s Academy, Estacada Together, East Portland Community Center, and numerous Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, among others
*PHAME is grateful to have received first-time support from the Regional Arts and Culture Council (first time receiving general operating support), US Bank Foundation, Java Jacket, Durham and Bates, Chubb Insurance, Joel E. Fowlks Attorney at Law and Morel Ink, and continued corporate and foundation support from dozens of foundations and businesses.

And if you’re looking for facts and figures, check this out…

*PHAME served over 110 program participants - young and older adults with a range of developmental disabilities -  in some PHAME class, workshop or student social in 2012, including 90 students enrolled in term-long classes
*PHAME produced or participated in 29 special performances in 2012, including a Sing-along Tea Party with Thomas Lauderdale at the W+K Atrium, our debut at the Mississippi Street Fair, special performances as part of the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, PHAME is a Cabaret! at Artists Repetory Theatre, Sparkle! 2012, PHAME Choir at the Grotto, RACC’s “Party in the Name of Art” gala, and many more.
*Six people were honored as Outstanding Volunteers of the Year at PHAME, including Individual Volunteers of the Year Cheryl Mansfield, Jo Fraser and Phil Peterson, and Business Volunteers of the Year: Jim Dunn (of Martin, Bischoff), Ethan Dunham (Red Pine) and Paul Finlay (Tychon Development)
*PHAME student Nikki Lane, at the completion of her first year at PHAME, was chosen by the PHAME Student Council as “Student of the Year” for the 2011-12 school year
*Expanded class offerings by over 60%, moving from 10-12 class offering per term at PHAME to 17-18 class offerings per term, with new classes like Yoga, Songwriting, Playwriting and iPad Music Lab
*Awarded $10,650 in tuition assistance to PHAME students who would not otherwise be able to access PHAME’s arts education offerings (thank you to the B.P., Lester and Regina John Foundation, and Larry Holzman, for their support of our tuition assistance program)
*Raised just over $175,000 at our 2012 “Sparkle!” gala auction and dinner, at The Governor Hotel, attended by 350 guests – PHAME student Aaron Hobson was featured in a special short film unveiled at the gala, to a standing ovation
*Reached a total 2012 audience of over 10,000 – nearly doubling our total audience reach from 2011!
*Grew our social media presence to over 1,000 Twitter followers, and to 1,352 Facebook fans, larger than many organizations much bigger than PHAME
*Expanded our staff and board to now include 5 management staff, 13 teaching staff, and a board of directors of 14 at PHAME today – our most robust staff and board in our 28 year history!

What will 2013 at PHAME bring?

*Establishing an Equity Task Force, to thoughtfully discuss and address issues and opportunities around equity and diversity in all aspects of PHAME’s program, business and community engagement
*Continuation of our new “Get PHAMEous!” free community arts open house series: next installments are March 14 and June 6, 2013
*A stellar production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” starring a cast of PHAME student performers, June 22-23 at Mt. Hood Community College mainstage theatre
*Launching a PHAME Site Committee, to assess PHAME’s facility needs and opportunities and research prospective long-term solutions
*PHAME’s 2013 “Sparkle!” gala, Sunday November 10, 2013 at The Governor Hotel… save the date!
*And much more PHAME inspiration

Thank you for all your support of PHAME, and for believing that everyone deserves the chance to be an artist, and to lead a full, expressive life!

Stephen Marc Beaudoin, Executive Director

It’s the season of giving – and giving thanks – and PHAME is proud to announce we’re one of 100 featured nonprofits in the 2012 Willamette Week Give! Guide, an innovative online community philanthropy project.

It’s easy to support the honored artists and performers of PHAME Academy through the Give! Guide – simply click here and select PHAME Academy as your nonprofit of choice. PHAME provides arts education, performance, outreach and student life opportunities to young and older adults with developmental disabilities, and your support this season makes a big difference in our work.

From all of us at PHAME – happy holidays to you and yours, and thank you for your support of PHAME in the 2012 Willamette Week Give! Guide. Special thanks to our 2012 Give! Guide business partner, Java Jacket, for your support!

In a first ever move in PHAME Academy’s 28 year history as a Portland-based nonprofit organization, the Board of Directors of PHAME recently voted to endorse and support a City of Portland ballot measure – 26-146, the Arts Education and Access Fund measure. The vote, taken at PHAME’s September 2012 board of directors meeting, was unanimous.

“I am proud to share with the community that PHAME Academy’s board of directors recently voted unanimously to support and endorse the City of Portland’s ballot measure 26-146, which creates the Arts Education and Access Fund,” says PHAME Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin. “PHAME believes that everyone has the right to be an artist, that the arts are a fundamental part of every child’s education, and that the arts should be accessible to every person in every corner of this city. Our endorsement and support of measure 26-146 is in alignment with PHAME’s mission, purpose and guiding principles, and as an organization we offer our enthusiastic support of the measure, and encourage families and friends of PHAME to give serious consideration of supporting 26-146 as well.”

Ballot measure 26-146 is the product of many years of work by arts educators, parents, arts nonprofit leaders, artists and community members from across Portland. If passed, the measure – a limited income tax of $35 for each adult income-earning Portland resident about the federal poverty level – creates the Arts Education and Access Fund, which will hire arts and music teachers for kindergarten through 5^th grade students at local public schools attended by Portland students, create grants to nonprofit arts organizations, other nonprofits and schools to provide high-quality arts access for kindergarten through 12^th grade students and will make arts, culture experiences available to underserved communities.

Recently the Portland Mercury, Street Roots newspaper and the City Club of Portland joined the growing list of newspapers, organizations and individuals endorsing measure 26-146. Ballots are due by 8 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. For more information on 26-146, visit Schoolsandartstogether.com

PHAME student Estin Kiger and PHAME Music Director Matthew Gailey "getting PHAME-ous" in a recent collaboration with Pink Martini

PHAME Academy - the Portland region’s acclaimed fine and performing arts academy for adults with developmental disabilities – announced today the November 15th debut of “Get PHAME-ous!,” a new series of “First Thursday” style PHAME community arts open houses, showcasing and celebrating the inspiring talent of PHAME Academy’s student artists and performers.

The series, called “Get PHAME-ous!,” will run on three Thursday evenings between November 2012 and June 2013 at PHAME’s headquarters, Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, 1535 NE 17th Avenue in Northeast Portland. Featuring open classes, live performance, art shows, art-making opportunities, talk-backs and snacks, “Get PHAME-ous!” will showcase the full range of fine and performing arts that PHAME’s adult artists and performers with developmental disabilities study and practice at PHAME Academy. All three of the “Get PHAME-ous!” events are free and open to the public.

“At PHAME, we believe everyone has the right to be an artist. And this exciting new ‘Get PHAME-ous!’ community arts open house series is all about creativity, and community, and making connections,” says PHAME Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin. “For a few hours during ‘Get PHAME-ous!’ you will get to step inside PHAME’s doors and connect with our classes and teachers, our inspiration and work, and especially our students – the heart of what we do. Whether you’re new to PHAME or coming back for your 5th or 25th year of seeing us in action, we invite you to come join us November 15th, March 14th and June 6th at ‘Get PHAME-ous!’ and be inspired and delighted by the talent, heart and hard work of our remarkable student artists and performers!”

“Get PHAME-ous” is scheduled to run 7 pm to 9 pm on the last Thursday of each of PHAME’s term of classes: Thursday, November 15, 2012; Thursday, March 14, 2013 and Thursday, June 6, 2013. The event takes place in multiple spaces at PHAME Academy’s headquarters at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, 1535 NE 17th Avenue near the Lloyd Center. All events in the “Get PHAME-ous!” series are free and open to the public.

“Get PHAME-ous!” is made possible by generous grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, Work for Art, the Oregon Arts Commission, PGE Foundation, US Bank Foundation, Vibrant Village Foundation, James R. Kuse Family Foundation and the generosity of many individual donors.

For more information on “Get PHAME-ous!” call 503-764-9718. Spanish language materials available at the events, and braille materials are available with advance notice.

"Sparkle!" 2012 - Sunday November 4, 2012 - 5 pm at The Governor Hotel

PHAME Academy announced today the date, venue, sponsors and special guests for its 15th annual gala fundraising event: “Sparkle! A Night of Pure Imagination” - taking place Sunday, November 4, 2012, 5 pm at The Governor Hotel in Portland.

From sparkling live and silent auctions to a sumptuous seated dinner, the 2012 “Sparkle!” gala will absolutely shine with the talent of PHAME’s inspiring student artists and performers, as the 2012 gala theme of “imagination” comes vibrantly to life at The Governor Hotel. Kendall Clawson - Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s arts and culture policy advisor – is the “Sparkle!” 2012 emcee for the night, with Jason Demicheli (of Kelly Russell Auctions) returns as the event auctioneer, enticing the gala guests with fabulous travel, food, wine and entertainment packages.

All of the funds raised from “Sparkle!” benefit PHAME Academy, Portland’s acclaimed fine and performing arts academy for adults with developmental disabilities, winner of the 2011 City of Portland “Making A Difference Award.”

“PHAME’s 2012 ‘Sparkle!’ gala is going to just blow you away with creativity and imagination,” says PHAME Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin. “Our theme of ‘imagination’ will be expressed so beautifully and powerfully in the work of our PHAME student artists and performers, and in our fabulous silent and live auctions, as well as live performances from the PHAME students and special guests. We look forward to sparking your imagination November 4th at the Governor Hotel – be sure to buy your tickets online today!”

The 2012 “Sparkle!” event co-chairs are Matt Edlen (PHAME board member and West Coast Developer for Gerding Edlen) and Keith Daly (PHAME volunteer and Field Director for the Schools and Arts Together campaign). PHAME’s ”Sparkle!” 2012 event committee is Stephen Marc Beaudoin, Mary Bouma, Katie Farewell, Paul Finlay, Trent Finlay, Alexis Fowlks, Jeri Inger, Lara Miller, Kathy Plass, Carol Rance, Marjorie Reeves and Colleen Sorensen.

Sparkle! 2012 sponsors…

Premier Sponsor
The Edlen Family
The Standard

Event Sponsor
Bill Dickey / Morel Ink
Red Pine
Ronald Atwood, PC

Event Friend
Marc Aubertin and Michael Kleinschmidt
Joel E. Fowlks, Attorney at Law
Grace Memorial Episcopal Church
John Hutzler and Teri Martin
Carol Rance

“Sparkle! A Night of Pure Imagination”
PHAME’s 15th annual fundraising gala event
Sunday, November 4, 2012 – 5 pm
The Governor Hotel – 614 SW 11th Avenue, Portland

Tickets are $100 for individuals and $1,250 for Table Sponsors (table of ten seats). Click here to purchase your tickets.

Registration for the Fall 2012 Term at PHAME is now open! PHAME is offering a huge selection of 18 classes this term, more than we’ve ever offered before. Sing your heart out with the Choir; learn about all kinds of music and meet exciting special guests in Bach to Tupac; explore your theatrical side with Playwriting; or learn how to create stories in a group with the Large Theatre Ensemble. Classes are filling up fast, but we still have room for some new and returning students. Check out our class descriptions and schedule here, or head straight to the registration site here. If you’re a new student, be sure to call the PHAME office for more information before registering.

Tuition Assistance is always available for those who request it. Please see our Tuition Assistance policy and other tuition-related policies here.

Join us, and GET PHAMEous!