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
