A transformative $1.3 million gift to the Pacific Northwest College of Art is opening doors for future artists. The gift — $1 million in a scholarship endowment from the estate of longtime Portland arts supporter Dorothy “Dolly” Lemelson and $300,000 in immediate-use funds from the foundation she established — is expanding financial aid, transforming teaching and curriculum, supporting student success and future careers, and widening public programs at PNCA.
“Dolly was passionate about young people, the arts, and education,” said Jennifer Bruml, president of the Dorothy Lemelson Foundation. “She wanted to make sure that talented students are able to access creative careers—and this gift supports that.
Across PNCA, Lemelson’s generosity is fueling key academic and student-support initiatives and providing full scholarships to students with financial need.
A game-changer for PNCA
PNCA Dean Jennifer Cole describes the $300,000 current-use gift, to be distributed over three years, as “a game-changer.” The gift supports key areas of access central to student thriving. These encompass access to materials, career exploration, academic support, and a cutting-edge curriculum.
“Being an artist or a designer takes courage,” Cole says. “Many of our students face financial and learning challenges that deepen challenges to creative risk-taking. This gift provides targeted support that is transformational to our students and the college.”
Future-proofing the curriculum
Art and design careers are rapidly changing. PNCA’s faculty is working together and with outside experts to ensure that the curriculum is pushing the boundaries of creativity, technology, and rapid transformation in creative enterprise. Already, the current-use gift has supported a revision of the general education curriculum to include new coursework on AI, data analysis, and media literacy; required coursework in business venture development, entrepreneurship, and public impact careers; changes to the animation and painting programs; and the development of an interaction design BFA and a rebooted graduate design program. The overarching goal: to ensure that students thrive in today’s creative economy.
Helping students succeed
The $1 million endowed scholarship supports students with exceptional talent and limited financial means by providing four-year, full-ride scholarships. These scholarships offer the financial stability students need to complete their degrees.
PNCA serves students from a broad socioeconomic range, with 47 percent of all students demonstrating high financial need and 28 percent being first-generation college students.
“Our mission is to make an art and design career possible for talented students regardless of financial challenges,” Cole said. “This gift supports the long-term success of a diverse art and design ecosystem in the region — and in the country.”
Many students are highly motivated creative thinkers but face real challenges when they transition to college, Cole said. To that end, the immediate-use gift helps cover essential tools such as first-year art kits and senior thesis materials, significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs for all students. “As a result, students can take creative risks without worrying about whether they can afford the supplies,” said Cole.
Beyond supplies, many students struggle to pay for the costs of internships — such as travel, clothing, and parking. Participation in an arts internship is one of the highest predictors of postgraduate career success according to the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project. For this reason, PNCA has deployed part of the immediate-use grant to support undergraduate students in their internships, as well as to fund research travel for graduate students.
The immediate-use grant is also helping vulnerable students stay on track to graduate. While PNCA already offered advising, writing, coaching, and tutoring programs, the grant has allowed for the hiring of a part-time senior academic success coach. That coach works with students at risk of dismissal to create individual academic recovery plans including: executive function, note-taking, and test-taking strategies.
Dorothy Lemelson: A lifetime supporting the arts
Lemelson believed that all people can and should have access to arts. The current-use gift is enabling PNCA to offer more free public programs than any other institution in the city. For example, the Dorothy Lemelson Lectures will bring professional designers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs to campus for free lectures or programs.
Lemelson moved to Portland after her husband’s passing to be near one of her sons. She quickly became an integral part of the local arts community.
Her support of PNCA began in the 1990s, when she stepped in to fund full scholarships for students facing financial need. Over two decades, these scholarships funded the education of 21 PNCA students.
That support continued when Lemelson contributed $1 million to establish the Dorothy Lemelson Innovation Studio at PNCA. Recently renovated, this light-filled network of spaces regularly hosts artist talks and lectures, classroom conversations, art exhibitions, and student discussions. “The Innovation Studio has become a legacy for us,” Bruml said.
Lemelson passed away in 2021.
“She was a formidable woman raised with a deep sense of responsibility to others,” said Bruml. In supporting PNCA students, Bruml said, “We feel incredibly honored to carry Dolly’s legacy.”
