Passersby will get a VIP view of performing arts within the new glass tower at Lincoln Hall, which is to be fully constructed by the end of September. Barbara Sestak, dean of the College of the Arts, is directing the construction of the beacon that will visually showcase the newly founded college at Portland State.
Lincoln Hall’s glass tower to exhibit performance art
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Passersby will get a VIP view of performing arts within the new glass tower at Lincoln Hall, which is to be fully constructed by the end of September.
Barbara Sestak, dean of the College of the Arts, is directing the construction of the beacon that will visually showcase the newly founded college at Portland State.
She said the idea for the extravagant three-story glass tower stemmed from earlier renovations to Lincoln Hall.
“As part of that process, there were new ideas for the glass tower, and we decided we wanted to fundraise for it,” Sestak said. “Lincoln Hall turned its back to the main street, and now, 100 years later, the main visual piece is on Broadway.”
PSU will save millions of dollars by using preexisting building permits. Boora Architects came up with the glass tower idea as a way to make Lincoln Hall stand out on Southwest Broadway.
Acting and dance classes will be visible from outside the transparent tower, as will a student art gallery. Construction will start in mid-June.
Sestak said money from previous fundraising paid for construction documents and permits, and a gift from local philanthropist Arlene Schnitzer allowed the start of construction.
Lincoln Hall is growing in popularity as a performance venue, and hosted more than 17 events last year, including Chamber Music Northwest and a mayoral debate.
Dance will likely become a major at PSU again because of the dance studio on the second story of the glass tower. An acting studio will be on the top floor, and a green room will be on the first floor. A black box theater will host performances and be used for shoots by film students.
Schnitzer donated $2.3 million for the construction of Lincoln Hall’s glass edifice. Her son Jordan Schnitzer spoke in her absence at an event last week at PSU announcing her contribution to the project.
“This was a final financial piece, which was a little harder to raise,” Schnitzer said. “The success of Portland State is the success of our community. You can’t have a thriving, successful, healthy metropolitan area without a major humanities-based university present. We have been supportive of many programs at Portland State.”
Schnitzer said the arts are important to him because of what he called the “building blocks of life.” Everyone needs a job, he said, but there are other ways to be productive.
“There’s also the need to nourish one’s heart and soul, and that comes from having passion, and whether you fly fish, crochet—we happen to especially like the visual arts,” Schnitzer said.
Student Ambassador Val Holdahl is a junior at PSU. She attended the recent event at Shattuck Hall Annex announcing the $2.3 million Schnitzer donation and the induction of PSU’s new COTA.
“[I don’t think] the arts program receives enough attention. This is their chance to shine,” Holdahl said. “I’m just happy I get to be a part of it.”
