Jeanne Schapp
My husband, Stephen, and I arrived in Portland from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2011, and we LOVE it here! I love the community spirit, acceptance, creativity on so many levels and even the weather! The city certainly has its challenges, but with everyone pitching in, there is hope and progress on the horizon. As of this writing in April 2023, Fascism is looming large, and it is clear that our Democracy is hanging by a thread. We must all do our part to preserve the justice and fairness a democracy can provide.
A self-taught artist, I’ve always loved the vagaries of the creative process...art's many facets and the surge of energy and unpredictability it brings. As a child my parents gave me art supplies every year on my birthday (FLAX in San Francisco), and I’ve been experimenting and dabbling ever since.
An enthusiastic globe trotter, I really appreciate diversity and cultural differences. I was immediately drawn to Europe as a teenager and since the late 60's I have lived in Paris, Munich, Frankfurt and London. My husband lived in Berlin during his middle and high school years, and before the Pandemic we often visited that vibrant and edgy city. Over the years I have expanded my horizons, traveling to China and Mexico, and as a supporter and advocate for gender equality and human rights, I have also traveled to India and Vietnam with the Global Fund for Women (GFW). GFW is a grant-making human rights organization based in San Francisco. I also visited India in January, 2017 with another grant-making organization, Shadhika ("one with hope"). Shadhika supports a number of programs and in particular focuses on education -- especially helping young girls attend college and avoid marriage in childhood.
But no matter where I find myself, the spirit of discovery and creativity is never far away. Art is communication. I find inspiration in so many things, and art gives me a voice. My philosophy is simple: art is energy, it's in the air, the cosmos -- it's illusive, a glance, a glimmer, a misty morning, the ebb and flow of life itself.