PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Inside a quiet warehouse in Northwest Portland, Jordan Schnitzer keeps tens of thousands of pieces of original art, creating what he calls one of the largest teaching collections in the country.
The collection, housed in a building developed by the Schnitzer family, contains what Schnitzer describes as the largest collection of post-war prints in the world. The warehouse holds works by major artists including Roy Lichtenstein, Chuck Close, Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst.
“I’ve been buying art since I was 14,” Schnitzer said. “I love art. I look at work and I just feel this knees buckling in this wonderful sense of joy.”
Art education and community access
Schnitzer said his passion for art came from his late mother, Arlene Schnitzer.
“My mother opened that art door, and I loved art ever since,” he said. “I never thought about, gee, am I doing this to please her? I just suddenly saw the art and liked it.”
Nearly all pieces in the collection are stored in frames, ready to be shipped to museums and galleries worldwide. Schnitzer said the collection has six to eight exhibitions traveling at any time, all loaned for free.
“We give the money to pay for kids coming in buses, educators, symposiums, artists and residents,” he said. “Whatever it takes in each community.”
Local impact and education
In Portland, Schnitzer opens his gallery in Northwest Portland to young community members, including third and fourth graders and high school students.
“If I can get these amazing artists’ work to the third and fourth graders today at MLC school, or the students from PNCA or Grant High School yesterday, maybe, just maybe, those kids will see work by all the artists out there now, somehow inspire them in some way and make them feel that they’re important,” he said.
Jamin London Tinsel, a Grant High School art teacher, said the access provides valuable educational opportunities.
“When we walked in yesterday and saw the caliber of artists that were in this exhibit and just the heavy hitters right here in Portland in Jordan’s collection was, you know, for me as an educator, I was like, I’m weak in the knees,” Tinsel said.
Notable artists and philosophy
The collection includes works by Jeffrey Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Judy Chicago, along with local artists like Lucinda Parker and Marie Watt. Schnitzer said Andy Warhol particularly captures his fascination.
“Warhol, I think, is the most accessible,” he said. “His themes are as fresh today as they were when he did them.”
As one of the region’s largest real estate developers, Schnitzer said the art provides balance amid Portland’s challenges.
“I think it’s nice to have beautiful things around you that add balance to your life,” he said. “It doesn’t change the issues of the day, but it maybe helps change your attitude towards dealing with your issues.”
Schnitzer said he hopes the art connects people both to the work and to each other.
“What I tell people is when you look at art, stop thinking, start feeling, and just let the art come into you,” he said.
For Schnitzer, collecting art focuses less on ownership and more on sharing.
An exhibition featuring pieces from his collection is currently on display at the Portland Art Museum through January 11.
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