Oral history interviews conducted by Robert H. Peirce about the Portland Art Museum, circa 1990-1993

From 1973 to 1981, Bob Sitton was the director of the Northwest Film Study Center in Portland, Oregon, later known as the Northwest Film Center and PAM CUT: Center for an Untold Tomorrow. In this interview, conducted by an unidentified interviewer in January 1993, Sitton discusses the founding of the Northwest Film Study Center, and his work as its first director. He describes the center's building, talks about its early programs, and speaks about being hired as director in 1973. He explains why he describes himself as the center's founding director, even though he was not the first director. He closes the interview by talking about art collections held by the Portland Art Museum. Sitton's wife, Patricia Sitton, was also present.

Bill Foster was director of the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon, now known as PAM CUT: Center for an Untold Tomorrow, from 1981 to 2018. In this interview, conducted by Robert H. Peirce in approximately 1990 at a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, Foster discusses the history of film as an art form, and talks about the creation of early film preservation organizations. He speaks about the history of the Northwest Film Center, about the development of the center's programming, and about the center's relationship with the Portland Art Museum and Portland State University. He closes the interview by describing the film center's administrative structure and funding sources. An unidentified woman was also present.

This conversation with members of the Portland Art Museum Women's Council, was conducted by Robert H. Peirce around 1990. Writing on the audiocassette identifies the speakers as Elizabeth Jones, Amarie Langerman, Bobbi Olmstead, and Helen Thompson. They discuss their experiences on the Portland Art Museum Women's Council. They talk about the importance of volunteers in the daily operations of the museum. They also discuss the development of other museums in Oregon. They speak at length about running the Rental Sales Gallery, which allows museum members to rent artworks to display in their homes.

Clyde Rice attended the Museum Art School (now the Pacific Northwest College of Art) and later became an author, publishing his first book, "A Heaven in the Eye," at age 81. In this interview, conducted by Roxane Nelson and Robert H. Peirce in 1990, Rice discusses the topic of his books, and talks about the process of getting them published. He speaks at length about his experience as a student at the Museum Art School. He also shares anecdotes about his life. He closes the interview by looking at photographs and talking about them.

William Givler was a teacher at the Museum Art School (now the Pacific Northwest College of Art) starting in 1931, and was dean of the school from 1941 until his retirement in 1973. In this interview, conducted by Robert H. Peirce around 1990, Givler discusses the history of the Museum Art School. He speaks at length about teaching at and serving as dean of the school. The audio quality of this interview is very poor.

A compilation of brief conversations with several unidentified people, conducted by Robert H. Peirce around 1990. The speakers share their memories of Rachael Griffin, an artist who taught at the Museum Art School (now the Pacific Northwest College of Art) from 1933 to 1951, and who served as curator of the Portland Art Museum from 1955 to 1974. According to writing on the original audiocassette, one of the speakers may be George Johanson.

Pietro Belluschi was an internationally known architect who was commissioned to design the Portland Art Museum building in the early 1930s. In this interview, conducted by Robert H. Peirce on February 4, 1992, Belluschi discusses the history of the Portland Art Museum and speaks at length about his experience designing the building for the museum in downtown Portland. He also discusses his service on the museum's art-buying committee. He closes the interview by talking about other buildings he designed and about how the museum building has been altered since it was built in 1932.

Marian W. Kolisch was a photographer and the granddaughter of Charles Erskine Scott Wood, who helped found the Portland Art Museum in 1892. In this interview, conducted by Robert H. Peirce around 1990, Kolisch shares family stories about C. E. S. Wood and talks about his role in founding the Portland Art Museum. She also talks about oral history interviews, now in the collections of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library, that she conducted with people affiliated with the museum, including Pietro Belluschi and John Yeon. Peirce closes the recording by reading from a biography of C. E. S. Wood.

Francis J. Newton was director of the Portland Art Museum from 1960 to 1975. In this interview, conducted by Robert H. Peirce around 1990, Newton discusses his work as museum director. He briefly talks about his early life and college education, then speaks about the history of the art museum.

Robert O. Lee served on the board of the Portland Art Association, which was the original parent organization of the Portland Art Museum. In this interview, conducted by Robert H. Peirce in November 1993, Lee discusses his experiences as a participant in exploratory expeditions in Mexico and South America during the 1960s, and describes his experiences climbing mountains around the world. He then speaks at length about serving on the board of the Portland Art Association. An unidentified woman was also present. The audio quality is very poor.