(Katie Wisdom Weinstein | Photo courtesy of Caldera Arts)
Caldera is excited to announce our new Executive Director, Katie Wisdom Weinstein, a.k.a. WIZ.
Katie has been working with community programs, art organizations and youth summer camps for the last 30 years. She was honored to be on the first team to create Caldera in 1996 and returned in 2008 to manage the Caldera offices and Artists in Residence program. With Oregon College of Art and Craft, Katie developed the first Art Adventures youth programs and returned 14 years later to manage its Community Programs for youth and adults. Katie’s career includes a full immersion with wonderful organizations such as Oregon Humanities, SUN Community Schools, Oregon College of Art and Craft, Camp Four Winds, The Catlin Gabel School, Oregon Zoo and The Dalles Arts Center.
She is driven as a true connector with people, developing creative resources and finding opportunities for growth and empowerment. Katie has an enormous amount of energy and compassion for helping local programs grow and thrive in Oregon. She is delighted to return to Caldera for a third time, now as executive director, and jump into the monumental work that Caldera contributes to youth and the arts community, uplifting youth voices and supporting artists in their creative endeavors.
When Katie is not dreaming of the myriad of ways to support young artists, you can find her in her garden, riding her mountain bike through forests or taking things apart to see how they run.
“Once Caldera has lit up your heart, you can’t shake it,” says Katie. “While Caldera was busy inspiring and supporting youth voices, it was also lifting me up to learn right alongside the kids. I became a better leader and advocate. I carry these gifts with me wherever I go.”
Congratulations to Fall 2020 Caldera Scholarship Awardees
Ladybug, Portland State University, Drama, Performing Arts
Rookie, Southern Oregon University, Undecided
Paris, Salish Kootenai College, Natural Resources
Spongebob, Mt. Hood Community College, Digital Media
Bug, Linfield University, Anthropology
Lima, Portland State University, Marketing
Jewel, University of Oregon, Pre-Med
Joy, Portland Community College, Dental Assisting
Void, University of Oregon, Business
Backspace, Portland Community College, MultiMedia/ Entertainment/ Associate of Science Transfer Degree
Miss Hollywood, Academy of Art University, Fashion Design
Curly Fri, Loyola Marymount University, Dance
Lil Panda, Portland Community College, Criminal Justice
Percy, Portland State University, Biology/Genetics
Turtle, Portland Community College, Business and Accounting
Bunny, Portland State University, Sociology
Kit Kat (KK), University of Oregon, Architecture
Silent Wolf, Oregon State University, Computer Science
Rain, Portland State University, Psychology
Jedi, Portland State University, Urban Planning / Community Development
Dauntless, Oregon State University, Public Policy and Innovation Management
Rice Krispies, Oregon State University, Climate Science
Each fall and spring, Caldera awards scholarships to young adults who have participated in our programs, to support them in the next phase of their educational journeys.
Caldera is proud to have these incredible young adults as part of our community and they continue to inspire us everyday. Appreciations go out to all the applicants and Meg Ball, a.k.a. Smallz (high school mentor and young adult advocate), for ensuring that these young people get the support they need.
Kokanee Spawning in Link Creek
Together with Trout Unlimited, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Forest Sisters Ranger District, Caldera is adding large trees to the waterway to improve the habitat for Chinook, kokanee, sockeye, bull trout and other salmonid species in Link Creek on the Arts Center campus.
Kokanee are a kind of salmon, the landlocked cousins of sockeye. Our kokanee are born in Link Creek and live out their lives in Suttle Lake before returning to spawn at around three years of age. Female kokanee lay their eggs in “redds” which are areas of gravel bed that are cleaned by the fish. Males turn from silver or brown to a brighter orange during spawning.
We are excited to be a part of maintaining this habitat and continuing to be mindful stewards of the land and native wildlife and fish that live here with us.