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Pam Haunschild applies paint to the mural.
Pam Haunschild is an example of someone who followed their parents’ desire to pursue a career in an area that would lead to employment rather than their passion for the arts.
She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Carnegie Mellon and has taught at Stanford and the University of Texas-Austin. Although she was successful in academia, when she retired she picked up her brush and moved to a house in the wooded area of Mount Ashland.
As an outdoor enthusiast, Pam has drawn to nature and wildlife themes in her new calling. Her skills have developed to the point where her work and educational know-how are in demand. She enjoyed working as an artist in residence in several national parks during the summer months.
Pam is an avid experimenter who uses watercolor and acrylic paints, sometimes in combination, and builds textures into the paint by using natural objects to make impressions, much like nature does. Her paintings are characterized by vivid colors and are semi-abstract, but still recognizable with their natural forms.
Pam has taught for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Southern Oregon University and has provided seasonal topic covers for many editions of OLLI’s course catalogs.
When OLLI embarked on a project to renovate the entire complex with five classrooms and lounges for members on its campus in Ashland at the SOU Campbell Center, Pam came to mind because instead of the often used “Thermometer.”
Pam used her talents to create a Giving Garden mural. Its design should reflect the natural surroundings of the garden in the center of OLLI’s Ashland Campus. She created a black and white concept drawing of a lush collection of native Oregon plants and their pollinators, which received rave approval.
The size of the mural, 12 x 7 feet, was determined by the dimensions of the wall in the planned members’ lounge – their ultimate home. There it would serve as a lasting reminder of the value of the OLLI mission of lifelong learning and social connections for the next generation of members.
Working on the mural in an existing classroom was an effective way for OLLI members to track funding progress and inspire contributions. However, due to the use of the classroom, there were some logistical issues. The work had to be scheduled when the class was not in session. Paint splashes are not recommended. And the design had to take into account that the mural would be moved to its final location.
Pam’s husband, Steve Utt, drew on his experience designing and making a few exhibits at ScienceWorks (e.g., Pterosaurs: Ancient Rulers of the Skies) to suggest what would make it easier to relocate such a large mural – three lightweight aluminum panels.
First, the surfaces of the panels were prepared so that the paint would adhere, and the background colors of the sky and ground were added. Then the panels were mounted on a wall in a classroom that was being painted. In the next step, outlines of the garden elements from the original illustration were projected onto the panels.
This set the stage for Pam and several other OLLI artists to apply color to the outlines of flora and fauna after the donation was received. After the funding was secured, the last elements in the garden were brought to life.
A celebration of the renovated classrooms and the members’ lounge was planned for March 27, 2020. However, due to the pandemic, both the celebration and the use of this new space had to be abruptly postponed. Nobody expected the campus shutdown to take 18 months.
OLLI had hoped, with a largely vaccinated membership and adherence to the pandemic guidelines, that face-to-face classes could be resumed for the fall semester, which starts on September 14th. For the first time, OLLI members would have the many upgrades to the Ashland classrooms and enjoy the Giving Garden mural in the members lounge.
The courtyard garden that inspired the mural was named the Evans Family Learning Commons in honor of support for the renovation by the William Evans family. But here, too, there will be a shift due to the emergence of the delta variant.
Fortunately, Pam’s art career is in full bloom, which underscores the lesson that a postponed dream is sweeter when it is realized and that the wait can be productive. The knowledge Pam gained about effective business practices has certainly contributed to her success as an artist. For OLLI members and trainers, the delay in returning to face-to-face classes has created a whole new way to learn and teach online.
Pam’s nature-inspired art can be viewed at the Art & Soul Gallery in Ashland or online at www.pamhaunschild.com.
Anne Bellegia, retired communications professional in the medical device industry, volunteers on the OLLI Communications and Community Outreach Committee. Further information on OLLI and autumn semester courses can be found at inside.sou.edu/olli.
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