Caldera remembers Julie
Dear Caldera Community,
It is with our sincerest condolences to all who loved her that we share the news of Julie Mancini’s passing. Julie was a beloved member of Caldera’s community, and our hearts are with her family at this time.
If you knew Julie, then you know that she was a force of nature: a super smart, innovative, executive director extraordinaire. Julie was a powerhouse in the development of Portland’s cultural community for decades. She led the development and creation of our neighbor organization, Literary Arts, from a small arts and lecture series to a thriving arts institution. At her last executive director position, before retiring in early 2020, Julie led College Possible, helping students achieve their dream of college graduation.
Kirsten Kilchenstein, former Caldera Education Director and now Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Oregon Community Foundation shared yesterday, “Julie was an advocate. An advocate of the arts, an advocate for young people and an advocate for her team.” Julie was Caldera‘s first official executive director. It was during her time at Caldera, from 2000 to 2003, that we broke ground and built the Hearth Building, the iconic Caldera Arts Center main space. She launched Caldera’s Artists in Residency program when a donor gave a designated gift for artists to be in residency at Caldera. (Rumor has it, the designation was Julie’s idea.) She saw the impact of the summer camp program and recognized that the program could be even more impactful if it had a year-round presence in the lives of Caldera students.
A core tradition at Caldera is the choosing of a camp name. Everyone from students to teaching artists, staff, and volunteers, chooses a camp name: something that has personal meaning, something aspirational. Julie’s camp name was Table.
One summer, a little girl was especially anxious and homesick. She wanted to go home upon arrival. Julie asked her if she had a camp name and explained that a camp name is meant to be an opportunity to imagine possibilities and reinvent one’s self during their time at camp. The little girl looked panicked and clearly did not yet have a camp name. Her eyes darted around the outdoor kitchen, landing upon all the picnic tables. She looked back at Julie. “Table” she said and the little girl’s camp name was born. Julie loved it and asked if she could buy this name from her at the end of camp. While she didn’t buy the name, she did borrow it and that is how Julie’s camp name became Table.
The Caldera community joins with the greater Portland arts and education community in mourning the loss of our friend, Julie Mancini. We invite you to share any stories or memories that you have about our dear friend, mentor, and first executive director.
Warmly,
Kimberly Howard Wade
Executive Director