Eva Cassidy, the late eclectic-to-unpegged singer, was not properly celebrated in her lifetime, but that didn’t stop her from creating exquisite music (which is finally getting recognition)… I am reminded of a comment she made just four months before her brave death… “You reach people because you love it, not to please someone else.” She devoted her time to perfecting her art and leaving her mark.

When I see their spirit—the talent, the thinking—it’s clear how much our student body loves their work and how their attitude defines this quarter’s new WALL and all the work put into last quarter—what a truism her thought becomes.

In the creative world, there’s an ‘old saw’ that goes— “to communicate effectively, demonstrate!” and, we did exactly that this past weekend as everyone assembled at the end of the first week into the new Spring quarter to demonstrate.

Starting early, take-down student crews convening around 7 a.m., and then right after, the whole of the student body coming en-mass about 9 on Saturday morning and finishing about 5 p.m. with a lot of energy being unleashed in-between… what a WOW! moment when you see put together for a first time.

Seeing the Wall—with all its new work up—proves how much an investment in education always pays a best interest, because this work is the result of a lot of smart learning and heartfelt passion happening simultaneously. So! in the best of Portfolio Center tradition- we put up one that surpasses the ones that came before it… I would say this of the best Walls ever.

The interesting thing is the more the standard is pushed, the higher up toward a summit we go… the harder climb redefines each step on the way, and then they begin to realize there are no limitations, and the Wall this quarter reaffirms it so amazingly.

It makes me proud to see that at the very core of their values our students define themselves and their success by their believing… their perseverance to know measuring all this hard work against a commitment of value that will allow their dreams to become a reality that brings happiness keeps the walls reverberating around the School.

So when you get a chance to look at this new wall, you’ll see why one executive creative director from New York explained to me why he liked to hire Portfolio Center students and alumni: “Hank,” he said, “it can be summed up in two words. SMART N’ SASSY.” I couldn’t agree more or be more delighted by his revelation.

Here below is a glimpse of the Wall hanging in progress… Note the smiles.

Hank.

PS: And, I don’t want it to go unsaid or unnoticed how the NEW first quarter students came to help when they didn’t have to on Saturday… and afterwards, when the hard work and the hanging were over, they all got together as if the day were just beginning and started working on Sylvia’s 100 thumbnails “together.” Pretty impressive, the energy conjoined from folks who at the beginning of this past week had never even met each other and came from all over the United States—oh! yes and India too. I love that spirit…they’re going to fit in really well around here. Hank.

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