Chelsey Thornton grew up in the Puget Sound Peninsula. She moved to Portland, Oregon for undergraduate studies at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, receiving a BFA in Illustration and Printmaking. At PNCA she served as Student to Faculty Representative, Communication and Marketing assistant, and teacher in their Youth program. She volunteered for Prints for PICA and student run galleries and was a featured artist in the Portland Mercury. With growing passion she continued to advocate for art as a tool for individuals to take ownership of understanding global culture. Over the years she implemented this vision with Oregon Zoo’s conservation education program, smARTworks and other informal education environments. She also held a position as a Head Teacher at the nonprofit Friendly House Inc. There she spent time volunteering in arts therapy classes and event organization committees. Chelsey is staying connected to NW Portland’s community by facilitating a PhotoVoice project through SAGE for LGBT elders.
At the University of Oregon she is beginning her first year in the Arts and Administration program, concentrating in Community Arts with a Museum Studies certificate. Here she hopes to extend her research by working to better understand institutional structures’ impact on the relationships patrons have with art as a tool of understanding and exploration. Eventually she will facilitate collectives where community partnerships, workshops and artist residencies help communities change their understanding and participation with their social identity and cultural history. She is excited to be apart of ELAN and help strengthen community partnerships and events! Welcome, Chelsey!