PSU Magazine Spring 1998

Instructors and students-many well known in literary and arts circles– have enjoyed the sand between their toes during Haystack's 30 years. By Thomas McGarry t the edge of the continent, at the edge of the ocean, the choices are clear. You can tum back from what is new and unknown to that which is known and comfortable. Or you can take a personal and emotional risk and commit yourself to something different, something that is not yet completely formed or expressed. The challenge, the fear, is not only in the mercurial meeting of land and sea but also in accepting the chance of change. For three decades, Haystack, Portland State University's Summer Program in the Arts and Sciences, has offered inspiration and a vehicle for people willing to move further into the mo t frightening of unknowns: themselves. And while the Haystack Program was created as a beneficial • OflOUS venture between a town of less than 800 year-round residents seeking a civic identity and a growing urban university, it has also developed a regional and even international following and reputation. Taking its name from one of Oregon's best known and familiar landmarks, the Haystack Program combines the inspiration provided by the dramatic meeting of land, sky, and ocean with the skills, accomplish– ments, and talents of a changing facu lty of regional and nationally known artists, writers, artisans, and scientists. The final element in this sometimes heady mix is a population of students (in the fullest sense of the word) who are willing to commit their energy, creativity, and time to the sheer joy– and effort-of learning. Sometime in 1968, Richard Atherton, a Cannon Beach resident, real estate developer, and self-appointed civic promoter was looking for some– thing to draw people to Cannon Beach. He approached Portland State's Fred Kline, an art professor who commuted to the college from Neahkahnie Mountain, near Cannon Beach, about creating an "arts program" in the town. Atherton had previously "imported" an artist from out of state to Cannon Beach as the nexus for the new art colony. While Atherton wanted Cannon Beach modeled on Carmel, Big Sur, and Sausalito, Portland State College wasn't sure what it wanted Haystack to be, but the idea st~uck a responsive chord. The first Haystack, organized by the College's Division of Continuing Education, offered a mix of hands-on SPRING 1998 PSU MAGAZINE 7