I LOVE UAA: Paul and Joan Landis

To celebrate her husband's 80th birthday, retired teacher Joan Landis made a final contribution to the Paul G. Landis Art Scholarship. The now fully funded endowment is a 6-year labor of love and tribute to one of Anchorage's biggest art lovers.

The longtime owner of Arti-Circle Custom Framing, Paul Landis decided to hand over the shop keys to his trusted employees in 2007. "The girls," as he and Joan refer to Kim and Ava, made it their first order of business as new owners to continue Paul's legacy of supporting artists by establishing a scholarship in his name.

The Landis's were touched by the gesture and wanted to help offer awards right away, but even pooling resources with the girls they couldn't quite afford to meet the $25,000 benchmark that would allow them to "inflation-proof" or fully endow the scholarship.

Undeterred, they decided to save all they could and contribute each year until they reached their goal. It wasn't easy for them, but over the past few years with help from friends and family, they have endowed the scholarship. Joan contributed the last payment in 2013 just in time to honor Paul with a birthday gift that will keep on giving to UAA art students in perpetuity.

Slow and steady

"We've mostly given our PFDs and twice a year we contribute when I get money from an annuity, which isn't much. We've tried to donate just in bits and pieces," says Joan.

The scholarship has become a favorite family charity with extended Landis clan members giving what they can, too.

"We weren't really saying it out loud, but we kept thinking, this is just a good idea," she says.

Additionally, by contributing an additional $1,000 each year over and above contributions made toward the $25,000 needed for endowment, the Landis's were able to "forward fund" the scholarship, which means the Paul G. Landis Art Scholarship has already been awarded to six artist/scholars, one per year since 2008.

The most recent recipient is Chelsea Klusewitz, a senior bachelor of fine arts major who moved to Alaska from Hawaii to complete her art degree.

Anchorage's art salon

For decades Paul was a familiar face in Anchorage's fine arts community. He and Joan laugh that even though he was a small business owner, Paul wasn't big on number crunching.

"Often, when a beginning artist would bring things in to him for advice on how to frame them, how to properly show them off, Paul would either give them his services free or give them a huge discount," says Joan. "Do you remember what kind of discount you gave, Paul?"

"I didn't count," Paul replies with a shrug.

They loved to surround themselves with the art and culture of a blossoming community and took pride in supporting the local artists who came through the doors of their shop.

In the end the scholarship is all about expressing their love for artists and art.

"Art," says Paul, "is whatever makes you smile."

Each year, the Landis's are eager to see a slideshow of new UAA student work. Joan points out that their relationship with UAA's Department of Art stretches back far enough to cycle through a shift in technology. Where they once watched a slideshow in a classroom, now they get to view it all as digital images on a computer.

"We think it's incredible in the bad economic times we've gone through that the kids are still enrolling in art classes," says Joan, who has taken art classes at UAA herself. "Years ago, I thought, 'What on earth would I want with an art class?' But it opened up my eyes."

In a perfect bit of symmetry, scholarship recipient Chelsea plans to use her award to frame her thesis work.

Paul suggested she drop by Arti-Circle and mention his name. "They'll give you a great deal-twice the price," he says with a twinkle in his eye.