Equal Access to Creativity

It’s a simple idea with a huge impact: When students have the right tools to succeed, opportunities and possibilities increase.

For those in the arts, the cost of supplies and materials adds up quickly and can be a significant barrier to creativity.

That’s why the partnership with the College of Fine Arts and alumnus Francis Collins, along with his wife, Erin, may look unassuming, but its impact is invaluable.

The Collins Family Fund provides first-year students in CFA’s School of Art with essential materials and tools to complete instructional assignments for their required foundational courses.

“Students should be able to create and have fun. I’m giving to CMU because I know it’s helping students do that.”

Francis built his success in CMU’s backyard. He grew up in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland neighborhood, attended high school at Central Catholic and enrolled at Carnegie Tech to earn his bachelor’s degree in fine arts.

“I wanted to stay close to home, and Carnegie Tech had painting and art,” Francis says. “I was actually the first graduating class in 1967 when it became Carnegie Mellon University.”

An adventurous spirit, he traveled westward after graduation where he met his wife, Erin, when they were both studying — for their master’s and bachelor’s degrees, respectively — at the University of California, Berkeley. As someone who liked to work with his hands, he went from making art to a career in residential and commercial construction.

Nearly 60 years later, he’s reconnected to his Pittsburgh roots to support the talents of CMU students.

“I really liked being at CMU and had a great experience,” Francis says. “I also remember the times I had to borrow money to make it all happen, and now that I’m older, I can give some back.”

The Collins Family Fund makes possible the School of Art’s “Material Fee-Free Foundations Year,” which is in  a three-year pilot . It’s the perfect complement to the new holistic curriculum in the School of Art, which is in its second year.

Imin Yeh, director of foundational studies and associate professor in the School of Art, is grateful for the transformation in culture the fund fosters.

“We are a small school, and a gift like this lets everyone figure out what they love,” Yeh says. “The fund allows the whole department to be more collaborative and careful in our curriculum and to ask questions about what is truly needed and what materials can serve multiple purposes.”

Artistic industries are seeing a return to learning through making, and with the Collins Family Fund in place, CMU students will be uniquely positioned to excel.

Students in the School of Art come from a wide range of backgrounds, and the goal of the new curriculum structure is to give them exposure to all mediums while ensuring equitable access. The idea is that if students are required to try a number of new things, they should have access to the same quality and availability of materials. Shaping the foundation year in that way gives them exposure they may not have had previously and allows them to jump into their coursework on an even playing field with their peers.

Head of the School of Art Charlie White says that Francis brings a unique perspective to his philanthropy and a much-needed resource to students.

“He’s giving money to students who are like the student he was,” White says “Today’s supply costs didn’t exist in his time, so he’s helping students who are in a situation that is familiar to him.”

Francis agrees and is pleased to have the chance to support the momentum of innovation similar to the one he and his peers were a part of 60 years ago.

“It’s the process of life,” Francis says. “People help you, and if you get to be successful, you help others along the way. It’s that simple.”