About Portland Preschool of the Arts · Portland
Portland Preschool of the Arts is a child-focused, arts-based preschool located at 4011 SE Belmont Street in the Sunnyside neighborhood of SE Portland, Oregon. Founded as a play-based learning program, it serves children ages 3–5 with a daily arts-focused curriculum that emphasizes exploration, discovery, inquiry, and social-emotional growth. Owned and operated by Katie Morris since January 2020, the school runs alongside its sister after-school program, The Hangout PDX, and extends its creative space into summer camps, date nights, and private birthday parties.
Portland Preschool of the Arts (PPA) is a small, constructivist preschool in inner SE Portland where the student is the leader and their education is driven by curiosity, imagination, and hands-on art-making. Owner and Executive Director Katie Morris — a mom to two children, Porter and Pepper, and wife of Dan — purchased the school in January 2020 and has spent the years since cultivating a warm, hate-free, inclusive environment where every child is welcomed regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, disability, or national origin. The school operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at 4011 SE Belmont Street (zip 97214), with drop-off at 9:00 AM and pick-up at 12:55 PM; office staff are reachable Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–6:00 PM by phone (503-957-4915) or email ([email protected]). Its sister program, The Hangout PDX, is an after-school visual-arts club for elementary students in K–5 with pickup service from Glencoe, Sunnyside, Richmond, and Le Monde schools, and the team also runs seasonal Summer Camps (summer location hosted at Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, 6161 SE Stark St.), parents'-night-out "Date Nights" for kids ages 3–11, and private birthday parties. The school follows the Portland Public Schools (PPS) District Calendar for holiday closures, charges a $150 yearly non-refundable materials/enrollment fee, and offers flexible 1-to-5-day weekly enrollment at tiered monthly tuition rates. Families consistently praise PPA's caring staff (including Lead Teacher Christina Farmer, Lead Art Teachers Taylor Moody and Zoe Poush, Director of K-5 Art Education Emily Markey, Assistant Art Teacher Enikő Bányász, and Teaching Assistant Tatiana) for nurturing creativity, confidence, and friendship.
- In business
- Operating since at least January 2020 under current owner Katie Morris; registered as an Oregon LLC (Portland Preschool of The Arts LLC, Registry #177098697) on January 20, 2021.
- Owner
- Katie Morris (Katherine Marie Morris) — Owner & Executive Director. She purchased and has run Portland Preschool of the Arts and The Hangout PDX since January 2020.
- Serves
- SE Portland, Oregon — primarily Sunnyside/Belmont neighborhood. After-school pickup service extends to Glencoe, Sunnyside, Richmond, and Le Monde schools. Summer Camp hosted at Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, 6161 SE Stark St., Portland OR 97215.
- Rating
- 5.0 on Chatterblock (1 review) and aggregated ~5★ on third-party preschool reports; Google Business Profile listed 5★ with 2 reviews per industry audit data. Reviews frequently mention reasonable cost, caring staff, and creative environment.
About Portland Preschool of the Arts
Portland Preschool of the Arts is a child-focused, constructivist preschool in SE Portland that prioritizes exploration, discovery, and inquiry. According to the school, 'We believe that preschool should be fun! Preschool should open kids eyes to the Joy of learning and friendship. We trust and encourage the natural instinct that children already have to learn, explore, and expand their understanding of the world around them. In our classroom the student is the leader and their education is driven by their own curiosity.' Owner Katie Morris has run PPA and its sister program The Hangout PDX since January 2020, blending her passion for community-building with a love of art.
- Ages 3–5
- Arts-based, play-based daily curriculum
- Owner & Executive Director: Katie Morris
- Operates Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Holiday calendar follows Portland Public Schools (PPS) District Calendar
Teaching Philosophy
PPA describes itself as 'a child-focused, constructivist, exploration and discovery-based preschool' that gives students the space to explore their own young minds, follow the ideas that strike them, learn from their mistakes, and take pride in their accomplishments. The school's stated goals are to cultivate curiosity, creativity, concentration, openness, and social understanding. The curriculum emphasizes play-based art-making, group activity time, discovery and experimentation, and imagination-driven play.
- Greater Social Competence — learning to be empathetic and exercise safe social behaviors
- Play-Based Artmaking
- Discovery & Experimentation Time
- Group Activity Time
- Education-Based Field Trips
Daily Schedule (Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 1 PM)
A typical preschool day balances free play, structured art, snack, child-led exploration, and outdoor time. The school day begins with a 9:00 AM drop-off and concludes with pick-up at 12:55–1:00 PM.
- 9:00 AM – School begins
- 9:00–9:30 AM – Free Art & Play (Child's Choice)
- 9:30–10:00 AM – Hop into the Day / Circle Time
- 10:00–10:30 AM – Snack Time
- 10:30–11:00 AM – Daily Group Art Lesson
- 11:00–11:50 AM – Child-Led Activities
- 11:50 AM – 12:00 PM – Clean-up & Wiggle Time
- 12:00–12:30 PM – Lunch Time
- 12:30–12:50 PM – Outdoor time or indoor activity
- 12:50–1:00 PM – Last bathroom breaks, backpacks on, pick-up at 1:00 PM
Enrollment & Tuition
Portland Preschool of the Arts accepts new students throughout the year as space allows and requires children to be potty-trained before enrolling. The school offers flexible weekly schedules from one to five days per week and is noted as 'one of the only schools in Portland that prorates for certain months throughout the year.' A $150 per-student yearly materials fee acts as a non-refundable enrollment fee to hold the child's spot.
- 1 day / week — $249 per month
- 2 days / week — $441 per month
- 3 days / week — $601 per month
- 4 days / week — $729 per month
- 5 days / week — $905 per month
- Yearly materials/enrollment fee — $150 (non-refundable)
- Sibling discounts mentioned in reviews
- Recommendation: at least 3 days/week for maximum benefit
- Make-up days offered for illness (must be used in same month, no banking)
- Vacation days not included in make-up policy
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility
PPA publishes a formal commitment to DEIA on its website. 'We actively seek diversity in our classroom and welcome children of any race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, disability, or national origin in to our space. We believe every child deserves access to a preschool education! Every child who walks through our door learns that at Portland Preschool of the Arts they are welcome, safe, and free to explore their creative minds while making new friends! We are a hate-free zone where learning is our game and making friends is our mission.'
- Anti-discrimination across race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, disability, national origin
- Hate-free classroom zone
- Welcoming, safe creative space for every child
The Hangout PDX (Sister Program)
The Hangout PDX is PPA's sister after-school visual-arts club for elementary students in grades K–5. According to the program: 'Each class takes a deep dive into a different art medium, movement, or style and gives your kids the tools to explore the reaches of their imagination!' The Hangout offers afterschool pickup from Glencoe, Sunnyside, Richmond, and Le Monde schools. Owner Katie Morris also serves as the 'Kool Bus Driver.'
- K–5 after-school visual-arts enrichment
- Afterschool pickup from Glencoe, Sunnyside, Richmond, and Le Monde
- Deep dives into varied art mediums, movement, and styles
- Website: https://www.thehangoutpdx.com
Summer Camp
Summer is PPA's 'favorite time of year,' and the school runs a themed Summer Camp with a new theme each week, daily outdoor time, and a magical thematic art project. Summer Camp 2026 registrations were scheduled to open February 1, 2026. The summer location is at Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, 6161 SE Stark St., Portland OR 97215. Camp doors open at 9:00 AM and pick-up is at 1:00 PM, with morning outdoor time on the playground (weather permitting), an art project and lunch, and additional outdoor time before pick-up.
- Weekly themed art camps
- Daily outdoor play
- Magical thematic art projects each week
- Summer 2026 location: Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, 6161 SE Stark St.
- Hours: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Required registration via Procare
Date Nights & Private Parties
PPA offers two community-oriented add-ons beyond regular programming. Date Nights give parents a night off while kids ages 3–11 'make art, eat pizza (and popcorn!), watch movies, get ALL their wiggles out.' Private birthday parties and events use the school's indoor private space, complete with decorations and a balloon house, and the team works with families and budgets to design custom celebrations.
- Date Nights — pizza, popcorn, movies, art, and play for ages 3–11
- Private birthday parties
- Indoor private event space with decorations and balloon house
- Custom parties designed to budget
Meet the Team
Owner Katie Morris is the public face of PPA and The Hangout PDX; she is a mom of two, an active PTA member at Glencoe, and the driver of the school pickup bus. She writes: 'I am passionate about building and nurturing community and have blended this sentiment with my own love for art to open a creative, welcoming and safe space for kids and their families. My hope is that each day when your child leaves our program they will have learned something new, taken a risk in their art-making, and will also have made a new friend.'
- Katie Morris — Owner & Executive Director (PPA and The Hangout PDX)
- Christina Farmer — Lead Teacher
- Emily Markey — Director of K-5 Art Education
- Taylor Moody — Lead Art Teacher
- Zoe Poush — Lead Art Teacher
- Enikő Bányász — Assistant Art Teacher
- Tatiana — Teaching Assistant
Visiting, Tours & Contact
Prospective families can schedule a tour of the classroom directly through the school's website. The school answers the phone and email Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Drop-off and pickup require authorized adults to present ID and be listed on the Authorized Pickup List in Procare; children will not be released without proof of ID. The school encourages families to follow @pdxpreschoolofthearts on Instagram and Facebook to see 'all the fun we're having.'
- Tours: schedule via portlandpreschoolofthearts.com/schedule-a-tour
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Phone: 503-957-4915
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 4011 SE Belmont Street, Portland, OR 97214
- Authorized pickup via Procare with photo ID
- Social: @pdxpreschoolofthearts on Instagram and Facebook
Frequently Asked Questions
PPA publishes a robust FAQ covering potty-training requirements, new-student enrollment, make-up day policy, tours, and Summer Camp logistics.
- Do students need to be potty-trained? — Yes, required for all programs.
- When do you accept new students? — Year-round, as space allows.
- Do you offer make-up days? — Roll-over days offered for illness up to enrolled days/week; must be used in the same month, no banking. Vacation days not included.
- Do you offer tours? — Yes, families can schedule a tour via the website.
- Where is Summer Camp held? — Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, 6161 SE Stark St., Portland OR 97215.
- What are Summer Camp hours? — 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, with outdoor time after snack and again before pick-up.