A Paige in History

When all went quiet at Andy Warhol’s Factory, Portland’s bicoastal culture doyenne rededicated herself to art and animals

By Gail Dana

The Portland Tribune, Jul 11, 2003, Updated Oct 30, 2009

In 1983, Andy Warhol held a Valentine’s Day party at the Factory, his New York City office. The Factory was the hot place to be in the New York art world. Openly gay, Warhol loved stunning women. At this party, he was dazzled by a waif in a pink tulle dress with heart-shaped bodice.

Paige Powell became Warhol’s valentine, business partner and compatriot Ñ he even dreamed of marrying her. “For years, Andy made a project of looking for a wedding ring for Paige,” says Warhol pal Stuart Pivar.

They never married, but Powell became the New York art community’s it girl. Warhol died in 1987, and seven years later Powell returned to Portland, where she eventually founded the Pearl Arts Foundation with developer Homer Williams, becoming its executive director. Formed in 1999, the foundation called it quits this year on Feb. 14.

“The projects were too experimental for Portland, and maybe too sophisticated,” Powell says. “It’s very regional here with art. Also, we didn’t have a gallery. People couldn’t absorb the art to put money behind it. And with the economy on the decline, people gravitate toward conservative institutions. We weren’t conservative, nor were we an institution.”

This leaves Powell open for new adventure. Her credentials make her unique, among them running a national magazine, hosting a city art scene, building the careers of renowned artists and being an it girl, “probably,” says actor, director and former boyfriend Vincent Gallo, “the best girl ever.” What will she do next?

Zoo job fuels activism

Powell grew up in Southwest Portland, the daughter of the founding partner of a successful insurance agency. She was a child of the outdoors, surrounded by a menagerie of pets and rescued birds.

“Paige was beautiful,” says Warren Iliff, former director of the Oregon Zoo, who employed the twentysomething Powell first as a volunteer, then as public information director. “But she was also a great, appealing person, the kind who has passion.”

Powell quickly advanced from nurturing animals to doing public relations, handlingÊthe dozens of dignitaries who came to the zoo.

“She dazzled them all,” Iliff recalls.

She took President Carter on a zoo train tour. “Paige, do you suppose we can get some hot dogs?” Carter asked.

“He pulled out some dollars and asked if I would like one, too,” Powell recalls. “I declined, not because I was a vegetarian yet, but because I was so excited about showing the Carters the wonderful animals. Even at that time, when security was so minimal, I thought that was rather down-home of him.”

Powell became a social activist. “One of the things I’ve learned from Paige,” says novelist Tama Janowitz, “is to always make a fuss if I have to, that I can do something about any unacceptable situation.” Powell campaigned for a zoo tax levy, which easily passed.

With Iliff she initiated Penguin Day, helped develop a sculpture garden and created events that tripled attendance at the zoo. She helped liberate the Multnomah Athletic Club, which then maintained separate bars and rules for men and women.

“Officers of the Multnomah Athletic Club have reaffirmed their stand against granting full membership rights to women members,” The Oregonian reported Dec. 10, 1976. Women picketed and petitioned to change the club’s rules. “Paige was always the ringleader,” says her cousin, James Alderman.

After two years, the club relented.Ê

New York, New York

Powell headed east in search of new opportunities.

“Paige had decided to work either for Andy Warhol or Woody Allen,” Iliff recalls.Ê

Former boyfriend Bill Burkett remembers that Powell was always focused: “Most people know what they don’t want to do. Paige knew exactly what she wanted to do.”

After Powell arrived in New York, Warhol hired her to join the staff at Interview magazine. Shortly thereafter, Allen offered her a job as a production assistant.

She joined Interview in 1983 as an ad saleswoman and rocketed to assistant publisher.

“She got up. She worked out. She was always on top of everything early in the morning,” says Gina Koper, who worked with Powell at the magazine. “Paige worked late at night and was very persistent. She could always bring in a potential client, handle a business meeting, and always had proper etiquette.”

“Andy was struck by Paige,” says writer Pat Hackett, editor of “The Andy Warhol Diaries.” “Paige was artistic and had good business sense. Andy was thrilled by how she did her job, how she created new aspects of it and made it fun. Andy wouldn’t hang around anyone just because it was good for business. They had to be fun.”

Friend to animals, artists

Always protective of animals, Powell and friend Janowitz created a Manhattan cable access program, “It’s a Dog’s Life,” profiling adoptable animals. Janowitz narrated the award-winning program, which Powell designed, filmed and edited. Powell also shouldered countless animal rights causes. “I just felt passionately about protecting helpless creatures,” she says.

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