Neal Morgan
University Of California, Berkeley
Business Administration Bachelor of Science 2001
Classroom Teaching
INSTRUCTOR Mid 20th Century American High Art UC Berkeley Undergraduate De-Cal Program 2000
Developed semester-long curriculum introducing 26 undergraduate students to period narratives, themes, and artists
Lectures designed to facilitate discussion via responses to assigned readings and slide presentations
Tests and exercises intended to also surface students’ creativity, e.g. drawing as part of the final exam
GUEST LECTURER Portland State University Undergraduate Painting Class 2014
Discussion-based talk surveying the art and career of the American artist Philip Guston
Focused on the antifacist and antiracist themes of the artist’s early and late work and his navigation of being an artist and activist
Extra time spent after class with undergraduate students to extend the discussion of social/cultural significance and how to think about ourselves as activist artists
GUEST SPEAKER Why Volunteer? 2020 Conference Oakland, CA High School Students 2015
Presented interactive, discussion-based talk to 22 high school students to introduce how electoral field programs function and how they might fit in as volunteers
Engaged students to share their stories of volunteering and perceptions of our political and electoral system
Modeled story-telling in “Story of Self, Us, Now” model by sharing my experience deciding to volunteer in Iowa for Obama in 2007
Staff Positions Working with Elementary-Aged Children
KORET VISITOR CENTER EDUCATOR SFMOMA 2005 - 2007
Encouraged and supported elementary-aged visitors to engage with books and hands-on toys, drawing and painting materials, and other objects related to art on view
Presented short education sessions on art and artists on view in the course of engaging drop-in visitors in discussions about the Museum, exhibitions, works of art in the permanent collection
Increased visitor awareness and utilization of Center programming by improving signage throughout the Museum and working closely with front-line staff to recommend Center programs
ART STUDIO ASSISTANT Habitot Children’s Museum 2001 - 2003
Supported the Art Studio Manager in supporting children aged 4-9 engaged in art projects in the drop-in art center
Communicated with parents and facilitated collaborative art-making
Set up, cleaned, organized the facility and art project areas
Training, Mentoring, Coaching High School and College Students
HEAD OF ORGANIZING Fellow Programs Sister District (now States Win) 2019 - 2023
Designed and managed three 12-week remote Fellow programs for aspiring high school and college student organizers: Organizing Fellows, Phonebank Fellows, and GOTV Fellows
10-14 Fellows per term in three cohorts managed by myself and two direct reports via weekly cohort and 1:1 calls to train & coach, discuss progress, and surface and address opportunities and challenges
Program designed for shared learning via cohort model and to give Fellows increasing levels of responsibility and leadership, e.g. training phonebankers
Created curriculum and study materials
144 Fellows completed one or more terms in my tenure
Met or exceeded all DEI hiring goals
COACHING DIRECTOR Western Organizing Workshop 2017 - 2018
Coached college and high school student organizers on campuses in Orange County in DCCC target districts as part of broader effort to assist 500 activist leaders, volunteers, and campaign staff via remote calls, 30 house-party-style and conference call discussions with small groups, and 5 large workshops
Facilitated student group discussions on volunteer recruitment & retention and how to train fellow students for effective voter registration, identification & persuasion
CAMPUS ACADEMY COACH Organizing For Action 2017
Guided & supported four campus aspiring organizers to properly identify a problem or opportunity on campus, define goals, develop strategies, and plan, implement, and evaluate tactics
Particular focus on the use of story-telling as the foundation for connecting with and engaging collaborators, stakeholders, and community members
YOUTH VOTE FIELD ORGANIZER Obama For America University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), Nevada General Election 2008
Recruited, trained, coached, and worked alongside 75 college student volunteers and interns to maximize voter registration, supporter identification & conversion, and voter turnout on campus
3000 on-campus voters registered in 10 weeks, second-best in the state behind UNLV
Led campaign to turn out over 6000 on-campus voters, beating OFA campaign goal by 20%
2915 volunteer hours scheduled on campus in 12 weeks, second-best in the state
Other Educator & Presenter Roles
PRESENTER Kate Bush, Hounds Of Love Mono Space, Portland Oregon 2026
30 minute opening remarks included how Bush’s family of origin and childhood shaped her as an artist and described Bush’s early career and providing context around Hounds Of Love before listening to the album uninterrupted
Selected and presented audio of the artist speaking and songs from her previous four studio albums to trace her creative arc
Two sold-out nights of 90 guests
CURATOR Pickathon Spoken Live spoken word program 2015, 2016
Organized the first two spoken word performance programs at popular summer Pickathon music festival
Selected poets from the Portland community including: Trevino Brings Plenty, Anis Mojgani, and Shayla Lawson
Served as ntroduced poets
AUTHOR READING Tell It Slant Reading Series Portland Oregon 2014
20 minute reading from drumming memoir manuscript to 40 attendees
TOUR GUIDE San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) 2003 - 2004
Completed art docent and tour guide training rooted in inquiry-based education in museum setting
Led groups of 5-30 visitors on tours of the Museum, collections, and special exhibitions
Focused on facilitating discussion among visitors using open-ended questions and establishing a warm, safe, sharing dynamic
Community Organizing in Portland Oregon
ORGANIZER & CO-FOUNDER Musicians for Measure 26-146 Community Advocacy Campaign 2012
Assembled, directing working group modeled after 2011 Move Your Money campaign to assist campaign for an arts tax to benefit school programs and arts non-profits serving kids
Delivered to the campaign public endorsements from 309 musicians, bands, and music-related businesses
Produced campaign promotional video featuring well-loved Portland music figures
ORGANIZER & CO-FOUNDER Move Your Money Portland Community Advocacy Campaign 2011
Designed scalable, replicable organizing model for direct contact community advocacy - aimed at closing accounts at big banks
Assembled and directed a four-person working group (incl Sam Coomes, Rachel Blumberg and Lisa Schonberg) to obtain pledges from over 150 members of the music community to divest from their big banks and bank locally
Provided education and assistance to those divesting, connecting them to staff and resources and our independent research related to community banks and credit unions in the Portland Metro area
Drafted press releases, phone and email script, designed and maintained recruitment tracking database
As publicist succeeding in getting prime coverage in the Oregonian, the Portland weeklies, OPB's Think Out Loud and succeeded in helping to bring attention to the divestment effort in solidarity with other community activists and organizations. sample press: Willamette Week
Music
DRUMMER & ARRANGER 2006 - 2017 see Wikipedia
Joanna Newsom from 2006, including Have One On Me, 2010
Bill Callahan from 2009, including Apocalypse, 2011 Video: with Bill Callahan at Sala Apollo Barcelona 2010
Soundtracks including Netflix documentary series Battered Basterds of Baseball & Wild Wild Country
Five full-length albums since 2007, see Willamette Week feature on most recent album
Other Arts & Nonprofit
OWNER Neal Morgan Art Framing 2023 - present
Built Sister District’s national electoral organizing program and department to their mature states, hired replacement, transitioned to accomplish dream of starting a small business centered in Portland’s arts & culture community
Portland Art Museum largest client; also Lumber Room, Nationale, artists, curators, collectors, interior designers
Specialize in conservation-level custom closed-cornered art framing, with clients around the nation
COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT YU Contemporary 2011 - 2012
Directed strategies to expand donor base, build YU brand, increase membership and attendance
Drafted, distributed press releases, built relationships with editors and journalists to secure coverage
Wrote and edited executive communique to donors, government, and community leaders including the 2011 Year in Review Director's Letter, and Directors State of YU speech fall 2011
Managed public relations for the departure of director Sandra Percival, January 2012
PROGRAM EVALUATION CONSULTANT San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) fall 2007
Authored IMLS-grant report on visitor experience and usage of in-gallery interpretive offerings, Olafur Eliasson exhibition
Designed and administered quantitative and qualitative surveys
Collected, analyzed five times data volume requested due to process efficiencies
Provided ten manageable recommendations to enhance awareness, increase usage, and improve functionality of interpretive resources for future exhibitions
INTERIM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSOCIATE SFMOMA 2005 - 2006
Secured permissions for reproductions of copyrighted works with written and verbal proposals; negotiated fees and terms of use; reviewed and edited contracts
Managed requests for reproduction of SFMOMA works; arranged imaging, fulfilled asset loans
PROGRAM EVALUATION CONSULTANT SFMOMA 2005
Initiated, designed, and managed evaluation of two visitor education programs: Spotlight Tour Program & Discovery Interface
Developed custom evaluation databases, designed instruments for quantitative and qualitative research, trained research assistants, analyzed and interpreted data
Authored and presented three comprehensive IMLS-grant reports that included resource-appropriate recommendations to improve the interface and docent programming
INTERIM MANAGER OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SFMOMA 2004 - 2005
Managed audio tour program including financial forecasting, budgeting, and accounting; development of new initiative proposals; improvement of on-site sales procedure
Re-negotiated audio tour contract, resulting in a net lease fee reduction of 32%
PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING ASSISTANT SFMOMA 2002 - 2004
Drafted press releases and worked with editors and journalists to secure coverage
Developed direct marketing campaigns for small-budget public programs, exhibitions, events
Managed sfmoma.org/press - responsible for all aspects of press release process including targeted delivery to editors and journalists, image and materials fulfillment, interview scheduling
Wrote, edited, designed, distributed monthly marketing e-news email
Managed, trained over 20 volunteers and interns
Community Radio
KVMR Special Guest Fundraiser Spot fall 2025 listen here
Completed DJ Training Program through KVNF Paonia, Colorado winter 2019
On-Air Performer, Interviewee, Guest DJ WNUR, KALX, KDVS, XRAY, KVMR, Freeform Portland 2006 - present