Every young person needs a mentor – someone who sees something in them and helps them find their way. Stephen Schultz and his late wife, Romey Stuckart, had that and always knew they would one day do the same for the next generation. Stephen came to PAFE with a vision to invest in visual arts education in Sandpoint. The result is the Romey and Stephen Visual Arts Studio at Sandpoint High School, along with a lasting grant to ensure the work continues.

Stephen Schultz is a Sandpoint artist whose work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution, the Whitney, and galleries from Los Angeles to London. Growing up in New England, he was surrounded by books and art. His father, a salesman whose hobby was painting, kept the house filled with them. But it was his uncle, like a big brother to him, who would pick Stephen up at school and take him to his studio or the museums in Boston. Later, a supportive art teacher saw his deep interest and encouraged him to pursue art seriously. He earned his BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and his MFA from Stanford, then spent 19 years as a tenured professor of art at the University of Iowa.

Romey Stuckart earned her MFA from the University of Iowa, where she and Stephen met, and later taught art there as well. An expressionist landscape painter, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1992 and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1993, and exhibited across the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest, as well as in New York and Germany. Her paintings, rooted in the Idaho landscape she loved, were described by the Missoula Art Museum as unconventional and abstract expressionist. Romey was lost to brain cancer on November 24, 2020, leaving behind a body of work that continues to be celebrated. 

Together, they lived and worked across Europe through fellowships and artist residencies – at Lake Como, in Cassis, France, and in Belgrade – before driving across the Long Bridge into Sandpoint, and we all know what happens then: They soon made their home in North Idaho in 1987.

Their plan had always been to invest in the visual arts, said Stephen. Not sure where to start, he turned to PAFE. “I trusted PAFE to put these funds towards anything supporting visual arts within LPOSD,” Stephen said. From there, we worked together to facilitate conversations with the school district, identify the greatest needs, establish the Romey and Stephen Visual Arts Fund, and build something sustainable.

The first major project to come from it is the Romey and Stephen Visual Arts Studio at Sandpoint High School.

The goal isn’t to produce more professional artists, though some students will absolutely cultivate that talent. The goal is something more fundamental: belonging and confidence. Art teaches visual thinkers that their perspective has value. It teaches every student that you can have an idea, carry it all the way through, and hold the finished work in your hands. That’s not a small thing.

The Romey and Stephen Visual Arts Grant through the Idaho Community Foundation will continue to support art education at all levels. As Stephen put it: “It has always been our plan to direct funds to art education.” This fund will continue to do that because there is more to be done at all levels, once again proving how fortunate we are to have a caring and giving community. 

Stephen trusted PAFE with his vision, and we take that trust seriously. Every program we support originates with the school district identifying a real need, so your investment creates lasting impact, not administrative burden. And because PAFE’s endowment sustains our operations, your gift stays focused where it matters: classrooms, students, and the opportunities that shape them.

Whether your passion is literacy, the arts, STEM, career pathways, student wellness, or something uniquely personal to your family, PAFE can help you create a legacy that reflects your values and continues to make an impact for generations to come. From named funds to transformational gifts, we steward every investment with care and long-term vision.

If you’ve ever thought about leaving a lasting mark on public education in this community, we’d be honored to have that conversation.