WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL Alumni
PORTLAND, OREGON
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
THOMAS HICKS '71 and DAVID HICKS '75
Since graduating from Wilson, Thomas Hicks '71 and David Hicks '75 have taken a journey that has brought them back home again. Thomas (Tom) invented a decorative and privacy window film, as well as an energy saving window film and is the President and founder of Artscape, Inc., located in Portland, Oregon. "Thomas first thought of Artscape a little over 10 years ago as a way to provide privacy and add color to windows," states David. "He was living in a high rise in the bay area at the time, and wanted to 'hide an unwanted view'." When Thomas moved back to Portland, he decided to develop just such a product. He went on to market the window film and it has done very well in Home Depots across the country as well as Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Artscape, Inc. products are now available in Fred Meyer stores as well as select Ace Hardware stores worldwide (including Saudi Arabia). Their products are also available in several mail order catalogs including Solutions (which used to be owned by Norm Thompson), and several online sites such as Amazon.com, and Target.com. Artscape, Inc. is frequently advertised in the "Sky Mall" on the airlines. David tells us that Artscape, Inc. has many decorative products- some are colorful and have the appearance of stained glass, while others are simple including an etched glass look. They are easy to apply using water and use no adhesive, so they are easy to remove. The decorative images have 90-95% UV A&B blockage. They are designed to tile together together for larger windows. They also work well for unusual shaped windows such as arches, as they trim easily. Today, their newest images are the addition of four Disney window posters http://www.artscape-inc.com/disney.php. "They are very colorful and fun, intended for the kid in all of us!" adds David. About four years they started testing for an energy film that would transform a single pane window into the efficiency of a double pane window. It uses spectrally selective materials to filter out 97% UV A&B. It is designed to help keep out heat in the summer and retain heat in the winter. It boasts an estimated savings of 12-18% in energy costs. "About two years ago we launched this new 'Energy Film'," said David. It is available in clear and tinted. It is non reflective and non adhesive. An easy do it yourself project, it has become very popular.
Thomas and David have had some success donating their Energy Film to several Habitat for Humanity builds (two in Orlando, and two here in Portland), and are looking forward to working with HFH Canada for an upcoming renovation project. Their Energy Film is currently available through Home Depot online but are hoping that it will be available in the Home Depot stores soon. Giving back to the community is important to these Wilson grads. They have donated product to benefit many children's hospitals across the country, as well as other non-profit organizations. "It is very important for us to find ways to give back to the community, especially in these difficult financial times," states David. Wilson is also the recipient of their generosity, as Thomas and David are donating to the school's 2009 Wilson High All-School Auction at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Stop by the school's office and check out the new decorative film on the inside window.
When asked about their time at Wilson, the brothers tells us that they both had fun at Wilson. David recalls that it was a great time to grow, meet people and discover a new level of life. "There were many wonderful teachers. I even run into my French teacher Lyle Tucker from time to time!" David has done many things since graduating from Wilson, from Gemology to piano tuning. He started with Tom 10 years ago to build Artscape. Tom worked in photography with their father for several years in the fashion industry. Later he went on to work in the stock market in Chicago, then San Francisco. "I think he was looking for something less stressful than the stock market," adds David. "I believe he now realizes that building a company from scratch is a whole different level of stress! He has become a successful businessman, and a great employer." You can learn more about their work at: www.energy-film.com; www.artscape-inc.com; www.lighteffects.com; www.thomashicks.com.
What a journey for these two brothers!