Pacific Northwest College of Art
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is a private fine art
and design college in Portland
in the U.S. state of Oregon
. Established in 1910, the art school
grants bachelor of fine arts degrees and master of fine arts degrees (MFA) and has an enrollment of about 550 students. The college has ten undergraduate departments: Communication design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, Intermedia, and Animation; and three masters programs: a mentor-based MFA in visual studies, an MFA in applied craft and design and an MFA in collaborative design. PNCA also provides continuing education in the arts to the local community.
, and was called "The Museum Art School" until 1980. The college changed its name to reflect its independence from the museum. In April 1994, the school formally split from the art museum to become the Pacific Northwest College of Art, a fully independent institution. In 1998, the college moved to its present campus in Portland's Pearl District
, allowing the Portland Art Museum to expand into the neighboring building (a former Masonic temple) and establish a new wing devoted to modern and contemporary art, photography and select decorative arts from the permanent collection.
PNCA is primarily located in a cluster of warehouse buildings in northwest Portland, in the Pearl District
. The primary campus building and ancillary teaching facilities in nearby buildings total over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²).
approved PNCA's application to make the 511 Federal Building
a permanent part of the school's campus.
and PNCA's board of Governors agreed to securing MCC under the banner of PNCA.
d), 49 part-time faculty, and a large number of continuing education faculty. All faculty are working artists and designers, many showing both nationally and internationally. The college employs many talented faculty. For example, MK Guth recently participated in the 2008 Whitney Biennial
, she was chair of the MFA program at PNCA (FIVE) until Spring 2009. In 2009 the chair was taken over by Arnold Kemp.
and an art collector. Manley has brought about advances in contemporary art education including his innovative Global Studios courses. Manley, a 22-year veteran of the Claremont Colleges
, primarily Pitzer College
, has expanded the college both physically and academically. He negotiated with the federal government to secure the historic 511 Federal Building
that allowed the campus facility to double in size.
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
and design college in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Established in 1910, the art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
grants bachelor of fine arts degrees and master of fine arts degrees (MFA) and has an enrollment of about 550 students. The college has ten undergraduate departments: Communication design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, Intermedia, and Animation; and three masters programs: a mentor-based MFA in visual studies, an MFA in applied craft and design and an MFA in collaborative design. PNCA also provides continuing education in the arts to the local community.
History
PNCA was created in 1909 by the Portland Art MuseumPortland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it the oldest art museum on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the United States. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum became one of the twenty-five largest art museums in...
, and was called "The Museum Art School" until 1980. The college changed its name to reflect its independence from the museum. In April 1994, the school formally split from the art museum to become the Pacific Northwest College of Art, a fully independent institution. In 1998, the college moved to its present campus in Portland's Pearl District
Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significant urban renewal since the late 1990s, including the...
, allowing the Portland Art Museum to expand into the neighboring building (a former Masonic temple) and establish a new wing devoted to modern and contemporary art, photography and select decorative arts from the permanent collection.
Campus and facilities
PNCA is primarily located in a cluster of warehouse buildings in northwest Portland, in the Pearl District
Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significant urban renewal since the late 1990s, including the...
. The primary campus building and ancillary teaching facilities in nearby buildings total over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²).
511 Building
In March, 2008, the PNCA announced the U.S. Department of Education and the General Services AdministrationGeneral Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
approved PNCA's application to make the 511 Federal Building
511 Federal Building
The 511 Federal Building is a former federal post office that currently houses Department of Homeland Security offices for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Portland, Oregon, United States...
a permanent part of the school's campus.
Museum of Contemporary Craft
In January 2009, the board of the Museum of Contemporary CraftMuseum of Contemporary Craft
The Museum of Contemporary Craft based in Portland, Oregon is the oldest continuously-running craft institution in the United States. Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, the museum is dedicated to promoting craft and strives to contribute to the advancement of craft by exhibiting and...
and PNCA's board of Governors agreed to securing MCC under the banner of PNCA.
Exhibition spaces
The campus includes twelve public exhibition galleries, two professional galleries, and ten spaces reserved for student and community showings. The galleries include: the Philip Feldman Gallery + Project Space, Higgins Gallery, Manuel Izquierdo Gallery, BFA Gallery, Gallery 214, the Interactive Media Gallery (IMAG), the Swigert Commons, the InFlux Gallery, the Charles Voorhies Fine Art Library gallery spaces, the Hall of Illustration, and the Stevens Studios.Programs and degrees
- BFA degree
- MFA degree in Visual Studies
- MFA degree in Collaborative Design http://pncacd.tumblr.com/
- MFA degree (joined degree) with OCAC (Oregon College of Art and Craft)
- BFA/BA degree with Reed CollegeReed CollegeReed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
- Continuing Education Program
- Certificate Program: Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration
Faculty
PNCA employs 18 full-time faculty (nine tenureTenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
d), 49 part-time faculty, and a large number of continuing education faculty. All faculty are working artists and designers, many showing both nationally and internationally. The college employs many talented faculty. For example, MK Guth recently participated in the 2008 Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
, she was chair of the MFA program at PNCA (FIVE) until Spring 2009. In 2009 the chair was taken over by Arnold Kemp.
C4D
PNCA supports a fully functioning professional design firm, operated by the students and their mentors, the or C4D. This firm, operated in a separate satellite commercial space, works to execute professional design projects for its clients. The client provides funding for production costs and the students receive a portfolio filled with actual design work and a working client list.Students
2009/2010 enrollment in the BFA program is 500 full-time students. 54% of students are from out of state and 46% are from Oregon. The MFA program has 15 students per cohort; in 2009 there will be three cohorts. Two in the MFA in Visual Studies and one in the new MFA in Applied Craft and Design a joint program with the Oregon College of Art and Craft. The continuing education program serves more than 2,500 students part-time per year. 80 students currently reside in the PNCA housing, Goose Hollow.Leadership
PNCA is led by Thomas Manley, an expert in Asian studiesAsian studies
Asian studies, a term used usually in the United States for Oriental studies and is concerned with the Asian peoples, their cultures, languages, history and politics...
and an art collector. Manley has brought about advances in contemporary art education including his innovative Global Studios courses. Manley, a 22-year veteran of the Claremont Colleges
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
, primarily Pitzer College
Pitzer College
Pitzer College is a private residential liberal arts college located in Claremont, California, a college town approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. Pitzer College is one of the Claremont Colleges....
, has expanded the college both physically and academically. He negotiated with the federal government to secure the historic 511 Federal Building
511 Federal Building
The 511 Federal Building is a former federal post office that currently houses Department of Homeland Security offices for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Portland, Oregon, United States...
that allowed the campus facility to double in size.
Accreditation
- National Association of Schools of Art and DesignNational Association of Schools of Art and DesignThe National Association of Schools of Art and Design , founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees. Member institutions complete periodic peer review...
(NASAD) - Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesNorthwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesThe Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional...
(NWCCU)
Affiliations
- Association of Independent Colleges of Art and DesignAssociation of Independent Colleges of Art and DesignThe Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design is a non-profit consortium of 41 leading art and design colleges in the United States and Canada. All AICAD member institutions have a curriculum with full liberal arts and sciences requirements complementing studio work, and all are...
(AICAD) - Association of American Colleges and UniversitiesAssociation of American Colleges and UniversitiesThe Association of American Colleges and Universities is a national association that is committed to improving undergraduate education and advancing liberal education as the preferred philosophy of education for all students...
(AAC&U) - American Council on EducationAmerican Council on EducationThe American Council on Education is a United States organization, established in 1918, comprising over 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations....
(ACE) - National Association of Independent Colleges and UniversitiesNational Association of Independent Colleges and UniversitiesFounded in 1976, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is an organization of private US colleges and universities...
(NAICU) - Council for Higher Education AccreditationCouncil for Higher Education AccreditationThe Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation in order to certify the quality of higher education...
(CHEA) - Art Resources Consortium Northwest (ARC NW)
- Oregon Independent College Association (OICA)