PNCA Alumni

05/21/2023

From the Willamette Alumni Community, congrats to the PNCA class of 2023 for graduating and officially becoming a part of the alumni family. We can't wait to see what you do in life moving forward!

02/21/2023

We were excited to get the news that PNCA - Pacific Northwest College of Art Alexis Neumann MFA'22 and Marie Connor MFA'19 were awarded a $5,000 grant from the Precipice Fund, administered by Portland Institute for Contemporary Art.

Alexis and Marie are working on an exhibition and project that explores all aspects of disability and critically engages with the disability community, Disability Studies, and the larger community. They seek to create a space where disabled artists can speak about disability with their own voice, without the pressure to cater to an audience that seeks a comforting or inspiring message. Amazing!

Read more about their project and the other grant recipients: https://bit.ly/3DQPqFn

01/12/2023

You're invited to meet PNCA's newest Dean, Jen Cole! We've got two sessions lined up on January 17th at 6:00 p.m. (EST) and 5:30 p.m. (PST). You'll have a chance to ask questions about what's happening at PNCA, including Dean Cole's vision for the school and the future of creative professional education.

West Coast Session: https://bit.ly/3Gx78yl

East Coast Session: https://bit.ly/3CCmBfj

01/03/2023

Emma Wiseman BFA’22 shared how her design internship at Happylucky in Portland turned led to a full position as a junior designer.

Weisman chose Happylucky for her internship based on a recommendation from Professor Kristin Rogers Brown and because of her passion for their "value-based design work". After a competitive interview process, Weisman secured the position and went on to help host, plan and design a leadership dinner for women and nonbinary leaders.

Weisman goes on to reflect on the previous PNCA courses and programs that helped prepare her for this role such as typography and PNCA’s Center for Design program. Since her first day as a junior designer on Nov. 1, she has "worked on a logo design for a grassroots organization called Vote In Jail" as well as "helped plan an in-store VIP member shopping event for the brand Savage X Fenty". Wow!

Read more about Weisman's journey and her passion for design: https://bit.ly/3YnPyok

12/22/2022

: Artist Gabe Fernandez BFA'99. Fernandez is a Portland-based artist "who uses oil paint to suspend moments of serenity into beautiful, tranquil scenes dappled with mystery" according to an article by "The Stranger".

This piece titled "Pink Pool Slide" came about from a childhood memory of his hometown: "...it belonged to a family that coached little league, and we would hear stories from our friends who were on the team about swimming in this pool and how magical the experience was. I never got this vision out of my mind...". Fernandez goes on to say that he uses his lived memories as a jump-off point to create an environment for his subjects that becomes a "shared idealized visualization".

Learn more about this amazing artist and see even more of his work on his Instagram

12/20/2022

: Artist Rhiannon Skye Tafoya MFA'18. Skye Tafoya is an indigenous artist whose tribal heritage and lineage from the eastern band Cherokee and Santa Clara pueblo tribes are continuously present in her work.

This piece titled "selu color study, 9" is a part of her show "My Hands Remind Me of Yours" that was held at the Linfield University Gallery from Oct. 14-Nov.18, 2022. The entire exhibit showcased "works of intricate paper weaving, printmaking, basket weaving, and book making...[inspired by] all of my teachers and all the people that have inspired me".

If you missed Tafoya’s show in the Linfield Gallery much of the same work will be displayed at Oregon State University next year. Read more about the artist and her most recent exhibit here: https://bit.ly/3VCskJA

12/08/2022

Thanks to everyone who made Patron Preview Night for this year’s Student Holiday Art Sale a big hit!

With your support, students generate income for themselves and learn firsthand about professional small business principles like managing sales and processing transactions, merchandising, and customer service. There are still plenty of unique, wonderful works available, but they won’t last long.
The sale continues today from 12 PM-7 PM, tomorrow the 9th from 11 AM-8 PM, and on the 10th from 11 AM-5 PM.

12/07/2022

Jump start the winter cheer with the Student Holiday Art Sale! Tonight is Patron Preview Night from 6-9 p.m.

If you haven’t RSVP’d for this evening, make sure to do so here: https://bit.ly/3GSBBZm otherwise, you could miss out on limited runs of student work. This year there’s a centralized checkout that will handle cash transactions and a variety of virtual payment methods based on each student’s preferences. Remember to bring a bag to carry your goods home safely.

12/03/2022

Thanks to everyone who stopped in for this year's Fall Focus Week. It was great to see so many families, friends, and community members supporting Senior year students and the variety of work showcased with rounds of applause throughout the building. Don't forget about Spring Focus Week next semester. We'll see you there!

11/30/2022

Every year we hear from alumni and friends in the community about the Student Holiday Art Sale. When does it start? How can I go? Worry no more!
The sale will run from Dec. 7th-10th in the Lemelson Innovation studio at PNCA’s Main Building, with a Patron Preview night to kick things off on Dec. 7th from 6-9 PM.
This year, we’ve introduced a centralized checkout procedure that can handle cash transactions and each student’s preferred virtual payment method. Make sure to bring a bag for all your purchases!

If you're interested in getting the first pick of this year's wares, please RSVP for the Dec. 7th opening night at:

We look forward to seeing you 12/7 from 6pm to 9pm for this year's Patron Preview of the Student Holiday Art Sale! Please fill out this form so we know to expect you. Thank you for being a part of this community-building tradition and directly supporting our students as patrons. Each year this event...

11/28/2022

Focus Week starts today! Stop by throughout the week to see thesis projects by second-year BFA students, and thesis proposals that first-year students are working on. Support student artists on the biggest works of their academic journey so far.

11/27/2022

PNCA - Pacific Northwest College of Art will be hosting the 2022 Graduate Symposium on DIY Practices featuring keynote speakers Demian DinéYazhi’ BFA'14 and Skawennati.

The 2022 Graduate Symposium: Do-It-Yourself/Do-It-Ourselves explores DIY histories, aesthetics, politics, archives, and ongoing attempts at self-creation, worldmaking, and community building to survive and shape the present and future.
The symposium, which is free and open to the public, takes place December 1–3. Events will include drop-in workshops, a zine fair, open studios, and more.

Read more here:

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