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MFA in Print Media

Our multidisciplinary printmaking program allows students to explore all mediums and encourages students to combine different practices to design their own pathways.

Program Snapshot

Master of Fine Arts

Graduate

60

2 Years

PNCA Campus

Young woman in a printmaking studio holds the wheel of a printing press, surrounded by tools, aprons, a calendar, and a sink.

Our MFA in Print Media

Students develop creative and technical skills alongside critical analysis, working together and independently. Our program requires students to consider the possibilities and impact that print media can have. Learn how to push the boundaries of what a print can be. 

Why choose a MFA in Print Media at Pacific Northwest College of Art?

  • Professional grade facilities. We offer our students one of the largest and best-equipped academic printmaking studios in the country. 
  • Watershed CenterWatershed Center for Fine Art Publishing and Research is the research and education extension of the printmaking lab at PNCA. Meet visiting artists, find unique professional experiences, build community connections, and work alongside printmaking professionals.
  • Visiting artists and printers. Every year, we welcome visiting artists and master printers to campus for extended working residencies, giving students the opportunity to learn from innovative creators.

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Student Work

Graduate students are encouraged to experiment with their practice. By taking advantage of the professional grade studios, labs, and equipment on campus, they have created innovative work. Our program offers support for those who wish to pursue traditional printmaking and those who want to explore technological advances through their work.
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Alumni Stories

Alumni of our graduate program have explored paths as artists, professional printmakers, educators, and entrepreneurs. They’ve taken their variety of printmaking techniques and applied it to a range of professional opportunities. Learn more about how our graduates are having an impact.

  • Brandi Kruse MFA '16

    Brandi Kruse is a multidisciplinary artist known for creating non-places through print, photography, and poetics. She has exhibited widely and currently works as a teaching artist, jewelry designer, and adjunct professor. Her work was featured in the group exhibition REFLECT in Vancouver, WA. She co-founded a zine-publishing writers' collective and has received residencies at Caldera Arts Center and The Städelschule in Germany.

    Portrait of a person with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black top, silver necklace, and long earring.
  • Harry Schneider

    Harry Schneider splits his time between San Francisco and Portland and works at Mullowney Printing. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University and is an artist-in-residence at Portland's Creative Technology Lab. He held a recent residency at LeLand Ironworks and had work exhibited at IPCNY's Edging Forward: New Prints 2018/Winter.

    Man operating a vintage printing press in a well-lit printmaking studio, surrounded by jars and supplies on shelves.

Faculty

PNCA’s faculty is made up of professional printers who have explored printmaking through a variety of media. They serve as mentors to our students and guide their inquiry as they develop a professional practice. The graduate school also brings in visiting artists to lead talks and offer additional feedback.

  • Meet Matthew Letzelter

    Matthew Letzelter is artist who explores his practice through works on paper, print, paintings, and photography with a focus on abstracted landscapes. Matthew utilizes his experience as an educator and professional printer to inspire his students.

    Headshot of Matthew Letzelter
  • Meet Yoshihiro Kitai

    Yoshihiro Kitai, Assistant Professor of Printmaking at PNCA, combines Western abstraction and Japanese metal leafing in his work, reflecting his perspective as a foreigner in the U.S. With an MFA from Washington University and a BFA from PNCA, his art is featured in various public and private collections.

    Headshot of Yoshihiro Kitai
  • Meet Rory Sparks

    Rory Sparks enriches student success through innovative projects in printmaking, bookmaking, and craft. By challenging traditional definitions of publication and archive, she fosters creativity and critical thinking, emphasizing hands-on skills and community engagement in her teaching.

    Headshot of Rory Sparks

Curriculum

Participate in critique seminars, lab research, and independent and collaborative work. Hone your skills in bookmaking, intaglio, lithography, screen print, relief, risograph, photo, and digital methods in professional facilities. Connect with mentors as well as regional and national print and creative production studios. Explore both traditional and emerging techniques through our MFA in printmaking. 

  • PRM502 Print Media Studio with Mentor II

    Immerse yourself in a vibrant community with personalized studio practice and weekly mentorship. Work with mentors on a thesis through critique, dialogue, and assignments. Showcase your work in a culminating exhibition and thesis, reflecting your unique artistic journey.

  • PRM626 Graduate Critique Seminar IV

    Engage with a community where your artistic ideas are challenged and expanded. Participate in weekly critiques, discussions with visiting artists, and  dialogues to deepen your creative practice. Join lectures, performances, and off-campus trips to exhibitions, all led by faculty and guest experts.

Program Requirements

The Print Media MFA program requires several course hours dedicated to topics such as Graduate Critique Seminars, Print Media Studios with a mentor, and a wide variety of electives. It also requires a choice of core studios, focusing on Collaboration & Research Lab or Projects & Exploration. Key milestones include a First Year Exhibition and Review, a Print Media Internship, and a final Thesis Oral Presentation and Exhibition.

A person putting something way near a machine labeled Frankie
Financial Aid & Scholarships

Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies offers renewable Merit Scholarships to students who demonstrate aptitude in their areas of creative practice. Merit scholarships are assessed based on the strength of the student’s application. In awarding merit scholarships we consider each student’s portfolio (if applying to a studio-based program), personal history of scholastic achievement, as well as their contributions to culture and community. Consideration is also given to traditionally underrepresented students and those who demonstrate financial need. No separate application is required to be considered for merit scholarships.

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FAQs

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Print Media