Vo Vo (‘20)
Vo Vo (they/them) explores support strategies and models of community care within a post-traumatic social landscape, focusing on the resilience of BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ and disabled communities.
Program Snapshot
- Degree Type
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Master of Fine Arts
- Program Type
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Graduate
- Credit Hours
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60
- Time to complete
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2 Years
- Campus
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Portland
Student Work
Paintings, public projects, sculptures, VR landscapes, and multimedia experiences. During their two years in the program, Visual Studies MFA students bring their ideas to life. Students are encouraged to break boundaries and shape their own voice. Get a better understanding of work that our students create.
Image Gallery
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Alumni Stories
Our alumni have used the skills they've developed in our graduate degree program in a variety of ways. They have become exhibiting artists and vibrant members of the art community. Learn how our alumni are paving paths in the art world.
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Tabitha Nikolai '14
Tabitha Nikolai, an artist, writer, educator, and organizer, leverages digital platforms to explore and challenge emergent media. She has exhibited recently at Ganka Gallery, Shoot the Lobster, and Vox Populi. She has upcoming shows at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and Western Oregon University.
Introducing Some of Our Faculty
Learn from a diverse group of artist-educators who specialize in a range of mediums and platforms—and whose works have been shown, shared, read, and reviewed around the world. Connect with visiting artists and experience one-on-one mentorship with our instructors to build a creative community.
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Meet Professor Imatani
Garrick Imatani, Associate Professor and Chair of the MFA in Visual Studies program at PNCA, is an internationally exhibited artist and recipient of numerous fellowships and grants. He brings diverse experience, from community education to higher ed, ensuring students gain practical skills and critical perspectives in contemporary art.
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Meet Professor Christiansen
Teresa Christiansen, Associate Professor and Chair of Photography at PNCA, integrates her expertise in photography and psychology to foster student success. With extensive exhibition experience and a strong background in academic technology, she equips students with a comprehensive understanding of photographic studies and integrated technologies.
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Meet Professor Johnson
Travis Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist and musician who uses abstraction and materials like plywood, clay, text, and found objects to explore Black identity, disconnection from one’s roots, memory, and the ongoing search for belonging, meaning, and cultural understanding.
Curriculum
Your two years at PNCA will include a combination of dedicated studio time, contemporary art and critique seminars, critical studies and research courses, and electives of your choice. Our trips, residencies, and visiting artists programs are an extension of our curriculum. Our flexible program reflects contemporary culture and allows you to focus your creative practice in multiple disciplines for diverse audiences. Focus or combine mediums such as painting, installation, performance, digital fabrication, writing, ceramics, photography, printmaking, sculpture, sound, video, and AR/VR.
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VS626 Graduate Critique Seminar
Join a dynamic community where you can refine and expand your artistic vision through weekly critiques and cross-disciplinary dialogue. Engage with artists, scholars, and critics, and participate in presentations that challenge conventional ideas and foster creative growth.
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VS551 Contemporary Art and Design Seminar
Immerse in contemporary art-making strategies and critical dialogues through engaging lectures, gallery visits, and guest speakers. Dive deep into the interconnected world of art and theory, exploring significant ideas while developing your research and presentation skills.
Program Requirements
The MFA in Visual Studies requires time spent on studio work every semester as well as the completion of courses in Graduate Critique Seminar across multiple terms, a Contemporary Art Seminar, and a Critical Studies course. Students also need to complete several elective credits. The program culminates with Thesis Writing, ensuring a comprehensive and well-rounded education in visual arts.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies offers renewable Merit Scholarships to students who demonstrate excellence 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. No separate application is required to be considered for merit scholarships.
