2012 PNCA Graduates Honored with Commencement Address from Congressman Earl Blumenauer
May 14, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2012
Contact: Lisa Radon, Communications Specialist
lradon@pnca.edu 971.255.5528
Becca Biggs, Director of Communications
bbiggs@pnca.edu 971.255.5521
2012 PNCA Graduates Honored with Commencement Address from Congressman Earl Blumenauer BFA and MFA Thesis Exhibitions Demonstrate Student Talent Throughout Campus and Downtown Portland
MFA in Visual Studies Thesis Exhibition
Pacific Northwest College of Art, Swigert Commons and Stevens Studios 1241 NW Johnson Street May 21 - June 8 First Thursday reception June 7, 6–9 pm
BFA Thesis Exhibition
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Swigert Commons and Cornelia and Stevens Studios
1241 NW Johnson Street and 1432 NW Johnson Street May 21 – June 8
First Thursday reception June 7, 6–9 pm
MFA in Applied Craft and Design Practicum Exhibition
Presented by PNCA and Oregon College of Art and Craft
902 SW Morrison Street May 18 - June 7
Opening reception, Friday, May 18, from 6–9 pm
May 13, 2012 – PORTLAND, OR – Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) proudly presents students in nine undergraduate and two graduate programs—including those in the MFA in Visual Studies and MFA in Applied Craft and Design programs—for Commencement on Sunday, May 20. The 2012 Commencement Address will be delivered Congressman Earl Blumenauer. A native Oregonian, Blumenauer has devoted his life to public service. The progressive representative of Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District has worked tirelessly on issues such as transportation, planning, and environmental issues. He represents, as do the graduates, the limitless possibilities of a potent combination of vision, hard work, and collaboration. To celebrate the work of nearly 100 BFA graduates, PNCA hosts thesis exhibitions throughout the PNCA campus, spanning from the Stevens Studios to the Swigert Commons and multiple student galleries. The 2012 thesis exhibitions feature the work of graduates in nine disciplines: Communication Design, Contemporary Animated Arts, General Fine Arts, Illustration, Intermedia, Painting, Photography, Printmaking and Sculpture.
The MFA in Visual Studies graduates 13 students and presents their thesis work, the culmination of two years of multi-disciplinary and mentor-based study, in a special exhibition in the Swigert Commons in the heart of the Pearl. The MFA in Applied Craft and Design program, a collaboration between PNCA and Oregon College of Art and Craft, graduates 13 students and presents their thesis work marking the culmination of two years of hands-on designing and making. The thesis exhibition at 902 SW Morrison features students’ practicum projects that explore the convergence of art, craft, and design practices. PNCA’s curriculum features an intensive studio experience, beginning with a foundation in basic techniques, progressing through periods of innovation and critical study, while preparing students for a sustainable life of creative practice.
About Pacific Northwest College of Art
PNCA prepares students for a life of creative practice and has been an influential force in art and design education in the Pacific Northwest since its founding in 1909. Today PNCA enrolls over 600 students in 15 undergraduate and graduate programs, and another 2,500 students through its Continuing Education programs. Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) has become a leader in innovative educational programs that connect students to a global perspective in the visual arts and design. PNCA’s graduate programs are part of its Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE): an MFA in Visual Studies, a Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies, an MA in Critical Theory and Creative Research, an MFA in Collaborative Design, and an MFA in Applied Craft and Design developed with the Oregon College of Art and Craft, the first inter-institutional degree of its kind in the US. PNCA is actively involved in Portland's cultural life through exhibitions and a vibrant public program of lectures and internationally recognized visiting artists, designers, and creative thinkers. The Portland Monthly, in its January 2012 issue, called PNCA the “crown jewel of Portland’s creative class.” With the support of FIVE, the College has an operating partnership with the nationally acclaimed Museum of Contemporary Craft.
For more information, visit pnca.edu.
More information on PNCA’s BFA, MFA, and MA programs including the new MA in Critical Theory and Creative Research, Low-Residence MFA in Visual Studies, and undergraduate major Video and Sound can be found on the PNCA website at pnca.edu/programs/c/overview