MoCC Curator Namita Gupta Wiggers Named Trustee of American Craft Council
October 20, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2010
CONTACT:
Leslie Miller, External Relations Specialist
Pacific Northwest College of Art
503.821.8959 | lmiller@pnca.edu
Becca Biggs, Director of Communications
Pacific Northwest College of Art
503.821.8892 | bbiggs@pnca.edu
MoCC Curator Namita Gupta Wiggers Named Trustee of American Craft Council
October 20, 2010 – Portland, OR – Museum of Contemporary Craft is pleased to announce the appointment of curator Namita Wiggers to the American Craft Council Board of Trustees, a significant affiliation as the Museum approaches its 75th anniversary.
Since 1943, the American Craft Council has been dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. It is a national, nonprofit public educational and marketing organization responding to the trends and needs of the American craft field.
Pacific Northwest College of Art Provost Greg Ware says, “The appointment of Namita Wiggers to the American Craft Council Board of Trustees is an important recognition of Namita’s curatorial achievements and her influence on the national dialogue examining the evolution of contemporary craft and its impact on current art and design along with emerging new forms of social and economic practices. This appointment will provide the College and the Museum with new opportunities to collaborate and to bring significant exhibitions, artists and scholars to our city, and I look forward to the expanded levels of exposure and experience this appointment will bring to PNCA’s students.”
Namita Gupta Wiggers says of her appointment, “I am honored to serve on the Board of Trustees at this critical moment as the American Craft Council transitions from New York City to Minneapolis. It is an opportunity to continue to serve a role in the decades-long connections between the Pacific Northwest and the American Craft Council, and to connect regional craftspeople, students and more to broader conversations about craft.”
Namita Gupta Wiggers is Curator of Museum of Contemporary Craft in partnership with Pacific Northwest College of Art. She was formerly a studio art jeweler, an instructor at Columbia College, Chicago, a senior researcher at e-Lab, Coordinator of Public Programs at Blaffer Gallery at University of Houston, and holds degrees from Rice University and University of Chicago.
About Museum of Contemporary Craft
Committed to the advancement of craft since 1937, Museum of Contemporary Craft (MoCC) in partnership with Pacific Northwest College of Art is one of Oregon’s oldest cultural institutions. Centrally located in Portland’s Pearl District, the Museum is nationally acclaimed for its curatorial program and is a vibrant center for investigation and dialogue, expanding the definition of craft and the way audiences experience it.
About Pacific Northwest College of Art
Since its founding in 1909, 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. In addition to its nine Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, PNCA offers graduate education with an MFA in Visual Studies, as well as an MFA in Applied Craft and Design developed in collaboration with the Oregon College of Art and Craft. 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. With the support of PNCA+FIVE (Ford Institute for Visual Education), the College has a partnership with the nationally acclaimed Museum of Contemporary Craft. For more information, visit www.pnca.edu.