PNCA Welcomes Mark Takiguchi as New Academic Dean
February 29, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2012
Contact:
Lisa Radon, Communications Specialist
Pacific Northwest College of Art
lradon@pnca.edu, 971 255 5528
Becca Biggs, Director of Communications
Pacific Northwest College of Art
bbiggs@pnca.edu, 971 255 5511
PNCA Welcomes Mark Takiguchi as New Academic Dean
PORTLAND, OR – February 29, 2012 – Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is pleased welcome Mark Takiguchi as the College’s new Academic Dean. Takiguchi comes to PNCA from California College of the Arts (CCA) where he was Associate Director of Fine Arts and prior to that, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies. As PNCA continues to grow both in size and influence, with five new graduate programs in as many years, an increasingly international engagement, and a campus expansion slated to begin later this year, Takiguchi’s deep experience in building programs is key. This year alone, the College launches the MA in Critical Theory and Creative Research and the Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies as part of the Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE). The PNCA student body has doubled in size since 2004, and the College projects continued growth, which includes anticipated growth of the graduate programs by 50% in the next two years. This is one reason why the College finds itself finalizing schematic designs for the linchpin of its campus expansion project, the renovation of the historic 511 building on Portland’s North Park Blocks this spring.
The PNCA student body has doubled in size since 2004 and the College projects continued growth, which includes an anticipated growth in the Graduate Programs by 50% in the next two years.
At CCA, Takiguchi oversaw the curricular, facility, and hiring strategies for the Animation Program and led ten national tenure-track searches across a wide range of disciplines. Takiguchi was also part of the team that realized CCA’s first national conference, CraftForward, in spring of 2011. Takiguchi had previously been Director of Admissions at the San Francisco Art Institute. Takiguchi holds an MFA in Painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, an MA in Art Education from the University of Illinois and a BS in Psychology from the University of Illinois.
“At PNCA the academic dean plays a key role, both on a daily operations basis and in helping shape the College’s future,” says Provost Greg Ware. “It was imperative that we hire a person with the talents, skills, and vision that would help us continue to position PNCA as a school of influence, and Mark rose from a field of nearly 50 applicants to become the search committee’s first choice. His ability to think and act strategically will serve him well when developing new programs and expanding PNCA’s network of professional partnerships. His spirit of collaboration and his experience with and intuitions about what is important for a college of art and design in the 21st century make him an ideal fit, and we are delighted that he is joining the College at such an important moment in our history.”
Takiguchi joins the College to replace Tracey Cockerell who steps out of the position to launch the new Low-Residency MFA in Visual Studies program this fall. Cockerell and Takiguchi, who maintains a prolific studio practice as a painter, first met as fellows at Skowhegan more than 20 years ago.
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. 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 10 Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, PNCA offers five graduate degrees under the auspices 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.