PNCA @ 100 and Flying: A Centennial Vision
In 2009 colorful banners will fly throughout the City of Portland and in art venues around the globe celebrating the centennial of Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA).
A rising presence in art and design education, PNCA is a hub for the creative community of Portland with partnerships with top firms, art and educational organizations. It is praised for a dynamic weave of visual arts and liberal learning that carries its accomplished students and faculty into the larger world in widening circles of artistic and professional practice. A PNCA education prepares students for a life of sustained creativity and achievement with skills and knowledge they bring into whatever field they subsequently may choose to pursue. The College’s graduates and faculty are regularly featured in regional, national and international exhibitions and publications, and are bringing acclaim and attention to the College.
PNCA academic programs have depth, diversity and distinction. They embody and reify the College’s core values: creative practice, effective communication, integrated knowledge, and social responsibility. Undergraduate degrees cover the fine arts as well as design, illustration, digital media, and moving images. The College’s global studios program is the most innovative of its kind and supports off campus learning opportunities for students in Japan, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, and many other places. Post baccalaureate experiences and unique MFA/MA degrees are offered in the visual arts and other fields. Altogether the College enrolls over 500 students, it enjoys much improved selectivity, retention and, especially in terms of international students, diversity. Fiscal capacity is at an all time high allowing key initiatives to be realized, and enabling the College to offer one of the most robust faculty growth and renewal programs of all the AICAD schools.
A highly motivated faculty and a college-wide commitment to the quality of learning make PNCA a student-centered enterprise where workshops, services and one-on-one advising are easily accessed, and where an exciting public exhibition and speakers series animates the College and the community. The web-based PNCA Portfolio helps all students effectively organize and communicate the sum of their learning during their studies and after they graduate. An integrated career advising program and a very active alumni relations’ office help students connect to a broadening network of mentors and relevant professionals. PNCA alumni are sought after both by employers and top graduate programs.
With the successful launch of a major capital campaign PNCA is building a campus that exemplifies high concept design and eco-efficiency in the service of creative making. A soon to be completed main building is regarded as a most important architectural contribution to the city, a fitting symbol for a school intimately and long involved in contributing to Portland’s arts landscape. PNCA @ 100 is flying!
Our Mission:
PNCA’s mission is to transform students into knowledgeable, articulate, practicing visual artists and designers with the ability to significantly contribute in original ways to the ongoing dialogue in art that shapes our culture.
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