— Mar 21, 09:50 AM — Comments

PNCA Receives Green Light to Acquire New Building

Historic Federal Building at 511 NW Broadway Will Become a Center for Art Education, Doubling Space for the College to Accommodate Record Growth

Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) today announced that the U.S. Department of Education and General Services Administration (GSA) have approved the College’s application to acquire the Federal Building at 511 NW Broadway through the government’s public benefit conveyance for educational purposes program. The 511 NW Broadway building will extend PNCA’s campus from the Pearl District into Old Town, further integrating the College, its students, faculty and visiting artists into the heart of Portland’s thriving art and design district. PNCA, which was founded in 1909 as the Museum Art School, has become the fastest growing independent art college in the nation. The 511 NW Broadway building will provide room for expansion of the College’s growing programs and additional space for the new Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE), made possible through a $15 million gift from Hallie Ford in May 2007 to expand the role of PNCA as a catalyst for creativity and innovation.

“We are extremely pleased to receive this good news about the historic and architecturally significant 511 NW Broadway building,” said Tom Manley, president of PNCA. “The transfer of this building in combination with other PNCA spaces gives shape to the College’s larger vision of an urban campus that is integrated into the fabric of the city and is activated by the creative endeavors of its students, faculty, and those with whom they engage.”

John Kvistad, GSA’s Regional Administrator said, “I am very pleased that along with our partners at the Department of Education, we could help PNCA acquire this building. As a long time supporter of the arts and a fifth generation Oregonian, it is gratifying to see the growth and development of this important part of Portland’s art community. In addition, the renovation of this historic building by PNCA will add another jewel to Portland’s Pearl District.”

The Federal Building was completed in 1916 as a U.S. Post Office and today houses offices for the Department of Homeland Security, including US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which will be moving to another facility in approximately two years. PNCA will conduct architecturally sensitive renovations on the historic building to accommodate classrooms, studios and meeting spaces that will provide students, faculty and visiting artists a new venue for educational activities.

“We are grateful for the public benefit conveyance and want to thank civic and business leaders and our Congressional Delegation, particularly Senator Gordon Smith and Congressman David Wu, for support and help in making this acquisition possible,” said Manley.

The 511 NW Broadway building was designed by renowned architect Lewis P. Hobart of San Francisco; his design was selected in a 1913 competition sponsored by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. The building was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 18, 1979 and is recognized as a particularly fine example of its era’s Italian Renaissance Style. Its standing is further enhanced by its close proximity to two other National Register properties: The Union Pacific Railway Depot (1892) and the U.S. Custom’s House (1897).

“An art college of the 21st century supports more than growth of its own institutional footprint,” said Al Solheim, Chairman of the Board of Governors at PNCA. “If the campus of such a school can be part of the physical community in innovative ways, then it will become a vital part of the whole city. That is our goal in the acquisition of the 511 NW Broadway building in the River District, and it defines a starting point for how PNCA’s campus can evolve with our city.”

• You can read what the media have said about the acquisition here.

About PNCA
Since its founding in 1909, Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) has become a leader in innovative educational programming that connects students to a global perspective in the visual arts. The College offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Communication Design, Illustration, Intermedia, General Fine Arts, Painting, Photography, Printmaking and Sculpture. In addition, the College offers a mentor-based MFA in Visual Studies that allows students to create a studio-centered curriculum to realize their personal artistic vision. PNCA has the oldest continuously running community arts education program in the Northwest. From its current base in the heart of the Pearl district, PNCA is actively involved in Portland’s cultural programming through exhibitions and a vibrant public program of lectures and visiting artists from around the world. In connection with its Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE) the College most recently debuted the PNCA + FIVE Idea Studios featuring artists James Turrell and philosopher Jacques Rancière. Visit on-line at www.pnca.edu for a full events calendar and to learn more about PNCA’s BFA degree, MFA in Visual Studies or Continuing Education courses for all ages and skill levels.

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For more information, please contact:
Becca Biggs
503-821-8892 becca (at) pnca (dot) edu

Kathleen Mazzocco
503-577-7591 km (at) clearpr (dot) com

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