PNCA Presents 2009 Faculty Biennial

Release date: 07/27/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2009

Contact:
Leah Bobal | Communications Specialist
Pacific Northwest College of Art
lbobal@pnca.edu 503 821 8964

Becca Biggs | Director of Communications
Pacific Northwest College of Art
becca@pnca.edu 503 821 8892

PNCA Presents 2009 Faculty Biennial

PNCA 2009 Faculty Biennial
August 31-October 17

First Thursday Opening | September 3, 6:30pm
PNCA Main Campus Building, Swigert Commons, 1241 N.W. Johnson St.

PORTLAND, OR –Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) proudly presents the 2009 Faculty Biennial exhibition, featuring the work of 62 of the College’s full- and part-time faculty members. The exhibition runs from August 31 – October 17 in PNCA’s Swigert Commons with a public opening Thursday, September 3.

The Biennial, organized by a committee led by Matthew Letzelter, assistant professor in foundation and printmaking, displays a broad mix of disciplines: film, sound art, prints, illustration, design, painting, installation and written work by PNCA’s liberal arts faculty. As the PNCA faculty has increased in size by 100% since 2006, this exhibition includes over 20 new instructors who have not yet shown their work at the College, including Arnold Kemp, incoming chair of the MFA program in Visual Studies; and JP Reuer, the new chair of the MFA in Applied Craft and Design, offered jointly by
PNCA and Oregon College of Art and Craft.

“As the College embarks on its Centennial academic year and continues to experience unprecedented growth, we are delighted to celebrate the creative work of our faculty and to recognize their pivotal role in providing an extraordinary education for our students,” said Greg Ware, Provost, Pacific Northwest College of Art.

With a 48% growth in enrollment, PNCA is now the fastest-growing independent art school in the nation. Since its inception as the Museum Art School at the Portland Art Museum in 1909, PNCA’s faculty members have been regional leaders in visual thinking and making.

The 2009 Biennial features an exhibition catalog designed by Communication Design faculty member Pete McCracken (‘95) of Crack Press and includes all visual and written works on view and a sketchbook commemorating PNCA’s Centennial celebration. The catalog features introductions by Professor in Liberal Arts Barry Sanders, and Tom Manley, President of PNCA. Also new this year will be a series of vibrant public programs, including chats, lectures and performances from faculty members during the run of the exhibition.

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 and a new joint MFA in Applied Craft and Design with Oregon College of Art and Craft. PNCA has the oldest continuously running community arts education program in the Northwest. 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 conjunction with its Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE).
www.pnca.edu.