PNCA : programs mfa

MFA Overview

Students are connected with a studio practitioner who provides one-on-one support and guidance for their disciplinary practice.

A creative hub of artists and designers for nearly 100 years, PNCA offers two Masters programs, the Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies and the joint Master of Fine Arts in Applied Craft and Design with Oregon College of Art and Craft. These graduate programs are part of a series of innovative programs of the Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE).

The MFA in Visual Studies

Making art in the present tense inspires the program’s highly selective group of artists and designers. As part of PNCA’s exceptional graduate program, students respond to the art world’s constant evolution with rigorous creative and critical investigation. Independent inquiry and close mentorships drive PNCA’s uncommonly flexible and challenging program, enlivened by the non-stop energy of Portland’s creative community and visiting artists from around the globe.

The Joint MFA in Applied Craft and Design

With over 200 years of combined experience, Oregon College of Art and Craft and Pacific Northwest College of Art’s joint MFA in Applied Craft and Design degree fosters a new, forward-thinking model of art and design education that gives students access to the resources of both colleges. The unique, two-year program merges the highest level of craft with design practice and entrepreneurial strategies. The program is designed for students eager to explore the fusion of tradition, innovation, and practice with design theory and hands-on making.

Tours

Tours for the MFA in Applied Craft and Design are offered Fridays at 10am. Tours for the MFA in Visual Studies are offered on Fridays at 12pm at the Graduate Studios, 1830 NW 19th Ave. All tours are by appointment only. To schedule a tour, please contact the MFA Studios Office at scarney [at] pnca [dot] edu, or call 503-821-8893.

MFA Mentors

Graduate work at PNCA offers motivated students the opportunity to work closely with professionals from the faculty and arts community. In our mentor-based program, students are connected with a studio practitioner who provides one-on-one support and guidance for their disciplinary practice. Mentors are chosen to match the focus and concerns of the individual student. The mentor relationship provides the backbone of our program, and participating faculty and community members bring diversity, richness and depth of experience to our MFA candidates.

Facilities

The MFA facilities at PNCA provide private studio spaces as well as a shared community environment. While graduate students engage in independent studio investigation, they also meet as a group for critique seminars and on-campus activities. The critique seminar class allows students to engage in ongoing critical dialog around their own work and the work of fellow students. This class combines critique, readings, and a visiting artists program that emphasizes intellectual investigation into the language of visual studies, applied craft and design.

Visiting Artists

The PNCA Visiting Artist Program is based in experiential learning, knowledge transfer and exchange. Artists, curators, scholars and critics from around the globe are invited to PNCA to engage with the students and community, fostering an exchange of ideas and practices. Art practitioners from diverse backgrounds contribute and challenge the academic and artistic discourse within the current PNCA curriculum, extending the possibilities for innovative instruction and learning.

Visiting artists use the PNCA campus as a site of possibilities where exchange can take a wide array of forms including: lectures, conversations, panel discussions, investigations, interruptions and disruptions. The forms of exchange may sometimes be surprising but are always inspired by present-day concerns. This is an essential part of the MFA curriculum and all MFAs engage in one-on-one studio discussions and critiques with visiting artists.

Fall 2010

Applications for Fall ’10 entry to the MFA in Visual Studies program are now available for download.

App Deadline: MFA Visual Studies: February 1st

Campus Slideshow

Get a glimpse of day-to-day life at PNCA, featuring clubs, lunchtime performances, and field trips, competitions and more.

Portland, OR

Learn more about what our city has to offer in our Portland section.