Build your style and practice in one of the country’s most creative cities.
At Pacific Northwest College of Art, we prepare our students for careers in the arts by equipping them with the technical expertise, meaningful connections, and creative curiosity they need to thrive.
Portland’s culture of makers and creative innovators offers the ideal environment for our students to connect with a wide
range of working artists and designers, visit museums and galleries, and immerse themselves in the lifestyle of professional creatives.
Engaging with Portland’s thriving arts scene encourages our students to become socially conscious creators. At PNCA, aspiring artists and designers will not just refine their creative skills, but will come to understand how and why art is a vital part of our society – and where their voice fits. Our deep ties to the local arts community allow students to make connections, setting them up for a wide range of creative careers.
By integrating a liberal arts education with studio practice, we offer a high-value college experience and empower our students to be innovative and think critically about their creative work and the world around them. Students learn to contextualize their art and design within historical tradition and modern trends. And they explore the ways that art can impact their communities and play a role in building a more equitable future.
At PNCA, you will find more than a school. You will find a creative community.
There are no lecture halls at PNCA.
All of our programs rely on a studio-based curriculum that allows students to focus on developing their practice. Classes are kept small to foster a collaborative environment and allow students and faculty to become familiar with and respond to one another’s work. Our instructors are working artists and designers with a wealth of experience and connections and are committed to encouraging the talent of the next generation.
Majors
Animated Arts
Creative
Writing
General
Fine Arts
Graphic Design
Illustration
Intermedia
Painting & Drawing
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Minors
Art & Ecology
Art History
Ceramics
Creative Writing
Fashion
Game
Graphic Design
Painting & Drawing
Photography
Stop-Motion
“ Working
in a tight-knit creative community like PNCA,
we’re
constantly surrounded by art, ideas, and people that shape our creative processes and hone our work.
— Lottie-Maude Caldwell, ’27, Intermedia
FOUR YEAR FLOW
Year One
Year One
Foundation Year
Your first year at PNCA is characterized by exploration, skill-building, and discovery. You will engage with all kinds of media from drawing to digital design, helping you choose your major and begin developing your creative practice.
Year Four
Year Four
Senior Year
The final year is centered around your thesis. During this year, you will have the time, support, and resources you need to plan and produce a project or body of work –including your own studio space and one-on-one mentorship.
Year Two + Three
Year Two + Three
Sophomore & Junior Year
These years will be spent taking classes in your chosen major and minors. By focusing on developing studio habits, students build a sustainable creative practice and the ability to think critically about their work and the role of art in general.
Focus Week
Focus Week
Thesis
During the first semester of your senior year, you will present your thesis proposal to a faculty panel for approval. Panelists will offer feedback and discuss your proposal with you, helping you get on track to create your strongest work. The entire PNCA community comes together during Focus Week to support the seniors as they present their ideas.
Animated Arts
Animation is where fine art meets digital technology and at PNCA, our students have the support and resources to become well-versed in both. In our Animated Arts Lab, students gain experience working with 2D and 3D animation for a variety of genres from nonfiction documentaries to video games. Courses allow students to work independently and collaboratively to create animation projects.
Creative Writing
We consider language to be one of many tools available to modern writers. Because we offer a creative writing program within the context of an arts school, we challenge our students to integrate visual art into their writing. PNCA writers explore a wide range of genres, consider the role and possibilities of storytelling in today’s world, and develop a sustainable writing practice they can carry into their careers long after graduation.
General Fine Arts
Multifaceted artists can build skills in a wide range of creative mediums to develop a well-rounded practice. The General Fine Arts program allows students to put equal focus on many different materials and creative processes, building proficiency in a variety of skills and giving them more flexibility in their careers. Students take classes across disciplines and are able to dedicate their studio time to their varied interests.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is one of the most flexible and widely-applicable creative mediums, being utilized in many different industries. PNCA students can prepare for real-world design work through our Center for Design, our student-staffed professional design studio. Through Center for Design, students gain hands-on experience in design, art direction, and project management while working for real clients such as adidas, Mercy Corps, and Pendleton.
Illustration
Pursue a creative medium that merges storytelling with image-making. Illustrators provide visual narration for everything from video games and graphic novels to branding materials and designs for companies in a variety of industries. Our Wacom Lab, Digital Fine Art Printing Lab, and Creative Technology Lab offer our students top-ofthe-line equipment and workspaces to develop their craft and gain professional experience.
Intermedia
Develop a creative practice that integrates a variety of mediums. The Intermedia program is designed to allow room for students to employ emerging techniques and mediums into their creative practice, pushing the boundaries of art and design. From combining analog and digital methods to exploring the use of technology in creative work, intermedia students are often driven to innovate an entirely new style.
Painting & Drawing
In PNCA’s Painting and Drawing program, students develop their sense of shape, movement, color, and balance in visual art. Students can connect with visiting artists, participate in critiques, and take advantage of our on-campus studios to become stronger artists and discover their unique style. Whether students wish to explore traditional painting and drawing techniques or incorporate multimedia elements into their practice, we offer the support and resources they need.
Photography
As one of today’s most dynamic visual mediums, modern photography is about challenging tradition. PNCA’s industry-standard labs and studios, including a dark room, digital print studio, and lighting studio, provide students with the chance to develop professional-grade skills. From revitalizing analog methods to exploring digital techniques, our students are encouraged to consider the range of possibilities photography presents.
Printmaking
In the printmaking program, students can explore traditional and contemporary printing processes. PNCA’s professional print publishing program, Watershed, offers students the unique opportunity to work alongside working print masters. This program allows students to develop their printmaking skills, gain insight about printmaking as a career, and connect with established artists.
Sculpture
Our many 3D labs and studios allow students to experiment with different sculpture mediums as they develop their signature style. Sculpture students have the option to work with a variety of materials including metal, wood, clay, stone, fabric, and plastic and even incorporate digital elements into their pieces. Opportunities to exhibit work and connect with artists and curators helps students prepare for their post-graduation careers.
“ Having working professionals among my faculty and colleagues has been a game-changer. My artistic practice and understanding of the world evolves with every class, conversation, and experience at PNCA.
— Ashley “Arthur” Pham, ’27, Painting & Drawing
Animated Arts Lab
Creative
Technology Lab
Digital Print Studio
Documentation
Studio
Gilkey Center for Printmaking
Glass Building: 3D Workshops
Media Resource Center
Painting Studios
Photography Lab
Print Production Center
Riso Studio
Sound Lab
Wacom Lab
Our commitment to removing barriers between departments extends to our facilities.
As a PNCA student, you will have access to every lab, studio, and piece of equipment, regardless of your major. This approach fosters experimentation and creative exploration, empowering our students to develop a style that is entirely their own.
These on-campus resources support a wide range of techniques, mediums, and processes – and allow our students to gain experience working with professionalgrade equipment. The Gilkey Center for Printmaking is one of the best-equipped academic printmaking studios in the country and the Glass Building houses our 3D workshops which include a woodshop, metals shop, soft sculpture studio, sewing room, and ceramics studio.
In addition to workspaces and labs, the PNCA campus houses personal studio spaces and 11 galleries where student work is exhibited year-round.
An integral part of pursuing a creative education is broadening your perspective.
The Office of International Education facilitates international learning opportunities that can supplement your studies from study abroad to collaborations and on-campus multicultural experiences.
Immersing yourself in diverse cultures will allow you to engage with a wide range of
creative communities and explore art history and traditions from around the world. Studying abroad can help you shape your own creative practice and gain new insight on the role of art in our world. With the option to choose between short-term and semester-long study abroad programs, you can pursue an international experience in your own timeframe.
We offer funding! PNCA’s Global Learning and Diversity Development Initiative can make international learning more accessible.
Exchange Partner Locations
Belgium
Iceland
Ireland
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
“ I returned changed, navigating growth I was just catching up to.
— Crimson Ravarra, ’24, Intermedia
Whether you want to engage deeper with your art or you’re looking to pursue a separate hobby, student organizations are a great way to supplement your PNCA experience.
On-campus clubs cover a range of interests that both incorporate and go beyond our academic programs. Student organizations offer the opportunity to connect with like-minded students and develop new skills with peers beyond the classroom.
Because any student can start their own group or club, new organizations are being formed all the time.
“ PNCA nurtures a community full of people from all backgrounds.
— Mal Woodward, ’27, Animated Arts
Student Organizations include:
2D Animation Club
Board Game Club
Earth Works Club
Hyphen Zine
Publications
Glass Club
J-Fashion Club
PNCA
Photography Club
Radish Film Society
Sculpture Club
Skate Club
Sound Club
Stop Mo Club
Students of Color Collective Zine Club
Recent Visiting Artists
Jeremy Okai Davis
Deborah Freedman
Rodrigo Valenzuela
Amanda Ross-Ho
Catherine Taft
Abigail Susik
Nina Elder
Vanessa German
Dr. Christopher Ian Foster
Dr. Carmen P. Thompson
Dee Clements
Michael Brenner
An Engaged Community
PNCA plays a vital role in the local arts community, serving as a front porch for creative and cultural discussion in Portland. We bring together people from across Portland and beyond though regularly scheduled events including artist talks, exhibitions, and workshops. These events facilitate connection between established and aspiring artists and members of the community.
First Thursday
We maintain PNCA’s position as a cultural center through the public program First Thursday Art Walks. By collaborating with our neighbors in the North Park Blocks and welcoming members of the public, we foster community engagement and vitalize local businesses and makers.
Life at ArtHouse
YOUR NEW PORTLAND HOME
ArtHouse is PNCA’s eco-friendly student housing.
Located just a short distance from campus, ArtHouse was designed around the culture and community of our student body. The building features a communal study area and student galleries on every floor, facilitating student engagement and connection. One residence life team member is assigned per floor so students have reliable support where they live. ArtHouse is also equipped with a secure entry system and bicycle parking area. Campus
Safety officers are available 24 hours a day to provide escorts to and from campus, ArtHouse, parked vehicles, and the nearest TriMet stop.
Find Your Place
ArtHouse offers several rooming options to meet the preferences of our students and create the living environment most suited to their needs. New residents are asked to fill out a Lifestyles & Likings questionnaire to find a roommate or be matched by housing staff. Every unit, regardless of size or floor plan, includes amenities to make life away from home a little easier.
Room Options
Shared studio
Shared bedroom in multi-bedroom unit
Private bedroom in multi-bedroom unit
Private studio
Features
Fully furnished
In-unit washer and dryer
Full kitchen
Fiber optic ethernet
Standard utilities included
CAREER
SERVICES & FINANCIAL AID
The Office of Career Design is here to help you take your passion and turn it into a sustainable career.
We help students discover and prepare for their career path by connecting you with opportunities to build connections and gain real-world experience working with clients.
Resources offered by the Office of Career Design include workshops, one-on-one career advising, and networking events where you can connect with alumni and members of Portland’s creative community. Our deep ties to the local arts scene has led to partnerships with artists, designers, curators, gallery owners, and business leaders who offer our students unique learning opportunities.
Internship Placements
Argyle Winery
Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP)
Jordan Schnitzer Collection
Missoula Art Museum
Nike
NW Maritime Center
Rose City Comic Con
Textile Hive
Wieden + Kennedy
Recent Workshops Taxes for Creatives
Social Media for Artists
Grant Writing Workshop
Kickstarter 101
Public Art Commissions
Protect Your Art, and Yourself
We are committed to making an arts education financially accessible.
Through a range of financial aid opportunities including scholarships, grants, work study, and loans, our students are able to finance their degrees and receive a life-changing education.
Every admitted student is automatically considered for financial support. PNCA offers need-based and merit-based scholarships to offset barriers and recognize the achievements of our admitted students. Be sure to fill out your FAFSA to maximize your financial aid package.
The Financial Aid Office is here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the financial aid process.
Securing Your Financial Aid Package
Apply for admission to PNCA
Complete the FAFSA
Receive initial merit-based aid offer
Receive your full financial aid award letter, including scholarship, grants, work study, and loans
Review your award letter with your counselor in-person or virtually
Use our Net Price Calculator to take out some of the guesswork. The calculator will give you an estimate of how much state and federal funding you can expect to receive.
go.willamette.edu/pnca-aid-info
503-370-6273
finaid@willamette.edu
How To Apply
Preparing Your Portfolio
Your portfolio is your opportunity to make a statement and show the admissions team who you are as an artist or designer. We encourage applicants to be mindful about choosing their strongest pieces and demonstrating their range and interests.
Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio should include 10-15 images or files and can include drawing, painting, sculpture, video, sound, animation, film, photography, graphic design, or any other creative medium.
Every student’s portfolio must include at least one observational drawing.
Transfer students must submit work relevant to their intended major.
Students interested in the Creative Writing program will need to submit writing samples in addition to their visual arts portfolio.
Required
Online application Portfolio
Artist statement
Official Transcripts
Optional
AP scores
Letters of recommendation
Early Application Deadline
Fall: November 15th
Spring: November 1st
Priority Deadline
February 1st
Start Your Application
go.willamette.edu/apply-pnca
503-821-8972
pncaadmissions@willamette.edu
Visit Us
We welcome all prospective students to visit our campus and see what we have to offer in person.
You’ll get to see our labs and studios, chat with current students, and meet with a member of our admissions team to learn more about our programs, application process, financial aid, and more. We also offer portfolio reviews. Tours are offered every weekday in morning and afternoon sessions.
Schedule your visit today at go.willamette.edu/pnca-visit.
