Pacific Northwest College of Art Special Spring Appeal Case Statement April 20-June 30, 2020

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With generous support from

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NOW MORE THAN EVER...

STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE Now more than ever, what we do at Pacific Northwest College of Art matters.

This global pandemic has touched us all. Higher-education has been one of the hardest-hit sectors—and the nation’s colleges of art and design have become especially vulnerable.

As a member of our community, you understand that artists are best equipped to help address today’s issues, and will continue to lead us with creative ideas as we imagine the future.

For years, our community has come together at our annual fundraising Gala to champion PNCA students and affirm the importance of art and design education. Because we are not able to gather in person, we’ve had to cancel the Gala this year and are turning to our close friends and donors to provide critical support for our students and to sustain the college’s future through this special spring appeal.

This is why we invite you to build on your investment in the college’s mission of preparing students for a life of creative practice with strength and resilience.

PNCA students are painters, illustrators, designers, sculptors, performers, and makers of all kinds.

INNOVATING THROUGH CHANGE In early March, based on guidance from local and national authorities, college leadership together with our faculty made the difficult decision to transition—quickly—to remote learning to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our students.

During an extended spring break: Faculty worked collaboratively across disciplines to translate each class into an engaging, high-quality remote course.

Technology staff invested in hardware, software, and training to make distance learning and working possible for students, faculty, and staff.

The Student Services team led college-wide innovations to support students’ physical, mental, and emotional health in a remote learning environment.

Faculty and staff laid the groundwork for a virtual solution for sustaining a cornerstone of a PNCA education: the senior thesis, including thesis presentations and the accompanying exhibition of their work.

Administration immediately began to pursue financial relief from philanthropic and government entities.

Artwork: Rubén García Marrufo, MFA Visual Studies ’18

“I really appreciate how the faculty adapted the curriculum in my classes so they work in this new environment. They have been really understanding and flexible.”

— Delia Kerr-Dennhardt, junior, Illustration major

PACIFIC NORTHWEST COLLEGE OF ART

COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS’ IMMEDIATE AND EVOLVING NEEDS To help students succeed during this challenging time, we are providing free and discounted food, additional mental health services, and other assistance to address students’ academic and basic human needs.

The college is also working to secure additional financial aid and emergency tuition assistance for students who have lost income due to this crisis.

ArtHouse dorm has remained open, secure, and staffed, with appropriate social distancing measures in place, for students who wanted to remain in Portland for the rest of the semester.

PNCA has committed to maintaining work-study positions and career services staff are working 1:1 with students to help them apply for unemployment while providing stepped up resources and training for job hunting, resumes, LinkedIn, and interviewing skills.

In early April, 41% of students surveyed reported becoming unemployed due to the pandemic.

Student presents their Thesis Orals.

CREATIVITY OVERCOMES OBSTACLES Our dedicated faculty are committed to working with every individual student supporting them as they develop innovative ways to continue to practice and make from their dorms, apartments, and homes.

And our students have risen to the challenge, showing incredible flexibility, creativity, and caring in the face of unbelievable challenges.

We are committed to showcasing our students’ exceptional work and are excited to announce that the both the BFA and MFA Thesis Exhibitions will be on view in our new virtual gallery. Beginning May 17, head to pnca.edu/gallery to view student work.

The Unknown Artist, presented by the Center for Contemporary Art and Culture, and curated by Lucy Cotter, can also be viewed in the online gallery.

BFA Printmaking student Emelia Whiteside didn’t let being quarantined stop her from designing, screen printing and sewing a beautiful fungi kimono for her fashion history and fabric painting classes.

Second-year Visual Studies MFA candidate Shelby Louise Baldridge managed to create a homemade tide pool from the comfort of home.

Second-year Print Media MFA candidate Schuyler DeMarinis innovated in order to complete his thesis project from home, managing to back a 14.5 footlong lithograph all by himself.

Performance: Angelica Millan, MFA Visual Studies ‘17

“Artists see the world in a di uncomfortable situations, th them. Now. A lot. To help us that we want to rebuild afte

THE WORLD NEEDS ARTISTS, DESIGNERS, AND CRITICAL THINKERS MORE THAN EVER We don’t know when we will emerge from this crisis, but we do know that the world is going to need artists, designers, and critical thinkers. Now more than ever, we need creativity to educate a global population, and art to convey powerful messages to spur people into positive action.

As the region’s comprehensive college of art and design, with your help, PNCA will continue to: Prepare our critical thinkers to help address current issues and become future leaders.

Maintain access to art and design education for our vibrant creative community culture.

Play an essential role in fueling the region’s thriving arts community.

ifferent way. They’re used to practicing uncertainty, and embracing new hey’re so resilient, so scrappy, so collaborative, and I think that we need s imagine, visualize and stimulate conversation around the sort of world er this pandemic.”

—Simone Crowe, MFA Collaborative Design ’20

STAND WITH PNCA DURING THIS CHALLENGING TIME For years, our community has come together at our annual fundraising Gala to champion PNCA students and affirm the importance of art and design education. Now that we aren’t able to gather with each other in person, we are fundraising to provide critical support for our students and to sustain the college’s future through this special spring appeal.

Our goal is to raise $350,000 to replace the revenue we would have raised at the Gala.

Thanks to the generosity of our Gala sponsors who have recommitted to this new initiative, as of writing this, we’re already more than half-way to our goal. (See our full list of generous sponsors on the back cover.)

The William G. Gilmore Foundation generously pledged $50,000, to match gifts exceeding $1,000 (as long as their match dollars last).

We are so grateful for their long-time leadership support toward PNCA’s fundraising efforts.

Now, we ask you to support PNCA during this unprecedented time by making a gift today.

Your continued investment will help ensure that PNCA students are prepared to meet today’s challenges and the future with strength and resilience.

We will be honoring our Center of Creativity awardees with an online publication spotlighting their support of the college and their work advocating for and advancing arts and culture in our community and beyond. Visit pnca.edu/special-springappeal#awardees to learn more.

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY pnca.edu/special-spring-appeal

To learn more about this special appeal and how you can get involved, visit pnca.edu/special-spring-appeal or contact: Candace Horter, Vice President for Advancement 503-490-6842 chorter@pnca.edu Lauren Creany, Director of Individual Giving 503-701-3632 lcreany@pnca.edu We are always grateful for your support.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST COLLEGE OF ART

Thank you to our Gala sponsors who have recommitted to the Special Spring Appeal

SUPPORT PNCA TODAY pnca.edu/special-spring-appeal

Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design 511 NW Broadway Portland, Oregon 97209 pnca.edu

PNCA Board of Governors Scott D. Musch, Board Chair Eloise Damrosch, Board Vice Chair John Bishop, Board Secretary Christopher Maples, Ph.D., Interim President Anthony Belluschi Kay Campbell Schuyler DeMarinis, MFA Student Representative Nicholas R. “Nick” Ehlen Bill Foster MK Guth, Faculty Governor Jason Halstead Mariam Higgins Linda Hutchins ‘88 Zeljka Carol Kekez Nolan Lienhart Long Nguyen, BFA Student Representative

David Savinar Sally Schoolmaster, Faculty Governor Al Solheim Lauren Stumpf, MFA ‘16, Alumna Governor Vanessa Triplett Sherrie Wolf ‘74, Alumna Governor Governor Emeriti: Mary Lee Boklund Margaret Bolger Ann Edlen Susan Hammer Jamey Hampton Nan Koerner (in memorium) John Casey Mills John Shipley Judy Wyss

PNCA is an accredited institutional member of both the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Design and a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.