Pacific Northwest College of Art Launches Centennial Campaign for PNCA+FIVE

$3 million in new gifts announced in support of capital projects

Portland, OR (PRWEB) April 25, 2008 -- Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) today announced the public phase of a $32 million fundraising campaign. The Centennial Campaign for PNCA+FIVE raises capital for the acquisition and refurbishment of the main campus building ($12 million), which the College is buying under an agreement announced separately, endowment for new academic programs and scholarships ($12 million), as well as funds for special projects and on-going operations ($8 million).

"We are pleased to announce that we have raised $26 million, 80 percent of our $32 million goal for this campaign, which will conclude during PNCA's centennial in 2009," said Tom Manley, PNCA President. "For that, we must thank the extraordinary PNCA donor community for its unwavering belief in the importance of the College's work and our growing role as an epicenter for creativity in Portland and beyond."

The announcement was made in conjunction with three new gifts of one million dollars each. The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation and Al Solheim, Chair of the PNCA Board of Governors, have each pledged $1 million to the campaign, and the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund made a $1 million challenge grant, which asks the College to secure an additional $3 million in new gifts by the end of 2008.

Artist Lee Kelly, a 1959 alumnus, will chair the Campaign. The College also announced that Al Solheim, Chair, PNCA Board of Governors and board members Kathleen Lewis, Gene d'Autremont and Jamey Hampton will serve as vice chairs. "I am proud to help the College launch this important effort. As both an artist and a graduate, it has been a pleasure to see PNCA grow as a center for education, creative investigation and artistic practice. I want to help however I can as the school begins its next 100 years of exploration," said Kelly.

PNCA secured a keystone gift for the campaign in 2007 when Hallie Ford gave the College a $15 million gift to create the Ford Institute for Visual Education (FIVE). Mrs. Ford's gift provided for new academic programs at the College including an MFA in Visual Studies, and launched an international visiting artist series, PNCA+FIVE Idea Studios.

"As we move closer to the College's centennial next year, PNCA is laying the groundwork for a new century of superior art and design education," said Al Solheim, PNCA Chair of the Board of Governors. "I am very excited to help kick-off PNCA's Centennial Campaign for PNCA+FIVE, and I applaud Harold and Arlene Schnitzner and the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund for joining me in supporting the growth of one of the region's most distinguished and forward-thinking arts organizations."

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 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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