Storm Tharp
Wolves at the Door (with red)
Monotype
2017, Edition of 1
Printed by Matthew Letzelter, Yoshihiro Kitai, Hannah Bakken Morris,
Russell Wood, Jaynee Gundlach, Emma Flick, Heather Coleman, Devyn
Park, Lauren Goding, Doug Kesserland, Sherrie Jaciwiz and Mike Hendrix
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm
First Thursday Receptions: March 7, April 4, & May 2 | 5-9pm
(Portland, OR) The Center for Contemporary Art & Culture in collaboration with the Watershed Print Center at PNCA is proud to present Social Production: Selections from the Watershed Print Archive, displaying print publications from 2010 to 2023, on view February 21 - May 25, 2024.
Join us on Thursday, March 7 from 5-9pm for a public opening reception alongside Avantika Bawa’s solo exhibition Brutal Affair and new student exhibitions throughout the PNCA building. Additional public reception opportunities will be on Thursday, April 4 and Thursday, May 2 from 5-9pm.
Featured Artists:
Sandow Birk, Pat Boas, Melanie Cervantes & Jesus Barrraza, Chris Chandler, Wayne Coyne, Modou Dieng, Nina Elder, Joe Feddersen, The Ursula K. Le Guin Foundation, Yoshihiro Kitai, Nikki McClure, Dennis McNett, Paintallica, Alison Saar, Regina Silveira, Eli Sudbrack (Assume Vivid Astro Focus), Storm Tharp and Samantha Wall.
Printmaking studios are unique and curious spaces of creative production present around the globe. They are workshops in the best possible ways: “place[s] for mutual experimentation, analysis and debate, for teaching, learning, inspiration and communal involvement.” The printmaking workshop or studio pulls solo artists of varying disciplines into modes of working, collaboration and discovery that expand the very processes and aesthetic qualities of printmaking techniques into something more: images and narratives in the form of multiples, not just lauded for their use of technique and emphasis on craft and production, but for their enrichment through the workshop’s capacity for social production.
The artists featured in this exhibition represent the range of collaborative print publications that have been produced at PNCA from 2010-2023 within the Watershed Center for Print Publishing and Research, an education space of the printmaking lab at Pacific Northwest College of Art.
The unique and varied practices of these invited artists, both familiar and fresh to print media processes, illustrate the breadth of residency experiences and production occurring within Watershed. Artists in the workshop are able to expand their voice and knowledge in printmaking techniques with support from skilled and in-training printers alike. Students engage in experiential processes with hands-on learning to strengthen their skills in craft and print production, while cultivating an expansion of their own creative voices through intimate collaborations with both emerging and established creatives.
Social Production celebrates the presence of the Watershed Center for Print Publishing and Research in the Portland art community and beyond and the impactful roles that printmaking workshop spaces play in nurturing communal acts of making, sharing, and adventurous learning through the joys of print.
This exhibition is co-curated by Hannah Bakken Morris, Assistant Director of the Center for Contemporary Art & Culture at PNCA, and Matthew Letzelter, Director of the Watershed Center for Print Publishing and Research. Framing courtesy of Russell Wood, MFA ‘19, unless otherwise noted.
About the Watershed Center for Print Publishing and Research:
The Watershed Center for Print Publishing and Research is the research and education extension of the printmaking lab at Pacific Northwest College of Art, staffed and supported through the MFA in Print Media program.
Watershed welcomes visiting artists, researchers, and professional printers as well as the community to collaborate on editions and projects. Through Watershed, Print Media students and faculty are offered unique access to professional experiences working with contemporary artists, galleries, and museums on a range of projects and events. The Watershed Center for Print Publishing and Research publishes printed editions and supports collaborative projects with resident artists and hosts visiting professional printers including James Reid from Gemini G.E.L., Maurice Sanchez from Derriere L’Etoile, and Paul Mullowney from Mullowney Printing. The center also works with community based partners and nonprofits on projects that provide a deeper connection with local and regional community on issues that link with our research and values as an institution.
Working alongside professionals in the printmaking lab, in addition to taking on assistant positions, fellowships, and internships, it provides our students a unique viewpoint and support network in post-program career development.
About CCAC and PNCA:
The Center for Contemporary Art & Culture is a platform for cultural production including exhibition, lecture, performance, and publication. Housed within Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), the Center throws open its doors to the greater public to foster conversation and community.
Pacific Northwest College of Art is the leading professional arts and design school in the Northwest; we are the heartbeat of learning and experimentation in Portland’s vibrant cultural ecosystem. We spark curiosity and sharpen skills so students can build creative careers anchored in innovation, justice and civic imagination.