Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC) is pleased to announce two uniquely engaging courses that provide artists with an exceptional opportunity to explore their individual practices. OCAC, a leading, uniquely small, mentor-based college located in Portland, Oregon, offering BFA, MFA, Post-Baccalaureate, and Certificate in Craft programs, presents Summer Intensive Courses for those who are looking for an extraordinary experience.
Into the Wilderness
In partnership with Signal Fire, OCAC offers an immersive art and ecology course that invites students to explore their studio practices in wilderness locations, amidst an atmosphere of friendship and critical thinking. With a curriculum centered on the natural and cultural histories of the sites visited, the possibilities of making art in, and in response to, wild places invites students to see the wild as a place of wonder, empowerment, action and connection.
The 2017 theme of folklore and storytelling looks to ways in which these traditions inform our relationship to place, peoples, and the natural world. This year’s trip to the Nez Perce homeland of Eastern Oregon’s Blue Mountains and the Idaho/Montana Bitterroots sets the stage for the group to investigate the role of artists as storytellers and consider how folklore contributes to a deeper understanding of the American West.
Instructors: Ryan Pierce and Kerri Rosenstein
Ryan Pierce, OCAC alumnus, is the cofounder, with activist Amy Harwood, of Signal Fire, a group that facilitates wilderness residencies and retreats for artists of all disciplines. Exhibited internationally and represented by Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland, OR, his vivid, large-scale paintings depict our world recovering from human industry. Kerri Rosenstein is a nationally exhibited artist represented by Richard Levy Gallery in New Mexico. With Ryan Pierce, Kerri leads the Wild Open Studios summer intensive course.
Application period: January 1–March 31, 2017
Course dates: July 23–August 19
Non-credit tuition: 2,800 USD
For-credit tuition: 3,790 USD for 3 credits
Open to graduate and undergraduate students, or others seeking a curriculum-rich engagement with the landscape.
Curatorial Intensive: Curating through Craft
Explore curating as a research and observation-based artistic practice through a variety of approaches on the idyllic, wooded campus of the Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland, Oregon. The investigation of contemporary craft discourse and material-based inquiry will be emphasized through a variety of readings, journaling, photo documentation, hands-on making and scenography. Discussions, lectures, group activities and Making | Object | Research lab engagements are designed to enhance the opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of how curating specifically relates to the presentation of craft and material-based objects. From the “white cube” to socially engaged projects, objects and materials related to the history of craft will be investigated in a variety of spatial environments and modes of interaction.
Instructor: Namita Wiggers
From 2004–14, Namita Gupta Wiggers served first as Curator and Director and then as Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Craft (MoCC) in Portland, Oregon. During her tenure, Wiggers curated over 65 exhibitions, raising the national and international profile of the MoCC. Known for research-driven exhibitions that catalyze dialogue and understanding of craft as a vital aspect of contemporary culture, she is also Director and Co-Founder of Critical Craft Forum (http://www.criticalcraftforum.com), an online and onsite platform for dialogue and exchange about craft in contemporary culture.
Course dates: July 31–August 4; August 7–11, 2017; 9am–4pm
Non-credit tuition: 2,500 USD
For-credit tuition: 3,590 USD for 3 credits
Studio fee: 110 USD
Open to graduate and undergraduate students or non-credit seeking students seeking to engage craft and material-based curatorial practice.
Learn more
Visit the OCAC website for details and to learn more about the Summer Intensive Courses.
