1st Thursday at Pacific Northwest College of Art

Pacific Northwest College of Art is excited to invite the public to the May First Thursday Art Walk in the North Park Blocks for a series of exhibition openings, live music, drop-in activities and refreshments!

Join us for a very special Mural Painting event!

Artists Molly Mendoza and Adam Brock Ciresi will be leading a live mural painting event outside of PNCA during First Thursday. Grab a paintbrush and join in by filling in the mural with vibrant colors! This will be a joyful community event for all ages! Molly Mendoza is an artist living in Portland, Oregon. Through their work they explore the complexities of interpersonal relationships with a focus on layered visual storytelling, mark-making, and color. Adam Brock Ciresi is a NY born multidisciplinary artist residing in Portland, OR since 2007. Adam's background is in visual art, painting, mixed media, music and production. Also a street artist, Adam has made dozens of murals throughout Portland, many of them collaborative and based on socially engaged histories relative to the places they are created in

Opening Reception for 2024 MFA & BFA Thesis Exhibitions

at PNCA , Expensify, Stelo Arts, and Maddox / 5pm-9pm

PNCA’s annual Thesis Exhibition is a celebration of the creative exploration, critical inquiry, and artistic innovation by PNCA’s students. This exhibition stands as a testament to the interdisciplinary ethos of PNCA, where boundaries between disciplines blur, and innovation flourishes at the crossroads of diverse creative practices. We invite you to immerse yourself in the visions and voices of these talented artists, to engage with their ideas, and to witness firsthand the transformative power of art, craft, and design.

PNCA 511 Building, 511 NW Broadway, Portland (BFA)

Expensify, 401 SW 5th Ave, Portland, OR  (MFA Applied Craft + Design)

Stelo Arts, 412 NW 8th Ave, Portland, OR (MFA Print Media + MFA Collaborative Design/MA Design Systems)

Maddox, 1231 NW Hoyt St, Portland, OR (MFA Visual Studies)

Live Music with DJ Tic Toc and DJ Lapaushi

Tic Toc is a Portland native with ties to many different music genre scenes and communities including Punk, Reggae, Hip Hop and Soul. I attempt to provide eclectic, relevant music in a way that is inviting and informative, often telling a story of migration and culture. It is always my attempt to bridge communities through music and art.

Lapaushi is an Ecuadorian, Portland based multidisciplinary artist. After she finished her studies in Public Art at Universidad Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), she moved to Portland, Oregon where she works as an independent artist, event producer, music curator and educator. Her sets blend mostly Latinx/Indigenous/Caribbean/African diaspora music. Her mixes are distinguished by the versatility of crossing  genres, providing an explosive cocktail of rhythms from diverse world geographies. She is influenced by her latin american roots of amazonic, andean, and tropical sounds and enjoys experimenting with old school tracks with the contemporary production of  latin house, dembow, cumbia, electronic, techno, breakbeat and ballroom music. Lapaushi is a co-founder of Flores y Frutas, a monthly vinyl-only residence at Hey Love, Noche Libre PDX Latin DJ Collective member, and Global Based resident.

Public Performance by Agnes Zahina at PNCA, Mediatheque | 5pm-5:30pm

"What draws people to the moving image? What gives moving images the hypnotic power that keeps you glued to the screen and how is that power utilized? Why do we watch? These are the questions at the center of Why are you Looking at me? A three act video performance guiding the viewer on a journey that explores these questions through narrative, non narrative, and abstract methods."

Photobooth with Photographer Ash Stone

Bring some friends, lovers, family, yourself, maybe some strangers to strike your best poses for some stellar portraits with a bit of seasonal flare! Ash Stone (she/they) is a queer latinx visual artist based in Portland, Oregon. Her work, driven by the transformative power of play, serves as a method of healing and self-discovery. Ash’s creative practice works in tandem with community building, collaboration, and advocacy for art and education accessibility.

Free beverages & refreshements for all!

Visit Yo’s food & beverage cart in front of PNCA for free coffee and tea and come inside for more free nibbles and alcoholic and NA beverages! And come inside for delicious spreads from local market, World Foods!

Thank you to the City of Portland for providing grant support for expanded First Thursdays at PNCA and in the North Park Blocks! 

Host or Publisher Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies at PNCA