Underground Press: Portland’s Counterculture Publications of the 70s & 80s

In the 1970s, Portland writers, designers, and illustrators shaped the counterculture movement through their use of independent publishing. Scrappy newspapers such as the Portland Scribe were launched as a reaction to the Vietnam War and echoed the counterculture movement from the 1960s, while publications like One Dollar experimented with sleek design and a highlight on the arts. In the 1980s, Just Out united and amplified the LGBTQ+ community and Clinton Street Quarterly proved that investigative, independent journalism could be an exquisitely designed work of art!

Underground Press is an event hosted by and as a part of . The event features a vibrant talk about the design, people, technologies and cultural forces that powered these independent publications.

Before and after the talk, a Publication Fair exhibits the works for hands-on browsing while DJ Slouch spins music from Portland’s 70s & 80s scene.

This event is free for PNCA students, be prepared to show your student ID.

Portland Design History is a design & illustration archive for the Rose City.

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Host or Publisher Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies at PNCA