On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. Joseph Gallivan interviews artists Malia Jensen and Nan Curtis about Exquisite Scrolls: Collaborative Drawings for the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
These are 13 scrolls, ten feet long, each the work of eight mostly Portland artists. Like the Surrealist game Exquisite Corpse, each artist could only see the edge of what the previous artist had drawn as they worked and followed a theme. After doing their artwork, the scroll was shipped to the next artist and was revealed when complete.
The scrolls are on display through May 29, 2021, at various galleries in Portland, and are for auction online at PNCA to benefit scholarships for BIPOC students:
https://pnca.edu/about/support-pnca/exquisite-scrolls
Bidding is active now and will close Saturday May 29th at 2PM.
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE
Exquisite Scrolls: Collaborative Drawings for Pacific Northwest College of Art
A benefit for Equity & Leadership Scholarships at PNCA.
Featuring 13 collaborative works of art created by over 100 artists, Exquisite Scrolls: Collaborative Drawings for PNCA will be on view -and available via auction- from May 5 – 29 at multiple Portland galleries, including Augen Gallery, Blue Sky Gallery, Froelick Gallery, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Russo Lee Gallery, and UPFOR Gallery.
All participating galleries are currently open and following Covid-19 guidelines for indoor gatherings. To view online or register for the auction visit pnca.edu/exquisite-scrolls
Conceived and launched by PNCA alum Malia Jensen ’89 in the summer of 2020 - amidst the pandemic and surging social and political movements for racial justice – and then manifested by numerous artists and community members, Exquisite Scrolls seeks to create connection and embrace creative ways to make a collective impact while benefiting Equity and Leadership Scholarships at PNCA.
“These collaborations,” says Jensen, “represent a tremendous number of extraordinary artists, individuals, and galleries who have come together to support PNCA as a vital institution in our extended community. The project is a testament to our creative resilience and the power of artists to act in support of cultural and societal issues.”
The actual process of creating the scrolls is inspired by the Surrealist parlor game “Exquisite Corpse,” in which a shared drawing is created without revealing what the previous contributor has drawn. In Exquisite Scrolls, a 14” x 120” roll of watercolor paper - cut to size on Jensen’s chop-saw, traveled from one artist to the next, with each adding their work before covering the image and sending it to the next artist. Friends of PNCA and alumni from as far back as 1950 and as recent as 2020 and from as far away as New York, Philadelphia and Southern California, contributed their work.
“This project is a remarkable gesture of community in support of PNCA and our students,” states MK Guth, director of the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies, and an Exquisite Scrolls artist. “These collective efforts will impact the next generation of PNCA artists and designers and demonstrate to our students the importance of participation to influence change.”
The scrolls are available to purchase via an online auction closing at 2PM on May 29th. 100% of proceeds from the auction and sponsorships benefit PNCA’s new Equity and Leadership Scholarships, which are geared towards incoming Black students, Indigenous students, and students of color, or students who have demonstrated a commitment to working with impacted communities to end racial injustice.
The Exquisite Scrolls auction site can be found on the Exquisite Scrolls page on the PNCA website pnca.edu. Learn more and register to bid at pnca.edu/about/support-pnca/exquisite-scrolls.
Contact: Lucy Taylor 503-957-8807 lctaylor@pnca.edu
About Pacific Northwest College of Art
Pacific Northwest College of Art empowers artists and designers to reimagine what art and design can do in the world. Founded in 1909 as the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, PNCA offers 11 art and design Bachelor of Fine Art programs, eight graduate programs including Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs within the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies, a Post-Baccalaureate program, and Community Education courses for artists and designers of all ages. Learn more at pnca.edu
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Joseph Gallivan has been a reporter since 1990. He has covered music for the London Independent, Technology for the New York Post, and arts and culture for the Portland Tribune, where he is currently the Business Reporter. He is the author of two novels, "Oi, Ref!" and "England All Over" which are available on Amazon.com
This show was recorded on a Pixel 5 phone in Portland on May 21, 2021 at various locations.
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