Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC's Art Beat 2005 features a little of everything

Photos and story by James Hill

PORTLAND, Ore. – There is something for everyone at Portland Community College’s 19th annual Art Beat festival. Art Beat 2005 will spread across all three PCC campuses from May 9-13, offering students and the community access to local, regional and national artists, as well as an extensive collection of visual art, dance, music, theater and literary events to help expose them to art. The best part of Art Beat is that it is free and open to the public."Each campus will feature a variety of performances, art displays, interactive demonstrations and workshops,"said Charlie Washburn, ceramics instructor and PCC Art Beat committee member. "I hope that Art Beat exposes our students and community members to different ways of seeing, hearing, speaking, and moving. It is always entertaining, informative and fun."The late William Dyas Garnett is the featured artist and his oil on canvas art work, "Seal Spine." The long-time PCC faculty member was a respected Northwest artist specializing in sketches and drawings. The Missouri native taught at almost every major school in Portland, including Portland State University, Clackamas and Mt. Hood community colleges, and Oregon College of Art and Craft. He also helped to establish the Artist-in-the-Schools Program, which he received the Governor’s Award for the Arts in 1978.Mark Andres, Rock Creek Campus art department chair, will present the life and work of Garnett in a slide show. Rock Creek Art Department Chair Mark Andres gives an illustrated talk on the life and work of Garnett (1938-2004). The event will be held 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, May 9 in the Little Theatre at the Sylvania Campus, 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 in Room 122 of Building 3 of the Rock Creek Campus and 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday May 12 in Terrell Hall 122 of the Cascade Campus.To read more about the featured artist and get a full schedule of the Art Beat 2005 events, go to the Web site:Art Beat 2005 Home PageArt Beat Kickoff Reception On Monday, May 9, there will be a kickoff reception for Art Beat 2005 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center foyer. The event includes a performance by the PCC Jazz Trio featuring PCC staff John Mery, Dan Hays and David Stout. Preston Pulliams, PCC district president, will open the event and present the student art and music awards during the party.Art Beat 2005 HighlightsVagabond Opera-Music PerformanceNoon to 1 p.m., Monday, May 9, PAC Foyer, Sylvania11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 10, The Forum, Rock CreekVagabond Opera’s songs are an eclectic mix of original and traditional compositions, unified by an old-world mood. Elements of Eastern European, Klezmer, Jazz, Arabic and Tango mingle in music played with skill, exuberance and a gritty vagabond edge.ThinkTankStudios- Computer-Generated Art Presentation10 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., Thursday, May 12, Terrell Hall 122, CascadeComputer-generated art has created more controversy than any other media in human history. The versatility of digital tools, blending collage, photographic technique, 3-D, and paint, has spawned a variety of methods and schools of thought. Matt Harpold and Anthony Waters will demonstrate.Kinetic Images Dance Company-Dance PerformanceNoon to 1 p.m., Friday, May 13, HT Gym, Sylvania Come and enjoy Kinetic Images’ presentation of PRISM, which explores the differing perspectives of altered realities. Kinetic Images continues in its dedication to creating accessible art.Parking and ContactsParking at all three campuses is free during Art Beat 2005. The events will be held at the Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth), Rock Creek Campus (17705 N.W. Springville Road), and the Sylvania Campus (12000 S.W. 49th Ave.). For more information, call 503-977-4270. Those needing interpreting or other accommodations, call the Office for Students with Disabilities, 503-977-4341 voice, 503-246-4072 TTY.