Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Art at Rock Creek

The Rock Creek Campus sits amid farm and wetland on 256 acres and offers a comprehensive art program in a country setting. Situated about 12 miles west of downtown Portland the campus’ concrete and wood structures fit nicely into the rolling hill farmland, creating a pastoral study environment.

Art is an integral part of the texture of the Rock Creek Campus, from large exterior sculpture and paintings in major buildings to the intimate Rock Creek Gallery, with its changing monthly exhibitions. The permanent collection includes work by noted Northwest artists such as Lee Kelly, Frank Boyden, Bruce West, George Johanson, Richard Helzer, Lucinda Parker, and Rick Bartow to name only a few.

Facilities

Ceramics studio

The Ceramics Studio is a spacious facility featuring a variety of specialized areas. It includes a hand-building room equipped with a slab roller and extruder, a wheel room with both electric and kick wheels, and dedicated glaze spray booths. The glazing studio houses electric kilns, while an adjacent exterior building accommodates two gas kilns, a soda kiln, and a raku area. Additionally, glass display cases located in the mall area of Building 3 showcase rotating monthly exhibitions of student and faculty artwork.

Design Studio

The Design Studio is a bright, spacious environment featuring large windows that offer views of a tranquil, rolling landscape. It is equipped with three sinks, drafting tables, extensive flat file storage for student work, a paper cutter, and light boxes. At the front of the studio, a large magnetized whiteboard facilitates instruction and critique, complemented by a drop-down projector screen and a computer podium with an integrated projector. The back wall includes an additional critique area. Shared design equipment, including self-healing cutting mats, scissors, cutting knives, and a variety of measuring tools, is available to students during both class sessions and open studio hours.

Digital Photography Studio / Mac Lab

Our Digital Photography Lab is equipped with 32 Mac Studio desktops, each paired with Dell monitors, to support a comprehensive digital workflow. Students enrolled in photographic courses have access to industry-standard software, including Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, and Bridge. The lab also features an Epson SC-P7000 large-format printer for high-quality print production. While we acknowledge the digital evolution of contemporary photographic practices, we remain committed to preserving the educational value of traditional film processes. To support this, we provide an Epson V600 Photo Scanner for film and hybrid workflows. We are dedicated to continually upgrading our digital equipment to stay at the forefront of technological advancements

Drawing studio

The Drawing Studio features a distinctive tiered floor design, enabling students to draw from varying heights, whether working from still life setups or live models. The studio is equipped with adjustable easels, drawing boards, and versatile tables to accommodate different drawing techniques. A diverse selection of props and objects is available for study. Additionally, a document camera linked to a video projection system allows for the exploration of art historical images and the capture of live drawing demonstrations.

Painting studio

The Painting Studio is an expansive space featuring a distinctive tiered floor design, allowing students to work from easels at varying heights. A large critique wall provides the opportunity for reviewing student work from a distance and supports large-scale projects. The studio also includes a fully equipped prop room and ample space for creating elaborate still life setups, as well as working from the model in both round and proscenium formats. Additionally, the studio offers extensive student storage options to accommodate materials and ongoing projects.

Sculpture studio

The Sculpture Studio consists of two fully equipped studios and a dedicated foundry. These spaces feature an array of specialized equipment, including a comprehensive woodshop, MIG and TIG welders, a plasma cutter, cold forming tools (such as a brake, shear, and slip roller), kilns, 3D printers, and a wide selection of hand, electric, and pneumatic tools. Students are instructed in a range of processes, including bronze and aluminum casting (via lost wax and sand casting), wood carving, glass casting, figurative sculpting, plaster work, various mold-making techniques, and mixed media construction.

Printmaking Studio / Watermedia

The Printmaking Studio is a spacious, well-lit facility with large windows that offer views of a peaceful, rolling landscape. It is equipped with three printing presses designed for Intaglio, Relief, and Monotype printmaking techniques. The studio is also set up for Screen-printing with a dedicated darkroom and exposure unit for coating and exposing screens, as well as a spray-out sink for cleaning and reclaiming screens. Additionally, the studio features four large sinks to support various cleaning and water needs for students. The studio also features three large glass-surfaced tables for students to mix and apply ink for Intaglio, Relief and Monotype projects.

Shared with the Watercolor courses, the studio provides 24 adjustable tables with optional portable studio lighting for individual still life set-ups. An extensive flat-file storage system is available for student work and supplies.  At the front of the studio, a large magnetized whiteboard is ideal for instruction or critique, complemented by a drop-down projector screen and a computer podium with an integrated projector. The back wall includes an additional space for critique presentations.