December 2025 First Thursday at PNCA + North Park Blocks!

Join us in the North Park Blocks for exhibition openings, music, refreshments and community!

The Center for Contemporary Art & Culture at Pacific Northwest College of Art is excited to invite the public to the December First Thursday Art Walk in the North Park Blocks for exhibition openings, community, and refreshments!

Welcoming our neighbors from near and far, First Thursdays in the North Park Blocks are an opportunity to come together in celebration of art, joy and community. First Thursdays are a vital part of the cultural ecosystem of Portland. For decades, these monthly events have been a highlight of nightlife in the Pearl District and North Park Blocks, increasing cultural connection and retail activation downtown.

Featured this month:
Cameron A. Granger, SLAY THE GOBLIN!!!
November 6 - December 20, 2025
Using the framework of fictional roleplaying games as a tool to analyze contemporary culture, SLAY THE GOBLIN!!! features works ranging in media, including video, serigraphs, installation, and a community gaming room.

Diego Morales - Portillo, Someone once told me the grass is much greener
November 6 - December 20, 2025

A border is not an abstract idea—it is a monolith, planned, designed, and constructed both physically and politically.

This installation reflects on the notion of a barrier that protects private property—with individual owners—from those who wish to enter… or exit. It alludes to the picket-fenced American Dream as yet another form of separation. For an immigrant, the border is a hard line that cannot be crossed: if you are undocumented or deemed “illegal,” crossing that fence means being forced to choose a side, one you can never return from.

Within the gallery, the installation disrupts the natural flow of movement, evoking what it feels like to encounter a physical barrier in a space that would otherwise circulate freely. To see the two pieces in this room, you need to exit and enter through the opposite door of the gallery.


PNCA Student Holiday Art Sale
Join us! December 4-6th at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) for the annual Holiday Art Sale, a celebrated event showcasing handmade creations by PNCA students. Discover unique holiday gifts while supporting emerging artists and makers. The market will feature a wide range of handmade works made by current Art and Design Students; everything from fine art prints and stickers to crocheted goods and handmade pottery—perfect for holiday gifts!

Neighborhood Partners Include:

Adams and Ollman

Augen Gallery

The BLACK Gallery + Don't Shoot PDX Annex

Blackfish Gallery

Blue Sky Gallery, Oregon Center for Photographic Arts

Elizabeth Leach Gallery

Froelick Gallery

LANDDD

Laura Vincent Design and Gallery

Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC)

Stelo Arts

Waterstone Gallery

The Writer’s Block

and more!

Free & Open to the Public!