Four years after WU-PNCA merger, art community reflects on the Bearsloth option
- Caelyn Ochs, Staff Writer
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Since Pacific Northwest College of Art’s (PNCA) and Willamette University’s merger in 2021, Willamette students have had the opportunity to explore an array of different classes offered at PNCA, along with their Salem classes. If they can make the trip, that is.
PNCA offers an array of art classes that aren’t taught at Willamette, allowing students to explore their interests in various fields without being confined to one campus.
Professor and art department co-chair Alexandra Opie explained that the process of registering for classes at PNCA is very similar to signing up for classes at Willamette using SAGE, with the only difference being that instead of selecting Salem as the location, the student selects Portland. Students just have to plan their schedule, keeping in mind travel times and longer class periods held at PNCA.
Since it became an option, many have found that taking classes at PNCA can be difficult for students who don’t have a car of their own. The Amtrak is an option if they can work the train arrival and departure times into their class schedule. Opie expressed concern with the cost of the journey by train, noting how it certainly builds up rather quickly with back-and-forth trips.
William Cooper (’26), a student at Willamette who has taken classes at PNCA, expressed that the train schedule does not align conveniently with PNCA class schedules.
Due to troubles with scheduling and transportation, some students have found the opportunity to take classes at PNCA inaccessible. One student, Ella Allen (’27), wanted to take a semester at PNCA to earn a minor in graphic design. Since the merger is still very new, she said she could not find much support, and after speaking with many people, she decided to try to take a class at PNCA for a semester. This attempt did not work out due to the difficulty of travel and the time that it would require to [go to class in Portland].
Cooper is majoring in art, and being able to make the journey, took a ceramics class and a fabrication with wood and metal class at PNCA in the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025. Cooper managed to craft his schedule to have PNCA classes on days when he would not have Willamette classes. He found it important to spend time not just in class but outside of class to work on any projects for the studio classes offered in Portland.
To Cooper, the opportunity to experience classes at PNCA was worthwhile, and he hopes to get the chance to take another this upcoming spring semester. Some classes at PNCA are longer than the ones offered at Willamette and they allow for more discussion and critiques, where professors discuss completed projects. Cooper felt these discussions were beneficial, having more time to get a lot of feedback.
Going to PNCA classes allowed him to be immersed in new forms of art and with new individuals to learn from. Cooper shared that professors have different takes and opinions anywhere you go. The opportunity to take classes from two different departments expands the available knowledge, Cooper said. He added, “It is interesting to have a greater wealth of artists to [gain] feedback from.”
Both Cooper and Opie have expressed a desire for a shuttle to help with this transportation issue for future students, although there are difficulties in obtaining a shuttle, especially if few students take PNCA classes.
Despite the struggles of scheduling and transportation, this program has expanded Willamette's art department substantially. As Opie expressed, “It’s helping to make [our] program even more vibrant.”