In 1998, PNCA relocated from its former location at the Portland Art Museum to a new location at 1241 NW Johnson Street. It quickly became obvious that the school would need its own library, separate from the shared Rex Arragon Library at the Portland Art Museum, so Robert Craddick, PNCA library director, and the Board of Governors took on the task of creating a library out of whole cloth. The senior painting studios in PNCA’s Goodman building were relocated to a new building, and in the fall of 2001, the Charles Voorhies Fine Art Library was born.
In 2008, the College initiated the process to acquire the 1916-era former federal building at 511 NW Broadway on Portland’s North Park blocks as a gift from the U.S. Department of Education. PNCA’s new Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design is a historic Federal Building reimagined by award-winning architect Brad Cloepfil.
Classes began in the new campus building on February 2, 2015 signaling a new era for arts education in the Pacific Northwest and serving as a dynamic platform for the arts on Portland’s North Park Blocks. The Albert Solheim Library is a spacious and light-filled sanctuary on the west side of the building.
In July 2021, PNCA merged with Willamette University and the Albert Solheim Library joined the Willamette University Libraries System with the Salem campus libraries, the Mark O. Hatfield Library and the J.W. Long Law Library. As part of the WU Libraries System, PNCA is now a member of the ORBIS Cascade Alliance.
PNCA Library's core collection consists of materials essential to the curriculum and new materials selected by library staff to mirror the PNCA curriculum. The library provides coverage of a range of subjects and viewpoints, with the majority of materials concerning the history and current practice of art and design.
PNCA's library houses over 43,000 books and other items. This collection includes PNCA student thesis works (1958-present), board games, over 3,600 DVDs and VHS about art, culture, psychology, history, and other subjects, including some hard-to-find works, and an excellent selection of art and liberal arts-related periodicals. The collection is organized according to the Library of Congress Classification system.
We are not able to accept donations of books or magazines for the foreseeable future. Alternatives in Portland to donate books (and often magazines):
The library houses an unprocessed collection of archival materials including course catalogs, historical photographs, and oral histories. Please email pnca-library@willamette.edu for questions related to the archives.
The library also has a small collection of special items, including signed artist books. If you find an item in the library catalog with the prefix SPEC in the call number, it resides in Special Collections. You may email pnca-library@willamette.edu for a request for retrieval.
The library has a number of computers which are available throughout the library during regular business hours. Library computer use is restricted to the PNCA community.
Two flatbed scanners, color photocopier, and typewriters are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Group study rooms and the Library Lounge are first-come, first-served and are not reservable.
There is a ramp at the entrance of PNCA on the southwest corner of the building. The library is on the first floor and can be entered with the automated door. If you would like to use the elevator to reach the library mezzanine floor, please see circulation staff at the desk near the entrance.
Willamette University