From graduate student to professional artist
As Claire Frances Spaulding MFA/MA’25 prepares to walk across the stage at commencement, she sees in herself a new identity: a Portland artist.
“Transitioning out of my graduate studies to be a peer and fellow artist within the Portland arts scene is still sinking in,” Claire says.
Thanks to the opportunities she’s received at PNCA, Claire will enter the Portland art community with plenty of experience. During graduate school, she attended a studio residency in Vermont and participated in numerous Oregon and California group exhibitions. She’s also attended conferences nationwide, where she says she’s enjoyed sharing her “passion for flamingos and glitter.”
“The confidence I’ve gained through exhibition and conference opportunities is more than I previously thought possible,” Claire says. “If you’d told me three years ago that I’d be creating a 12-by-16 foot fabric sculpture installation as my thesis, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now I can’t wait to continue the work beyond my thesis.”
As a dual-degree student in PNCA’s Critical Studies and Visual Studies programs, Claire has been able to seamlessly blend scholarship and art. A self-described “Kitsch Bitch” with a passion for flamingo lawn ornaments, plastics, and ecology, her work combines environmental criticism and craft. Claire’s work was inspired by her faculty's research and her ability to work with two cohorts of students as part of her dual-degree program.
Rooted in community
She’s also come to appreciate the importance of having an artistic community, something which Claire sees rooted in the Willamette motto.
“As an artist, community engagement is crucial to the growth and development of ideas. ‘Not unto ourselves alone are we born’ speaks to this inherent truth: art doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” Claire says. “Community and care are crucial to the arts. How do we show up for others? What does our feedback and critique offer to another artist? When does personal pedagogy become a social practice?”
“‘Not unto ourselves alone are we born’ speaks to this inherent truth: art doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”
The start of a career in the arts
In December, Claire is looking forward to doing a solo exhibition with Well Well Projects, a creative hub for Pacific Northwest artists in Portland. She also plans to continue interviewing and researching multimedia artists about the materials of their studio practice.
“This feels like the start of an ongoing career in the arts and higher education,” Claire says.
Claire is also ready to share the perspectives she’s gained at PNCA with the wider Portland arts community. “Knowing the influence that other people’s insight has offered my work, I seek to share feedback and support to fellow artists within the Willamette community and beyond,” Claire says.
What were some of the highlights of your time at Willamette?
- Becoming part of multiple cohorts across Visual Studies and Critical Studies as a dual-degree student.
- Attending conferences in Oregon, New Mexico, and New York.
- The mentorship I’ve received as an artist and scholar.
- Participating in Graduate Student Government and then continuing in a similar role as Graduate Leadership Fellow.
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