Very disappointing experience. Only a few instructors knew what they were teaching and even then…read morewere NOT great educators. Management was god awful. Attended for two years with mostly Ds and a 2.3 GPA before I had enough and switched to UofO despite my advisor insisting it would be more difficult. Got a 3.6 GPA my first term at UofO, and funnily enough, it was cheaper to attend despite my grants and scholarships for PNCA. Other places are better. PNCA is a good idea if you want to pretend you were held back and want to attend a disjointed summer school. Thats the vibes of this establishment. God awful. I'm sure it was once great before it was bought out by willamette but now? save yourself the money and poor GPA and just go somewhere else.

this school gave me no education. one of my required classes was a foraging class where we foraged…read morenatural plants to make into paint. i paid thousands of dollars for it and we only ever met in person every two weeks to basically bullshit about nothing. i learned nothing. another required class we had was to make costumes out of cardboard. thousands of dollars. on cardboard costumes. it felt like i was in pre-k most of the time. none of my actual drawing classes taught me anything, and when covid hit they let us take a 'Pass' in our classes if we didnt want to attend the online course. which means i basically paid to pass a class but not actually earn the grade. we also had to pay for facility fees, etc. even though we were online! theres a reason why the dropout rate is so high. there was an incident where a gun was fired from outside into the dorm windows, and students get assaulted often near the school. the school is in a horrible, horrible part of town. none of the professors stay for long. the acceptance rate is ridiculously high because of how high the dropout rate is, so most of the students (esp illustration) are....not high standard. financial aid doesnt give a fuck about helping you, and the department head never cared about helping me with my schedule or anything else. students and professors say slurs and nobody cares. the school advertises that theyll help you get jobs after you graduate but the job website was never updated and only had about 6 outdated postings. this school is my hellhole and im in so much debt and learned. absolutely. nothing. if you actually care about an art degree go somewhere else.

What a lovely way to learn how to create art, and to learn something about yourself at the same…read moretime. So much of what Phil teaches spills into other areas of life too--areas where perfectionism and self-criticism reside. He helps us be more gentle with ourselves as we approach creativity. The energy in the room is not competitive, it is supportive and helpful. People return, year after year, to retake the "beginner" classes, in part to stay in touch with the beginner mindset and sense of wonder. The Drawing Studio is wonderful!

If you're looking for an art class where the instructor shows you how to hold your brush to paint…read moreclouds, this is not the class for you. Phil Sylvester does something much more valuable: he helps you to ignore critical thinking when you paint (or draw--he has drawing classes, too). Keeping your left brain from sabotaging your artwork can be a formidable task for some people, myself included. Phil basically helps you become that 5 year old kid with crayons again, where you have no expectations of what your art is supposed to be. His exercises encourage you just to paint, while he cites mantras from himself and other artists amid occasional music. This process leads you down a path where you find yourself and lose yourself at the same time. I can honestly say, in the short time I have been painting, that Phil has made me a better artist. Any class which does that is a good thing. So I suggest taking classes that teach techniques and color theory as well as taking the types of classes offered at the Drawing Studio. Every time you expand your horizons as an artist your soul will benefit.

Joanne inspires you , guides you, and teaches you all the very cool little things you need to know…read morebut she supports you in your endeavor to express with paint who you are! Thanks Joanne

I took this class for the experience in traditional painting, but what really stood out about it…read moreagainst other art classes is the cool and friendly atmosphere. Joanne is a hilarious lady with good taste in music, and the studio felt like home with its large airy windows and charming array of strange knick knacks... not to mention the gorgeous paintings of everything from traditional nudes to lesbian tango cherries. This class is for an explorative soul who likes learning new things and working in a peaceful atmosphere among friends.

Riso, Risograph printers are a popular medium for artists…read more https://www.riso.co.jp/english/index.html. I could not find reviews of them there on Yelp. This is here. It is a printing machine disguised as an old school photocopier or big size printer you may find in a business or the library. The difference is that it prints from a cartridge filled with a specific color liquid ink. You can print multi-color overlays, but the registration may not exactly match, which is why artists value the lo-fi. The Riso printers, cartridges, and ink are made in Japan. There are several spots in town with these printers. Not to take away from those, RISO Studio Arts PDX is the US distributor. So if you have a Riso, you will know them business to business. If Riso is of interest, explore all the Portland Riso spots! That said, people interested in seeing Riso art shows, or this studio's printed matter, or if you would like to explore classes and projects, visit and chat. Their art openings draw a crowd. The new witchy magic is the Riso instant silk screen making machine. You can access it through new workshops at RISO Studio Arts PDX. If you have ever messed with photo processes to burn a screen, you will be amazed! RISO Studio Arts PDX has a web presence, socials, limited hours, classes, art shows and an all about professional network with solid engagement by staff. Did I say US distributor? Yes.

Amazing art (although prices seem random). Lovely staff. Bought one piece at a reasonable price,…read morethen everything else went up 10x. Absolutely love the piece I bought.

I have attended Maitripa's Thursday night teachings with Yangsi Rinpoche, participated in their…read moreDiscovering Buddhism Series, attended Sunday morning meditation, and just attended their conflict resolution workshop that is one of the best workshops I've taken part in during my 13-year stay in Portland. The Maitripa community members are wonderful, inviting, and helpful people. The content of the public programs have proven very useful in social work within underserved communities. In other Buddhist communities, I have felt pushed and judged. I have felt nothing but comfort and acceptance at Maitripa. It is refuge in every sense of the word. I look forward to more involvement and participation at the College, and I encourage others who are curious to open their hearts and minds to all of the jewels Maitripa has to offer.

This young college has developed into a phenomenal resource and learning community for students…read moreseeking to start or further their education in compassion, service and meditation through the lens of a time tested Buddhist lineage. This college also draws talented individuals for events year after year, including HH The Dalai Lama just this past spring. Though it has a few kinks to smooth out as it grows, this college deserves a more accurate review: FACT CHECK: 1. Maitripa college is not so simply "un-accredited" as in another review. It is authorized through the state of Oregon to give Master's Degrees, and its involved in the multi-year process of moving toward full "regional" accreditation, (there is no such thing as "National") which will then allow students to apply for federal grants, federal student loans etc. They do offer very significant scholarships to assist students in the meantime. There is much value in this degree, and the multiple references to the college being "un-accredited" are somewhat misleading. If you are considering going to Maitripa for a Masters, then onward for another degree (Ph.d) or certification, as them if the Maitripa credits will transfer. Its highly likely they will. As stated on their website: "Maitripa Institute received legal authority in July 2008 from the State of Oregon to offer graduate degrees in Buddhist Studies. This approval means that Maitripa is now a College, and that its program courses are available for college credit. Maitripa is currently offering a Master of Arts degree in Buddhist Studies and a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) degree. This achievement is the first step towards regional accreditation." 2. The other warning that "these folks are missionaries" is not accurate from my experiences as a student over the last 3+ years, and surely this must have been based on a small sample audience that reviewer interacted with. Some people react differently to religious and spiritual teachers and teachings, and can often make things weird, with attempts to proselytize despite the fact that this tradition specifically instructs students against such behavior. Neither I, nor my friends have experienced a missionary vibe overall when taking classes or attending events at Maitripa. I have indeed experienced that type of environment of conversion before, but not so far at Maitripa. 3. Maitripa is a school based on Mahayana Buddhism: Mahayana philosophy, mediation, service, logic, and debate are the primary focus of the courses. They are not offering degrees in comparative religion, though some dialogue is always welcome in that area. Though "comparative thought" is certainly valued, is not the core focus of most classes, and those classes are not advertised as such, to my knowledge. However, the events have included teachers and professionals from diverse backgrounds, coming to share their expertise and opinions, and engage in constructive dialogue. These guests and teachers have included: neuroscientists, environmentalists, writers, psychologists and more... Maitripa's core is Mahayana Buddhism, but it is certainly open and engaged with the wider religious, scientific and academic communities. As for the online program, I believe it has been partially put on hold (I just checked the website), though I would confirm that directly with the college.

Wow! Love this place! Took a ten week class with Lela and loved it. As an artist who has done…read morepottery on and off for over thirty years it was great to come back to it here with great instructors who taught me some different techniques for wedging clay and throwing than I've learned in the past. Definitely coming back for a membership!

I love this creative space. Everyone is made to feel welcomed. They have the most amazing…read morehandmade items for sale, offer classes that don't make you feel intimidated to not know what you are doing and the owner is a great human! They believe in community and offer options to buy scholarships to support students who might not be able to pay for classes. It's just a great all around place!

Fun family activity for a couple hours. Twelve mostly large scale or interactive exhibits that you…read morecan puruse at your leisure. Our family highlights included any dancing videos (of yourself). Unsurprisingly, the kids loved the ball pit and 'trampoline' room, we loved the music and ball light installation as well. As they will remind you of you but tickets ahead of time, remember to bring socks as they are required for a few rooms. Not quite the TeamLab experience, more refined than Meow Wolf, but still a lot of fun.

Super interesting place! While we did have fun, I was a bit underwhelmed. Honestly, I was thinking…read moreit was more a "Meow Wolf" type of place... so I guess I should've just entered the space without any expectations. The bar in the beginning was a nice touch. You can walk around with your drinks and explore the different rooms they had. You can even take a break and grab food- once you get in your time there is unlimited! One of the best rooms was the Secret Garden. This is where you stand under a cloud like dome and hear secrets from people who have recorded them from a month or two ago. They have a recording booth within the room and you sit there and confess things. Then it plays it back after a couple of months to make sure you remain anonymous. The secrets we heard were gnarly... Won't repeat any, just go there and see! That was probably the best room we went into. The other rooms were super cool, which included a ball pit, infinity room/light looking room as well as a semi-bouncy room. Really interactive and creative space. Entrance fee is not bad for the type of space it's in [Around $22ish?]. Just don't be a jerk and be respectful of peoples' spaces. Not that anyone was disrespectful to us, just saying!

I have an interesting history with Reed. I initially applied to Reed as an undergraduate in 1992,…read moreand got waitlisted for admission. It was in my top ten college choices because it "fit the bill" of schools I applied to. I went with Hampshire College instead, mainly because I wanted to stay close to home on the east coast and go to college in New England. Reed was a more selective school like Amherst or Oberlin was to get into, but had a campus culture that was more like Bard, Sarah Lawrence or Hampshire's granted it just happened to be on the West Coast. In 1994, after my first year at Hampshire, I took a road trip west with some Hampshire friends to spend time in Portland for the Summer. I TOTALLY fell in love with Portland, and Oregon, and found it a relaxing and cultured place to base myself (I'm from NYC), and Portland had a pretty interesting theater & film scene, so I wanted to come back and explore it more and decided I'd take my academic leave after my second year at Hampshire and base myself in Portland for at least a year. In the Summer of 1995, after I'd finished up my second year at Hampshire, I moved out to Portland from the east coast after filing to go on academic leave for the 1995/1996 academic year from Hampshire. It was a good change of pace for me, because I'd gotten a little overworked and burnt out during my second year at Hampshire. I did a lot of work in the theater community in Portland, and did sone film projects and took classes at the Northwest Film Center in downtown Portland as well. I enjoyed living in Portland so much, I had a lot of mixed feelings about even returning back East, so I decided to re-apply to Reed as a transfer student and finish up my Bachelor's out west instead. Although I was finally accepted to Reed as a transfer student, it came with a couple of steep caveats: I'd have to have taken my second year all over again to fulfill certain Reed distribution requirements because they felt my first two years from Hampshire didn't transfer well (this is when I started to get annoyed) although I had classes with A's and B's from Amherst, SmIth & UMass/Amherst. Not to mention two years worth of glowing exceptional evaluations from my Hampshire coursework, as well as strong recommendations from Hampshire faculty. This is when I started to realize that Reed is a bit pretentious and full of itself as an academic institution, BUT, I wanted to continue to live and work in Portland, and loved my apartment in SE Portland (within commuting distance of Reed's campus; so I could've lived off-campus) and didn't want to give that up; since I'd felt my biggest complaint about Hampshire was the insularity of being forced to live on-campus for all four years (this is in fact, STILL a Hampshire requirement, exceptions are ONLY granted on a case-by-case basis if you meet certain conditions). Then, in the Winter of 1996, the financial aid award letters arrived from both Reed & Hampshire: Reed gave me the BARE minimum (worse than my financial aid package at Hampshire had been my first two years) and ALSO requiring I maintain at least one year of on-campus residency (thus losing my apartment) AND of course, take an extra year longer to get my degree. Hampshire, in contrast, upped my financial aid to nearly full tuition for my final two years, offered to help pay for a semester abroad for Field Study (I'd also just applied to a Theater Program in London for the Fall 1996 semester) & gave me a scholarship to help me pay for books and any associated expenses. Um, what would you all have done? Bye, Reed & Portland. Oh well. The saddest thing for me was that I had to give up my really cute Portland apartment. However, I was on Field Study in London (practically paying nothing to attend the British American Drama Academy) in the Fall of 1996 coming back from Oregon, and then back in Massachusetts at Hampshire by January of 1997 (and practically paying nothing to finish attending Hampshire). So, in the end, it was the right decIsion for me to make, AND I got my BA in time in four years time from Hampshire instead. Sometimes though I do engage in a bit of: "What If I'd gone to Reed.....?"

This place is very convenient to Gigantic Brewing and Hip Chicks Do Wine it is a great place to…read morewalk your dog around if you are in the area. IF you are interested: Park in the north parking lot on Steele and then cross the pedestrian bridge and you will find an awesome open space to walk your dog. It's pretty low key, you may cross a person with their dog off leash but most dogs keep to themselves and there aren't many people who know about this area. Check it out if you can!

Great vatiety of crystals, tapestries, art, plants, and more all carefully displayed treasures all…read moreover this shop. I found the amount of Chizen Itza items particularly cool and alluring. Theres just So much to see here, its like a colourful wonderland. For anyone into psychedelic trippy items, there couldn't be a better place. The owners are very friendly and helped explain and reccommend a few items as gifts. They had a really cute store dog too, with a little bed in the window. The art is mostly from local vendors too, so great to know I'm also supporting hard working local community.

Wow!!! Really cool vibe. Vinnie & the crew (and of course the pup) are so warm and welcoming. As…read moresoon as I walked in I felt like I was in their home, chillin in the most eclectic living room ever. The art there is very well selected, insanely intricate, ethereal as foook. Vinnie is an amazing artist himself and even gave us some free coloring pages he designed! I saw one of the most beautiful wire wrapped stone I've ever seen there. There's pretty much something for everyone there. Would be easy place to find meaningful gifts, even last minute. I highly recommend stopping by and checking it out!