This summer, Pacific Masters of Fine Arts in Writing program office will move to the corner of Northwest 12th Avenue and Hoyt Street in Portland’s Pearl District.
The MFA office currently sits on the corner of Main Street and University Avenue on the Forest Grove campus. Colleen Sump, assistant director of the program, said the move will help them get the word out about Pacific and take advantage of the “vibrant arts community in Portland.” Their new location is a visible one, with a street-level storefront window in a bustling area.
“We hope people will walk by our new office and stop in,” Sump said.
She also said they want to increase Pacific’s visibility in Portland, attract potential students and supporters and discover what they can offer to fill a need in the community. Possibilities include hosting readings, workshops and other literary gatherings.
“The sky is the limit,” said Sump. “We are really excited about the possibilities we have working with other arts organizations in the community.”
Currently, Pacific is a sponsor of the arts and lecture series put on by Portland’s Literary Arts and plans to expand their relationship with more arts groups and be a part of a variety of events. “This is a great example of collaboration,” Sump said.
The move to Portland won’t directly affect the program’s students because it’s a low-residency program—students meet twice a year for 10 days at their residencies, in Seaside during January and in Forest Grove during June and work independently with an adviser the rest of the semester. Students come from across the world to participate in the residencies and the program usually takes two years to complete.
Undergraduate students will still have the opportunity to be residency interns and there will still be work-study positions available at the office for those who can make it to Portland.
The 1,600-square-foot space will also house an office space for university President Lesley Hallick and a spacious conference room that will be open to the entire university community for use.
“We’re hoping the university will use this as their home base when they’re in Portland,” said Sump.
For more information about the program, visit www.pacificu.edu/mfa.
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