Students wandering through the EMU pass the art exhibitions every day, but some may never stop to think about where it came from.
Many of the paintings, sculptures and photographs are the winning pieces from the Pacific Northwest Art Annual, a yearly art exhibition sponsored by the Cultural Forum.
Pacific Northwest Art Annual coordinator Stephanie Sokolowski said the PNAA was established in 1960 to highlight the work of Northwest area artists and acquire new pieces for the EMU art collection. The exhibition will be open from Saturday, April 24 through May 26 in the Adell McMillan Gallery on the second floor of the EMU. Admission to the gallery is free.
“The EMU permanent collection has a strong Pacific Northwest representation. All of the artists live in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Alaska, Idaho, or Montana,” Sokolowski said. “The works must have been completed in the past five years.”
The PNAA is designed to exhibit both established and emerging regional artists. Most of the artists have a strong history of exhibition or are students working toward a bachelor of fine arts or a master of fine arts, Sokolowski said.
“Artwork will be judged based on the medium, the originality, the composition, and the personal impact and concept analysis of the piece,” Sokolowski said.
More than 15 local artists submitted artwork made using a range of media. A jury of art experts from local museums and galleries has already selected a Best in Show and two Honorable Mentions. The University will purchase the Best in Show piece, and it will become the newest work in the EMU permanent collection.
On Friday, April 24, at 6 p.m. the Cultural Forum will host a free opening reception in the Adell McMillan Gallery, where the winning piece will be announced.
“There’s a good array of work this year,” Sokolowski said. “There are a lot of sculpture and 2-D work. There’s some pottery, some mixed media work, acrylic painting, photography and wood pieces.”
Since the Pacific Northwest Art Annual was established, the University has purchased more than 40 pieces from Northwest artists. These works are displayed throughout the EMU.

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