Since 1996 Blackfish Gallery has presented an exhibit of work by recent graduates from all the colleges and universities across Oregon offering BAs, BFAs and MFAs in the visual arts. We invite the thirteen schools (down from fifteen when Marylhurst University and Oregon College of Art and Craft closed several years ago) to nominate two of their strongest students, and every July we dedicate all of our gallery spaces to the exhibit. The number of students we have shown over the past twenty-seven years now exceeds 800.

The graduates exhibit a selection of work from their senior projects or theses, or master’s theses.

The work encompasses the wide range of traditional and new media in contemporary art: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, installation, digital processes, graphic novels, etc.

Participating schools: Eastern Oregon University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield University, Oregon State University, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Pacific University, Portland State University, Reed College, Southern Oregon University, University of Oregon, Western Oregon University, Willamette University.

This exhibit not only provides many young artists with their first experience of showing their work outside of school, it also promotes the schools. Many visitors to the show express surprise at how many schools in Oregon offer degrees in art. It is regularly our most visited exhibit of the year.