Art students at SMCC are speaking out about the absence of community engagement in the visual arts program, citing a lack of overall interest from their fellow students and even faculty. Many feel that life on campus would be much richer were there an active and engaging art scene to immerse themselves in. The facilities dedicated to art-making are isolated on the far edge of campus, physically separating the already small program from the main hub of the school. Similarly, the limitations of the community college system may not be conducive to long-term community building. With students and faculty struggling to create the artistic culture they lack, we are left with one question; is it the students or the institution? 

“it comes down to flooding, funding, and the threat of climate change and rising sea levels making it tough to plan.”

SMCC has no art gallery, unlike many private Colleges and Universities. The Communications and New Media department chair, Kate Sibole, reminisced about a conversation she had with a colleague about his dreams for an art gallery on campus. The little brick building that the imagined gallery would inhabit sits down by the water in the same forgotten corner as the rest of the art-making facilities. Though this conversation took place 25 years ago, the building has remained little more than a neglected storage unit. Professor Sibole shed light on the project’s inability to move forward citing the unfortunate reality that “it comes down to flooding, funding, and the threat of climate change and rising sea levels making it tough to plan.” 

An art gallery at a school serves as a community space for students to come together outside of the classroom, from collaborating on art installations to holding events and parties. The gallery, as an entity, is a space for creativity and community building. Thus, the lack of such a creative hub on campus has left students with little ground to stand on. As of October 2nd, 2024 there are a total of 111 students enrolled in a visual arts major for the fall 2024 semester. Looking ahead to Spring 2025, there are 128 enrolled and set to attend. Art students make up roughly 2.5% of the total student population – a small number when compared to the nearly 6,000 enrolled at the school. That being said, more than 100 students should be plenty for a vibrant and productive community. With more than 75 Studio art courses offered that makes for approximately 3 classes for every 5 art majors.

While there is an art club at SMCC, represented by a facebook page, its existence remains in a state of flux, with no one quite sure of its presence. According to anecdotal sources it has disbanded but the evidence remains inconclusive. The recently appointed faculty advisor for the club, Kelsey Grass, spoke of her efforts to reinvigorate the club and set things in motion trying her best to post flyers and send out information via email. “There is a very active art scene/community on campus and it is just a matter of honing into it and bringing those students together”says Professor Grass.  “the next step is to find some students interested in leadership positions” who can represent the art department and bolster support from their peers. College clubs can not be led by professors, so without interest and engagement from fellow students, they cease to exist. Ian, a current student, feels that the lack of engagement might stem from the way people view their time at SMCC. With many students opting for the two year associates program he wonders if the school just serves as a “means to an end for a lot of people”, especially those moving on to a four-year University. If the school is seen merely as a stepping stone, this would understandably lead to a lack of focus on fostering community. The school has a high volume of students who commute to and from campus daily, leading to a smaller and possibly less cohesive student body. Those who commute to school are less likely to spend their free time on campus due to the commitment of transportation and other responsibilities, such as work, family, and hobbies. Time that would be spent on school-related recreation is spent elsewhere. There is “an active art scene” said Emilee, a former SMCC student, but it “lacks centralization or community focus within the art department.” She describes seeing “efforts made by other students as well as professors to reinvigorate the art club or start community art projects [and] collaboratives that lose momentum quickly.” Emilee reflects that “life circumstances” or “the structure of community college” might play a role. Her words echo Ian’s sentiment as she wonders if people subconsciously feel that SMCC itself  is “too liminal [a space and time] in our lives to truly invest” the energy and resources required to create a vibrant art community. This leaves students deliberating on how they might work together with the institution to create a vibrant culture around artistic practice even amid the practical limitations of a community college.

Though some effort is being put in, it is not yet widespread. This begs the question of how a self-sustaining ecosystem of artistic culture is created in the first place? What is required and what is SMCC actively missing? Students and faculty past and present continue to demonstrate the desire for a more active culture surrounding creativity, but a flame has yet to manifest.

Building a community of any kind is nearly impossible without some centralized driving momentum and until there is such a push there will continue to be a cultural lack. If a group of students were to reinvigorate the art club bringing fresh ideas and energy it might serve as that central and necessary driving force. In our conversation, Emilee described having seen students look “to the broader Portland Art Scene to engage and participate” plugging into something previously established rather than attempting to build from the ground up. Ideally, new students would be met with an established and thriving artistic community on their campus inspiring them to focus their energy and keep it going. Support from peers and faculty is necessary for this kind of change to occur. A revolution is not possible with only one person and requires others to join, inspiring the next and the next. In the wise words of Derek Sivers “the first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.”