Past Events
Underground Press
How Portland's independent publications of the 70s and 80s gave voice to the counterculture.
October 24, 2024 @ PNCA
Underground Press was an event hosted by Portland Design History and Pacific Northwest College of Art as a part of AIGA Portland’s Design Month. The event featured a vibrant talk by Melissa Delzio about the design, people, technologies and cultural forces that powered these independent publications. Before and after the talk, a Publication Fair exhibited the works for hands-on browsing while music from Portland’s 70s & 80s scene was spun by DJ Slouch.
Portland Designers in the Mad Men Era
Suits. Cocktails. Talent. A look back to creative giants from the 196os.
October 7, 2014 @ PNCA
The 1960s design scene in Portland had some things that may seem familiar to designers today: passionate creatives, a small community, and a collaborative work ethic. Out of this creative pool emerged Byron Ferris, Bennet Norrbo, and Charles Politz, three men whose careers overlapped, who influenced each other and yet left their mark in distinctly different ways. They worked to develop some of Portland’s biggest brands like Jantzen and Pendleton — defining the city’s stake in outdoor and athletic wear. They were also zinesters, cartoonists, experimental filmmakers, and fine artists exercising creative curiosity beyond the corporate world.
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This event featured talks by Marilyn Murdoch, Joan Campf, Jim McDonald, Melissa Delzio and Joe Erceg.
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The event had a display of old sketchbooks, pamphlets, illustrations, comics, process documents and finished design pieces from Byron, Bennet and Charles.
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