PCC and Blue Sky present two-day photography symposium
Photos and story by James Hill
The symposium starts at the transit friendly Southeast Campus on day one before transitioning to Cascade on day two.
Portland Community College, in partnership with Blue Sky Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, will host a two-day photography symposium titled, “Agency and the Image,” on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11. The event will take place at the college’s Southeast Campus (2305 SE 82nd and Division) on day one from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth St.) on day two from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrating Blue Sky’s 50 years of advancing contemporary photography, the symposium brings together artists, scholars, and community members to explore photography’s histories, practices and futures. Participants can attend workshops on portfolio development, artist statements, digital tools and tintype making, alongside panel discussions on photography’s role in community, identity and experimental practices.
“Photography is a powerful tool for storytelling and understanding our world,” said co-organizer and art faculty David Torres. “This event creates a space to experiment, challenge conventions, and explore how images shape identity and community. I’m thrilled to join this symposium and share ideas with fellow artists, educators, and students who are pushing the boundaries of the medium.”
Art instructor Kim Manchester is also co-organizing the event with Torres.
The program features a keynote by Blue Sky co-founder Chris Rauschenberg and Executive Director Kristin Solomon, as well as an interactive Camera Obscura installation. Speakers include PCC photography educators Kim Manchester, who emphasizes collaborative, experiential learning; Torres, a new media artist exploring storytelling and visual culture through multimedia practices; and more artists within the photographic practice of seeing and making.
Registration is $25 per person with free Blue Sky student membership for student registrants. Financial assistance is available at bluesky@blueskygallery.org. The first event in the program each day is free and open to the public.
For more information and registration: https://www.blueskygallery.org/programs-events/2025/10/10/pcc-symposium
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »