Hi, I’m Jay (she/they) 👋
I’m a queer, disabled, interdisciplinary artist and scholar living in the Pacific Northwest. I teach Art History and Comic Studies at Portland Community College, and Comics Studies at Portland State University. When I’m not in the classroom, I’m presenting research at conferences, making comics, curating group exhibitions, tabling at comic conventions and/or craft fairs.
My teaching grows out of a belief that art isn’t something that only lives in museums or textbooks—it’s all around us—embedded in the buildings we pass every day, the places we travel to, and the movies, TV shows, and video games we consume. I’m especially interested in the space where fine art and popular culture overlap, and I design my courses to help students recognize visual culture in their own lives. This approach tends to resonate with both Art and Architecture majors and students from entirely different disciplines, because it starts from the familiar and moves outward.
In the classroom, I am what educator Zaretta Hammond calls a “warm demander.” I care deeply about my students learning, and I hold them to high academic standards. My assignments are structured but flexible, allowing students to lean into their strengths. I emphasize clear expectations, thoughtful work, and meeting deadlines. I’m especially invested in thoughtful, accessible online education in art history. I regularly participate in professional development with Quality Matters and the Online Learning Consortium. My own experiences as a queer, disabled student (I also attended PCC in the early 00s!) strongly shape how I think about access, care, and inclusion in the classroom, and I work to build courses that support a wide range of learners.
My goal is to create a learning environment that feels supportive, transparent, and intellectually challenging—one where students feel encouraged to engage deeply with art, visual culture, and the world around them.
Comments from Previous Students
“This course ended up being far more impactful than I expected. It was one of the most engaging and well-organized online classes I’ve taken, and the instructor’s approach made complex material feel accessible and meaningful. I found myself genuinely excited to keep up with the content each week. Taking this class played a major role in my decision to switch my major, which says a lot about how influential it was for me.”
—–ART 215 Student
“As a nursing student fulfilling a humanities requirement, I wasn’t sure what to expect from ART 101 and felt intimidated at first. The clarity of the course and the way the instructor explained concepts made it much more accessible than I anticipated. I really enjoyed how architectural history was connected to popular culture and video games like Assassin’s Creed, which helped me engage with the material in a new way. Overall, the class was surprisingly fun and rewarding.”
—–ART 101 Student
“I’d never made comics before and honestly didn’t think about the medium outside of superheroes, but this class totally changed that. I learned so much—like how comics were censored in the 1950s and how that still connects to stuff happening today, how artists are super intentional with their designs, and how comics are actually a really complex mix of writing, research, and art. I didn’t realize the medium gets so little credit for all the work that goes into it.
I also got to explore artists like Yayoi Kusama through comics and learned about things like the Dust Bowl in more depth than I had since high school. On top of that, I made my first comic in class—and the weekly assignments were honestly SO much fun. I’ve even used what I learned in other classes.
Jay was really kind, approachable, and clearly loves what they do, which made the class even better. I learned a ton and really appreciate all the energy and thought Jay put into making this course engaging and meaningful.”
—–ART 217 Student
Questions?
Feel free to contact me via email at jay.olinger@pcc.edu