The gallery is pleased to present a new exhibition of work by Portland artist Tom Cramer. His painted wood carvings and wood burnings are dynamic explorations of semi-abstract line and energetic color. Cramer’s frequent travels and wide-ranging interests guide his artistic process and the enigmatic designs of his work. Technology and the patterns of the natural world also seep into his creative process. The results are visually dense carved, painted and sometimes burned wood panels. Whether carved and painted wood reliefs or wood burnings, Cramer’s works captivate the eye with the mystery of their interwoven shapes and subtly shifting colors, sometimes hinting at recognizable images, and other times embracing rhythmic abstraction.

Well-known Portland artist Tom Cramer graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 1982 and then studied at the Pratt Institute in New York. He has shown his work since the mid-1970s and has been included repeatedly in the Portland Art Museum’s Oregon Biennial. His work is included in the collections of Boise Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, University of Portland and Whatcom County Museum of Art in Washington. His commissions include costume and set design for the Oregon Ballet Theater and Ballet Pacifica. His distinctive painted designs can be seen on murals and vehicles around Portland.

More examples by Tom Cramer

Celebrating PNCA at 100: An Exhibition of Alumni Artists



With our own history deeply rooted in Northwest artists, the Laura Russo Gallery is excited to present an exhibition of work by alumni from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, formerly the Museum Art School. We join in celebrating the 100th anniversary of PNCA, along with many other galleries in Portland. The work of nineteen alumni artists will be featured in this show, ranging from Louis Bunce, Manuel Izquierdo and William Givler, early seminal figure from the college, to those who are still living and represent many stages of the college’s history: Jay Backstrand, Marlene Bauer, Michael Brophy, Sean Cain, Tom Cramer, Chris Gander, Roll Hardy, Jackie Johnson, Mary Josephson, Connie Kiener, Lucinda Parker, Jack Portland, Jan Reaves, René Rickabaugh, Eric Stotik, Margot Voorhies Thompson and Sherrie Wolf.

This alumni show vividly illustrates the rich talent and diverse interests of artists who got their start at PNCA over the past 80+ years. From Bunce, who began as a student at the Museum Art School in 1925, and taught there from 1946-’72, to Hardy who graduated in 2002, and the talented group between them, these artists’ works encompass a broad range of styles and interests, from abstraction, to surrealism, to realism, to conceptually inspired work. The Laura Russo Gallery takes pride in the vision and lifetime commitment that is reflected in the work of these artists, and looks forward to what the next decades will bring.


Upcoming 2009 and 2010 Exhibitions

November 5 - 28, 2009
Mary Josephson – New Work
Kim Osgood –New Monotypes

December 3 - 24, 2009
David Schwarz– Recent Glass
Manuel Izquierdo, 1925 - 2009 – A Memorial Exhibition

January 7 - 30, 2010
Michael Dailey, 1938-2009 – A Memorial Exhibition
Michele Russo – Paintings from the Estate