Thanks to a generous donation from the Covert family, the Clark Library has dedicated a gallery space in honor of Dr. James T. Covert. Dr. Covert had a long and influential career on the Bluff starting as an undergraduate from 1955 to 1959, then a history professor from 1961 to 1997, and as the founder and first director of the University Museum. Documenting and preserving the University's history was one of Dr. Covert's passions. He authored A Point of Pride: The University of Portland Story and was further inspired to collect and preserve University-related artifacts including mascot heads, student nurse uniforms, and letterman sweaters.
Exhibits showcase the history of the University and the scholarship and creativity of University of Portland students, faculty, and staff. There are four to five exhibits per year and proposals are welcome (see Exhibits Information and Criteria).
November - March: Holding: New Work by UP Ceramic Faculty
This exhibit shows how the works of Kowkie Durst and Victoria Christen are connected by their shared curiosity to locate ways in which bodies or objects hold the vestiges of relationships with others, both past and present.
Kowkie's recent project, the rock bowls, is an exploration of how he holds emotions in his body. These objects, which are inspired by river rocks or the cells in the body, act as cradles or canyons for the memories we carry and store.
Victoria's work in ceramics, fiber work, and paintings hold memories of her grandparents, parents, family and friends as well as the inherited knowledge and lessons they have bestowed. Together, they form a braid of memories and learning, symbolized by concrete objects such as the braided rugs (and rug making skills) passed on from one generation to the next, and by the repurposing and weaving together of inherited materials, ideas, and traditions.
June - October: University Emblems
About the exhibit: The University’s dedication to Holy Cross values and our educational mission is woven into the very fabric and foundations of campus life at the University of Portland. The Cross and Anchor symbols ornamenting door frames and engraved in the cornerstones of residential and classroom buildings alike memorialize this dedication, while the sculptures that adorn our campus remind us to slow down and reflect. The symbols and art that make up this exhibit represent UP’s desire to bring our community together around shared values.
January - May: Liberated Archives: Memory Work Partnership with Don't Shoot PDX
October - December: The Double-Edged Sword of Transformation
Multimedia exhibit by Salvador Orara, UP Director of Innovation: Orara’s art combines creative technology, media design, and sound, using emerging technologies to transform subjects into abstraction and surrealism.
July - October: Happy Birthday, Clark Library!
About the exhibit: Sixty-five years ago, the first University of Portland library building was dedicated, after years in Christie Hall’s leaky basement. From the days of card catalogs and smoking lounges, to today’s sleek study rooms and shelving that moves with the push of a button, the Clark Library is always evolving to support and inspire academic research and study on our campus.
March - July: Portraits of Everywoman (Soleia Yemaya Quinn)
January - March: School Spirit Through Songs and Music
October - December: Experience of a Student: Artwork by Thayne Covert
August - October: Celebrating Waldschmidt Hall
About the exhibit: Built in 1891, this stalwart building started life on The Bluff as West Hall. As the University’s longest-serving building, Waldschmidt Hall has welcomed all University presidents from the first, Rev. E.P. Murphy who rang the opening bell on September 5, 1901, to the University’s 21st president, Dr. Robert Kelly.
April - August: Student Perspectives on Sustainability
March - April: Remembering Marc Covert
About the exhibit: The Clark Library celebrates Marc Covert, UP alumnus and beloved UP colleague for more than 25 years. Marc was a talented writer and cartoonist who dedicated his prodigious gifts to Portland magazine, telling stories and recounting campus history in ways that drew readers in and showed his love for the university. We lost Marc to cancer in 2021 but are proud to honor his memory with this exhibit in the gallery that bears his family’s name.
January - March: Running with scissors...while laughing all the way to the Banksy (Kinetic sculptures by Mark Pitzer)
August - October: El Otro Lado - The Other Side (Photographs by Blair Woodard)
About the Exhibit: The terminus of the U.S. border wall extends over three hundred meters into the Pacific Ocean in Tijuana. Although the presence of the wall is oppressive, the Playas of Tijuana has become a place of resistance, celebration, and fortitude. The citizens of Tijuana have turned the wall and the boardwalk into a living art exhibit. Visit the Garaventa Center archives to watch a recording of Blair Woodard's talk about these photographs.
October - December: UP Student Newspapers
January - March: Running Through Time: Track and Field at the University of Portland
March - December: Gallery exhibits on hiatus
January - March: UP Women’s Basketball: A Look Back
March - August: Clark Library Juried Photo Contest
August - October: Through Kaleidoscope Eyes (Brad Franco)
October - December: Down Around the Corner
January - February: The Early Years of UP Nursing
March - April: From Page to Production (Larry Larsen and Gregory Pulver)
May - August: Perspectives
September - October: Celebrating the Clark Library
October - December: Dr. James T. Covert
August - September: Remembering Howard Hall
October - December: Searching for Homunculus (Mark Pitzer)
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