New PSU Art School Opens on Park Blocks
The 100,000-square-foot facility consolidates university art programs into one central hub.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Financial Aid
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Portland State University students and faculty have moved into the new Jordan Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design, a 100,000-square-foot facility that consolidates art programs previously spread across five campus buildings.
Why it matters
The project addresses a long-standing logistical challenge for the university by centralizing creative disciplines into one hub, designed through a collaborative process that prioritized student spatial needs.
The new 100,000-square-foot facility replaces five previous campus locations at a total cost of $90.3 million. More than 50% of the mass timber used in construction was sourced from forests managed by indigenous tribes.
The players
Portland State University
The public research university that commissioned the new facility to consolidate its art programs.
Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
A philanthropic organization that contributed $10 million toward the construction of the school.
The details
The facility on the Park Blocks brings most university art programs together under one roof, though the sculpture program will remain in Shattuck Hall. Designers incorporated student input by working with a cohort of 15 BIPOC students to refine spatial requirements through Critical Race Spatial Analysis. Funding for the $90.3 million project included a $10 million donation from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and state bonds.
Timeline
2014: Planning and conceptualization for the new building began.
Fall 2022: A student cohort began collaborating on building design requirements.
October 21, 2026: The facility officially opens.
Beyond the Bridges
This project follows the regional trend of utilizing mass timber in major institutional construction projects. The school mirrors the shift toward wood-based sustainability seen in other recent developments across the Pacific Northwest.
Students formerly split between five buildings will now experience a unified campus layout within the Park Blocks. The shift effectively consolidates the vast majority of art and design coursework into a single central location.
The takeaway
The school creates a centralized hub for university art, moving away from scattered facilities. Students and faculty can watch for upcoming student-led art displays as the building begins to populate its new gallery spaces.
Further reading
Learn more about campus resources and related initiatives in the Financial Aid section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Vanguard.
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