PICA Announces the departure of Victoria Frey, our beloved Executive Director of the last 20 years.

Victoria Frey | Photo by Gia Goodrich

PICA announces the departure of Victoria Frey, our beloved Executive Director of the last 20 years. As we look toward the next era of PICA, we are also searching for our next visionary Executive Director.

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) announces the departure of Victoria Frey, our beloved Executive Director of the last 20 years. Victoria, known commonly as Vic, has been with PICA since the organization’s inception. She came to PICA in 1995 as the Founding Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Trustees under the leadership of Founding Director Kristy Edmunds. During this time, she served on the Executive Committee and Co-Chaired the “Campaign for PICA” as Development Chair. Vic was appointed PICA’s Executive Director in 2004 and has seen this organization through numerous transitions and astounding growth. 

Under Vic’s leadership, PICA has presented thousands of artists from around the world; established a home and community hub at our flagship building in Northeast Portland; and developed deep and ongoing relationships with artists, audiences, foundations, partners, and neighbors. As Executive Director, Vic championed the current collaborative Artistic Director model for PICA’s Curators (Roya Amirsoleymani, Erin Boberg Doughton, and Kristan Kennedy) and has worked closely with this team to envision a future-forward ethos for the organization. Vic’s generosity of spirit and time is evident in all that she does, from engaging in meaningful civic advocacy to serving hotdogs at the TBA Festival. Victoria Frey has contributed immeasurable value to the contemporary art world, and it has been our honor and joy to work with her. 

Vic’s journey in the arts started well before PICA when she was the owner and director of Quartersaw Gallery, one of the first art galleries in Portland’s Pearl District and among the most influential in the Pacific Northwest. She has served on numerous boards and commissions that focus on the art landscape locally, regionally, and nationally including Travel Portland (Board of Directors), the Creative Advocacy Network (Vice Chair), NW Business Committee for Culture and the Arts (Board of Directors), the Oregon Arts Commission (Commissioner), Caldera Arts (Advisory Board), and the Mayor’s Creative Capacity Initiative, among others. Vic’s dedication and commitment to this field will continue long after she has moved on from this role. We extend our deepest gratitude to Vic, who has inspired us all. We are lucky to have worked alongside her and wish her the very best in the next chapter of her life and career. 

"I am immensely proud of this organization and thankful for my time here. I am grateful to all of you who have openly, enthusiastically, and generously been part of this amazing journey. My transition is the beginning of yet another phase of PICA. As an internationally respected organization with an enormous impact on artists, our community, and the field, and a stellar leadership team, PICA will lead us into an inspiring new future." — Victoria Frey

As we look toward the next era of PICA, we are also searching for our next visionary Executive Director. Over the coming months, PICA’s staff and board, stewarded by a Succession Planning Committee, will work hand-in-hand with Vic through this transition. This is a unique opportunity to lead a vital contemporary arts organization in a city that cares deeply about its cultural life.

We are looking for a curious, ambitious, and confident Executive Director to lead, develop, and execute a holistic strategy that provides a platform for artists to explore the current moment, engage with peers around the world, challenge convention, and tear down walls while building new connections. We are looking for an innovator and connector who will build, develop, and maintain an inspired and motivated team of staff, board members, and volunteers. This person will ​​develop and manage a values-led annual budget and strategic spending plan and continue to build meaningful relations with neighbors and community stakeholders, among other key duties. Please help to spread the word far and wide. Click on the links below to learn more.