The Memorial Union paints a fresh look for winter term with a mid-century modern vibe.
On Jan. 19, the new Philip R. McClain Collection began exhibiting in the MU Concourse Gallery on the second floor following a renovation of the exhibit cases over winter break.
The collection includes a mix of paintings and ceramic pieces by both named and unknown artists curated and owned by McClain.
McClain graduated from Oregon State University with a journalism degree in 1980 and spent his entire career with student media and The Daily Barometer. He retired from his position as student publications production manager in 2014.
“I’m kind of hoping that with it being shown now, someone will be like ‘I know who did that,’” said MU Gallery and Collection Curator Ange Purviance about the unknown paintings.
“The works span decades, and though predominantly by regional artists, Phil also purchased artwork on his travels,” read the exhibit’s accompanying statement.
Upon McClain’s death in 2024, he donated around 40 pieces from his collection to OSU. Ange Purviance, the MU gallery and collection curator, worked with McClain’s sister, Diane Hatai, to acquire between 30 and 35 additional pieces.
“He had this condo up in Portland where he lived when he retired, and it was like floor-to-ceiling artwork in there because he just had it on the wall,” Purviance said.
MU Creative Studio advisor Travis Gilmour remembers working with McClain when he was a student editor for PRISM and a DJ for KBVR-FM in the early 2000s.
McClain enjoyed working with computers and helping students with the layout for prints.
“Those of us who had learned layout from high school yearbook or newspapers didn’t have his skill and experience, so he bailed folks out nearly daily,” Gilmour said in an email. “He’d fix your issues and ship it off to the press. But in a cool way that didn’t make you feel like a poser.”
Gilmour knew about McClain’s love of music and art, but had not seen the collection until it was donated to OSU.
“He was fond of modern style and contemporary forms, and prided himself on knowing about stuff before it was popular,” Gilmour said. “It makes sense if you think about his early adopting and mastery of tech.”
Over the last term, Purviance and their student employees have worked to restore the collection in preparation for display. This included cleaning paintings and matting and framing them for preservation.
“I love working on something for it to inevitably be shown in this avenue because then it’s like, this is something that we are so passionate about, and now you get to see what it looks like,” said Esme Gonzalez, a third-year art history major with an art minor.
Along with the new art, the cases in the gallery also received a renovation. This involved ripping out old carpeting that had become stained and installing new LED lights.
The McClain collection will be swapped out around spring break when the annual student art exhibit begins. Purviance will be inviting students to submit their own work in the coming weeks. All ability levels and art mediums are welcome.
Until then, the gallery will strive to be a colorful backdrop for students busy studying at Java Stop, the MU’s coffee shop, as well as a reminder of McClain for those who knew him.
“I am self-aware enough to know I’m not as cool as Phil, but I’m glad to have known him and be part of carrying on the type of work he did,” Gilmour said.