Clark University MFA Program: 2nd Residency

My completed work from the first semester, hanging in Traina Center for the Arts, at Clark University.

Last month, I attended my second residency for the Clark University MFA program. For this residency, I brought five portraits I completed during the semester, as well as, a group of found objects/ handmade materials and some short vignettes to run alongside each portrait. This collection of work is an expansion of my Immortal Photograph series, which I brought to the previous residency. For my first semester, my current body of work focused on Art Nouveau, Japonisme, and the late 19th century. I also explored women in contemporary art and representations of shadow or the "shadow-self." My research and studio work was conducted under the supervision of my advisor, Professor Deborah Davidson, and my mentor, Ria Brodell. I am very thankful to both of them for guiding me through the first semester.

Now, for my second semester, I have been placed with Professor Alex Jackson as an advisor (I am still finding my mentor). I'm really excited to be working with Professor Jackson, as he lives close to Philadelphia, and he also has an interest in vampires and monsters like me! We had some great conversations during the second residency, where he encouraged me to focus on my 2D work for now, while also experimenting more with different materials/mediums. He also emphasized focusing on narrative, time, and perspective in my work during this semester.

Before arriving to my second residency, I had a very thorough and specific plan for what I was going to be creating during my time at Clark, but I have since changed my mind about this. I do not believe this plan allows room for more experimentation and growth, and I would like to use this program to take my art to places it has never been before. I think the art I completed during my first semester was a good start, as I did push myself in many ways and create a lot, but I would like to push further when it comes to research and working with materials/ mediums I'm less familiar with. Many of my professors and peers have encouraged me to take advantage of this time, and explore different types of research and new materials in art. I plan on using this semester to take art classes, work in different studio spaces, and research using archives, museums, and physical materials.

Photos from my second residency at Clark University.

I had so much fun though out this residency with the new friends I made, and people from the previous semester I was able to get closer too. We enjoyed exploring the Clark campus and Worcester area, as well as, Boston and more specifically Boston ICA, which we visited for a field trip. I am so lucky to be able to collaborate and learn from other artists, students, professors, curators, and more. Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far, especially this past residency, as I did face some more challenges compared to the first one. I can't wait to see what this next semester and third residency brings to all of us!

Character Design Workshop

Finally, one of the highlights of my time at the residency was teaching a character design workshop. I began with a short presentation where I taught my classmates about what character design is, examples in popular media, and examples in fine art. I wanted attendees to see how character design is a present and important part of fine arts and always has been. Then, I had attendees design their own characters by drawing them and writing about their backstories, personalities, and other details. Finally, everyone shared their characters with the rest of the class. It was wonderful seeing what everyone came up with, especially since most of the attendees did not come from a background in character design and illustration. We had a lot of fun, and I hope I was able to show the class how they can implement character design within their own practice.

Overall, I am excited to start my second semester at Clark University!