2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition Catalog

UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts

April 5 – May 18, 2014

Aaron Badham

UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts

Alain Blunt Bliss Clemmer Evan DeMarzo Kaitlyn L. Evans Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary Monica M. Guerra Jessica Heikes Jo Anna L. Hickman Sam Kelly Kat Knutsen Mikelle Lindsey Canguo Liu Yasaman Louhghalam Leslie Macklin

April 5 – May 18, 2014

University Art Gallery College of Visual and Performing Arts UMass Dartmouth 715 Purchase Street New Bedford, MA 02740

June 4 – June 28, 2014 Bromfield Gallery 450 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02118

Maureen Patrick Adrian Francis Poole Roy St. Christopher Rossow Calley Snow Jennifer Wood

Aaron Badham

UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts

Alain Blunt Bliss Clemmer Evan DeMarzo Kaitlyn L. Evans Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary Monica M. Guerra Jessica Heikes Jo Anna L. Hickman Sam Kelly Kat Knutsen Mikelle Lindsey Canguo Liu Yasaman Louhghalam Leslie Macklin

April 5 – May 18, 2014

University Art Gallery College of Visual and Performing Arts UMass Dartmouth 715 Purchase Street New Bedford, MA 02740

June 4 – June 28, 2014 Bromfield Gallery 450 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02118

Maureen Patrick Adrian Francis Poole Roy St. Christopher Rossow Calley Snow Jennifer Wood

Greetings from the Office of the Dean

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, we are pleased to introduce the 2014 edition of the MFA Thesis Exhibition. This public presentation caps two to three years of ongoing creative research in a variety of visual arts disciplines in the fields of Artisanry, Design, and Fine Arts.

Following individual oral defenses and completion of the MFA Thesis Report, these students celebrate the singular achievement of obtaining the advanced professional degree in the visual arts, the Master of Fine Arts.

In June, selections from this exhibition will be on display at Bromfield Gallery in Boston’s urban arts district, South of Washington (SoWa). This will be the third consecutive year our newest graduates will be formally introduced to this vibrant and thriving arts scene. The exhibition also serves to connect us with the larger UMass Dartmouth community of alumni and friends living and working in the Greater Boston Area.

We would also like to use this opportunity to recognize the arrival of Provost Mohammad Karim to UMass Dartmouth and welcome him and his family to the South Coast arts community. Together with Chancellor Divina Grossman, we invite you to join us in celebrating the newfound success of this talented gathering of MFA students, and wishing them well in their future creative endeavors.

Adrian Tió, Dean Heather Bentz, Assistant Dean

Notes from the Guest Curator

The range of talent in the 20 MFA students represented in this exhibition, and their sure-footedness as they embark in the world following their graduate careers, is distinctive individually and overall. They have been well taught. The students have ideas from which they won’t be dissuaded; they are tenacious in their concepts and in their making as they practice media both traditional and contemporary. They are respectful of each other and of each other’s “space” as fellow artists. This MFA class of 2014 is an extremely impressive group.

As the guest curator charged with organizing selections of their culminating MFA work into a single exhibition for the Star Store galleries, and for Bromfield Gallery in Boston thereafter, I am astonished at the students’ range. From their “no holds barred” sense of ceramic and metal sculpture to their prototypical creations of “Apps” for learning, material and digital realms coexist in the exhibition. There is very skillful painting and printmaking, photography, and video work on view, in addition to textiles, jewelry, and furniture, with big scale shifts between and among them. Inspiration from the immediate natural world is prominent in the art, yet also expressed are gender and identity politics, feelings of nostalgia, desire for human connection, vulnerability, personal struggle, and various means of meeting the world in defiance.

Special thanks to Viera Levitt, Gallery Director at UMass Dartmouth, for providing exceptional guidance in launching this special exhibition.

Judith Tolnick Champa, Guest Curator

Purchase Street at Twilight (detail) - R. Rossow (left page) Inside Out (detail) - K. Evans

Greetings from the Office of the Dean

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, we are pleased to introduce the 2014 edition of the MFA Thesis Exhibition. This public presentation caps two to three years of ongoing creative research in a variety of visual arts disciplines in the fields of Artisanry, Design, and Fine Arts.

Following individual oral defenses and completion of the MFA Thesis Report, these students celebrate the singular achievement of obtaining the advanced professional degree in the visual arts, the Master of Fine Arts.

In June, selections from this exhibition will be on display at Bromfield Gallery in Boston’s urban arts district, South of Washington (SoWa). This will be the third consecutive year our newest graduates will be formally introduced to this vibrant and thriving arts scene. The exhibition also serves to connect us with the larger UMass Dartmouth community of alumni and friends living and working in the Greater Boston Area.

We would also like to use this opportunity to recognize the arrival of Provost Mohammad Karim to UMass Dartmouth and welcome him and his family to the South Coast arts community. Together with Chancellor Divina Grossman, we invite you to join us in celebrating the newfound success of this talented gathering of MFA students, and wishing them well in their future creative endeavors.

Adrian Tió, Dean Heather Bentz, Assistant Dean

Notes from the Guest Curator

The range of talent in the 20 MFA students represented in this exhibition, and their sure-footedness as they embark in the world following their graduate careers, is distinctive individually and overall. They have been well taught. The students have ideas from which they won’t be dissuaded; they are tenacious in their concepts and in their making as they practice media both traditional and contemporary. They are respectful of each other and of each other’s “space” as fellow artists. This MFA class of 2014 is an extremely impressive group.

As the guest curator charged with organizing selections of their culminating MFA work into a single exhibition for the Star Store galleries, and for Bromfield Gallery in Boston thereafter, I am astonished at the students’ range. From their “no holds barred” sense of ceramic and metal sculpture to their prototypical creations of “Apps” for learning, material and digital realms coexist in the exhibition. There is very skillful painting and printmaking, photography, and video work on view, in addition to textiles, jewelry, and furniture, with big scale shifts between and among them. Inspiration from the immediate natural world is prominent in the art, yet also expressed are gender and identity politics, feelings of nostalgia, desire for human connection, vulnerability, personal struggle, and various means of meeting the world in defiance.

Special thanks to Viera Levitt, Gallery Director at UMass Dartmouth, for providing exceptional guidance in launching this special exhibition.

Judith Tolnick Champa, Guest Curator

Purchase Street at Twilight (detail) - R. Rossow (left page) Inside Out (detail) - K. Evans

Aaron Badham

BIOGRAPHY Aaron Badham was born and raised in Puyallup, WA. He attended the University of Puget Sound in neighboring Tacoma, where he received a BA in Sculpture in 2011. He has exhibited both in the United States and Canada, including the Artist Project, Toronto in 2012. Aaron is currently completing his MFA in Sculpture.

STATEMENT Having worked on cars and motorcycles throughout my childhood, I draw upon ideas of play, experiential learning, and manual investigation. Combining brightly colored inflated steel forms and rubber coated MDF constructions, my sculptures present themselves as toy-like abstractions of mechanical parts and tools. By inflating steel, I am able to change the sensibility of the material.

The once rigid and stoic fabrications now appear soft, becoming playful and approachable. My interest lies in an optimistic attitude held towards the difficulties and peculiarities of working on machines. Balancing the idiosyncratic reflexes of the artistic process with diligent craftsmanship, my immersion within these systems is examined through a playful lens.

If You Can’t Start It, You Can’t Ride It Polychrome inflated steel, MDF, rubber, leather 36” x 60” x 36” Hub (detail) Polychrome inflated steel, MDF, rubber, leather 46” x 46” x 12”

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

5

Aaron Badham

BIOGRAPHY Aaron Badham was born and raised in Puyallup, WA. He attended the University of Puget Sound in neighboring Tacoma, where he received a BA in Sculpture in 2011. He has exhibited both in the United States and Canada, including the Artist Project, Toronto in 2012. Aaron is currently completing his MFA in Sculpture.

STATEMENT Having worked on cars and motorcycles throughout my childhood, I draw upon ideas of play, experiential learning, and manual investigation. Combining brightly colored inflated steel forms and rubber coated MDF constructions, my sculptures present themselves as toy-like abstractions of mechanical parts and tools. By inflating steel, I am able to change the sensibility of the material.

The once rigid and stoic fabrications now appear soft, becoming playful and approachable. My interest lies in an optimistic attitude held towards the difficulties and peculiarities of working on machines. Balancing the idiosyncratic reflexes of the artistic process with diligent craftsmanship, my immersion within these systems is examined through a playful lens.

If You Can’t Start It, You Can’t Ride It Polychrome inflated steel, MDF, rubber, leather 36” x 60” x 36” Hub (detail) Polychrome inflated steel, MDF, rubber, leather 46” x 46” x 12”

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

5

Alain Blunt

BIOGRAPHY Alain Blunt was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 1969. He spent most of his childhood in Washington, D.C., and received a BS in Advertising Design from the University of Maryland in 1992. After graduating, Alain started his path on what would become a successful twentyyear career in design, which has led him to a new passion — teaching. In 2004, he relocated to Massachusetts with his family and enrolled in the graduate program at UMass Dartmouth, where he is currently completing his MFA in Graphic Design.

STATEMENT My graduate studies and the birth of my son have transformed me from a “silent partner” in corporate design — a professional adhering to strict client-driven standards — into an expressive artist who has something to say about the world we live in. Flowing out of my identity as a gay, married, and adoptive parent, and my status as a biracial, adopted immigrant, my current work is a critique of society’s lack of social tact and lingering prejudice surrounding adoption, and particularly gay adoption.

Working within conventions of parody, I use standard design tools and methodology to construct combinations of images and text that communicate subversive messages to make the implicit explicit. I study and borrow from formats in the baby product industry, such as “onesies”™, and from traditional print media. My primary objective is storytelling with an additional goal to raise social awareness.

High Status White Baby Archival Inkjet Print 18” x 24” So Glad You Approve (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

7

Alain Blunt

BIOGRAPHY Alain Blunt was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 1969. He spent most of his childhood in Washington, D.C., and received a BS in Advertising Design from the University of Maryland in 1992. After graduating, Alain started his path on what would become a successful twentyyear career in design, which has led him to a new passion — teaching. In 2004, he relocated to Massachusetts with his family and enrolled in the graduate program at UMass Dartmouth, where he is currently completing his MFA in Graphic Design.

STATEMENT My graduate studies and the birth of my son have transformed me from a “silent partner” in corporate design — a professional adhering to strict client-driven standards — into an expressive artist who has something to say about the world we live in. Flowing out of my identity as a gay, married, and adoptive parent, and my status as a biracial, adopted immigrant, my current work is a critique of society’s lack of social tact and lingering prejudice surrounding adoption, and particularly gay adoption.

Working within conventions of parody, I use standard design tools and methodology to construct combinations of images and text that communicate subversive messages to make the implicit explicit. I study and borrow from formats in the baby product industry, such as “onesies”™, and from traditional print media. My primary objective is storytelling with an additional goal to raise social awareness.

High Status White Baby Archival Inkjet Print 18” x 24” So Glad You Approve (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

7

Bliss Clemmer

BIOGRAPHY Bliss Clemmer is a figurative painter from central Massachusetts. She completed her BFA at UMass Dartmouth with a focus on painting and two-dimensional studies. Throughout her undergraduate career, Bliss developed a passion for drawing the figure from direct observation which has heavily informed her painting process. The concepts portrayed in her thesis work are not only personal, but serve as meaningful and honest metaphors exploring transformative experiences in her life.

STATEMENT My artwork investigates the intense, emotional drama associated with my own personal experiences. The duality of conversing subjects is complemented by compositional elements circuiting throughout the paintings, signifying intimate, human connection. A heavy emphasis on drawing during the preliminary process serves as the foundation for the subsequent layers of paint, ultimately producing the raw, genuine power of the finished work. The use of metaphor, essential objects, and close friends posing as models contributes to the sentimental theme of each narrative.

The figures are encapsulated by dark, ambiguous space to suggest the deepest chasms of the mind, alluding to memory, empathy, and lamentation.

Embrace Oil on canvas 42.5” x 44” Bound (detail) Oil on canvas 50.5” x 35”

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

9

Bliss Clemmer

BIOGRAPHY Bliss Clemmer is a figurative painter from central Massachusetts. She completed her BFA at UMass Dartmouth with a focus on painting and two-dimensional studies. Throughout her undergraduate career, Bliss developed a passion for drawing the figure from direct observation which has heavily informed her painting process. The concepts portrayed in her thesis work are not only personal, but serve as meaningful and honest metaphors exploring transformative experiences in her life.

STATEMENT My artwork investigates the intense, emotional drama associated with my own personal experiences. The duality of conversing subjects is complemented by compositional elements circuiting throughout the paintings, signifying intimate, human connection. A heavy emphasis on drawing during the preliminary process serves as the foundation for the subsequent layers of paint, ultimately producing the raw, genuine power of the finished work. The use of metaphor, essential objects, and close friends posing as models contributes to the sentimental theme of each narrative.

The figures are encapsulated by dark, ambiguous space to suggest the deepest chasms of the mind, alluding to memory, empathy, and lamentation.

Embrace Oil on canvas 42.5” x 44” Bound (detail) Oil on canvas 50.5” x 35”

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

9

Evan DeMarzo

BIOGRAPHY Born and raised in Mahopac, New York, Evan DeMarzo has had an affinity for the arts ever since he was young. Evan attended UMass Dartmouth where he earned his BFA in Art Education. Evan hopes to return to the profession of teaching after obtaining his MFA in Printmaking.

STATEMENT My work develops from the confluence of myth and history; borrowing from the romantic tales of western films and dime novels, the images focus on how the overworked, dust-covered cattle rustler is depicted as a suave, fast-shooting, cowboy. I set out to tell a new story, incorporating a fusion of printmaking and book arts techniques to create an exquisite narrative, which depicts savage, yet civilized tales of the Wild West.

The Rundown Paper Engineered Woodcut/Silkscreen prints on Rives BFK 22” x 15” x 15” High Noon (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

11

Evan DeMarzo

BIOGRAPHY Born and raised in Mahopac, New York, Evan DeMarzo has had an affinity for the arts ever since he was young. Evan attended UMass Dartmouth where he earned his BFA in Art Education. Evan hopes to return to the profession of teaching after obtaining his MFA in Printmaking.

STATEMENT My work develops from the confluence of myth and history; borrowing from the romantic tales of western films and dime novels, the images focus on how the overworked, dust-covered cattle rustler is depicted as a suave, fast-shooting, cowboy. I set out to tell a new story, incorporating a fusion of printmaking and book arts techniques to create an exquisite narrative, which depicts savage, yet civilized tales of the Wild West.

The Rundown Paper Engineered Woodcut/Silkscreen prints on Rives BFK 22” x 15” x 15” High Noon (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

11

Kaitlyn L. Evans

BIOGRAPHY Kaitlyn L. Evans grew up in the small, quiet town of Mansfield, Pennsylvania. In 2009, she received her BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she also spent one year in their Emerging Artist in Residence Program. Kaitlyn moved to Massachusetts to pursue her graduate studies at UMass Dartmouth and is currently completing her MFA in Jewelry/Metals.

STATEMENT I am overwhelmed with thoughts of the strange and unfamiliar containing forces I will not be equipped to handle. It is difficult to articulate what I am ultimately afraid of, but I long for a sense of security and seek respite from emotions I do not fully understand. These insecurities have led me to create enameled handheld objects that contain reflections of my uneasy state. The unfamiliar becomes manageable in my hand, able to be contemplated, clutched, and tucked away.

To Look Within Copper, enamel, glass; pierced, formed and fabricated 2 3/8” x 2” x 1” To Let You See (detail) Silver, copper, enamel, glass, plastic; pierced, formed and fabricated

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

13

Kaitlyn L. Evans

BIOGRAPHY Kaitlyn L. Evans grew up in the small, quiet town of Mansfield, Pennsylvania. In 2009, she received her BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she also spent one year in their Emerging Artist in Residence Program. Kaitlyn moved to Massachusetts to pursue her graduate studies at UMass Dartmouth and is currently completing her MFA in Jewelry/Metals.

STATEMENT I am overwhelmed with thoughts of the strange and unfamiliar containing forces I will not be equipped to handle. It is difficult to articulate what I am ultimately afraid of, but I long for a sense of security and seek respite from emotions I do not fully understand. These insecurities have led me to create enameled handheld objects that contain reflections of my uneasy state. The unfamiliar becomes manageable in my hand, able to be contemplated, clutched, and tucked away.

To Look Within Copper, enamel, glass; pierced, formed and fabricated 2 3/8” x 2” x 1” To Let You See (detail) Silver, copper, enamel, glass, plastic; pierced, formed and fabricated

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

13

Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary

BIOGRAPHY Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary was born in the uppermost Northwest corner of Pennsylvania in 1978.

After graduating with a BFA in Film and in Furniture Design from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2009, he lived and worked as a Bagpipe maker in Ohio at Gibson Bagpipes Inc. before enrolling in the graduate program in Artisanry at UMass Dartmouth. Bryan is currently completing his MFA in Furniture Design.

STATEMENT I use furniture to communicate my history, my immediate experience, and my psyche. I am drawn to unique altered woods, such as weathered woods, cracked woods, and woods with a dramatic figure. I am interested in manifesting something that is familiar and intuitive, but has nontraditional aspects which are expressive, offering a metaphor toward feelings or emotional events. This reflects how I view myself through my chosen medium of wood, seeing how far I can push the structural and aesthetic qualities of damaged, unsuitable, and/or difficult material and still have it remain functional.

Rift Fiddleback maple slab and ash 60” x 34” x 53” Rift (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

15

Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary

BIOGRAPHY Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary was born in the uppermost Northwest corner of Pennsylvania in 1978.

After graduating with a BFA in Film and in Furniture Design from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2009, he lived and worked as a Bagpipe maker in Ohio at Gibson Bagpipes Inc. before enrolling in the graduate program in Artisanry at UMass Dartmouth. Bryan is currently completing his MFA in Furniture Design.

STATEMENT I use furniture to communicate my history, my immediate experience, and my psyche. I am drawn to unique altered woods, such as weathered woods, cracked woods, and woods with a dramatic figure. I am interested in manifesting something that is familiar and intuitive, but has nontraditional aspects which are expressive, offering a metaphor toward feelings or emotional events. This reflects how I view myself through my chosen medium of wood, seeing how far I can push the structural and aesthetic qualities of damaged, unsuitable, and/or difficult material and still have it remain functional.

Rift Fiddleback maple slab and ash 60” x 34” x 53” Rift (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

15

Monica M. Guerra Â

BIOGRAPHY Monica M. Guerra was born in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a BFA in 3D Design from California State University, Long Beach in 2010. Monica has exhibited in Mexico and throughout the United States, and is currently enrolled in the Artisanry graduate program, pursuing a degree in Jewelry/Metals.

STATEMENT My Chicano heritage defines me as a person - how I observe and how I make. My most recent work draws from my experience of being bilingual and finding myself striking a balance between the roles of translator and advocate. I make work about social inequality and discrimination to address the gross imbalance I have witnessed in my own experience.

Milagros Archival Inkjet Print Masa (detail) Still from performance

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

17

Monica M. Guerra Â

BIOGRAPHY Monica M. Guerra was born in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a BFA in 3D Design from California State University, Long Beach in 2010. Monica has exhibited in Mexico and throughout the United States, and is currently enrolled in the Artisanry graduate program, pursuing a degree in Jewelry/Metals.

STATEMENT My Chicano heritage defines me as a person - how I observe and how I make. My most recent work draws from my experience of being bilingual and finding myself striking a balance between the roles of translator and advocate. I make work about social inequality and discrimination to address the gross imbalance I have witnessed in my own experience.

Milagros Archival Inkjet Print Masa (detail) Still from performance

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

17

Jessica Heikes

BIOGRAPHY Jessica Heikes was raised on a farm in western Kansas encompassed by empty space, the ever-present horizon line, and dirt. This minimal environment coupled with a labor-intensive lifestyle became the foundation of her art practice. Jessica received her BFA from Pittsburg State University in Kansas. During and after college, she worked as a diesel mechanic, a laborer for masonry crews, and remodeled and built houses. Resolved to return to the arts, Jessica studied glassblowing, sculpture, and was later accepted to the Core Fellowship Program at Penland School of Crafts where she spent two years learning various mediums and studios. She is currently completing her MFA degree at UMass Dartmouth.

STATEMENT Recently, I have been working with clothing: dipping, soaking, pouring, stiffening women’s blouses and skirts in plaster. I think about the previous wearers, unknown to me, or am reminded of loved ones from my past. At times, I am even reminded of myself. Through these personal items, I aim to capture varying degrees of human presence. I am interested in what is no longer there—presence through absence. The plaster records this transitory process and becomes evidence or residue that hints at what once was or what once happened. By installing these remnants in disregarded spaces, such as hallways or closets, I am presenting an opportunity for engagement beyond casual observance.

What Once Was Plaster, wire hangers, clothing remnants What Once Was (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

19

Jessica Heikes

BIOGRAPHY Jessica Heikes was raised on a farm in western Kansas encompassed by empty space, the ever-present horizon line, and dirt. This minimal environment coupled with a labor-intensive lifestyle became the foundation of her art practice. Jessica received her BFA from Pittsburg State University in Kansas. During and after college, she worked as a diesel mechanic, a laborer for masonry crews, and remodeled and built houses. Resolved to return to the arts, Jessica studied glassblowing, sculpture, and was later accepted to the Core Fellowship Program at Penland School of Crafts where she spent two years learning various mediums and studios. She is currently completing her MFA degree at UMass Dartmouth.

STATEMENT Recently, I have been working with clothing: dipping, soaking, pouring, stiffening women’s blouses and skirts in plaster. I think about the previous wearers, unknown to me, or am reminded of loved ones from my past. At times, I am even reminded of myself. Through these personal items, I aim to capture varying degrees of human presence. I am interested in what is no longer there—presence through absence. The plaster records this transitory process and becomes evidence or residue that hints at what once was or what once happened. By installing these remnants in disregarded spaces, such as hallways or closets, I am presenting an opportunity for engagement beyond casual observance.

What Once Was Plaster, wire hangers, clothing remnants What Once Was (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

19

Jo Anna L. Hickman Â

BIOGRAPHY Jo Anna L. Hickman was born in Florence, SC and grew up in Richmond, VA. In 2006, she received dual degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University in Art History and Craft/ Material Studies with a focus in textiles. After graduation, she worked locally as a Rug Restoration Repair Artist and became a member of an artist-run gallery. These positions led her to pursue her MFA in Artisanry with a focus in Textile Design/Fibers.

STATEMENT Embroidery is labor intensive and obsessive, which seems to suit my studio practice. My work stems from embroidered samplers mostly done by women in the 17th-19th centuries. Little acts of defiance can be seen in some of these sewn samplers, and it is these acts that I respond to. In my work, voice is foremost. Tension is often created when challenging an authoritative other, confronting what has been held back, hushing, smothering, stifling, and giving doubt. This tension is literally seen in the cloth, the way it pulls in, and is released from its hold or restrained by it.

Sewn text is my vehicle for breaking through, speaking out, or for commenting on the abruptness of being cut off. Embroidery has become my own personal call to arms, defiance against the system, rocking the boat‌all under the guise of sweet, little tiny stitches.

To No Avail (detail) Hand embroidered cotton on linen, staples Cut Off (detail) Hand embroidered cotton on linen, resin

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

21

Jo Anna L. Hickman Â

BIOGRAPHY Jo Anna L. Hickman was born in Florence, SC and grew up in Richmond, VA. In 2006, she received dual degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University in Art History and Craft/ Material Studies with a focus in textiles. After graduation, she worked locally as a Rug Restoration Repair Artist and became a member of an artist-run gallery. These positions led her to pursue her MFA in Artisanry with a focus in Textile Design/Fibers.

STATEMENT Embroidery is labor intensive and obsessive, which seems to suit my studio practice. My work stems from embroidered samplers mostly done by women in the 17th-19th centuries. Little acts of defiance can be seen in some of these sewn samplers, and it is these acts that I respond to. In my work, voice is foremost. Tension is often created when challenging an authoritative other, confronting what has been held back, hushing, smothering, stifling, and giving doubt. This tension is literally seen in the cloth, the way it pulls in, and is released from its hold or restrained by it.

Sewn text is my vehicle for breaking through, speaking out, or for commenting on the abruptness of being cut off. Embroidery has become my own personal call to arms, defiance against the system, rocking the boat‌all under the guise of sweet, little tiny stitches.

To No Avail (detail) Hand embroidered cotton on linen, staples Cut Off (detail) Hand embroidered cotton on linen, resin

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

21

Sam Kelly

BIOGRAPHY Sam Kelly was born in Dayton, Ohio where he received his BFA in painting from Wright State University in 2010. Following undergraduate school, he attended the Chautauqua Institution in New York, studying under influential artists such as Don Kimes, Stanley Lewis, and Ying Li. Sam intends to pursue a teaching position at the university level following the completion of his MFA in Painting.

STATEMENT Combining my interest in abstraction, improvisation, and ambiguity - along with maintaining an active dialogue and connection inspired by the human figure - I have focused my intent on exploring ambiguous forms through a physical and tactile use of densely-applied paint. These untitled forms that resist identification remain free and open to interpretation. Thus, working in this manner, I am far more interested in stimulating questions rather than providing answers.

Untitled #5 Oil on wood 8” x 10” Untitled #3 (detail) Oil on wood

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

23

Sam Kelly

BIOGRAPHY Sam Kelly was born in Dayton, Ohio where he received his BFA in painting from Wright State University in 2010. Following undergraduate school, he attended the Chautauqua Institution in New York, studying under influential artists such as Don Kimes, Stanley Lewis, and Ying Li. Sam intends to pursue a teaching position at the university level following the completion of his MFA in Painting.

STATEMENT Combining my interest in abstraction, improvisation, and ambiguity - along with maintaining an active dialogue and connection inspired by the human figure - I have focused my intent on exploring ambiguous forms through a physical and tactile use of densely-applied paint. These untitled forms that resist identification remain free and open to interpretation. Thus, working in this manner, I am far more interested in stimulating questions rather than providing answers.

Untitled #5 Oil on wood 8” x 10” Untitled #3 (detail) Oil on wood

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

23

Kat Knutsen

BIOGRAPHY Katherine M. Knutsen was born in Austin, Texas in 1984. After first studying nursing, Kat decided to pursue a degree in the fine arts. She received her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2011. After graduating, Kat enrolled in the graduate program at UMass Dartmouth. She is pursuing an MFA in Painting, mixing traditional painting techniques with digital animation.

STATEMENT Tea Time: Intimacy is a series of paintings where “intimacy’”draws attention to the more emotive traits in the heterosexual male persona. Throughout art history, women have been painted as the dependent beauty and the object. In reaction, I have disclosed his vulnerability and have intimately portrayed the emotional beside the socially sovereign male guise. This approach leans towards rendering the male as the beautiful aesthetic and pastime. As a result of personally being able to achieve autonomy, ‘he’ is now the seducer rather than the provider. Tea Time: Intimacy is an act celebrating women’s autonomy via our ability to turn the gaze around and simply enjoy the male presence.

Naughty Oil on canvas (tondo) 27” in diameter Influence (detail) Oil on canvas (tondo)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

25

Kat Knutsen

BIOGRAPHY Katherine M. Knutsen was born in Austin, Texas in 1984. After first studying nursing, Kat decided to pursue a degree in the fine arts. She received her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2011. After graduating, Kat enrolled in the graduate program at UMass Dartmouth. She is pursuing an MFA in Painting, mixing traditional painting techniques with digital animation.

STATEMENT Tea Time: Intimacy is a series of paintings where “intimacy’”draws attention to the more emotive traits in the heterosexual male persona. Throughout art history, women have been painted as the dependent beauty and the object. In reaction, I have disclosed his vulnerability and have intimately portrayed the emotional beside the socially sovereign male guise. This approach leans towards rendering the male as the beautiful aesthetic and pastime. As a result of personally being able to achieve autonomy, ‘he’ is now the seducer rather than the provider. Tea Time: Intimacy is an act celebrating women’s autonomy via our ability to turn the gaze around and simply enjoy the male presence.

Naughty Oil on canvas (tondo) 27” in diameter Influence (detail) Oil on canvas (tondo)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

25

Mikelle Lindsey

BIOGRAPHY Mikelle Lindsey is a conceptual artist originally from San Diego, CA. She spent two years at North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem before finishing her BFA at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles with an emphasis in sculpture. Mikelle studied abroad in Germany and India and was awarded residencies at the Vermont Studio Center as well as the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Aspen, CO. Her work has been featured in the Alexandria Museum of Art in Louisiana, FiberPhiladelphia in Pennsylvania, FullerCraft Museum in Massachusetts, and ArtSpace Gallery in Virginia. Most recently, Mikelle interned in grant writing at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in San Diego. Upon completion of her graduate studies, Mikelle will continue her studio practice in Southern California. She is currently completing her studies in the Fibers MFA program.

STATEMENT Vulnerable moments contain uncertainty and risk. My work speaks to this uncertainty. I am specifically immersed in capturing the uncomfortable feelings that expose risk while proposing humor, and at times, relief. I am fascinated by the everyday. The “everyday” are experiences such as tripping up the stairs and catching yourself while others watch, or spilling coffee on your lap; moments that create the possibility of being hurt but in reality, the embarrassment overrides the pain. In contrast are the safe moments that are arranged either through routine or the known, attempting to control the situation for comfort. The feeling of security can come from being tucked in the same way each night, the way we take our coffee, the commute home, or simply a book we read again and again. I am drawn in to the emotions we cannot escape – feelings we cannot hide from – cannot control and our attempt to control them. My process is direct, engaged, spontaneous, and physical. I set up boundaries and rules, while finding strength in those limitations; I strive to offer honesty and humor, evoking empathy through my work.

Slip Much (detail) Digital video, 1:58 Sustain II (detail) Rubber bands, wire hangers

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

27

Mikelle Lindsey

BIOGRAPHY Mikelle Lindsey is a conceptual artist originally from San Diego, CA. She spent two years at North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem before finishing her BFA at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles with an emphasis in sculpture. Mikelle studied abroad in Germany and India and was awarded residencies at the Vermont Studio Center as well as the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Aspen, CO. Her work has been featured in the Alexandria Museum of Art in Louisiana, FiberPhiladelphia in Pennsylvania, FullerCraft Museum in Massachusetts, and ArtSpace Gallery in Virginia. Most recently, Mikelle interned in grant writing at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in San Diego. Upon completion of her graduate studies, Mikelle will continue her studio practice in Southern California. She is currently completing her studies in the Fibers MFA program.

STATEMENT Vulnerable moments contain uncertainty and risk. My work speaks to this uncertainty. I am specifically immersed in capturing the uncomfortable feelings that expose risk while proposing humor, and at times, relief. I am fascinated by the everyday. The “everyday” are experiences such as tripping up the stairs and catching yourself while others watch, or spilling coffee on your lap; moments that create the possibility of being hurt but in reality, the embarrassment overrides the pain. In contrast are the safe moments that are arranged either through routine or the known, attempting to control the situation for comfort. The feeling of security can come from being tucked in the same way each night, the way we take our coffee, the commute home, or simply a book we read again and again. I am drawn in to the emotions we cannot escape – feelings we cannot hide from – cannot control and our attempt to control them. My process is direct, engaged, spontaneous, and physical. I set up boundaries and rules, while finding strength in those limitations; I strive to offer honesty and humor, evoking empathy through my work.

Slip Much (detail) Digital video, 1:58 Sustain II (detail) Rubber bands, wire hangers

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

27

Canguo Liu Â

BIOGRAPHY Canguo Liu is an artist born in China in 1978, who works in a variety of fields including photography, graphic design, motion graphics, video editing, computer graphics, as well as web and interactive design. Canguo earned a BFA and MFA in Photography in 2006 and 2010, respectively, from Beijing Film Academy. He is currently a candidate for an MFA in Visual Design. His book Digital Photography was published in 2006. His articles and work have been featured in publications such as Chinese Photography and China Photo Press. He also taught digital image at the Beijing Film Academy, Beijing Normal University. He is an invited expert for Canon Inc. in China, China Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television. Canguo’s solo exhibitions and joint shows have exhibited in China, France, and Korea.

STATEMENT My work explores the relationship between acquired synesthesia and multimedia graphic design experiences. My influences are as diverse as Max Bill and John Cage. As a photographer and designer who is also interested in computer visual simulation and motion graphics, new synergies are distilled between the multidisciplinary combination from both aesthetics and techniques. My thesis, Environmentally Responsive Graphic Design, aims to experiment, explore, and extend the generative methods of the design process. This process will, in turn, enhance the form and display of graphic elements, build tools for future designers toward making the invisible visible and sensible through visual studies of the information that can be gathered from the physical world around us.

John Cage Harmony 44 Responsive poster for John Cage - Concert for Piano Video: 30 sec.

New Wind System (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

29

Canguo Liu Â

BIOGRAPHY Canguo Liu is an artist born in China in 1978, who works in a variety of fields including photography, graphic design, motion graphics, video editing, computer graphics, as well as web and interactive design. Canguo earned a BFA and MFA in Photography in 2006 and 2010, respectively, from Beijing Film Academy. He is currently a candidate for an MFA in Visual Design. His book Digital Photography was published in 2006. His articles and work have been featured in publications such as Chinese Photography and China Photo Press. He also taught digital image at the Beijing Film Academy, Beijing Normal University. He is an invited expert for Canon Inc. in China, China Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television. Canguo’s solo exhibitions and joint shows have exhibited in China, France, and Korea.

STATEMENT My work explores the relationship between acquired synesthesia and multimedia graphic design experiences. My influences are as diverse as Max Bill and John Cage. As a photographer and designer who is also interested in computer visual simulation and motion graphics, new synergies are distilled between the multidisciplinary combination from both aesthetics and techniques. My thesis, Environmentally Responsive Graphic Design, aims to experiment, explore, and extend the generative methods of the design process. This process will, in turn, enhance the form and display of graphic elements, build tools for future designers toward making the invisible visible and sensible through visual studies of the information that can be gathered from the physical world around us.

John Cage Harmony 44 Responsive poster for John Cage - Concert for Piano Video: 30 sec.

New Wind System (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

29

Yasaman Louhghalam

BIOGRAPHY Yasaman Louhghalam was born in Tehran, Iran in 1983. She graduated from Tehran Azad University in 2010 with an MFA in Industrial Design. She moved to the United States to pursue an MFA in Graphic Design at UMass Dartmouth. While living in Tehran, Yasaman worked for interior design companies such as Haecker Kitchen German Made, Art Deco, and Poomar.

Recently she has worked as a graphic designer for her internship at BPG International Growth.

STATEMENT As an international student, I have had a difficult time managing my daily routines. In order to help me along, I have looked for various digital applications (apps) that might help. None of the apps that I found so far have been very useful. This problem inspired me to design a daily planner for my peers and for me. My recent work explored the problems associated with daily planners. I designed the software specifically for international university students. Exploration included extensive research, case studies, and a review of current tools that assist in online schedule planners. In addition, visual information hierarchy in smart devices and “sharing” systems of communication support my work. My knowledge of graphic design and my experiences as an international student contributed to creating graceful and effective design.

IDeveloper Interactive application for international university students ID app for iOS IDeveloper (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

31

Yasaman Louhghalam

BIOGRAPHY Yasaman Louhghalam was born in Tehran, Iran in 1983. She graduated from Tehran Azad University in 2010 with an MFA in Industrial Design. She moved to the United States to pursue an MFA in Graphic Design at UMass Dartmouth. While living in Tehran, Yasaman worked for interior design companies such as Haecker Kitchen German Made, Art Deco, and Poomar.

Recently she has worked as a graphic designer for her internship at BPG International Growth.

STATEMENT As an international student, I have had a difficult time managing my daily routines. In order to help me along, I have looked for various digital applications (apps) that might help. None of the apps that I found so far have been very useful. This problem inspired me to design a daily planner for my peers and for me. My recent work explored the problems associated with daily planners. I designed the software specifically for international university students. Exploration included extensive research, case studies, and a review of current tools that assist in online schedule planners. In addition, visual information hierarchy in smart devices and “sharing” systems of communication support my work. My knowledge of graphic design and my experiences as an international student contributed to creating graceful and effective design.

IDeveloper Interactive application for international university students ID app for iOS IDeveloper (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

31

Leslie Macklin

BIOGRAPHY Leslie Macklin received her BFA in ceramics from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.

While pursuing her MFA in ceramics at UMass Dartmouth, she has also completed a public art engagement fellowship from the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, lectured in a panel at the International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Wales, and was invited to a residency at Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana. In addition, Leslie has continued to exhibit across the United States including juried shows in Houston, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts; Manhatten, New York, and internationally in Essex, England.

STATEMENT To live without something, that is, to exist separately, evokes feelings of isolation, loss, desire, and longing. These are powerful emotions that elicit a wide range of reactions. Most interesting to me are the reactions that show someone’s intensity of effort to alter their separation. I am inspired by these efforts and through my work, reflect on how separation can strengthen, maintain, or remove feelings of disconnect. In this work, I create passages and barriers such as windows, doors, stairways, walls, and fences. These architectural specifics are designed to separate or support passage and are potent metaphorically in speaking about the way in which personal connections can be made or thwarted. Like a form of visual historical fiction, it is through these real architectural characters in imagined histories that I respond to the complexity of human connection toward objects, toward experiences, and toward others.

What Else Can I Give You? (detail) Handbuilt ceramic and construction debris 6’ x 3’ This Is As Far As We Go (detail) Handbuilt ceramic and construction debris 2’ x 4’ x 6”

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

33

Leslie Macklin

BIOGRAPHY Leslie Macklin received her BFA in ceramics from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.

While pursuing her MFA in ceramics at UMass Dartmouth, she has also completed a public art engagement fellowship from the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, lectured in a panel at the International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Wales, and was invited to a residency at Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana. In addition, Leslie has continued to exhibit across the United States including juried shows in Houston, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts; Manhatten, New York, and internationally in Essex, England.

STATEMENT To live without something, that is, to exist separately, evokes feelings of isolation, loss, desire, and longing. These are powerful emotions that elicit a wide range of reactions. Most interesting to me are the reactions that show someone’s intensity of effort to alter their separation. I am inspired by these efforts and through my work, reflect on how separation can strengthen, maintain, or remove feelings of disconnect. In this work, I create passages and barriers such as windows, doors, stairways, walls, and fences. These architectural specifics are designed to separate or support passage and are potent metaphorically in speaking about the way in which personal connections can be made or thwarted. Like a form of visual historical fiction, it is through these real architectural characters in imagined histories that I respond to the complexity of human connection toward objects, toward experiences, and toward others.

What Else Can I Give You? (detail) Handbuilt ceramic and construction debris 6’ x 3’ This Is As Far As We Go (detail) Handbuilt ceramic and construction debris 2’ x 4’ x 6”

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

33

Maureen Patrick Â

BIOGRAPHY Maureen Patrick received an AAS in Graphic Design from Minneapolis Community Technical College, a BFA in Sculpture from Maine College of Art, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Fibers at UMass Dartmouth. Maureen uses fibers and handmade paper to create forms and installations that are reminiscent of the natural world.

STATEMENT I grew up in rural settings and spent many hours outside collecting natural objects such as leaves, shells, and pinecones. Today, these childhood sojourns inform the structure of my forms and installations of my work. The context of my art explores the layers of emotional stories that we carry within us. Combining my history of graphic design and fiber arts, I make handmade paper and then write my personal stories on the paper as a way of rewriting a story to give it a new life. I create installations that allow people to navigate my inner world as a way of conveying the enormity of changes that we all go through. I try to bring the experiences of trauma and loss to the viewer in a way that is accessible and gives the viewer the opportunity to be drawn into a story that deals with the struggles of humanity.

Vessels (detail) Cotton, bamboo, abaca, flax, kozo, gampi, thread, graphite, blue pencil The Sling (detail) Muslin, cotton, bamboo, abaca, flax, kozo, gampi

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

35

Maureen Patrick Â

BIOGRAPHY Maureen Patrick received an AAS in Graphic Design from Minneapolis Community Technical College, a BFA in Sculpture from Maine College of Art, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Fibers at UMass Dartmouth. Maureen uses fibers and handmade paper to create forms and installations that are reminiscent of the natural world.

STATEMENT I grew up in rural settings and spent many hours outside collecting natural objects such as leaves, shells, and pinecones. Today, these childhood sojourns inform the structure of my forms and installations of my work. The context of my art explores the layers of emotional stories that we carry within us. Combining my history of graphic design and fiber arts, I make handmade paper and then write my personal stories on the paper as a way of rewriting a story to give it a new life. I create installations that allow people to navigate my inner world as a way of conveying the enormity of changes that we all go through. I try to bring the experiences of trauma and loss to the viewer in a way that is accessible and gives the viewer the opportunity to be drawn into a story that deals with the struggles of humanity.

Vessels (detail) Cotton, bamboo, abaca, flax, kozo, gampi, thread, graphite, blue pencil The Sling (detail) Muslin, cotton, bamboo, abaca, flax, kozo, gampi

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

35

Adrian Francis Poole

BIOGRAPHY Adrian Francis Poole was born in Henderson, Kentucky in 1990. As a child, he read Mad Magazine and watched old horror films, which culminated into an early drawing style that he describes as equally humorous and horrific. After graduating with a BFA in Illustration from Lesley University in 2012, Adrian decided to continue to push the content and style of his work. As Adrian finishes his MFA in Painting at UMass Dartmouth, his dedication to all things phantasmagorical continues to grow.

STATEMENT Since coming to graduate school, I have decided to redefine the content and space of my paintings.

I challenged myself by creating intricate set-ups, which push the compositions closer to abstraction while maintaining the ambiguity of my previous work. Although the images in my paintings are archetypal, they are stretched to the limits of recognition. Each object brings with it its own cultural relevance and the paintings are a way of weaving them together into a same world and dissolving their indifference. I treat the application of each brushstroke as a significant linear mark. Each has its own path and calligraphic sensibility. The paintings appear effortless on the surface because even the most recent marks remain loose and gestural.

Horizontal and Caring #3 Acrylic on panel 72” x 96” (approx.)

Horizontal and Caring #4 (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

37

Adrian Francis Poole

BIOGRAPHY Adrian Francis Poole was born in Henderson, Kentucky in 1990. As a child, he read Mad Magazine and watched old horror films, which culminated into an early drawing style that he describes as equally humorous and horrific. After graduating with a BFA in Illustration from Lesley University in 2012, Adrian decided to continue to push the content and style of his work. As Adrian finishes his MFA in Painting at UMass Dartmouth, his dedication to all things phantasmagorical continues to grow.

STATEMENT Since coming to graduate school, I have decided to redefine the content and space of my paintings.

I challenged myself by creating intricate set-ups, which push the compositions closer to abstraction while maintaining the ambiguity of my previous work. Although the images in my paintings are archetypal, they are stretched to the limits of recognition. Each object brings with it its own cultural relevance and the paintings are a way of weaving them together into a same world and dissolving their indifference. I treat the application of each brushstroke as a significant linear mark. Each has its own path and calligraphic sensibility. The paintings appear effortless on the surface because even the most recent marks remain loose and gestural.

Horizontal and Caring #3 Acrylic on panel 72” x 96” (approx.)

Horizontal and Caring #4 (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

37

Roy St. Christopher Rossow

BIOGRAPHY Roy Rossow was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica and came to the United States when he was 8 years old. He attended Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and received two degrees, a BA in Studio Arts and a BS in Information Systems Science. Roy worked for over 14 years as both a graphic artist and I.T. specialist before deciding to pursue a graduate degree in painting. After completing his MFA in Painting, Roy plans to continue his profession as both a teacher and studio artist.

STATEMENT In my work, I seek to capture the mystery and poetic beauty of the landscape. Some changes in my life have caused me to spend more time at home which in turn allowed me to pay closer attention to where I lived and my surroundings. During this time, I became more aware of the subtle changes in light and how it affects the landscape at different times of the day and year. The landscapes I create are an exploration of the magic of natural and man-made light. My paintings seek to have a dialogue with the viewer and evoke the humanistic feelings that varying levels of light and color create.

Cherry Building Sunset Oil on panel 6” x 6” Cupola Day 1 (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

39

Roy St. Christopher Rossow

BIOGRAPHY Roy Rossow was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica and came to the United States when he was 8 years old. He attended Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and received two degrees, a BA in Studio Arts and a BS in Information Systems Science. Roy worked for over 14 years as both a graphic artist and I.T. specialist before deciding to pursue a graduate degree in painting. After completing his MFA in Painting, Roy plans to continue his profession as both a teacher and studio artist.

STATEMENT In my work, I seek to capture the mystery and poetic beauty of the landscape. Some changes in my life have caused me to spend more time at home which in turn allowed me to pay closer attention to where I lived and my surroundings. During this time, I became more aware of the subtle changes in light and how it affects the landscape at different times of the day and year. The landscapes I create are an exploration of the magic of natural and man-made light. My paintings seek to have a dialogue with the viewer and evoke the humanistic feelings that varying levels of light and color create.

Cherry Building Sunset Oil on panel 6” x 6” Cupola Day 1 (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

39

Calley Snow Â

BIOGRAPHY Calley Snow was born in Morristown, New York in 1989. After graduating with a BFA in graphic design from Sage College of Albany, she relocated to the Boston area. Calley worked as a graphic designer before enrolling in the graduate program in Graphic Design, and is currently pursuing her MFA degree.

STATEMENT In the fall of 2011, I became interested in learning Arabic. I searched for a language program that included all aspects of the language – the alphabet, vocabulary, audio, and writing. I saw a need for creating a single source that included all necessary parts to learn the language when I could not find a language program to fit my needs. Other language programs are incomplete, either missing the basics of the language or the programs do not have a writing section. I was intrigued with creating my own learning program that contained all the necessary components of a language. The aim of my thesis is to investigate how interactive design can help a native English speaker learn a second language.

Alphabet, Desktop Version HTML 1920 x 1080 pixels Alphabet Attributes (detail) Mobile version

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

41

Calley Snow Â

BIOGRAPHY Calley Snow was born in Morristown, New York in 1989. After graduating with a BFA in graphic design from Sage College of Albany, she relocated to the Boston area. Calley worked as a graphic designer before enrolling in the graduate program in Graphic Design, and is currently pursuing her MFA degree.

STATEMENT In the fall of 2011, I became interested in learning Arabic. I searched for a language program that included all aspects of the language – the alphabet, vocabulary, audio, and writing. I saw a need for creating a single source that included all necessary parts to learn the language when I could not find a language program to fit my needs. Other language programs are incomplete, either missing the basics of the language or the programs do not have a writing section. I was intrigued with creating my own learning program that contained all the necessary components of a language. The aim of my thesis is to investigate how interactive design can help a native English speaker learn a second language.

Alphabet, Desktop Version HTML 1920 x 1080 pixels Alphabet Attributes (detail) Mobile version

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

41

Jennifer Wood

BIOGRAPHY Jennifer has lived most of her life in Massachusetts, interspersed with several years of living in Illinois and Ohio while growing up. She received her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in 3-D fine art/glass. A few years after graduating, Jennifer founded and directed Art Advisory/Boston, where, for fifteen years she compiled and managed considerable corporate art collections throughout the country. During the time between undergraduate and graduate school, she produced mixed media work, combining drawing, painting, and photography.

Jennifer’s art has been shown in numerous juried exhibitions in Boston and other galleries and venues, including shows curated by Howard Yezerski, Joseph Carroll, and Beth Kantrowitz. She has also taught courses at Quincy College in Foundations drawing, painting, and photography.

STATEMENT For my thesis work I chose the vital element of water as the focus. The ocean has always been my anchor for home and renewal. As a child, I was taught to navigate the depths and cold of its vast expanse. As a teen, I learned to master lifesaving skills in challenging real-life crises, which proved to be helpful preparation for life’s challenges. As an adult, I experience peace and joy when swimming in the ocean’s constant motion of varied currents. My work in this exhibition is entwined with dreams, memories, and fantasies revolving around water. To interpret these experiences, I used photogenic drawing techniques, recording materials from the sea such as seaweed and beach organisms onto printmaking paper. Presenting these images on translucent material that I sculpted intends to echo the ocean’s fluidity, power, and unconstrained majesty.

Flux Cyanotype photograms on shaped plexiglas, welded steel stands 5’ x 8.5’ x 2’ Zen Beach (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

43

Jennifer Wood

BIOGRAPHY Jennifer has lived most of her life in Massachusetts, interspersed with several years of living in Illinois and Ohio while growing up. She received her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in 3-D fine art/glass. A few years after graduating, Jennifer founded and directed Art Advisory/Boston, where, for fifteen years she compiled and managed considerable corporate art collections throughout the country. During the time between undergraduate and graduate school, she produced mixed media work, combining drawing, painting, and photography.

Jennifer’s art has been shown in numerous juried exhibitions in Boston and other galleries and venues, including shows curated by Howard Yezerski, Joseph Carroll, and Beth Kantrowitz. She has also taught courses at Quincy College in Foundations drawing, painting, and photography.

STATEMENT For my thesis work I chose the vital element of water as the focus. The ocean has always been my anchor for home and renewal. As a child, I was taught to navigate the depths and cold of its vast expanse. As a teen, I learned to master lifesaving skills in challenging real-life crises, which proved to be helpful preparation for life’s challenges. As an adult, I experience peace and joy when swimming in the ocean’s constant motion of varied currents. My work in this exhibition is entwined with dreams, memories, and fantasies revolving around water. To interpret these experiences, I used photogenic drawing techniques, recording materials from the sea such as seaweed and beach organisms onto printmaking paper. Presenting these images on translucent material that I sculpted intends to echo the ocean’s fluidity, power, and unconstrained majesty.

Flux Cyanotype photograms on shaped plexiglas, welded steel stands 5’ x 8.5’ x 2’ Zen Beach (detail)

2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition

43

Index Aaron Badham

Jessica Heikes

Leslie Macklin

Alain Blunt

Jo Anna L. Hickman

Maureen Patrick

Bliss Clemmer

Sam Kelly

Adrian Francis Poole

Fine Arts - Sculpture aaronbadhamsculpture.com aaronbadhamsculpture@gmail.com Visual Design - Graphic Design alainblunt@gmail.com alainblunt.prosite.com Fine Arts - Painting bclemmer@wordpress.com blissclemmer.wordpress.com

Evan DeMarzo

Fine Arts - Printmaking demarzoevan@gmail.com Midnight-oil-press.com

Kaitlyn L. Evans

Artisanry - Jewelry/Metals Kaitlyn.L.Evans@gmail.com KaitlynEvans.com

Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary Artisanry - Furniture Design Brygeary@gmail.com BryGeary.com

Monica M. Guerra

Artisanry - Jewelry/Metals monica@monicamguerra.com monicamguerra.com

Artisanry - Jewelry/Metals Jmheikes@hotmail.com jessicaheikes.com Artisanry - Fibers joannalhickman@gmail.com joanna-hickman.com Fine Arts - Painting samkelly93@gmail.com

Kat Knutsen

Fine Arts - Painting kat@katknutsen.com katknutsen.com

Mikelle Lindsey

Artisanry - Fibers mikelle@mikellelindsey.com mikellelindsey.com

Canguo Liu

Visual Design - Graphic Design c@canguoliu.com canguoliu.com

Yasaman Louhghalam

Visual Design - Graphic Design Yasaman.louhghalam@gmail.com ylouhghalamdesign.com

Artisanry - Ceramics lesliemacklin@gmail.com firefactoryandstudio.com Artisanry - Fibers maureenpatrick@yahoo.com maureenpatrick.com Fine Arts - Painting adrianpoole@comcast.net dherkanz.com

Roy St. Christopher Rossow Fine Arts - Painting roy@rossow-web.com royrossow.com

Calley Snow

Visual Design - Graphic Design snowc@sage.edu calleysnow.com

Jennifer Wood

Fine Arts - Printmaking jennifer@jwoodart.com jwoodart.com

DESIGN COORDINATION AND EDITING: Jessica Fernandes Gomes PHOTOGRAPHS: Archives of the students, Viera Levitt, Katie Wild EDITORS: Heather Bentz, Josette Cormier, Jessica Fernandes Gomes,

Charlotte Hamlin, Viera Levitt, Adrian Ti贸 PUBLICATION ASSISTANT: Alanna Schull

DESIGN LAYOUT AND PRINTING: Mallard and POPS Printing

Index Aaron Badham

Jessica Heikes

Leslie Macklin

Alain Blunt

Jo Anna L. Hickman

Maureen Patrick

Bliss Clemmer

Sam Kelly

Adrian Francis Poole

Fine Arts - Sculpture aaronbadhamsculpture.com aaronbadhamsculpture@gmail.com Visual Design - Graphic Design alainblunt@gmail.com alainblunt.prosite.com Fine Arts - Painting bclemmer@wordpress.com blissclemmer.wordpress.com

Evan DeMarzo

Fine Arts - Printmaking demarzoevan@gmail.com Midnight-oil-press.com

Kaitlyn L. Evans

Artisanry - Jewelry/Metals Kaitlyn.L.Evans@gmail.com KaitlynEvans.com

Bryan Fitzpatrick Geary Artisanry - Furniture Design Brygeary@gmail.com BryGeary.com

Monica M. Guerra

Artisanry - Jewelry/Metals monica@monicamguerra.com monicamguerra.com

Artisanry - Jewelry/Metals Jmheikes@hotmail.com jessicaheikes.com Artisanry - Fibers joannalhickman@gmail.com joanna-hickman.com Fine Arts - Painting samkelly93@gmail.com

Kat Knutsen

Fine Arts - Painting kat@katknutsen.com katknutsen.com

Mikelle Lindsey

Artisanry - Fibers mikelle@mikellelindsey.com mikellelindsey.com

Canguo Liu

Visual Design - Graphic Design c@canguoliu.com canguoliu.com

Yasaman Louhghalam

Visual Design - Graphic Design Yasaman.louhghalam@gmail.com ylouhghalamdesign.com

Artisanry - Ceramics lesliemacklin@gmail.com firefactoryandstudio.com Artisanry - Fibers maureenpatrick@yahoo.com maureenpatrick.com Fine Arts - Painting adrianpoole@comcast.net dherkanz.com

Roy St. Christopher Rossow Fine Arts - Painting roy@rossow-web.com royrossow.com

Calley Snow

Visual Design - Graphic Design snowc@sage.edu calleysnow.com

Jennifer Wood

Fine Arts - Printmaking jennifer@jwoodart.com jwoodart.com

DESIGN COORDINATION AND EDITING: Jessica Fernandes Gomes PHOTOGRAPHS: Archives of the students, Viera Levitt, Katie Wild EDITORS: Heather Bentz, Josette Cormier, Jessica Fernandes Gomes,

Charlotte Hamlin, Viera Levitt, Adrian Ti贸 PUBLICATION ASSISTANT: Alanna Schull

DESIGN LAYOUT AND PRINTING: Mallard and POPS Printing

UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts

ISBN 9780966643749

UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY

UMass Dartmouth CVPA 715 Purchase Street New Bedford, MA 02740 508.999.8555 • gallery@umassd.edu umassd.edu/cvpa/galleries facebook.com/UMassDartmouthGalleries

9 780966 643749