Alumni Updates
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- 2024 Highlights
- 2023 Highlights
- 2022 Highlights
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2024 Highlights
Nathan Cordova (MFA ’24, Photo, Video & Imaging) learned his experimental short films, “Gold and Glitter” and “Anatomy of a Scandal,” were each named semifinalists in the Blow-Up Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival. Both films, which Cordova made while at the School of Art, also will make their San Francisco premier on Dec. 8 at the Another Hole in the Head Film Festival.
Jacqueline Arias (MFA ’24) gave a Sept. 26 talk at Harvard University about her Mola Truth Maps. Arias, an adjunct in the U of A College of Information Science teaching Computing in the Arts, related how she integrates new technologies like VR, data visualization and AI at the Art Tech Psyche Symposium at Harvard’s Cabot Science Library.
Martin Krafft (MFA ’20, Photography) spent three months in Berlin as an artist-in-residence, approaching people in public, offering to read them a poem. Reading one poem 1,000 times to strangers in Berlin. An artistic, social experiment. Krafft selected the German poem, “Surely Gravity’s Law” by Rainer Maria Rilke. And even though he didn’t speak the language, he learned enough to share the poem in German. Details
Nine School of Art alums were among the 41 artists selected for the 2024 Arizona Biennial. A record 560 artists submitted their work, showcasing the state’s rich and varied artistic practices, for the 38th Biennial (Oct. 19, 2024-Feb. 9, 2025) at the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. Alums include Lori Andersen (MFA ’00), Jacqueline Arias Thompson (MFA ’24), Clare Benson (MFA ’13), Alexander Brauer (BFA ’13), Linda Chappel (MA ’98, Art History), Drew Grella (MFA ’24), Serge Levy (MFA ’15), Anita Maksimiuk (MFA ’24) and Mariel Miranda (MFA ’23). Details
Ten artists with School of Art ties are among those featured in “Time Travelers: Foundations, Transformations, and Expansions at the Centennial,” as the Tucson Museum of Art (TMA) and Historic Block celebrates 100 years since its founding with an exhibition that runs until Oct. 6. The artists include former faculty members or alums Cristina Cárdenas, Robert Colescott, Maurice Grossman, Luis Alfonso Jiménez Jr., Karlito Espinosa Miller, Tom Philabaum, Howard Post, Alfred Quiroz, Fritz Scholder and Jim Waid. The museum, 140 N. Main Ave., is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet the artists
Maria Bressler (BFA ’15), a multidisciplinary artist from Shelton, Washington, is the new Artistx Invitadax in Residence at KOIK Contemporary, an art gallery in Mexico City. In an Instagram post, KOIK said: “Maria’s work is a combination of pantomime, classical drawing and painting techniques, and the aesthetic principles of the Vienna Secession, which sought to integrate art into all aspects of life. Through her diverse practice, which includes sculpture, drawing, and painting, Maria explores topics of sensuality, femininity, and the mysteries that lie beneath the surface. … We are excited about the creative journey ahead with Maria at KOIK Contemporary.”
Grace Rhyne (BFA ’23) is among the artists in “BREAKTHROUGH: Arizona’s Emerging Visual Voices” at the Arizona Capitol Museum in Phoenix. The exhibition, open 9 to 4 Monday through Friday until Oct. 19 at 1700 W. Washington St., is curated by alum Rembrandt Quiballo (BFA ’03 Studio Art, BA ’04 Art History).
Lauren Steinert (MFA ’21, Printmaking) was named the co-director of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. As a graduate student at the School of Art, Steinert worked as the printmaking technician as well as the relief printmaking instructor. After receiving her MFA, she was the printmaking instructor for Pima Community College, teaching relief, intaglio and serigraphy, and a glassblowing instructor/assistant at the Sonoran Glass School. Artist website and Chicago Printmakers website and CanvasRebel Q&A
Professor Emeritus Alfred Quiroz (MFA ’84) is presenting his “MUNEEFI$T DE$TINY” (1996) mixed-media work through Oct. 6 in the “Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers” exhibition at the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio. Details
Joe Pagac (BFA ’05) decided to study art at the University of Arizona his sophomore year. Now he’s one of the city’s most beloved muralists. He recently rated his three favorite local murals for “This is Tucson.” They include a cycling javalina, flying whales and cactus-shaped hot air balloons. “So much of my art is tied to the outdoors and to nature and to adventure,” Pagac said. Story
Kareem-Anthony Ferreira (MFA ’20), an artist in Hamilton, Ontario, saw his painting “Kyle’s First Birthday” acquired by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Ferreira explores patterns of personal, familial and social identity within black portraiture through a combination of painting and collage. The painting is based on a 1987 photograph of his older brother taken in Trinidad and Tobago a year before Kareem-Anthony was born.
Monique Laraway (BFA ’12, Studio Art) and five other artists talked about their Speedway Boulevard murals on June 26 at Hotel Congress. In collaboration with the University of Arizona Poetry Center and Alley Cat Murals, the six artists took inspiration from different poets to create six murals near campus in March. Laraway transformed the haiku of Tucson’s Poet Laureate, TC Tolbert, into an homage to transportation and mobility justice. Story
Franzie Weldgen (MFA ’99), an artist, cartoonist, painter and professor in the Fine Arts department at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, was among six art educators selected for Cornell University’s 2023-24 Community College Internationalization Fellows cohort at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
Gregory Sale (MFA ’95), a professor of Expanded Arts and Public Practice at Arizona State University, continued his research this summer in his third artists-in-residence at the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, California. Artist’s website
Perla Segovia (MFA ’22) was featured in an Ecotone magazine cover story, “Juan’s Transcendent Hope.”
Brian Stauffer (BFA ’89) provided the cover art for the 2024 Directory of Illustration. Known for his conceptual take on social issues, Stauffer’s art has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, TIME, The Nation and The New Yorker. He spoke to School of Art students via Zoom in spring 2023 in “Life Lessons from Art Alumni“
Art History alumna Julie Sasse (PhD ’13) retired as chief curator at the Tucson Museum of Art. Julie has been a great friend to faculty and students at the School of Art. “You are wonderful and will be missed,” Regents Professor Sama Alshaibi said on Instagram. “Thank you for all the opportunities you have given so many of us.” Story
Even before the Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer” hit theaters, School of Art alum Ernesto A. Trujillo (BFA ’04, MFA ’10) created a striking collection of mixed-media prints that portrayed his father’s thoughts and fears of nuclear destruction as a defense industry engineer. Trujillo first presented the gallery online in December 2022, but the public can now see his solo exhibition, “The Oppenheimers’: One is Dad, Dimensions of Engineering,” through June 7 at Pima Community College’s Desert Vista Art Gallery, 5901 S Calle Santa Cruz. Q&A with Trujillo
College of Fine Arts Dean Andrew Schulz honored Barbara Grygutis (School of Art, BA ‘68 and MFA ‘71) as the CFA Alumna of the Year. She mentors students through internships at her studio and participates in the school’s career forums. The local artist also designed the “Front Row Center” sculpture garden outside the Marroney Theatre 25 years ago. Story
Sculpture Tucson showcased eight works by School of Art alumna and past Advisory Board member Julia Arriola (’92 BFA, ’96 MFA) at its sculpture park, 3420 E. River Road. “Remember Me: Bring My Story to Light” commemorated missing and murdered indigenous women. More details
Perla Segovia (MFA ’22) was featured in a Feb. 13 Southwest Contemporary “Work in Progress” profile. She was among more than 20 artists — including Assistant Professor Alejandro Macias — exhibiting in “Portraits” at Pima Community College’s Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery. The show ran until March 8.
Dorsey Kaufmann (MFA ’20) won the Gold Prize in the Art, Entertainment and Culture category at the InformationisBeautiful Awards for “Ripple Effect,” an interactive sound installation that visualizes local water quality data through sound, light, and water. Kaufmann also published an article in Nature: “Communicating environmental data through art: the role of emotion and memory in evoking environmental action.” “In this article, I make the case for using nontraditional data visualization methods (like data physicalization and data sonification) to communicate health and scientific data to more diverse communities that are typically not engaged in science,” Kaufmann said. “This study measures the impact that data art installations have on human decision-making and behavior, paving the way for data-driven environmental action.”
Craig Cully (MFA ’99) gave a talk Feb. 15 at Pima Community College during the reception for the Bernal Gallery’s newest exhibit “Portraits.” School of Art Assistant Professor Alejandro Macias also spoke at the reception. Cully’s website
Jessica Gonzales (BFA ’12) finished a mural of Dr. Laura Banks-Reed at the YWCA of Southern Arizona, 525 N. Bonita Ave. for February’s Black History Month. More details
Dwayne Manuel (MFA ’14) finished his installation, “Su:dagī to’otonkad kahiobigs,” in January at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Manuel said: “The city of Tempe is located right along the Salt River, in area we O’odham call “Oidbad”. The river has been damed and dried out, and replaced with an artificial lake called Tempe Town Lake and is the current stomping grounds of the Arizona State University populace. The art on the windows is the visual control of a people and their culture (O’odham) along with the natural environment (water) of which used to thrive in this area. The artwork is spread throughout the main lobby, the Lakeside room, the Carter Lounge, the bar, and the sculpture garden.”
Suzanne Jordan Villella (BA ’92) held an artist reception for “Arizona Ante” on Feb. 3 at the Steinfeld Gallery, 101 W. Sixth St. “So… historically, many artists struggle with the ‘business’ side of work,” Villella said. “We love to create, but the thought of promoting and pricing our work can seem torturous. Then we want to share our work with the public and it feels like putting a part of our soul in a vulnerable place. But we attempt to self-promote, share and market our work. We know folks believe in us. We welcome our team. A perfect example is Tom Heath, the creator of Life Along the Street Car. Tom is incredibly passionate about Tucson. We had the best conversation about my mixed media playing card series, the “Arizona Ante” recently.” More details
2023 Highlights
Karlito Miller Espinosa (MFA ‘19, Studio Art) aka Mata Ruda unveiled a new art installation “Esta Tierra es Nuestra Tierra” (“This Land is Our Land”) at the FDR Four Freedoms State Park in New York City on Sept. 15. Story
Alexandra Jimenez (BFA ’14) presented her largest public art project to date and first mosaic project, “In Memory Of,” on Dec. 10 at Mission Manor Park. Her project is a memorial to people who have died from COVID-19 and other diseases in the South Side of Tucson. Details
John Flint (BFA ’72, Studio Art) gave the keynote address at the College of Fine Arts Fall 2023 Graduation Convocation on Dec. 14. Flint took his BFA degree from the School of Art and he built a city. Literally. He co-founded and served as city manager of the award-winning city of Weston, Florida. Flint also was part of our “Life Lessons from Art Alumni” panel in the spring. Story
Tomiko Jones (MFA ’08) was an Analog Sparks 2023 Bronze Winner in Fine Art/Conceptual for her “Hatsubon” memorial exhibition.
Nassem Navab (MFA ’19) joined the faculty at The City College of New York in the fall as Assistant Professor of Art. “I’m very excited,” says Nassem, whose teaching focuses on electronic design and multimedia.
Ash Dahlke (MFA ’19), an artist based in Bisbee, Arizona, is one of four new commissioners appointed to the Arizona Commission on the Arts by Gov. Katie Hobbs. Dahlke is a 2D instructor and Union Gallery curator at Cochise College in Douglas and former board president of the Border Arts Corridor. Story
Ari Sturr (MFA ’22, 3D and Extended Media) spoke about her current installation, “Nature Dosing,” at the SNRE Seminar Series.
Elliott Jamal Robbins (MFA ’17) gave an animation screening and artist talk/Q&A on Aug. 26, at Everybody on East Grant Road.
Dwayne Manuel (MFA ’14) is one of three finalists for the the S’edav Va’aki Museum Mural Project.
Kevin Coochwytewa (BFA ’00) is featured in the latest First American Art Magazine, in which he writes about his top seven picks in the Native art world. Earlier, the Isleta Pueblo and Hopi art director/graphic designer had the honor of designing a 164-page catalog that examines the work of the late Jim Denomie, an Ojibwe (La Courte Oreilles Band) painter known for his colorful looks at U.S. history and Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The book accompanies an exhibition on view at Minneapolis Institute of Art through March 24, 2024. Photos
Mark Cowardin (MFA ’01) is presenting a sculptural solo show, “Until the Sun Moves,” through Oct. 28 in Kansas City, Mo. Details
Jody Servon (MFA ’00), an artist, educator and curator in Boone, N.C., published her first book, “Saved: Objects of the Dead,” co-authored with poet Lorene Delany-Ullman. They shared their project in more than 30 exhibitions and six literary journals before working with Artsuite on the monograph, which features over 40 photographs and prose poems about objects people save from loved ones who’ve died. “Our book offers people another avenue to explore the humanness of grief and loss,” Servon says.
Victor Navarro (BFA ’10) is presenting his retrospective exhibit at the Tucson International Airport! Details
Rachel Stiff (MFA ’12, Painting) received a residency at the Black Rock Desert National Conservation Area in Nevada. Rachel is a professor of art at Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada. See her impressive work at https://rachelstiff.com/ and https://tinyurl.com/5432ftdu. Black Rock website: https://blackrockdesert.org/
Nathan Abel (MFA ’09, Printmaking) hosted the opening reception for his exhibition “Nesting” on Feb. 3 at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, Wyoming. “In Nesting, the work tells the story of when my wife and I began planning a family. We anticipated problems but had no idea of the long and traumatic path ahead of us. It is through my work I hope to shed light on infertility, child loss, and adoption. I want to show the hardships and joy that can come with creating a family and honor the experience we and so many others have been through.”
Lisette Chavez (MFA ’14) visited our Book Art and Letterpress Lab, where she chatted with Professor Karen Zimmermann about her career and about the national APA Wayzgoose Conference hosted by the school. Chavez works remotely from Tucson as a research assistant for the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation. She also hosts a cool Instagram site, “Show me your print shop” as a resource for printmakers. Book art and letterpress labs from all over the world send her photos, and she posts them with information or tips shared by the printmakers! Chavez’s website
Robert D. Cocke (BFA ’72) made a generous donation of books in early January to the School of Art. The alum, who lives in Oracle, taught for 21 years at Arizona State University. “Getting lost in a Robert Cocke landscape is a welcome journey and a rewarding, transformative adventure,” wrote Robert Knight in a forward to Cocke’s 2010 book (below). Cocke’s work belongs to the public collections of the Smithsonian American, Crocker and Phoenix Art museums, among others. He has received honors from the National Endowment for the Arts, Western States Arts Federation, Ford Foundation and others. In February, his partner, Jane Kirkeby, also donated her art books. Wikipedia page
Kendall Crabbe (Ph.D. ’22, Art and Visual Culture Education) has been selected by her peers to receive the Elliot Eisner Doctoral Research Runner-Up Award in Art Education. The National Art Education Association will honor the University of Arizona School of Art graduate April 13 in San Antonio.
Craig Cully (MFA ’99, Painting) was selected as one of the 35 shortlisted artists for the 2023 FiKVA – Figuratieve Kunst Vandaag Award for painters. His painting “Siphon” (currently on view in the Tucson Museum of Art for the 2023 Arizona Biennial) will be featured among the others selected for an online exhibition opening July 11 and will be in the running for the final award. The work is a response to the loss of his basset hound, Bertha, last year, while also seeking to express and glimmer of hope, he said. Website
Anna B. Garner (MFA ’14) saw her performance video “Just Below” become part of the permanent collection at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. https://youtu.be/0gKpSquQ-fk “(I’m) grateful to have my work in such an important institution, ‘the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts,’” she said. Garner’s website
Robert Edward Gordon (Ph.D. Art History, ’15) recently published “Buddhist Architecture in America: Building for Enlightenment” through Routledge. The book draws from Robert’s dissertation, “The Heart in the Matter: Design, Belief and a History of Buddhist Architecture in America,” under Professor Paul Ivey.
Camden Hardy (MFA ’12) led a storytelling project in which students created postcards for a University of Arizona Ph.D. class co-taught by Prof. Ellen McMahon. “Postcards promote an ethics of care that is often at odds with our culture of fast-paced, transactional consumption,” said Hardy, a doctoral candidate in Applied Intercultural Arts Research (AIAR). A reception for the students’ work was May 2 at the Palo Verde Gallery in the Grad Lab. Story
Kate Long Hodges (MFA ’06) and Ted Wade Springer (MFA ’98) co-hosted the May 13 Foraging & Fundraising event and sunset dinner at The Land With No Name Sanctuary on Saturday. Guests ate from the desert, learned about the history and culture of Sonoran biodiversity and sipped wild-crafted beverages while the sun set over the roasting pit. School of Art Director Colin Blakely and Assistant Professor Jennifer Saracino attended. Photos
Khaled Jarrar (MFA ’19) won this year’s DOXA Feature Documentary Award for his film “Notes on Displacement.” Khaled is the director and cameraman as he goes with a group of Syrian Palestinians on their journey that ends in Germany after troubles at borders in Europe. More details
Martin Krafft (MFA ’20; Photography, Video & Imaging) was granted a month-length residency at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York. He used the time to finish up a documentary, “Ain’t Got Time to Die,” about a friend who battled terminal cancer. Details
Dwayne Manuel (MFA ’14) saw his art collaboration with the Phoenix Suns featured on the team’s main scoreboard in January. Manuel’s website
John Meyer (BFA ’82, Studio Art) was honored as the College of Fine Arts’ 2023 Alumnus of the Year — one of 15 alums being recognized by the university — on Feb. 2 and Feb 3. Profile and photos and announcement story.
Olivia Miller (BFA ’05) was appointed director of the University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) on May 19. Miller becomes the first woman to serve as the institution’s director. Miller, a School of Art alumna (BA ’05, Art History and Studio Art), earned her master’s in Art History from the University of Oregon. She joined the museum as curator of education in 2012, overseeing the docent and education programs before becoming curator of exhibitions in 2014. She has curated more than 30 exhibitions during her tenure, overseeing the restoration and return of the UAMA’s stolen Willem de Kooning painting, Woman-Ochre. She served as interim director for the past 10 months. Story
Haley Morris-Cafiero (MFA ’03) accepted a job as associate professor of Visual Art at De Montfort University in Leicester, England. Haley, who also earned a Ph.D. this year from the University of Westminster in London, uses her photography as an activist voice to fight discrimination and social invisibility. Her published monographs include “The Watchers” (2015), in which she captured strangers from across the world reacting to her weight, and “The Bully Pulpit” (2019). Morris-Cafiero’s website
Victor Navarro (BFA, ’10) was part of the large-format art exhibition, “Grand Scale,” at the Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics in Oro Valley. The opening reception was Jan. 18.
Perla Segovia (MFA ’22) saw her 2022 glass and mixed media project “Huitzilopochtli” debut April 28 at the Ireland Glass Biennale 2023. The exhibition continues until Aug. 20 at the Coach House Gallery in Dublin Castle, Ireland. It brings together some of the world’s most innovative glass artists, designers and craft practitioners. Details and photos
Kaitlyn Jo Smith (MFA ’20) has been awarded a prestigious Alice C. Cole ’42 Fellowship in Studio Art from Wellesley College in Massachusetts for 2023-24. Given to an outstanding early-career artist, the fellowship “provides funds to support one year of unimpeded time and space to experiment, develop a body of work and focus on future artistic goals,” according to Wellesley. The $35,000 fellowship is based on nominations from prominent members of the national arts community. Kaitlyn’s “Fixtures” and “Lights Out” installations (pictured) are on display at the Arizona Biennial exhibition until Oct. 1 at the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. She is an adjunct instructor for the University of Arizona School of Art. Read story
Brian Stauffer (BFA ’89) received the Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators for his Nation magazine cover artwork that marked the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. “Although bittersweet, it’s a measure of so much that I love illustration for,” he said. Go to https://brianstauffer.com/ to see Brian’s website.
Erika Tenorio (BFA ’22) held her opening reception on Jan. 19 for “A Little Piece of Nicaragua,” the first official exhibition “where I can showcase Nicaragua in relief print.” The reception and show were at Groundworks Tucson.
Alex Turner (MFA ’20, photo above) saw his “1 Human (Border Patrol) with A.I. Recognition, San Rafael Valley, AZ” photograph acquired by LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art for its permanent collection (details: https://tinyurl.com/SOAturner23). The work, part of Alex’s BLIND RIVER project, was featured in the Marshall Gallery’s 2022 exhibition “The Intimacy of Distance: Explorations of the Figure/Ground,” curated by School of Art Associate Professor Lawrence Gipe and Douglas Marshall.
Arizona Biennial
Deaths
Brian Horton (MFA ’99) was remembered on April 8 at The Land With No Name Sanctuary. Horton, 51, died on Dec. 15, 2022. Born in Ohio, he was “a fantastic sculptor” who also designed and built guitars and was “an excellent guitarist,” said Moria Geoffrion, retired School of Art director who mentored Brian in sculpture while he was a student. “The memorial was really lovely.” Obit
Pauline Pedregon (BFA ’08, Studio Art) died on Feb. 4. Her art has been displayed across Tucson; she designed and sculpted an award given to Mayor Regina Romero; and she had one of her paintings on display in former U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick’s D.C. office. Details See her work on YouTube and on the Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery website.
2022 Highlights
Alex Turner (MFA Studio Art, ’20) and Ryan McIntosh (BFA Studio Art, ’07) showed their work at “The Intimacy of Distance” exhibition at the Douglas Marshall Gallery this fall in Santa Monica, California, along with Prof. Sama Alshaibi. Turner, McIntosh and Alshaibi chatted with the SoCal Cats alumni chapter and School of Art Director Colin Blakely during a special event on Oct. 23. The exhibition was co-curated by Prof. Lawrence Gipe.
Bella Maria Varela, (MFA Photo/Video/Imaging, ’21 ) has been named to the 2022 Provost’s Early Career Fellows Cohort at the University of Texas at Austin. Varela moved to El Paso, Texas, after receiving her master’s at the University of Arizona to attend the Border Art Residency (BAR), where she helped establish a new arts and philosophy program — Transformative Learning Communities — in elChamizal, a barrio on the US/Mexico Border. Read story
Dorsey Kaufmann (MFA ’20, Illustration + Design) Kaufmann exhibited her multimedia installation, “Ripple Effect,” in Venice, Italy as part of the ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition, “Cities of the Future: Living Together.” “Ripple Effect” is an interactive sound installation that visualizes contamination data of local water quality and then translates the data into sound waves. Read story
Kaufmann was listed as one of ArtConnect magazine’s “Artists to Watch 2021,” stating “Dorsey Kaufmann’s series Years of Lost Life exemplifies the power of when art and science merge. The project … visualizes the dangers to a whole community in the Sonoran Desert due to corporate mining … is clearly well researched … with a clear educational baseline.” Read Q&A
Cherise Smith (MA ‘97/BA ‘91, Art History) received the Eldredge Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in American Art by the Smithsonian American Art Museum for her book “Michael Ray Charles: A Retrospective.” The book is the first in-depth examination of the artist’s provocative paintings that sample images of racism from consumer culture. Dr. Smith is an inaugural Scholar in the African American Art History Research Initiative at the Getty Research Institute for 2021-2022, and she is the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in African American Studies and a professor in the African and African Diaspora Studies and art and art history departments at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research has been supported by the Getty Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African American Research at Harvard University. She has worked in the curatorial departments of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Saint Louis Art Museum among other institutions. Read story
Chris Gall (BFA ’85) has created a Wilbur and Wilma Homecoming illustration for the University of Arizona for the past 10 years. Gall has received over 50 major awards from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Art Magazine, The New York Art Directors Club, and Print Magazine. His artwork has been shown major national publications like Time, Newsweek, People, New York Times, and Washington Post.
Adriana Gallego (BFA ’97, Painting and Drawing) was appointed executive director of the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. “I’m trained as a painter, but I am at the service of other artists,” Gallego said.
Jessica Gonzales (BFA ‘12, 2D Art) created this mural, “Seeds of Wonder,” in two days outside the Wonder House / Fogo de Chao at SXSW in Austin, Texas, in March. The mural depicts the excitement of finding and pursuing your passions, while also incorporating a taste of Tucson flare.
Clare Benson (MFA, ’13), a photographer and interdisciplinary artist, is being featured in a three-person exhibition, “On the Arctic Edge — Artists Explore the Far North” at Scandinavia House in New York City from Oct. 22 to Jan. 28, 2023. Benson’s work in Arctic Sweden in coordination with space scientists and indigenous Sámi reindeer herders has been exhibited internationally and published in the 2017 book “The Shepherd’s Daughter.” Website
Nassem Navab (MFA, ’19) and Anh-Thuy Nguyen (BFA, ’10) were featured in a compelling four-woman exhibition “Dialogues” at Tucson’s Yun Gee Park Gallery. Read story
Sadie Shaw (BFA, ’19, Art & Visual Culture Education) landed a new position with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Read story
Sarah Hardesty (MFA Painting ’05) saw her solo show “Time Binding” reviewed by the Washington Post. Read story The show was held at the Arlington Arts Center in Arlington, Virginia, where Sarah is a resident artist and an assistant professor at Marymount University. See the show’s catalog and her website.
Adam Rex (’96 BFA Studio Art) mentored aspiring illustrators and writers as the fall writer-in-residence at the Himmel Park and Woods Memorial libraries in Tucson from August to October. Read Q&A
Aline Kominsky-Crumb (BFA, ’71) died Nov. 29 in France. She was 74. A close collaborator of her cartoonist husband, Robert Crumb, she was a founding member of the influential all-female collective that produced the anthology Wimmin’s Comix, a long-running feminist comic published from 1972 to 1985. A documentary about their life, “Crumb,” was released in 1994. Read obit
