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Home › News & Events › News › Mariel Miranda is bringing a dead bird back to life

Mariel Miranda is bringing a dead bird back to life

July 2, 2021

Yes, you read that right. Artist Mariel Miranda, second-year Master of Fine Arts candidate in the Photography, Video and Imaging program, will bring a dead bird back to life. Not once, not twice, but in 16 new, impossible ways. To pull off this feat, Miranda needs support. Fortunately she just earned the 2021 Marcia Grand Centennial Sculpture Prize, which is providing Miranda with up to $10,000 to complete her artistic vision.

For more than 30 years, the Centennial Sculpture Prize is given to an MFA candidate, specifically to support the completion of sculptural/3D artwork. The recipient is determined by a committee of staff and faculty via a proposal process. Previous honorees have included Benjamin Dearstyne Hoste, Marina Shaltout, and Karlito Miller Espinosa.

Miranda graduated with honors from the Universidad Autonoma de Baja in Tijuana, Mexico, with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She was raised in the Las Cumbres neighborhood of Tijuana, and her experience there informs her artistic work and research.

Sixteen Necromancy Wishes

Miranda’s proposed project, “Sixteen Necromancy Wishes,” envisions 16 ways in which a small, dead bird can be brought back to life using a taxonomic spell and visual arts. The Centennial Sculpture Prize will provide the support needed to bring the bird back to life, in 3D form.

“My aim in this project is to create an allegorical device to speak about the small and the silent,” wrote Miranda. “For the last 12 years I have lived the embodied experience of the daily threat of a narco-state that operates with impunity in my home country Mexico. Before coming to Tucson, I wondered about all those years now of the pain of death that passes through all of us. But also, and above all, I wondered about the immeasurable beauty of the small and silent acts of courage and love that are applied as tactics against all that terror — acts that we’ll never get to know.”

This project operates as a strategy for reframing the grieving process, a gesture to deal with confronting death and the exhausting desire to bring back those of us who are deceased.

“Mariel’s work shows a level of sophistication and maturity that is exceptionally advanced for an MFA student. I am so glad we can offer the support provided by this award in order to bring her project to fruition,” said School of Art Director Colin Blakely.

Using Eco-Friendly materials, Miranda will build 3 of these delicate and fantastic bodies and an experimental installation that acts as a home-site for them. With the help of professors, friends, and curators from the region of Tucson and Tijuana, she will decide the best place for the installation of her project. Possible sites include Biosphere 2 and The Botanical Garden at the Centro Cultural Tijuana.

“I am very grateful to the School of Art and to the sponsors who make possible the funding of this award that has been supporting the work of other students over the past years,” said Miranda. “I also want to acknowledge that the support of the UA Fellows during this first year, as a student, has been a fundamental factor that has allowed me to dedicate myself full time to the production and research of the four projects I have underway at the moment, the study time has been intense and powerful. I especially want to thank the PVI program/family/of which I am a proud member. The recognitions and grants that I have achieved throughout this year would not have been possible without the listening, advice, support, and friendship of my professors David Taylor, Sama Alshaibi, and Ellen McMahon as well as all my friends and colleagues who have been of enormous affective and intellectual support since the day I arrived at the University.”

Miranda has already earned much recognition and praise for her research and projects in her first year. Before arriving, Miranda was recognized as one of the University’s top graduate recruits through the University Fellows program.

The University Fellows Award is a prestigious fellowship offered only to the University of Arizona’s highest-ranked incoming graduate students. Fellows benefit from rich opportunities to forge new connections with people and ideas, while strengthening their foundational knowledge and professional preparation.

Within her first year, she earned yet another fellowship. This time through the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry. Miranda was named one of the 2021 Mellon-Fronteridades Graduate Fellows in January.

Mellon-Fronteridades fellows are community members, students, and academic professionals who engage in arts and humanities-centric interdisciplinary initiatives with border communities. These fellows foster and promote scholarship and creative activities that explore, analyze, and elevate the lived experiences and cultural resources of this region. Fellows create new ways for understanding border dynamics, and ultimately promote positive impact, in Arizona-Sonora border communities.

As a Mellon-Fronteridades Graduate Fellow, Miranda has been working on “Everything was Black and Yet, it Glowed,” an interdisciplinary work that explores translating her dream archive (audios of dreams she can recall from the previous night) that she has been collecting for the last 6 years into tangible forms. This project was also supported this year by the Graduate and Professional Student Council Research and Project Grant.

That was all within her first year. With two more years in the School of Art’s Master of Fine Arts program, who knows what will be next for Miranda.

You can follow Mariel Miranda on Instagram (@mariiel.mira) and Twitter (@marielmiira). Her new website will be ready in August.


Want to get involved? You can vote for your 3 favorite collages on our Instagram post to help Miranda choose which ones to make in 3D forms! Write a comment in this Instagram post with your 3 favorites of Mariel Miranda’s collages. We will update this story and Instagram to show which birds are chosen and the installation site.

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University of Arizona School of Art
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We are over the moon 🌙 to welcome Emily Miu as a first year student this fall!

At first, Emily's path to college was blocked by barriers that were steering her away from what she wants to explore and she considered not attending at all.

That changed after attending the Visions program offered by Scottsdale Arts. Through this program, Emily had the opportunity to work with professional artists and visited us for a workshop.

Through our partnership with Visions, we were able to offer Emily scholarships so she can start her journey as a Wildcat this August! Her parents were misty eyed at the Visions '22 opening reception, saying that she would likely not have attended college at all, if not for Visions and the School of Art!

"The scholarship opportunities I gained from this program made me change my major in college and goals for my academic future" - Emily Miu

Congratulations and welcome!
... See MoreSee Less

We are over the moon 🌙 to welcome Emily Miu as a first year student this fall!

At first, Emilys path to college was blocked by barriers that were steering her away from what she wants to explore and she considered not attending at all.

That changed after attending the Visions program offered by Scottsdale Arts. Through this program, Emily had the opportunity to work with professional artists and visited us for a workshop.

Through our partnership with Visions, we were able to offer Emily scholarships so she can start her journey as a Wildcat this August! Her parents were misty eyed at the Visions 22 opening reception, saying that she would likely not have attended college at all, if not for Visions and the School of Art!

The scholarship opportunities I gained from this program made me change my major in college and goals for my academic future - Emily Miu

Congratulations and welcome!
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University of Arizona School of Art
1 month ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We are looking for models for our fall courses!
arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/9951?c=arizona
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Model (On Call) (Part Time)

arizona.csod.com

Model for Art classes as scheduled/needed involving drawing from the figure.Applicants must be willing to pose partially clothed and nude for the dura...
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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 months ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We're so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work y'all are creating and sharing it here.

"I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and we'll miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!"

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭
... See MoreSee Less

Were so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work yall are creating and sharing it here. 

I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and well miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment
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Congrats, Lauren!! 🙌💐

Congratulations on a job well done. 👏Very proud of you and your accomplishments.

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 months ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Graduation celebrations continue! Let's hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

"I'm Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers' reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms."

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!
... See MoreSee Less

Graduation celebrations continue! Lets hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

Im Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms.

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!Image attachment
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Congrats to Kasey!

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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 months ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States.
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations.
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations.
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaball
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We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States. 
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations. 
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations. 
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaballImage attachmentImage attachment+6Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 months ago
University of Arizona School of Art

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.”

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds.

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!
... See MoreSee Less

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.” 

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds. 

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong 

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment
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