Launch Programming The MCAD MFA Program has been collaborating with a variety of partners to provide pivotal funded opportunities to our students and recent graduates (up to two years post-graduation) with a special emphasis on networking and resume-building, called Launch Programming.These programs help strengthen students’ records of achievement, and ease the transition to life after graduate studies. Students can be awarded up to three of the opportunities during their window of eligibility. This collaborative Launch Programming has led to a variety of happenings beyond the original awards, including several new bodies of work, written publications, solo exhibitions, podcast interviews, public artist talks, and leading workshops. Resources for applicants: Tips for Writing a Strong Proposal Documentation Tips 2022-2023 Arts Writing Award This year we are testing a new Launch Program focused on arts writing – we are excited to try this out and learn as we go! We’ve engaged with alum Michal Sagar ’96 who is preparing work for a solo exhibition at Form + Content Gallery in Minneapolis, in the fall of 2022. She has conducted studio visits with Jocelyn Suzuka Figueroa ’21 and faculty emeritus Frenchy Lunning, and both will be producing essays about this new body of work, to be released in a publication at the opening reception. Like our other Launch Programs, this new program will help promote practicing skills to support artistic practice, while building strong networks of mutual support and collective practices. We are offering $200 per essay, supported by Sagar’s generosity. We hope to grow this writing program each year moving forward. Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) Outlook Gallery partnership The MCBA, one of the nation’s premiere art centers for print/paper/book making, this year began a bi-annual partnership with the MFA Program to host one financially-supported summer solo show in their street-facing Outlook Gallery. This exhibition was juried by MCBA staff. Victor Sánchez ’23 Collaborative Practices Award This Launch Program started Fall 2021 – we have been learning as we go! We’re interested in how we can incentivize practicing how to build strong networks of mutual support and collective practices. We offer $500 to help subsidize a collaborative project, such as critique groups, collectives, shared publications, community supported art, and more. Marigolds – Rosario Parker Gordon ’23, Abe Shriner ’23, Emmy Smith ’23, Skeletonjelly (Ashton Najarian), Mulligan Greenwell Liminal Collective 2022 – Ivonne Yáñez ’23, Kirstin Dunlap, Jalal Ghias Beygi, Jared LeClaire, Emily Kofsky Group Critique – Melanie Dowding ’24, Elsie Gray ’24, Sarah Niksa ’24, John Hallett ’24, Kevin Reid ’24 Rochester Art Center Partnership Rochester Art Center offers the opportunity for all people to understand and value the arts through innovative experiences with contemporary art. In its third year, the MCAD MFA program is collaborating on a competition, with the winner receiving a financially supported solo exhibition at Rochester Art Center. This year, Rochester Art Center staff juried the exhibition Ivonne Yáñez ’23 Art in Motion Summer Residencies Art in Motion, located on the Lake Wobegon trail, builds unity and art appreciation through incubating artists and their art, teaching creative students of all ages, hosting an open community space, and serving food and beverages. Liz Hilliard ’24 Malini Basu ’24 Ali Yager ’23 Nick Chatfield-Taylor ’23 2021-2022 Collaborative Practices Award This is a new Launch Program as of Fall 2021 – we are excited to try this out and learn as we go! We’re interested in how we can incentivize practicing how to build strong networks of mutual support and collective practices. We are offering $500 to help subsidize a collaborative project, such as critique groups, collectives, shared publications, community supported art, and more. Be Collective: Jesus Li ’23, Ivonne Yanez ’23, Boom Mekavarakul, Chat Sanghiran, Alejandro Junyao Zhang ’21, Jennifer Charoni, Bo Young An ’22 Rural Experience Collective (REC): Cailey Birchem ’22, Jordyn Brennan ’22, Alexis Schramel ’23, Amanda Schroeder ’22, Megan Kleitch Homewood Studios Homewood Studios, run by Beverly and George Roberts, will hire one gallery assistant to work on installing and de-installing exhibitions. This paid opportunity includes hanging work, installing vinyl lettering, painting/ spackling, and mounting wall tags, among other tasks. This is a new Launch Program as of Fall 2021. Amanda Rose ’23 MCAD/Arrowmont University Fellows Scholarship This is a unique program in which two MFA students are awarded a free week-long summer workshop, plus room, board, and a travel stipend during the summer after they graduate. Read about past fellows’ experiences. Anda Tanaka ’22 Ali Yager ’23 Rochester Art Center Partnership Rochester Art Center offers the opportunity for all people to understand and value the arts through innovative experiences with contemporary art. In its third year, the MCAD MFA program is collaborating on a competition, with the winner receiving a financially supported solo exhibition at Rochester Art Center. This year’s juror is Nicole Nfonoyim-Hara. Genie Hien Tran ’22 Wisher Residency MCAD alumnus Rob Fischer ’93, and partner Sara Woster, have generously sponsored a residency in Park Rapids, MN for up to three MCAD MFA participants. This 5-10 day residency is a great opportunity for rest, reflection, and creativity over the winter break. Fall 2021 application deadline: November 19 at Noon CT. Genie Hien Tran ’22 Alexis Schrammel ’23 Kendall Dickinson ’20 Forecast Public Art Fellowship for Designers/ Illustrators Forecast Public Art is a nonprofit organization that activates, inspires, and advocates for public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity. The MCAD MFA program is collaborating to provide a financially supported illustration/graphic design fellowship. Yao Jian ’21 Jesús Li ’23 Soo Visual Arts Center Partnership Soo Visual Arts Center, founded in 2001 by Suzy Greenberg MFA ’98, is a nonprofit art space that connects our community with fresh, under-represented and provocative art. The MCAD MFA program is collaborating with Soo Visual Arts Center this year on a joint juried exhibition featuring both MCAD and UMN grads and alumni. The juror was Nicole Soukup, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at Mia, and the selected MCAD participants are listed below. View images from the opening reception. David Ruhlman ’20 Jocelyn Suzuka Figueroa ’21 Anda Tanaka ’22 MacKenzie Mitzuk ’23 Highlights Foundation The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves. This year we are offering financial support to cover the cost of a summer workshop focused on children’s book illustration. Kate Gunther ’22 Small Group Critiques This is our second year hosting small group critiques open to the classes of ’20, ’21, ’22, and ’23 to offer space, dialogue, and networking to help pave the way for a successful transition out of graduate school. This simple program helps current students connect with other cohorts, and recent grads to continue receiving feedback on work, and documenting it, even after graduation. Students and alumni will be sent an online sign-up spreadsheet. This launch program is not funded, but provides installation space free of charge. 2020-2021 MCAD/Arrowmont University Fellows Scholarship This is a unique program in which two MFA students are awarded a free week-long summer workshop, plus room, board, and a travel stipend during the summer after they graduate. Read about one of our first fellows’ experience here. Shirin Ghoraishi ’20 (awarded for 2020; postponed to summer 2021 due to pandemic) Alonzo Pantoja ’20 (awarded for 2020; postponed to summer 2021 due to pandemic) Highlights Foundation The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves. This year we are offering financial support to cover the cost of a 2-week intensive online workshop focused on children’s book illustration. Click the names below to read more about each individual’s experience: sunshine gao ’20 Yao Jian ’21 Kate Gunther ’22 Cailey Birchem ’22 Bo Young An ’22 Soo Visual Arts Center Partnership Soo Visual Arts Center, founded in 2001 by Suzy Greenberg MFA ’98, is a nonprofit art space that connects our community with fresh, under-represented and provocative art. The MCAD MFA program is collaborating with Soo Visual Arts Center on an annual competition for a financially supported solo exhibition. Read about Schneider’s exhibition. Anika Schneider ’19 – “Chinese-ish,” March 27-May 16, 2021 Forecast Public Art Fellowship for Designers/ Illustrators Forecast Public Art is a nonprofit organization that activates, inspires, and advocates for public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity. The MCAD MFA program is collaborating to provide a financially supported illustration/graphic design fellowship. Read about Tran’s fellowship. Genie Hien Tran ’22 Wisher Residency MCAD alumnus Rob Fischer ’93, and partner Sara Woster, have generously sponsored a residency in Park Rapids, MN for up to three MCAD MFA participants. This 5-10 day residency is a great opportunity for rest, reflection, and creativity. This year the residency was offered in the spring, rather than over the winter break. Read about their time at the cabin. Jocelyn Suzuka ’21 Yao Jian ’21 Kyle Bredain ’21 Mildred’s Lane Mildred’s Lane is a 94-acre project site in the Pennsylvania woods on the Upper Delaware River where fellows and practitioners apply tools and concepts of contemporary art to landscape, vernacular architecture, installation art, sculpture, history, archaeology, natural sciences, utopian studies, and creative domesticity. Read about the inaugural MCAD MFA resident. This year we get to thank Susan Calmenson and Vince Leo for their generous support of this opportunity! Shoshana Fink ’22 Rochester Art Center Partnership Rochester Art Center offers the opportunity for all people to understand and value the arts through innovative experiences with contemporary art. In it’s second year, the MCAD MFA program is collaborating on a competition, with the winner receiving a financially supported solo exhibition at Rochester Art Center. Jocelyn Suzuka MacDonald ’21 – “GHOSTS OF THE NEGATIVE: The Last Soldiers” July 28-November 14, 2021. Read our interview! Art in Motion Summer Residencies Art in Motion, located on the Lake Wobegon trail, builds unity and art appreciation through incubating artists and their art, teaching creative students of all ages, hosting an open community space, and serving food and beverages. Alondra Garza ’21 (July) Anika Schneider ’19 (July) Heather Lamanno ’19 (August) Dan McAvey ’22 (August) Small Group Critiques Starting spring 2021, the MCAD MFA program will host small group critiques open to the classes of ’19, ’20, ’21, and ’22 to offer space, dialogue, and networking to help pave the way for a successful transition out of graduate school. This simple program helps current students connect with other cohorts, and recent grads to continue receiving feedback on work, and documenting it, after graduation. Students and alumni will be sent an online sign-up spreadsheet. This launch program is not funded, but provides installation space free of charge. 2019-2020 Wisher Residency MCAD alumnus Rob Fischer ’93, and partner Sara Woster, have generously sponsored a residency in Park Rapids, MN for up to three MCAD MFA participants. This 5-10 day residency is a great opportunity for rest, reflection, and creativity over the winter break. Read about the inaugural residency. Emma Beatrez ’20 Lee Noble ’20 Roshan Ganu ’20 Soo Visual Arts Center Partnership Soo Visual Arts Center, founded in 2001 by Suzy Greenberg MFA ’98, is a nonprofit art space that connects our community with fresh, under-represented and provocative art. The MCAD MFA program is collaborating with Soo Visual Arts Center on an annual competition for a financially supported solo exhibition. Read about the inaugural exhibition. Roshan Ganu ’20 Water Bar and Public Studio Partnership Water Bar & Public Studio is a bar that serves free tap water to build relationships that activate and sustain community. They are also an art space, a social hub and an incubator of collaborative projects on water, place, and environment. In 2019, the MCAD MFA program supported two supported fellowships for graphic designers/illustrators/comic artists. Camilo Aguirre ’20 Yao Jian ’21 Mildred’s Lane Mildred’s Lane is a 94-acre project site in the Pennsylvania woods on the Upper Delaware River where fellows and practitioners apply tools and concepts of contemporary art to landscape, vernacular architecture, installation art, sculpture, history, archaeology, natural sciences, utopian studies, and creative domesticity. Read about the inaugural MCAD MFA resident. Lee Noble ’20 Rochester Art Center Partnership Rochester Art Center offers the opportunity for all people to understand and value the arts through innovative experiences with contemporary art. Starting spring 2020, the MCAD MFA program is collaborating on a competition, with the winner receiving a financially supported solo exhibition at Rochester Art Center. Read about the inaugural exhibition. Emma Beatrez ’20 (originally planned for spring, postponed to fall 2020) 2018-2019 MCAD/ Arrowmont University Fellows Scholarship This is a unique program in which two MFA students are awarded a free week-long summer workshop, plus room, board, and a travel stipend during the summer after they graduate. Read about one of our first fellows’ experience here. Anika Schneider ’19 Cassandra Cook ‘ 19