Written by Kay Heino I've been very lucky with the opportunity to connect with alumni of MCADs MFA program. Someone I recently was lucky enough to exchange virtual conversation with is Jessie Henderson '11. I was able to ask a few questions and I would like to share them below. KAY: Which year did you graduate and what brought you to MCAD for your MFA? JESSIE: I graduated in 2011. I was working as a full-time designer but knew that I wanted to eventually move into teaching at the college level. I am from Minneapolis and wanted to stay in Minneapolis--I knew that MCAD had an amazing reputation, was eager to work with the faculty at MCAD and knew that this MFA experience would plug me into a local community that I would be able to stay connected in once the program was complete. KAY: How did your creative practice change while you were at MCAD? JESSIE: My creative practice changed in so many ways during my time at MCAD. Generous access to materials, studios and fabrication support really opened up new ways of thinking for me. The relationships that I had with peers, mentors and advisors were deep and fruitful and helped inform and evolve my work in ways that I hadn't anticipated. KAY: Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program? JESSIE: The experience of getting your MFA is such a rich and layered challenge; it grows you and stretches you and breaks you down and builds you up and you have the privilege of sharing an entire arch of these meaningful experiences with a tight night group of peers and mentors. Whether it is the collective nerve of mid-program reviews, the weight of a particularly difficult critique session, the excitement of a major creative breakthrough, the celebration of a final install... It is really special to share these moments. KAY: What is next? Any new projects or life events that are in the pipeline? JESSIE: I am in my tenth year of teaching in the Art + Design Department at Bethel University and I maintain a personal studio practice out of my backyard studio. Making my own work and sharing my passion for art and design with students is the best of both worlds. KAY: Do you have any links you'd like us to share with the post? JESSIE: instagram: @henderstudio website: jesssicarhenderson.com Categories Alumni