This spring we are interviewing some of the generous MFA alumni who donated work to our new MFA 2020 Fund via the MCAD Art Sale. This new fund will support scholarships for future Black, Indigenous, and People of Color MFA students. Alanna Stapleton, an illustrator, textile artist, and educator based in Madison, WI. Alanna earned her MFA in Visual Studies with a concentration in Illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators NY and has been shown at Gowanus Print Lab, Soo Visual Arts Center, Light Grey Art Lab, the Textile Center, and more. She was also a contributing illustrator to Rookie Mag, an instructor at the Textile Center in Minneapolis, and she has taught illustration and drawing at Northern Michigan University. She is currently the Arts Programming Specialist for Wheelhouse Studios at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Which year did you graduate and what brought you to MCAD for your MFA? Could you speak a little bit about your background? I grew up drawing (mostly horses), and then earned a BFA in Illustration from Northern Michigan University. I was working as a tour guide in DC when I decided that I wanted to pursue grad school. The interdisciplinary nature and mentor-based model of the MCAD MFA program are what convinced me to apply, but my visit to campus during the application process is what brought me to MCAD. I had a gut feeling it was the right place for me, and when I have a gut feeling I've learned it is best to just listen! I graduated from the MCAD MFA program in 2018. How did your art change while you were at MCAD? The short answer is that I had time and space to develop confidence in my visual and personal voice. How has your work evolved since your time at MCAD? Grad school provided an opportunity to create a really tight definition of who I was as an artist. Because I had that solid foundation of my visual and personal voice, I have felt more comfortable letting that definition of myself and my work post grad school expand and shift. Sometimes I'm an illustrator, sometimes I'm a textile artist, and sometimes I'm an educator, but none of these parts of my practice are separate--they all drive each other. What is next? Any new projects or jobs that are in the pipeline? Creative pursuits helped to keep me grounded in 2020, but I have to confess that I'm currently experiencing some burnout. January and February tend to be my least-creative months of every year, so I like to take this time to regroup without the pressure to produce new work. Last year I launched an online newsletter, and I'm looking forward to writing more about my practice in whatever form that might take. I'm also interested in pursuing more community-focused creative collaborations. I'm not sure what that will look like yet, but being open to new possibilities has always been the first step for me. In addition to all of those things, I am also currently the Arts Programming Specialist for Wheelhouse Studios at UW Madison. You donated work for the MCAD Art Sale to support our MFA 2020 Fund, which benefits future Black, Indigenous, and People of Color MFA students - thank you! What motivated you to contribute to this scholarship effort? There are so many systems and privileges in place that provided me the opportunity to pursue my MFA. Obviously a scholarship can't erase or fix all the inequities that are present in academia, but it is a place to start. Contributing to the establishment of the MFA 2020 Fund is just one small way that I could support future BIPOC MFA students at MCAD. To make a donation, please follow these directions: Online - go to: https://mcad.edu/about-mcad/support/make-gift In the "Designation" section, select "Other", and in the box that appears, put "MFA 2020 Fund" (This is important-- please don't just select the pre-populated "MCAD Scholarships" option.) Complete the online donation form. By check - make the check out to MCAD put "MFA 2020 Fund" either in the memo line or enclose a note saying that's how you'd like the donation to be directed--even a post it note is fine Mail to: MCAD Institutional Advancement, 2501 Stevens Ave S, Minneapolis MN 5540 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ellen Mueller at emueller@mcad.edu. Photos courtesy of Alanna Stapleton For more information: Alanna Stapleton Categories Alumni MFA 2020 Fund