Class Notes

GROUP SHOWS/NEWS

Selva Aparicio (BFA 2015), Eric Hotchkiss (MDes 2010), and Jenny Kendler (MFA 2006) were 2023 recipients of 3Arts grants. 

Claire Ashley (MFA 1995), Sarah Krepp (MFA 1979), Sandra Perlow (BA 1963, MFA 1976), Selina Trepp (BFA 1998), and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung (MFA 2007) participated in a group exhibition titled Abstraction + Love at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, Indiana.

Taylor Augustine (BFA 2021) and Kay Hofmann (BFA 1955) had an exhibit titled Oriana at Mae Lombardi in Glencoe, Illinois.

Karen Azarnia (MFA 2008), Aimée Beaubien (BFA 1989, MFA 1994), Andreas Fischer (BFA 1996), Indira Johnson (MFA 1967), Anna Kunz (BFA 1991), Kim Piotrowski (BFA 1988), and Camille Silverman (BFA 2004) participated in the group exhibition Past Perfect: Celebrating 30 Years with 30 Artists at Riverside Arts Center alongside former faculty member Riva Lehrer (BFA 1997) and current faculty members Paola Cabal (MFA 2004) and Erin Washington (MFA 2011).

Sungho Bae (MFA 2021), Molly Blumberg (MFA 2020), Youree Kim (BFA 2017), Alex Kostiw (MFA 2016), Shonna Pryor (MFA 2012), and Ruby Que (MFA 2022) participated in a group exhibition titled To Be Continued... co-curated by Sofia Sanchez Borboa (MA 2021), Sophie Buchmueller (MA 2022), and Denny Mwaura (MA 2021) at Chicago Artists Coalition.

Aviv Benn (MFA 2018), Caitlin Cherry (BFA 2010), Katya Ghrokhovsky (MFA 2011), Payton Harris-Woodard (MFA 2022), Maryam Hoseini (MFA 2016), MJ Lounsberry (BFA 2017), Gladys Nilsson (BFA 1962), Christina Ramberg (BFA 1968, MFA 1973), Celeste Rapone (MFA 2013), Nancy Spero (BFA 1949, HON 1991), Caleb Yono (MFA 2015), and Mary Lou Zelazny (BFA 1980) participated in an exhibition titled Women on the Verge at Rhona Hoffman Gallery curated by Professor and former Dean of Faculty Lisa Wainwright.

Alex Chitty (MFA 2008), Gordon Hall (MFA 2011, MA 2011), Sungjae Lee (MFA 2019), Barbara Rossi (MFA 1970), Diane Simpson (BFA 1974, MFA 1978), and Alice Tippit (BFA 2009, MFA 2013) participated in a group show at PATRON Gallery titled Dialogues.

Michaela Chan (MFA 2023), Brian Randolph (MA 2023), Kelly Wang (BFA 2023), and Kaitlin Weed (BFA 2020) are illustrators for the AMA Journal of Ethics' November issue on health and loneliness.

william cordova (BFA 1996), Jeanne Dunning (MFA 1985), Dianna Frid (BFA 1991, MFA 2003), Nazafarin Lotfi (MFA 2011), Carrie Schneider (MFA 2007), and Erin Washington (MFA 2011) participated in the group exhibit All Hearts Beneath the Sun at the University Galleries of Illinois State University.

Janey Foley (MFA 2020) and Amy Pleasant (BFA 1994) participated in the group exhibition The December Show at Whitespace Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Dianna Frid (BFA 1991, MFA 2003), Deb Sokolow (MFA 2004), and Julia Schmitt Healy (BFA 1970, MFA 1972) participated in a group exhibition at The Carnegie titled Exhibition X.

Theaster Gates (HON 2014), Jeffrey Gibson (BFA 1995), Isaac Julien (HON 2019), Rirkrit Tiravanija (MFA 1986), Wu Tsang (BFA 2004), and Apichatpong Weerasethakul (MFA 1998, HON 2011) were included in ArtReview’s 2023 Power 100. 

Magalie Guérin (MFA 2011), Jennie C. Jones (BFA 1991), Judy Ledgerwood (MFA 1984), Rebecca Morris (Post-Bacc 1992, MFA 1994), and Aliza Nisenbaum (BFA 2001) were featured in the Milwaukee Art Museum's 50 Paintings survey exhibition co-curated by Crown Family Professor of Art and Chair of Painting and Drawing Michelle Grabner.

Kate Horsfield (MFA 1976) had her first solo show at the Art Gallery of the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. The show, Kate Horsfield: Attempt to Form, was co-curated by Cynthia Chris (BFA 1983, MA 1995).

Sheree Hovsepian (MFA 2002), Angel Otero (MFA 2009), and Cameron Welch (BFA 2013) took part in Diaspora, a group show at Ezra Gallery of the Hamptons at the Center for Jewish Life in New York.

The works of Linye Jiang (MFA 2023) and Jiaming You (MFA 2022) were exhibited at W. Gallery. 

Vesna Jovanovic (BFA 2003) and Ali Seradge (BFA 2010) took part in a group exhibition, Time and Beauty, at ChaShaMa in New York City.

Abbey LaCroix (BFA 2023), Jackie Patiño (BFA 2023), and Milica Zekic (BFA 2023) participated in a group show at A Very Serious Gallery, titled Daydreams & Dreamscapes: A Pleasure Trip in Chicago.

Bun Stout (MFA 2020) and Jessica Tucker’s (MFA 2020) exhibit, Unidentified and Flying, at Roots & Culture was featured in a Chicago Reader article written by Micco Caporale (MA 2018).

Adia Sykes (MA 2018) and Kushala Vora (MFA 2018) had a two-person show, Something from Something, at ENGAGE Projects in Chicago.

2020s

Bassim Al-Shaker (MFA 2021) had a solo exhibition, Four Minutes, at Rhona Hoffman Gallery.

Emily Yong Beck (BFA 2021) is represented by The Pit alongside Gaa Gallery.

Journie Cirdain (MFA 2022) had the solo exhibition Memento Vivere at Western Exhibitions in Chicago.

Leasho Johnson (MFA 2020) had a solo exhibition, Somewhere between the eyes and the heart, at Western Exhibitions in Chicago. 

Julia O’Brien (BFA 2023) received an honorable mention for her entry in the American Society for Bioethics’ Graphic Design Contest which was announced at their annual conference in October.

Nina Perez (BFA 2023) won the Graphic Design category of the prestigious Global Design Graduate Show 2023 organized by Arts Threads in collaboration with Gucci.

Veronica Anne Salinas (MFA 2020) was selected to be the Artist-in-Residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska, for spring 2024.

Goldie Schmiedeler (BFA 2022) had his first solo exhibition at Galerie Gardette in Paris, France, in September.

Corey Smith (MFA 2021) participated in the group exhibition Vice Grip at LVL3 Gallery in Chicago.

Mia Weiner (MFA 2020) had her first solo show, Sirens, at T293 in Rome, Italy. She also participated in the group show Interplay at Hollis Taggart in New York, and in UNTITLED Art Fair at Miami Beach represented by CULT Aimee Friberg.

Seri Zou (BFA 2023) held their first solo exhibition Habitat at Bonian Space, Beijing.

2010s

Heather Beardsley (MFA 2015) had a solo exhibition, Strange Plants, at the Chrysler Museum of Art. 

Cecelia Beaven (MFA 2019) participated in Exquisite Canvas: Mural Takeover at the Chicago Cultural Center, an event offering a window into the creative process of public art. 

Ionit Behar (MA 2013) was promoted to curator at DePaul Art Museum. Behar, who began as assistant curator at the museum in August 2020, has curated and organized nine exhibitions and countless public programs during her tenure. 

Dorota Biczel (MA 2010) started a position as term assistant professor in art history at Barnard College this fall.

Liene Bosque (MFA 2011) was a recipient of the 2023 South Florida Cultural Consortium Miami-Dade Award.

Ivana Brenner (MFA 2018) was named a “Cool Friend” in Cool Stuff NYC.

Cass Davis' (BFA 2009, MFA 2017) work was included in the show A soft place to land at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland. They also received a grant award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts to support them in this exhibition.

Matty Davis (MFA 2016) is presenting his first museum commision, Die No Die (Arkansas), presented by the Momentary.

Danica Favorito (BFA 2013) launched her own self-titled business designing custom linen duvet covers and quilts. 

Jessica Fu’s (MFA 2015) light installation Data Collecting (Universe) was exhibited at the 2024 College Art Association 112th Annual Conference in Chicago in February 2024.

Malika Jackson (MFA 2016) was part of the group exhibition Freedom's Muse, featuring members from the Sapphire & Crystals collective. The show took place at Logan Center Exhibitions in Chicago.

Jessica Gaynelle Moss (MA 2015) was a 40 Under 40 honoree in Pittsburgh magazine. 

Holly Murkerson (MFA 2010) had a solo exhibition, Second Body, at 65Grand in Chicago.

Yangbin Park (BFA 2011) had a solo exhibition titled Border(less) at the Wilson Hall Gallery at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. 

Lydia Peabody (MA 2017) was recently promoted to curator at large at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Kaveri Raina (MFA 2016) had her second solo exhibition at PATRON Gallery, titled Songs of silence, yet bluebirds hum.

Ari Salka (BFA 2016) had a solo show titled Semblance at Lauren Powell Projects in Los Angeles and lectured at Bennington College in the Visual Arts Program.

Megan Sungyoon's (BFA 2016) translation of The Cheapest France in Town, originally written in Korean by poet Seo Jung Hak, was published by World Poetry Books. 

Maryam Taghavi (MFA 2017) had her first solo museum exhibition, Nothing Is, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago as a part of their Chicago Works series.  

Asha Iman Veal (MA 2017) is the commissioning curator for artist Regina Agu's Shore|Lines exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Shore|Lines was one of the five winners of the 2023 Joyce Awards $75,000 grants for new work. 

Omar Velázquez (MFA 2016) had a solo show titled The Flood at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago.

Gibran Villalobos (MA 2013) will manage the new American Latino Museum Internship and Fellowship Initiative at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation's main federal source of funding for museums and libraries. He also concluded and published two major studies with research partners 2M and Urban Institute on the needs of museums across the United States.

Hope Wang (BFA 2018) is a 2023 recipient of the Luminarts Fellowship in Visual Arts. Fellows receive $10,000 each and continued support from the foundation through professional development, artistic opportunities, and additional project grant funding.

Andrew Norman Wilson (MFA 2011) had his work, Workers Leaving the Googleplex, featured in the collections galleries at the Museum of Modern Art.

Derrick Woods-Morrow (MFA 2016) had a solo show, Gravity Pleasure Switchback, at Gallery 400 in Chicago. 

Robert Zehnder (BFA 2015) was part of Meteor, a collaborative group show between two galleries, Mrs. in New York City and DOCUMENT in Chicago.

2000s

Lilli Carré (BFA 2006) had a solo exhibition titled Stone Figures Mud Drawing at Western Exhibitions in Skokie, Illinois.

Dayton Castleman (MFA 2008) was awarded an Art in Place Grant by Urban Land Institute Americas to lead an 18-month project focused on promoting better understanding and stronger relationships between artists and real estate developers in northwest Arkansas.

Juan William Chavez (MFA 2004) was announced as the lead artist for Bloomberg Philanthropies' $1 million Public Art Challenge Grant for the city of Orlando.

Rowynn Dumont (BFA 2007) had a solo exhibition titled Dreams of Ether at the 86 Orchard Street Gallery.

William Estrada (BFA 2000, MA 2015) had their first solo show, Multiples and Multitudes, at the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago.

Lisa French (BFA 2001) participated in a group show at Compound Yucca Valley in California titled Emergence: Mojave Artists of Color Collective.

Amanda E. Gross (BFA 2006) completed a public mural at the Lions Park Skate Park in Mundelein, Illinois.

Beth Hetland’s (BFA 2009) debut graphic novel, Tender, will be available in March 2024 from Fantagraphics.

Mariah Karson (BFA 2000) was featured in two shows: CPS Lives at Jude Gallery in Chicago, and Continuum: Exploring the Boundaries of Time and Presence at B-Side in Louisville, Kentucky.

Noe Kidder's (MFA 2005) film Carmen Magellan premiered at le Petit Versailles Community Garden in New York City.

Erica Lord (MFA 2006) was selected for the Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023, at the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum. This was the first year Native American and Alaska Natives were chosen to be part of the Invitational.

Trevor Lord (BA 2003) was promoted to director of business development at The Boldt Company. 

Heather Lyon (BFA 2002, MFA 2004) exhibited and performed work in this year's Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial exhibitions.

Laura Moore (BFA 2006) took part in the group show LeCash & Friends Art Show.

Aliza Nisenbaum (BFA 2001, MFA 2005) premiered her film Aliza Nisenbaum: Painting from Life through the Extended Play series.

Meg Onli (BFA 2008) was appointed curator at large at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art.

Maria Parrott-Ryan (MFA 2007) recently published her children's book, Mysterious Glowing Mammals: An Unexpected Discovery Sparks a Scientific Investigation. The book was awarded a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection and got a starred review in School Library Journal.

Armita Raafat (MFA 2008) had her debut New York solo exhibition, Traces and Silences, at High Noon Gallery.

Nic Rademacher (BFA 2004) was a recipient of a Creative Corps Grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach.

Sterling Ruby (BFA 2002) had a solo exhibition, Drowse Murmurs, at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, Belgium.

Deb Sokolow (MFA 2004) had a solo exhibition at Western Exhibitions in Chicago. She also participated in various group exhibitions including the Chicago Architecture Biennial at the Chicago Cultural Center and Sightings at Sun Valley Museum of Art.

Ursula Sokolowska (BFA 2001) had a solo exhibition at boundary Chicago.

Edra Soto (MFA 2000) was selected as one of fine artists included in the Public Art Fund 2024 Exhibition Program. Public Art Fund will debut Soto's new interactive metal and terrazzo sculptural works at Doris C. Freedman Plaza in Central Park. Her first large-scale public art commission in New York City, Soto's public art fund project marks the next iteration of her Graft series. Soto was also selected to receive a Next Level Visual Arts Award from 3Arts.

Aaron Swindle's (BFA 2006) work Crosswalk Dream was acquired for the permanent collection at the new US Consulate in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Karen Tam (MFA 2002) had an exhibition Phoenix Whispers at the McCord Stewart Museum, including a pop-up exhibition as part of Jia Foundation's Chinatown Reimagined Forum 2023. She also released a retrospective catalog about the exhibition Whose Chinatown? Examining Chinatown Gazes in Art, Archives, and Collections, which she curated in 2021.

Josh Tuininga (BA 2000) published his first graphic novel, We Are Not Strangers, from Abrams ComicArts. We Are Not Strangers converges two perspectives into a single portrait of a community’s struggle with race, responsibility, and what it truly means to be an American.

Amanda Valdez (BFA 2007) was featured in a group exhibition, with a special project by Gyan Shrosbree (SAIC 1999), titled Off /Grid at JEFF Gallery in New York.

1990s

Sanford Biggers (MFA 1999) had a solo exhibition at Monique Meloche Gallery titled Back to the Stars.

Michele Brody (MFA 1994) hosted an open studio night on Governors Island in New York and led a papermaking workshop at Maggie’s Magic Garden.

Brian Calvin (MFA 1994) was featured in The Echo of Picasso at Museo Picasso Málaga in Spain.

Meenakshi Dash (BFA 1997) participated in a group exhibition at the Rose Gallery in Chicago.

Justin Dauer (BFA 1998) published his second book, in fulfillment: the designer’s journey.

Tim Doud (MFA 1992) had his public artwork A Great Public Walk open at Union Station in Washington, D.C..

Dianna Frid (BFA 1991, MFA 2003) had a solo show, pre-knowing / un-knowing, at PATRON Gallery in Chicago.

David Hartt (MFA 1994) was invited by Villa Albertine for a teaching and creative residency across six schools of art and design in France. 

Devorah Heitner (MFA 1996) began her tour for her new book Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World.

Eduardo Kac (MFA 1990) was a panelist at Miami Art Basel’s event Biohacking Creativity: What Does It Mean for Non-Humans to Make Art?

Laura Kina (BFA 1994) had a solo exhibition at FLXST Contemporary titled Golden Hour, An Appraisal. She also curated a show titled Shelly Jyoti—Indigo: The Blue Gold for the South Asia Institute in Chicago. 

Athena LaTocha (BFA 1992) was selected as the 2023 Saint-Gaudens Fellow.

Jason Messinger (BFA 1987) participated in an open studio event at the Cornelia Arts Building in Chicago.

Beatriz Santiago Munoz (MFA 1997) premiered her new feature film ORIANA at the Gene Siskel Film Center in October. 

Vanessa Navarette (BFA 1998) had a solo show at Alma Art and Interiors titled Prisoners of Fate.

Leah Oates (MFA 1997) was featured in an article by David Gibson. She also took part in three group shows: Portal at A Smith Gallery Photographic Arts, Fragments of Time Exhibition at Ubique Online Gallery, and Seasons in Art: A Visual Journey Through Nature's Transformations at Ten Moir Gallery. 

Juliette Paul-Jackson (MA 1994) received the Meraux Foundation Endowed Professorship award from Nunez Community College where she is the department chair for English, Humanities & Fine Arts. 

Amy Pleasant (BFA 1994) had two solo exhibitions at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Birmingham, Alabama, and Laney Contemporary in Savannah, Georgia. She also exhibited with Laney Contemporary at UNTITLED Art Miami this year.

Nola Romano (BFA 1996) participated in a three-person exhibition titled Here and Hereafter at AHA Fine Art.

Amanda Ross-Ho (BFA 1998) was awarded an unrestricted grant from Anonymous Was A Woman.

Dmitry Samarov (BFA 1993) had an exhibition titled Dumpster Fire at Firecat Projects in Chicago.

Deborah Stratman (BFA 1990) had her work, Laika, shown in The Vault at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago.

Lauren Was (BFA 1999) and her collaborative project Ghost of a Dream produced an exhibition titled I know a place where they perform miracles at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington in Virginia.

1980s

Danniel Anthon (MA 1989) has a newly self-published book, The Magic Carpet Ride: Art Therapy in the 'Real' World: A Reflective Memoir, which reflects on his 35-year career as an artist and art therapist.

Christine Buth-Furness (MFA 1981) participated in the Superfine Art Fair with TERAVARNA Gallery at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, with support from the Lyndon Sculpture Garden and the Milwaukee Foundation. 

Kurt Fondriest (MFA 1988) is on the review committee for The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association for new expressive art therapists applying for their Registered Expressive Art Therapy credentials. 

Jonathan Green (BFA 1982) will have a single-artist museum dedicated to his work at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. One of only 20 single-artist museums in the world, the Jonathan Green Maritime Center will focus on his life and career.

Deyana Mielke (BFA 1984) had work featured in Art at the Capitol 2023, a collection drawn from the permanent collection of the state of Hawai'i. She also had her photograph Portal pt.1 included in the group show Lights, Shadows, Reflections at Gallerium in Vancouver, Canada, and had a porcelain sculpture titled The Matriarch in Hawai’i Craftsmen’s Annual Statewide Exhibition.

Michael Newhall (MFA 1982) had a solo exhibition, Excavations, taking place at the Grohmann Museum at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Alexis Petroff (MFA 1987) had a solo exhibition titled Floating Drawings at 65GRAND in Chicago. 

1970s

Barbara Grad (BFA 1972, MFA 1975) had a solo show, Improvised and Unpolished, at Anderson Yezerski Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Michiko Itatani (BFA 1974, MFA 1976) had her New York solo debut titled Cosmic Encounters at Storage Gallery in Tribeca. She also participated in 35 Years 35 Artists at Jean Albano Gallery in Chicago. 

Pavel Kraus (MFA 1977) had his work, Wessel, permanently installed at Brooklyn Kura in Brooklyn, New York.

Turtel Onli (BFA 1978, MA 1989) has several quotes in a new book from Marvel Comics called Black Panther: A Cultural Exploration. They are also celebrating 30 years since launching the growing Black Age of Comics movement.

Diane Simpson (BFA 1974, MFA 1978) was part of the group exhibition This is a Rehearsal curated by The Floating Museum for the 5th Chicago Architecture Biennial. She also had her third solo show at Corbett vs. Dempsey, exhibiting 10 new sculptures.

1960s

Martha Hayden (BFA 1961) hosted an open studio in September in Sharon, Wisconsin. 

1950s

Jim Zver’s (BFA 1957) collage Hallucination.33 and Steve Seagren’s (SAIC 1982) painting, Del Rey 9 were included in The Next Big Thing 2023 in the Blackboard Gallery at Studio Channel Islands.

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In Memoriam

Roderick Sawyer (BA 2018)

Mohamed B.A. Drisi (BFA 1958)

Richard Hunt (BFA 1957, HON 1979)

Sarah Feit (BFA 1994)

Marion Lerner-Levine (BFA 1954)

Diane Wiersba (BAE 1952)

Shirley Sallas (BFA 1986)

Barbara Rossi (MFA 1970)

Ruth Waddell (BFA 1949)

Erik Weisenburger (BFA 1992)

Jean Donnelly (BFA 1973)

John Sarsfield (BFA 1959) ■