Writing Center

Head Tutor

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Emma Stine received a dual degree in Fine Arts and Italian Studies from the University of New Hampshire. During that time she studied oil painting at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence and attended a course on the legacy of totalitarianism in Italy at University of Rome’s Sapienza Institute. Since coming to Chicago, her work has focused on interpersonal relationships, ideas of memory and its malleability, and the question of what it means to faithfully represent a family. Emma is currently a second-year MFA candidate in the Painting & Drawing Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Specialties: Artist’s statements, personal and creative writing, any writing to accompany or supplement visual art

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor & Head FDA

I’m a second-year Painting and Drawing MFA student. I work primarily in oil and charcoal. My work is a meditation on my personal narrative, how history gets written, and how the language of paint makes meaning. Before SAIC, I lived in New York City, and I have studied art history and business. As a tutor, I like to focus on helping students clarify their key arguments and work to clearly express their points.  

Pronouns: She/her

FDA

I am a second-year graduate student in the FVNMA department with a background in experimental documentaries. Recently, I have developed a curiosity for expanded cinema and creating different forms of documentary narration through writing, installation, and performance. I enjoy watching films, running, and finding good places to eat! 

Pronouns: She/her

FDA

Hello! I'm a writer (or I like to call myself one) from North Carolina. Like every writing student ever, I enjoy reading and writing. I am currently in my second year at SAIC in the—you guessed it—MFAW program. I love poetry and cafe hopping & you'll often catch me doing both!

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor

I am a third-year graduate student in the dual degree Arts Administration and Art History program. I have a background as a visual artist and writer, with a BFA in Fine Arts from Parsons. My work uses visual and written means to explore themes such as history, perception, materiality, and memory, specifically concerning queer, trans, and feminist identity.

Specialties: Artist statements, research papers, visual and literary analysis, and art history/theory

Pronouns: They/them

Tutor

Hi! My name is Sam and I'm super excited to join the Writing Center as a tutor. I'm a second-year MFA grad focusing on sound, performance, and writing. My practice oscillates between research-based art and art-based research, as I explore a hodgepodge of topics such as archives, fabulation, policing via sound and noise control, embodiment, houseplants, banned books, institutional critique, performing extremes, grief, and failure. I care a lot about community building and forming relationships where we feel comfortable being uncomfortable. In my free time, you'll find me re-watching The Legend of Korra, enjoying fall colors, and trying to self-teach jazz accordion. In fact, if you or anyone you know is skilled at jazz accordion, please send them my way.

Specialties: Artist statements, close reading and literary analysis, research papers, creative writing, and anything weird. <3

Pronouns: They/he

Tutor

I'm a first-year student in the MA Modern and Contemporary Art History program. I'm from Minnesota and have lived all around the Midwest, working in museums and practicing video production and editing. I'm primarily interested in how art can discuss and address the climate crisis, habitat destruction, and humanity's ever more concerning relationship with the planet. I love to play music, ride my bike, meditate, and talk about art; so let's do that!

Specialties: Art history/visual analysis, grammar, and syntax

Tutor

Tikkun is a MFA student in Writing. His research focuses on Caribbean Surrealism and Caribbean Romanticism; 20th and 21st century Caribbean and African American feminist engagements with what surrealist poet Suzanne Cesaire called the domain of "the marvelous" as a fertile theory, worldview, and method in black studies and black diasporic literatures. He is working toward completing his first manuscript titled Marvel Upon Marvel Upon Marvel: Black Study & Feminist Engagements with Caribbean Surrealism. 

He has served as the director and founder of a local art cooperative in South Minneapolis for Black Artists. He has also served as an educator of Critical Ethnic Studies in Minnesota. Bambara has received the Verve Grant, the Beyond the Pure fellowship, The Emerging Writers Grant, and The Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship for his work. His essays are available at MN Artists through the Walker Art Center.

Specialties: Caribbean Feminism, Caribbean Surrealism, Black Studies, African American Literature

Pronouns: He/him/his

FDA

Bela Koschalk is a third-year BFA student in the Writing Department. Their poetry considers intersections of disability, Trans* identity, and the archive. Bela's work dares to ask such questions as, "What if the spider bite was lesbianism all along?" And, "Is archival work simply an unsanctioned romance with Sisyphus?" They reside in Rogers Park in the Psychomantium with Norman, the cat driven mad by the song of the bone flute.

Pronouns: They/them/theirs

Tutor

Angel is a second-year graduate student in the Art History department with a background in comparative literature, art history, and gender studies. Their research focuses on the intersections of literature and art, particularly as it relates to the creation of mythology, ritual, folklore, and the development of feminist and queer theories. Their thesis research involves critiquing mid- to late-19th-century feminist science fiction aesthetics. When they're not doing thesis research, they're reading, thrifting, or hanging out at home with their cats.

Specialties: Art history/theory, feminist/queer theory, visual and literary analysis, critical analysis, exhibition reviews, essays, research papers, resumes, artist statements

Pronouns: She/they

Tutor

Hello! My name is Sara Rani (I go by my first and middle names), and I’m a first-year student in the MFA Writing Program. I enjoy writing narratives in fiction and poetry. Before SAIC, I studied chemistry and French in undergrad, taught English on a Fulbright grant in Luxembourg, and earned my Master’s in French from Columbia University in New York. I enjoy watching films—if you have any recommendations, let me know!—and listening to movie scores like they’re a soundtrack to my own life. I’m excited to help you make your ideas and writing shine!

Specialties: Grammar, citations, visual and literary analysis, creative writing, research papers, resumes, application essays

Pronouns: She/her

FDA

I am a senior with a focus on ceramics and fashion design. In my work, I use delicate materials to explore little moments within nature and life, focusing on family, fragility, and a sense of belonging. Through my practice, I want to inspire people to be unapologetically themselves, as well as encourage them to slow down, even for just a moment. In my free time I enjoy biking, hanging out with friends, and reading really sappy romance novels and murder mysteries!

Pronouns: She/her

FDA

I am a first-year art therapy and counseling graduate student, originally from South Korea. I have been cross-trained in Fine Arts and Performing Arts, and I have worked as an educator and a language interpreter. I am passionate about multicultural and international student wellness and advocacy; it matters to me that you feel safe and welcomed here at the Writing Center!

Pronouns: She/they

FDA

Héloïse Paillard is a writer and curator from Paris. She is a graduate of Central Saint Martins, London, where she earned a BA in Culture, Criticism, and Curation. She is now pursuing a dual degree in Art History and Arts Administration at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. With a background in the arts sector, she has experience working in museums, galleries, and auction houses across Europe. Héloïse has developed skills in curating, organizing exhibitions, and managing art publications, as well as contributing to high-profile events. Héloïse's work often intersects with themes of social justice, particularly in gender studies and Latin American art, and she is also drawn to the study of epistemology, which informs her critical approach to art. Fluent in French and English, with proficiency in Spanish, Héloïse combines her academic background with hands-on experience to bring a thoughtful, interdisciplinary approach to the art world. She is eager to continue expanding her expertise in both practical and theoretical aspects of arts administration.

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor

I'm a first-year student in the MFA Writing program. I mostly write short fiction, often focusing on the speculative, the horrific, or the bizarre. You will often find me in the Writing Center, cursing to myself about how the NYT's "Connections" word puzzle is rigged and unfair.

Specialties: Fiction, essays, grammar

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor

I’m a first year Performance (Studio) MFA student working primarily with themes of identity, language, accessibility and memories. Until a few months ago, I was a practicing industrial psychologist, theater maker and script/copy writer. I am forever curious, looking to learn new things and acquire new skills. I love watching films/TV shows, and am mildly obsessed with the genres of true crime and investigative journalism.

Specialties: Critical analysis, literary analysis, personal essays

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor

Hello! My name is Rebekah. I am a first year MA Visual and Critical Studies graduate student. My practice revolves around speculation. I work in video, performance, sound, and writing; I engage with glacial concerns, panic, anger, and convergence. I enjoy writing letters, collecting stationary, spending time with my two cats (all cats!), searching for vintage designer shoes, and watching music videos. =^.^= 

Specialties: Writing, writerings, and all things in between. I specialize in making your writing sound like you––whether it be research, artist statements, cover letters, or sketch comedy scripts. 

Pronouns: they/she

Tutor

Kae Johnston is a queer, nonbinary MFA student in Writing. Their work primarily revolves around the queer experience and weaves in elements of magical realism, history, and all things weird and strange. They love writing, performance, and art in every form, and enjoy editing and reading as well. Along with their writing practice, they also have a visual art and dance practice. Through their work, Kae explores the trauma of being forgotten and left to the wayside--like many queer, nonbinary, and/or neurodivergent folks have experienced throughout their lives and throughout time.

Kae’s favorite things to do are help fellow creatives find their stride within their work and assist them in working through problems they are facing in their projects.

Specialties: Research essays, history, creative writing (fiction, creative nonfiction, & screenwriting), close reading, LGBTQIA+ studies, women's studies, disability studies, resumes, bios...and anything weird and strange!

Pronouns: they/them

FDA

Caitlin is from Houston, Texas, and is a third-year graduate student in the Dual M.A. Art History and Arts Administration program. Her interests lie in art engaging with social practice explored through fiber art and natural materials. She recently held an internship at the Met in the Modern and Contemporary Department, and she hopes to continue working in arts administration doing research, education, or archival work. In her free-time, Caitlin enjoys knitting, reading, and using her AMC A-List membership.

Pronouns: she/her

Tutor

Oh hi! I'm Shirley, a first year grad in Writing. I come from a background in media/film and gender studies, which has shaped my interdisciplinary approach to writing. My work engages in storytelling from the scope and scale of the relational. I work mainly through film and writing and am interested in playing with form between the mediums. Disability justice and disabled embodiment grounds the consciousness of my work and provides the departure points to the intersections I explore. When I’m not occupied by page or frame, I enjoy cooking for loved ones. I'm excited to learn about your interests and look forward to working together!

Specialties: Artist statements, research papers, and creative writing! 

Pronouns: she/they