Meet the Incoming Class 2026

Apple Hultz
MFA Performance

Describe yourself in three objects.
Black cowboy boots, sparkly eyeshadow, and a composition notebook

Why did you choose SAIC?
I chose SAIC because of its interdisciplinary program and encouragement to think beyond traditional boundaries as an artist. I felt I belonged at SAIC because the School supports every part of a creative practice without limiting someone to a single area of study. I was also impressed by the caliber of artists coming out of SAIC and wanted my practice to be at the same level as theirs.

What is a piece of art that resonates with you? Why?
When I first saw Louise Bourgeois’s Spider, I was taken aback by its scale and power. It felt fierce and caring, sharp but kind, powerful but gentle. I didn’t know much about art at the time, and that work completely changed my understanding of what art could be and how bodies could relate to art in space. It felt so alive. I also remember feeling represented by it, like femininity could exist outside of the narrow constructions society had imposed on it.

What do you hope to accomplish at SAIC?
I hope to push my practice to its edges and discover what it’s capable of. I want to hone the skills I already have, develop new ones, and be challenged to think and work in ways I haven’t before. Just as importantly, I hope to build a community of artists I can learn from, grow with, collaborate with, and befriend. I want to leave SAIC not only with a stronger practice, but with a deeper understanding of myself as an artist and a community that continues beyond the classroom.

Wesley Berlin
BFA

Describe yourself in three objects.
Water, guy with sunglasses emoji, The Beatles’ "A Day In The Life" (2017 mix)

Why did you choose SAIC?
I think about painting every waking moment of my life, from opening my eyes in the morning, to closing them at night. Chicago is the best city in the world and SAIC is the best school for me.

What is a piece of art that resonates with you? Why?
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper has always completely mystified me. Since I first saw it as my dad’s computer wallpaper at 10 years old, and even more when I saw it [at the Art Institute of Chicago] in person last year.

What do you hope to accomplish at SAIC?
See new things, hear new songs, meet new people, read new books, wear new shoes, cook new foods.

Kristina Beaty
Fashion Design MFA

Describe yourself in three objects.
Peacock, scale of justice, crystal ball

Why did you choose SAIC?
Outside of it being ranked a top art school in the country by U.S. News & World Report, I was particularly excited about being under the tutelage of [Stephanie and Bill Sick Professor of Fashion, Body and Garment] Nick Cave!

What is a piece of art that resonates with you? Why?
Be Mine by Bisa Butler. She brings portraits to life using intricate and elaborate quilting methods. It’s a vintage style with a modern twist… much like my work. This work in particular focuses on love, the emotion that drives human survival.

What do you hope to accomplish at SAIC?
I hope to connect and build community with artists and scholars while having the resources and opportunity to invest in the intellectual components of art history, curation, and creation.

Elias Eshu
BFA

Describe yourself in three objects.
A bright orange bug with a winding handle, an obtuse triangle of broken glass, a piece of ribbon stuck against a tree

Why did you choose SAIC?
I chose SAIC for its creatively open-ended curriculum. I never would have imagined the possibility for myself to have such free reign within my disciplines and be able to have the freedom to combine different ideas with multiple formats so easily here.

What is a piece of art that resonates with you? Why?
Sho Murase's individual illustrations. She used two flat colors with gradients to map out illustrations of women, which is something that I connect with my photography. I use a lot of gradients, specifically with overexposure and digital bloom.

What do you hope to accomplish at SAIC?
I really hope to study audio and sound technologies. I have been working very hard to be able to try and express abstract feelings and create them in the form of my photography. However, I want to try a new medium desperately, and I really want it to be audio and sound. I hope I can become a creative director or an art director at a studio and use my same visual style for creative works like magazines, short films, and portrait shots.

by Megan Kirby
Illustrations by Luis Carrasco