2022 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Exhibitions

March 30 – May 6, 2022

Reception: Saturday, April 2, 3-5 pm
Artist Talks: Thursday, AHA! Night, April 14, 7 pm

Exhibiting Artists

Elizabeth Peña-Alvarez
Katrina Benner
Jordan Blankenship
Daniel S. DeLuca
Kelly Devitt
Yurie Hayashi
Joseph Schairer
Katy Rodden Walker

UMass Dartmouth Star Store Campus
715 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740

Greetings from Dean Jenkens

I am very pleased to offer my hearty congratulations to the MFA Class of 2022—for this amazing show and even more for your accomplishments so evident in the work we are enjoying. This MFA exhibition is the culmination of two to three years of intense work, of experimenting, starting over, pushing boundaries, introspection, and the host of emotions that come with this all-consuming experience. It is a moment to celebrate, certainly, but it is also important to remember that it is a beginning rather than a terminal point. The eight artists represented here have achieved much, but they are also standing on the threshold of the next exciting phase of their artistic careers and creative lives. We wish them the very best as they set off on this new journey.

This exhibition also marks a return to in-person MFA shows, and it is wonderful to see the work together with the artists who created it.

Katy, Daniel, Elizabeth, Kelly, Yurie, Joe, Katrina, and Jordan: While we can gather to celebrate this milestone with you, we remain cognizant that much of your graduate schooling happened during the difficult period of a pandemic and global health crisis. The work presented here is a glowing testament to your ability to overcome this unique crisis. It is also rooted in your experiences of virtual education, social isolation, and societal anxiety. The power of creative expression to comfort and sustain as well as question or criticize is an extraordinary thing, and all of us at CVPA are grateful to be part of this vibrant arts community. I would like to thank the faculty whose rigorous expectations have pushed you all to new and exciting places in your work. Your success is what sustains us, and it is a pleasure to share in it.

A grateful acknowledgement goes to Viera Levitt whose tireless work as Gallery Director both brings us this exhibition and always enriches the whole of our community. Thank you, Michelle Bowers and Paula Medeiros, for your work in producing this catalog and the gallery’s online presence. Last but certainly not least, I am extremely grateful to the family and friends of our graduates for providing the support that our faculty and staff cannot. The accomplishments we are applauding would not have been possible without you.

With best wishes,

Lawrence Jenkens
CVPA Dean

Gallery view - Photo credit: Viera Levitt

Notes From the Gallery Director

As our eight graduating students install this exhibition, I am amazed at their focus, dedication and talent all coming together as a unified whole. The exhibition, to the credit of the artists, does not shy away from the darkness of the past, the two pandemic driven years shrouded in violence and looming climate catastrophe, but showcases as well, a light of hope and a path to get there. From intimate and quiet to loud and bold, this work presents the complexity of our times as well as the internal worlds of these young artists, engaged in exploratory journeys.

I want to congratulate all exhibiting artists, their advisors and the graduate committee members, all of whom have put their time, energy and souls into advising these students and helping all of us explore the depth and complexity of this moment of time.

Viera Levitt
Gallery Director and Exhibition Curator