University of Arizona School of Art

March 2023

Saracino receives

prestigious fellowship

Art History prof to work on 1st book manuscript at Huntington Library

Jennifer Saracino spoke at Chicago's Newberry Library in November.


Jennifer Saracino, an assistant professor in Art History at the University of Arizona School of Art, has received a 2023-24 Barbara Thom postdoctoral fellowship from the prestigious Huntington Library near Los Angeles. It will allow Saracino to revise her dissertation on the Uppsala Map of Mexico-Tenochtitlan into her first book manuscript. Uppsala is the earliest known map of Mexico City, painted by indigenous artists after the Spanish Conquest. 

“The Huntington Library has always been an institution of which I’m dreamed of becoming a fellow,” she said. “The strengths of their collections include the Hispanic Americas, Maps & Manuscripts and the history of science. These are all avid research interests of mine, so it is an ideal setting in which to carry out my research and manuscript revision.”

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Prof. Taylor helps share

migrants' stories, images 

A group of University of Arizona faculty members, including School of Art Professor David Taylor, and their community partners have launched an online public archive, "The Detained," containing the stories and images of asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants incarcerated in Arizona. "My goal in all of this is to ensure that people's experiences do not disappear. These are people who don't get to write history. They don't usually have their say," Taylor said.

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PhD student Chavez

invited as Tyson Scholar

Ricardo Chavez, a doctoral candidate in Art History and Education, has been named a prestigious Tyson Scholar in American Art for the fall 2023 semester at the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. “I’m interested in the intersections of art, education, and activism in American art, and the legacies of the social movements of the 1960s as they impact artistic practice today,” Chavez said.

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Mosley showcases

social justice storytelling

Before bringing her storytelling skills to the School of Art’s graduate program, Semoria Mosley found out just how impactful her photography could be during a social justice reporting project for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper called “____ While Black.” Mosley, who is pursuing her MFA in Photography, Video and Imaging, answered questions for the school during February's Black History Month.

Q&A with Semoria

John Meyer named

Alumnus of the Year

John Meyer has always understood the importance of making the right “pitch.” It’s a skill he learned as an undergraduate student at the School of Art. Now an award-winning creative director, marketer, strategist and image maker, Meyer (BFA 1982, Studio Art) was honored as the College of Fine Arts’ 2023 Alumnus of the Year — one of 15 alums being recognized by the university.

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MFA student Gabi Walter

repaints Bill Walton's chair

Gabi Walter, a Master of Fine Arts candidate in illustration and design at the School of Art, surprised famed basketball analyst – and NBA legend – Bill Walton, with a newly painted chair he uses when broadcasting games from McKale Memorial Center in a Jan. 7 pre-game ceremony. She incorporated Walton's love for the Sonoran Desert and the Grateful Dead band in the artwork. “I wanted to make sure the design was a culmination of all the things near and dear to his heart,” said Walter, a fellow Deadhead.

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Alshaibi’s solo exhibition

follows Regents ceremony

After Sama Alshaibi was formally inducted as a Regents Professor, a mid-career solo exhibition of the Iraqi-born artist began Feb. 27 in the United Arab Emirates. In large part to Alshaibi’s contributions, the school’s Photography, Video and Imaging program has grown substantially and is ranked No. 3 in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of best photography schools.

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Crabbe wins doctoral

research runner-up award

Kendall Crabbe (Ph.D. ’22, Art and Visual Culture Education) has been selected by her peers to receive the Elliot Eisner Doctoral Research Runner-Up Award in Art Education.

The National Art Education Association will honor the University of Arizona School of Art graduate April 13 in San Antonio.

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Visual Studies Workshop

awards Krafft residency 

Martin Krafft (MFA '20; Photography, Video & Imaging) was granted a month-length residency at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York. He used the time to finish up a documentary, “Ain’t Got Time to Die,” about a friend who battled terminal cancer.

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Museum Studies program

honors 3 students

The School of Art honored students Grace Marie Gousman (Art History, Undergraduate Prize), Madeline Schierl (Art and Visual Education, M.A. Prize) and Jenna Green (AVCE, Ph.D. Prize) during the Museum Studies Graduate Certificate Program 2022-23 Awards Ceremony.

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Donors & Scholars event

highlights scholarships 

Our annual Donors and Scholars reception and exhibition featured 16 artists and student presentations by Danielle Hunt (3DXM, undergrad), Seoyeon Kim (AVCE, Ph.D.) and Grace Rhyne (2D, undergrad). Director Colin Blakely and Gallery Director lydia see welcomed guests, including School of Art Advisory Board members, and stressed the importance of scholarships. Students, meanwhile, made meaningful connections with donors and alums.

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Series helps students

with career development

Together with the Art Advisory Board, the school has launched a series of student development workshops. The sessions bring in business, legal and gallery leaders to lend their expertise in areas critical to students' success. Peter Pappas ran the first two workshops, "Career Paths for Artists" and "Marketing for Artists." Up next: "Working with Galleries" (March 21), "Legal Tools for Protecting Your Work" (April 4) and "Life Lessons from Art Alumni" (April 25).

MORE NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS  

Walid Raad headlines

March 23 VASE lecture 

Walid Raad will be the featured guest Thursday, March 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the School of Art’s Visiting Artists and Scholars Endowment (VASE) series at the Center for Creative Photography. Raad will present images, stories, and concepts from his three ongoing long-term projects: The Atlas Group (1989-2004); Scratching On Things I Could Disavow; and Sweet Talk: Beirut (Commissions).

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Do you have an upcoming exhibit to promote? Just landed your dream job as an art curator at a museum? We like to celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni, so please share your successes with Mike Chesnick, our outreach and communications specialist.

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