Select students in the Department of Art at Mississippi State traveled to New York, NY, Washington, D.C., and Birmingham, AL, during the fall 2024 semester.
Washington, D.C. Field Trip
Eight fine art seniors traveled to Washington, D.C., October 8-12, 2024 as part of their senior research class (Art 4083), which assists students in developing creative research directions and building professional knowledge. Students were able to spend four days in the nation’s capital visiting Smithsonian Museums, the National Gallery of Art, monument and memorial sites, among other galleries and institutions. Students engaged with these resources as a group and independently, seeking out reference material and content relevant to their personal research agendas.
"Visiting Washington, D.C. changed my perspective of my future and what an art career can look like for me," said student Abi Parish. "Seeing the many museums, galleries and art-related spaces encouraged me to keep pushing and that there is a whole world out there with opportunities tailored to me and my interests."
Faculty organizers for this trip were Professor Critz Campbell, Assistant Professor Caroline Hatfield and Visiting Assistant Professor Kat Spears.
Student participants: Atlas Boyd, Rylee Brabham, Sadie Brownlee, Annabelle Carraway, Samantha Martell, Sasha Medina, Maggie Nowell and Abi Parish
Mid-South Sculpture Alliance Conference
Sculpture students attended and participated in the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance’s 2024 Conference, Shaping Perspectives, held in Birmingham, AL, this past November. The program featured an inspiring lineup of speakers, workshops and panel discussions that focused on sculpture’s unique capacity to engage with our environment, provoke thought and inspire change. In addition, a number of exhibitions and outdoor sculptures were presented as part of the conference. Rylee Brabham (sculpture senior), Bella Brownlee (sculpture senior) and Lillian Hutcherson (sculpture sophomore) participated in exhibitions showcasing their recent sculptures. As a recipient of the MSA Dianne Komminsk Scholarship, senior Brabham presented an artist talk. This trip was organized by Assistant Professor Caroline Hatfield.
“The MSA conference was one of the most unique events I have attended, yet, as far as this being a 'school function' goes," said junior sculpture student Elijah Corlett. "From the miles I walked to the artwork I saw from other people, there were surprises and unexpected things around almost every corner. Seeing what other sculptors are doing in the country and why felt like a call to action for me."
Student participants: Rylee Brabham, Bella Brownlee, Elijah Corlett, Lillian Hutcherson, Sarah Perkins, Emma Powney and Moriah Roland
New York City Field Study
In October of 2024, after a gap due to the pandemic, the art department revived a long-established course (Art 3801) that guides students on a culturally immersive field study trip to New York City. Students who successfully complete the Art Concentration Entry Portfolio Review can participate in a field trip to experience first-hand the visual arts community and culture in New York City. Students and faculty visited award-winning design firms Pentagram and Gensler, along with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Printed Matter, and the New York Public Library. Students also had the opportunity to network with Mississippi State University CAAD creative alumni living and thriving in New York City. Following their return to campus, the students planned and presented a One Night Only exhibition highlighting their experiences in NYC and shared inspiration from the sketchbooks they created on the trip.
Mechanical Engineering senior and photographer Adrian Anderson shared how the visit to the design studios and the museums opened his eyes.
"It gave me a new perspective on what goes into preparation and the entire process of art and not just the results," he said. "It made me think about how I want to approach my art and try different types of mediums."
Faculty organizers for this trip were Visiting Assistant Professor Catherine Jones and Assistant Professor Aubrey Pohl.
Student participants: Adrian Anderson, Kinsley Bell, Camille Bullock, Kaylen Colbert, Sarah Demus, Ashley Denson, Miah Hall, Sidnie Hunt, Zoé Ishee, Olivia Jones, Hallie Mendez, Katherine Nause, Hallie Ann Pitts, Catherine Simmons, Sophia Timmons, Sarra (Sunny) Waters and Paige Wigant