At the University of Washington, art students’ learning extends far beyond the classroom. Generous gifts from supporters allow us to offer students opportunities to learn from visiting artist lectures, hands-on workshops, and travel to major arts cities that expand how they see themselves and their work within the broader art world.
In fall 2024, support from the Endowed Program Support FUNd in Art (also known as the “FUNd”) enabled the Division of Art to launch a dynamic event series that brought artists from across the country to campus for lectures, workshops, and studio visits. For Mackie Johnson (BA 2025), the experience was transformational. The bookmaking workshop with Matt Austin and the cochineal workshop with Eric J Garcia “legitimately changed my artistic practice and the mediums I work with,” he shared. Before graduating last June, Johnson made five books and taught his classmates the process of bookmaking. Ilysia Van Deren (BFA 2012), the Photo/Media technician who helped coordinate the bookmaking workshop, described her participation as “a rare professional development experience,” underscoring how donor support strengthens the entire learning community through opportunities that foster growth beyond the classroom and studio.
In December 2024, 19 students and three faculty members spent a week in Los Angeles visiting museums and galleries while participating and studio visits. Kyler Phan (MFA 2025), a second-year grad student then, shared how seeing art in person changed how he makes paintings. “I saw paintings that used optical mixing and vibrant colors, and I feel as though my work wouldn’t be the same without it” he shared. Reflecting on the value of visiting artists, Phan noted that “getting cold reads of what my work is doing opened my eyes to what isn’t there.” Another Painting + Drawing graduate student Oscar Person shared he was introduced to a whole new network of unconventional gallery spaces in Los Angeles. “It reopened my mind to the power of arts and community,” Person said.
In spring 2025, another group traveled to Portland for similar immersive experiences. Then, over the summer, two Painting + Drawing graduate students, Person and Victoria Mackender spent their break in Singapore doing the Tropical Lab 19 Residency.
Building on the foundation of 2024-2025, this year the FUNd has continued to support visiting artists' engagements every quarter. In the spring, a new group of students will travel to New York for studio visits, museum tours, and immersion in one of the world’s most vibrant art scenes.
The generosity behind gifts like the FUNd is felt not only in the moment of a lecture, workshop, or trip, but in the lasting trajectory of students’ artistic lives. These experiences are essential components of a rigorous art education—they broaden perspectives, strengthen professional networks, and deepen creative confidence through innovative programming that responds to an evolving art landscape. Simply put, donor support makes it possible for students to see more, experience more, and ultimately become more.
We are actively working to grow the FUNd, which has become one of our most vital and flexible resources. This gift allows us to respond nimbly to emerging opportunities, support timely projects, and address evolving needs as they arise. The fund’s lead donor established it with the hope that others would join in this shared effort — building a community of support to strengthen our collective impact and ensure that we can continue to act thoughtfully and decisively when it matters most.