Alexis Calma

Graduation Speaker: Alexis Calma, Art History

Alexis Calma received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History in June 2021. She was the Division of Art History's undergraduate speaker for the School's virtual Graduation Celebration 2021.

June 20, 2021
Lily Stelzer

Graduation Speaker: Lily Stelzer, Art

Lily Stelzer finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art in December 2020. She was the Division of Art's undergraduate speaker for the School's virtual Graduation Celebration 2021.

June 20, 2021
Kathleen Ash-Milby

Q+A with Kathleen Ash-Milby

Kathleen Ash-Milby received her Art History bachelor's degree in 1991. After receiving an MA and working in New York for over 20 years, she was appointed the Curator of Native American Art at Portland Art Museum in 2019.

June 20, 2021
Alden Mason

Alden Mason Book + Exhibitions

Alden Mason was an alum of the School of Art as well as being faculty here. He also had a successful career as a painter. A new book and three exhibitions celebrate his work and legacy.

June 1, 2021
George Rodriguez in his studio

Curiosity & Clay

George Rodriguez, who graduated in 2009 with an MFA from the UW, discusses his art and how he "fell for clay" in a University of Washington Magazine article.

June 1, 2021
Ancient Future by Payton Cahill

‘Ancient Future’ questions our relationship with the natural world

Master of Fine Arts student Payton Cahill's thesis project, Ancient Future, "transcends the limits of the gallery space through a prompting of collective reflection."

June 1, 2021
It's the Water installation by Kristen Ramirez

Alumni News – May 2021

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of April 2021. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

May 31, 2021
Ron Chew and others receiving IMS award from Hilary Clinton

Anne Focke Award honors Asian American activist and journalist Ron Chew

A profile of Ron Chew, the 2021 recipient of the Anne Focke Arts Leadership Award, which includes quotes from School Director Jamie Walker and alum Barbara Earl Thomas.

May 17, 2021
Coffee with Joy website homepage

UW design student spreads joy through coffee sleeves

Jerred Mace, an industrial design student in his third year, has founded the W/ Joy Project to spread joy through uplifting messages inside coffee sleeves.

May 6, 2021
Jamie Walker

Director's Notes – April 2021

The marvels of spring have never been more appreciated than they are now: birds and blossoms abound, we are reveling in the extended daylight and a hint of warmth, and vaccines are giving us hope…

April 20, 2021
Ever Given by Mary Iverson

Alumni News – April 2021

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of April 2021. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

April 13, 2021
Ron Chew

2021 Anne Focke Arts Leadership Award

The recipient of this year's award is Ron Chew, a lifelong Seattleite who has made significant cultural contributions to the city. An online event to celebrate him takes place on Friday, May 14, starting at 6pm.

April 10, 2021
Geography of Innocence installation by Barbara Earl Thomas

Lawrence + Thomas at SAM

The Seattle Art Museum is showing two solo exhibitions that feature people with close ties to the School: Jacob Lawrence and Barbara Earl Thomas.

April 9, 2021
Holly Chan

Q+A with Holly Chan

Holly Chan received her Bachelor of Design degree in 2017. After graduation, she spent more than two years working for Ancestry in the San Francisco Bay area. Chan became a user experience designer at Blue Origin in May 2020.

April 6, 2021
Holding Fire 2 by Barbara Earl Thomas

Alumni News – March 2021

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of March 2021. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

March 31, 2021
Still composite from GUILLOTINÆ WannaCry, Act Yellow: BreakRoom by Sofía Córdova

Spring 2021 Part-Time Faculty

The spring quarter part-time faculty are Sofía Córdova, Joe Costello, Melanie Enderle, Stefan Gonzales, Thomas Ham, Nadia Jackinsky Sethi, Justin Lund, Oscar Murillo, Nkiruka Oparah, Dan Paz, Charles Stobbs, Scott Tsukamaki, Ryan Weatherly, Lena Tseabbe Wright, Jayme Yen, and Shuo Yin.

March 30, 2021
Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse

First Nations art, resistance and governance in Canada

Art History Assistant Professor Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse taught a winter quarter 2021 microseminar for graduate students titled First Nations Art, Resistance, and Governance: Haida and Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw Art Against Extraction.

March 18, 2021
Portion of 2019 Master of Design installation at Henry Art Gallery

2021 MFA + MDes Thesis Exhibition

Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design students — all graduating in 2021 and some from 2020 — are participating in this exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery. The exhibition runs from May 29 through June 27, 2021.

March 12, 2021
Illustration of what students see and hear in Native Art of the Northwest Coast class

Surveying the Native art of the Pacific Northwest

Assistant Professor of Art History Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse explains what it's like to be a student in her class, Native Art of the Northwest Coast, in this University of Washington Magazine article.

March 1, 2021
Barbara Earl Thomas

The Illuminating Work Of Barbara Earl Thomas Is Finally In Display At The Seattle Art Museum

Barbara Earl Thomas, who received both her BA and MFA in art from the University of Washington, has a solo exhibition on display at the Seattle Art Museum.

February 26, 2021
Lane Eagles

Alumni News – February 2021

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of February 2021. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

February 25, 2021
Jamie Walker

Director's Notes

As I sat down to write these quarterly notes, I struggled to find the concentration to focus. Given the current state of our world, which has at times been all consuming, it has been a challenge…

January 12, 2021
Design drawing video by Adam Kingman

Alumni News – January 2021

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of January 2021. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

January 11, 2021
Andrew Allen

Winter 2021 Part-Time Faculty

The winter quarter 2020 part-time faculty are Andrew Allen, Romson Bustillo, Granite Calimpong, Alex Chang, Fiona Connor, Joe Costello, Stefan Gonzales, Arely Morales, Stephanie Simek, Rafael Soldi, Steven Watson, and Jayme Yen.

January 4, 2021
Bill Holm in his studio

In Memoriam – Bill Holm

The School of Art + Art History + Design is sad to announce the passing of Art History Professor Emeritus Bill Holm, expert on Northwest Coast Native art, on December 16, 2020.

January 3, 2021
Simcoe by Christie Tirado

Alumni News – December 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of December 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

January 2, 2021

Jack Lenor Larsen, Innovative Textile Designer, Dies at 93

Larsen (BA 1949) was a textile designer who blended ancient techniques and modern technology to weave fabrics that enlivened postwar American homes and workplaces and in the process became an international presence.

December 23, 2020
Robert Yoder in his studio

Q+A with Robert Yoder

Yoder received his MFA in Fiber Arts in 1987. Since then, he has worked on his own art practice, and he became a gallerist when he founded SEASON in 2010. Tela Real, an Instagram-only gallery, is his most recent venture.

December 21, 2020
Book cover background image for The Creative Process

Autumn Activities

Autumn quarter is over, but some work lives on digitally. We are pleased to share with you activities that occurred during the past few months within the UW and out in our broader community.

December 18, 2020

Craft in America: STORYTELLERS episode - PBS premiere Dec 11, 2020

George Rodriguez (MFA 2009) is one of five artists featured in the December Storytellers episode of the PBS Craft in America series.

December 11, 2020

Art Pulse: A Yakima artist shows why farmworkers are essential

Christie Tirado (BA 2013) and her artwork are the subject of a December article on Crosscut.

December 8, 2020
Juliet Sperling by Miha Sarani

A Snapshot of America, in 18 Portraits

Assistant Professor of Art History Juliet Sperling analyzes 18 pieces of art that tell the tale of American history. Paintings by two alums are included in this University of Washington Magazine article.

December 8, 2020
Sunset at Sea by Alfredo Arreguin

Alumni News – November 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of November 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

December 2, 2020

New Exhibit At Birmingham Museum of Art Shows American History’s Violent Struggle

This exhibition features a painting series about American history by the late Professor Emeritus Jacob Lawrence. The story includes quotes from alum Barbara Earl Thomas who studied with Lawrence.

November 20, 2020
Jamie Walker

Director's Notes

It was a summer like no other. A reduced schedule of classes was all taught online and most staff worked remotely. Only a handful of faculty, staff, and graduate students were to be found in our buildings…

October 6, 2020
Crossing by Katie Miller

Alumni News – October 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of October 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

October 5, 2020
Tamar Benzikry

Q+A with Tamar Benzikry

Benzikry received her bachelor's degree in 2005 with majors in Art History and Jewish Studies. After two years of graduate study, Benzikry returned to the Greater Seattle area to begin a career in curating and coordinating art projects.

October 3, 2020
Red River Valley by Allison Collins

Alumni News – September 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of September 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

October 1, 2020
Arely Morales

Autumn 2020 Part-Time Faculty

The autumn quarter 2020 part-time faculty are Arely Morales, Jayme Yen, Joe Costello, Marcus Watson, Matt Clark, Melanie Enderle, and Michael Smith.

September 28, 2020
Thipok Cholsaipant holding AeroLyze

Dyson Award Winner

Congratulations to recent alum Thipok (Poom) Cholsaipant! His breath glucometer, AeroLyze, is winner of the US national James Dyson Award, and it is part of the competition for the international award from the James Dyson Foundation.

September 17, 2020
Alice Lee

Campus Ambassador

Alice Lee, manager of the UW Visitor Center, graduated from the UW in 2011 with a BA in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts. She explains her role and what brought her to the UW.

September 1, 2020
Pond Dance by Georgia Gerber

Alumni News – August 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of August 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

September 1, 2020
Dare to Judge curated by Stefan Gonzales

Sean Sullivan: Dare to Judge

The Jacob Lawrence Gallery hosts the inaugural curatorial residency for a UW BIPOC graduate student. Curator Stefan Leandro Gonzales has created an exhibition that examines connections between queer experience and domestic space. Dates are September 4–26, 2020.

August 24, 2020
Lux Aeterna banner

Lux Aeterna

This year-long online research platform and exhibition traces and troubles the currents of technical migration and image circulation. It is curated by Jacob Lawrence Gallery Director + Curator Emily Zimmerman and produced in partnership with Northwest Film Forum.

August 21, 2020
Strange Coupling 2020 artwork details

Strange Coupling

Strange Coupling has been a student-run tradition in the School's Division of Art since 2002. For the first time, this year's exhibition has a theme — Memory — and the exhibition is online. It launches August 21, and there is an online reception.

August 20, 2020
Stephen Bader and Alanna MacGowan

Transforming How We Live, Work, and Play

Stephen Bader (BDes 2014) and Alanna MacGowan (MFA Design 2010) work at Microsoft Envisioning and explore how people will live, work, and play five to seven years in the future.

August 17, 2020
Zoom background by Cicelia Ross-Gotta

Alumni News – July 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of July 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

August 4, 2020
Muler by Kim Van Someren

2020 Seattle Deconstructed Art Fair

While there is no Seattle Art Fair this year, a number of galleries from Seattle and beyond have banded together to create the SDAF during August. At least 20 galleries are showing work by alums, staff, and/or faculty.

July 31, 2020
Yale Union Building

YU Cedes Property to NACF

Yale Union in Portland — co-founded by Assistant Professor Flint Jamison — announced on July 16 that they will cede ownership of their historic building and its land to the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.

July 20, 2020
Photograph by Eirik Johnson

Alumni News – June 2020

This is a listing of alumni news as posted to our social media outlets during the month of June 2020. Most news like this goes onto our Twitter feed; you can receive it in real-time by following us there.

June 21, 2020