Tanya Sheehan

Tanya Sheehan is the 2025 Kollar Lecturer in American Art

Sheehan's lecture on Jacob Lawrence's Harlem Hospital murals is happening on February 27, 6 pm in UW's Intellectual House.

February 5, 2025
artists and poets

artists & poets

The Gallery's new curated exhibition, on view through April 19, features artist Cauleen Smith's The Wanda Coleman Songbook and an array of programs fostering creative collaboration

February 4, 2025
Ali Meyer, Identification Photo (Self-Portrait), 2024. Single channel video projection, 18” x 18”. Photo: Jacob Chung.

Photo/Media + New Genres

The MFA in Photo/Media is renamed and expanded to MFA in New Genres to more accurately reflect the work the program emphasizes.

November 8, 2024
Kimberly Thomas Flameworking Demo

Art FUNd Visiting Artist Series — Autumn 2024

This event series is presented by the Division of Art and is made possible with funding from the Endowed Program Support FUNd in Art. 

November 4, 2024
2024 3D4M Open House by Natalie O'Rourke

The School receives $1.125M gift in support of the Division of Art

This generous gift from Ray Graham will support visual arts programming for the Division of Art outside the typical university coursework/curriculum.

October 17, 2024

Art History News + Awards 2024-2025

Art History faculty promotions and grant awards, PhD students get published and receive fellowships. An ongoing compilation of recent news and awards in the Division of Art History. 

October 11, 2024
Natalia Arbelaez

Welcome Assistant Professor Natalia Arbelaez

Arbelaez was appointed as Assistant Professor in 3D4M (Ceramics), and begins teaching in September 2024.

September 24, 2024
2024-25 Incoming Grad students: MFA, MDes, Art History MA + PhD, and DxArts

Meet the 2024-25 Incoming Graduate Students

Fifteen students have join us this fall to begin their graduate studies in one of our programs: MFA, MDes, MA or PhD in Art History

September 23, 2024
Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse and SiSeeNaxAlt Gail White Eagle (Muckleshoot weaver and co-curator)

Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse is awarded an NEH Grant

Art History Associate Professor Bunn-Marcuse has been awarded a project grant of $150,000 in support of her exhibition "Woven in Wool" at the Burke Museum

September 1, 2024
Art Building, 2023. Photo by Leo Carmona

Faculty Searches for 2025

The School of Art + Art History + Design is excited to announce an opportunity for three tenure-track faculty appointments, two in the Division of Art and one in the Division of Art History.

August 21, 2024
Jamie Walker, 2023

Director's Notes – June 2024

After ten years serving as director of the School of Art + Art History + Design, I will be stepping aside at the end of this month and returning to teaching.

June 21, 2024
Annabelle Gould

Design Professor Annabelle Gould is the new School Director

Gould begins her five-year Director appointment in July 2024 after a year of working as the Associate Director in tandem with Jamie Walker.

June 20, 2024
Graduation Celebration 2023

Graduation 2024

Congratulations graduating students from the UW School of Art + Art History + Design! Families are invited to join us to celebrate our graduates on Saturday, June 8, 9-11am. 

June 4, 2024
2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition. Background image by Anna Hagadorn (BDes 2020)

2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition: Another Day at The Orifice

The 2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition: Another Day at The Orifice runs from May 28 through June 9 at Railspur (Top Floor). 

May 15, 2024
Jamie Walker, 2023

Director's Notes - April 2024

In this April 2024 Newsletter, our students, staff, faculty, and alumni continue to be fully involved in their passions and actively making a difference for themselves and others. 

May 13, 2024
Arca, 2024 Interaction Awards Finalist

Arca: IxDA 2024 Interaction Awards Finalist

Congratulations to IxD Professor James Pierce and the fantastic team of student design researchers for being IxDA Awards finalist for their project Arca.

April 15, 2024
Jordan Jones

Jordan Jones appointed Director and Curator of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery

Jones will provide curatorial, programming, and administrative leadership and oversight in a newly renovated state-of-the-art exhibition space within the School of Art + Art History + Design at the UW Seattle campus

March 26, 2024
“Nena” Server. Image by Mark A. Hernandez Motaghy

Soft Data and Common Wares Artists-in-Residence

The two visiting artists who will spend one month each at the DXARTS Softlab and Studio Tilt at the School of Art + Art History + Design are Xiaowei R. Wang - a California-based artist, writer, organizer and coder, and Mark A. Hernandez Motaghy - a Boston-based artist, cultural worker, and co-founding director of Fortunately Magazine.

March 20, 2024
Jennifer Greenhill

Kollar Lecture in American Art: Jennifer Greenhill

The Division of Art History is pleased to host the 2024 Kollar Lecture in American Art: Jennifer Greenhill. This free public lecture is made possible by Assistant Professor and Kollar Chair in American Art History, Juliet Sperling.

January 23, 2024
Jamie Walker, 2023

Director's Notes – January 2024

In this [Winter 2024] Newsletter, our students, staff, faculty, and alumni continue to be fully involved in their passions and actively making a difference for themselves and others. 

January 17, 2024
Simon Benjamin

2024 Jacob Lawrence Legacy Resident: Simon Benjamin

Simon Benjamin is a Jamaican multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker based in New York who will be in residence at the University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design from March 24 through April 9, 2024. 

January 17, 2024
I must be going, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, 2023

Apply to Graduate Programs by January 15

The School of Art + Art History + Design offers graduate degrees in Art, Art History, and Design. 

December 27, 2023
Jacob Lawrence Gallery, 2023. Photo: Natalie O'Rourke

Support the Jacob Lawrence Gallery Endowment

Gifts helps us sustain the growth and cultural impact of our gallery. 

December 27, 2023
The BASEMENT, 2023. Illustration by Jadelyn Drake

The BASEMENT, a new student run online art gallery

A welcome letter from the co-editors; introducing Publication #0 featuring works from the 2023-2024 honors in art cohort and the publication's founding team. 

December 20, 2023
Alden Mason, Fortune Teller, 1988

Awards for painters to honor the legacy of Alden Mason

The inaugural Alden Mason Foundation Award and the Alden Mason Graduate Fellowship were established to support exceptional artists working in the medium of painting.

December 20, 2023
Jacob Lawrence Gallery featuring work by Sangram Majumdar

Hiring Director + Curator of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery

A full-time opportunity for an experienced and innovative art leader to carry through the legacy of artist and former University of Washington professor, Jacob Lawrence. Priority deadline is December 11, 2023. 

November 20, 2023
Berette S Macaulay. Courtesy of Artist.

Berette S Macaulay, Guest Curator for the 2024 Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency

Announcing Seattle-based interdisciplinary artist and writer, Berette S Macaulay as the Guest Curator for the 2024 Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency.

November 14, 2023
Jamie Walker, 2023

Director's Notes – October 2023

The new academic year already seems well underway, and the autumn colors have transformed our beautiful campus once again into an amazing palette of yellows, oranges, and reds complementing the ubiquitous greens that our state is named for.

October 17, 2023
Ellen Gaven

Staff + Faculty Transitions in 2022-2023

A list of employees who departed or joined the School in October 2022 through September 2023.

October 11, 2023
2023-2024 scholarships

2023-2024 Scholarship Recipients

Thanks to the generosity of donors, $218,000 is being awarded in scholarships this year: $101,000 to incoming students and $117,000 to current students.

October 10, 2023
Welcome Incoming Grad Students

Meet the Incoming Graduate Students

We are excited to introduce the incoming class of graduate students to the School community.

September 29, 2023
IVA Search

IVA faculty search

The School of Art Art History Design at the University of Washington welcomes applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Interdisciplinary Visual Art to start in September 2024.

September 5, 2023
Three New Faculty Appointments

Three faculty appointments

The School is pleased to announce the hiring of three faculty – two for the Division of Art and one for the Division of Design. 

September 1, 2023
Soft Data Zine Cover

Soft Data and Common Wares — Call for Artist Residency 2023-2024

Apply for the 2023-2024 artist residency for Soft Data and Common Wares’, an ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration between the DXARTS Softlab and Studio Tilt at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

August 16, 2023
Screen view of the 2023 Graduate Showcase. Leo Carmona

2023 Graduate Showcase

Explore the online showcase to discover how each graduate student transformed their ideas, passions, and skills into a body of research.

August 10, 2023
Everything + Then Some

2023 Design Show

The website featuring senior projects by the 2023 Bachelor of Design graduates is now live.

June 25, 2023
Seattle Art Fair

Cultural Partners at Seattle Art Fair

The School and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery are joining local art organizations to support and promote the growing art community in Seattle and beyond at the Seattle Art Fair 2023. 

June 14, 2023
National Endowment for the Arts

The School receives a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

The Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency project is among 1,130 projects across the country  selected during the second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2023 funding.

May 30, 2023
2023 Sand Point Open House

Sand Point Open House

Explore the private studios of the MFA students and faculty in Painting + Drawing at Sand Point Studios + Gallery. 

May 2, 2023
Intro Ceramics Studio

Job Opening - Director of Academic Advising & Student Services

The Director oversees the administrative aspects of the School’s academic programs including, managing day-to-day operations and providing vision and leadership.

May 1, 2023
Material Latitudes

2023 Graduation Exhibitions


Each year the School proudly celebrates graduating Art and Design students with a series of exhibitions at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery and the Henry Art Gallery. Join us for one or more of these in April, May, and June.

April 25, 2023
We Design by the Human Condition by Thomas Ham

Spring 2023 Part-Time Faculty

This quarter's part-time faculty include six in the Division of Art, two in the Division of Art History, and four in the Division of Design.

April 11, 2023
Jamie Walker

Director's Notes — April 2023

Despite the blossom fest coming much later in the season than any of us can remember, we were immensely relieved and grateful when the certificate of occupancy for our newly renovated spaces was granted, as promised, just in time for the quarter to begin.

April 10, 2023
Computer Lab

Job Opening: Computer Support Technician 2 (Part-Time, Temp)

The Computer Support Technician 2 will provide computer lab and equipment support to faculty, staff and students in the SoA+AH+D. 

March 7, 2023
Jamie Walker

Director's Notes – January 2023

Every new year promises many expected, and undoubtedly unexpected, changes for us all who are brought together by the School of Art + Art History + Design. Great strides are being made with the partial renovation of the Art Building…

January 10, 2023
Art Building framed by blooming cherry trees

Constituency Relations Officer

Please share! We are excited to announce our opening for a Constituency Relations Officer who "will plan, manage, and implement School efforts to build relationships with alumni and friends of the school, attract private support from individuals and promote the school regionally, nationally, and globally."

January 9, 2023
Art Building framed by blooming cherry trees

Media Relations Specialist

We are happy to announce an opportunity for a person who wants to be an integral part of the School. Our Media Relations Specialist is a critical, full-time staff position. The application deadline is November 15.

November 4, 2022
Student receiving scholarship

2022–2023 Scholarships

The School is proud to share this year's scholarship recipients. This includes awards to incoming freshmen / transfer students as well as those to continuing undergraduate and graduate students in all three divisions.

October 17, 2022
Meredith Clausen

Transitions 2022

The School has not been immune to the societal shifts the pandemic has introduced resulting in several changes in staff and faculty since last autumn.

September 29, 2022