In the weeks leading up to ArtWalk, MICA’s campus transforms as graduating students begin installing their thesis projects, literally bringing their work into a new dimension. 

Though often behind the scenes, faculty play a vital role in every impactful display, bringing steady guidance and dedication that, as Fiber instructor Christina Day puts it, helps transform “a classroom into a real-world experience.” 

Throughout the year, faculty observe and support this creative evolution, helping students shape their ideas into pieces ready for public exhibition. Across every program, instructors act as mentors, critics, and problem-solvers, offering guidance, refining concepts, and assisting with everything from spatial planning to installation logistics. 

This year, faculty encouraged students to push the boundaries and expectations of their disciplines. Day explains how the Sculptural Studies took a collaborative approach, integrating students from Ceramics, Fiber, and Interdisciplinary Sculpture into a single cohort. “We wanted students to simulate the professional process of applying to an open call,” she notes. “They created maquettes, visual proposals, and were juried into spaces that best fit their work.”

In the General Fine Arts, Painting, and Drawing programs, the Senior Thesis course is the culmination of a student’s academic journey. “Students develop a self-directed thesis project under close mentorship,” says Andrea Evans, Drawing instructor and area head of General Fine Arts. “Throughout the year, they engage in critiques with visiting artists, faculty, and peers, building up to their ArtWalk debut.”

Karl Williamson, Product Design faculty, emphasizes how design students dive deep into research before even sketching. “In semester one, they ask, ‘What’s the right thing to make?’ In semester two, it’s ‘How do I make the thing right?’” he says. “By ArtWalk, they’ve not only made something, but they’ve also figured out why it matters.”

While ArtWalk serves as a culmination of their studies, students don’t get there alone. Behind each exhibition is the essential guidance of faculty, whose mentorship, feedback, and hands-on support help transform studio work into a powerful public showcase. Their dedication is what makes ArtWalk not just a final presentation but a defining moment in each student’s artistic journey.