Andrea Bagdon | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Andrea Bagdon

MFA mentor

She/Her
mercurialstudio.com
andreabagdonart@gmail.com
Drawing/Painting, Interdisciplinary
In-person, Online, Hybrid mentor  

BIO 

Rooted in experimental media practices and shaped by the domestic sphere, Andrea Bagdon is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Twin Cities whose work explores the intersection of experimental video, painting, and materiality. Through layered visual strategies, her practice investigates psychological and symbolic tensions within contemporary life. Bagdon’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and supported by multiple grants, including a 2024 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individuals Grant and a 2023 MRAC Flexible Support Grant. She was a 2024 Signal Culture Experimental Media Resident, culminating in a solo exhibition at Q.Underground Gallery in Minneapolis. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings (West Issue No. 156) and the 2024 Biennial Edition of Women CineMakers Magazine. She holds an MFA from Colorado State University, where she also taught, and a BFA from Northern Arizona University. In addition to her studio practice, Bagdon mentors MFA candidates at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and serves as Fine Arts Department Chair at a college preparatory high school in Minneapolis.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & MENTORSHIP

I grew up in the Twin Cities art community, and that sense of place continues to ground both my studio practice and my approach to teaching. I believe that being connected to an active, accessible art network is essential for emerging artists. One of my top priorities as a mentor is helping students build relationships within their local arts ecosystem, whether through applying to exhibitions, connecting with artist-run spaces, or participating in critiques and community events.

My goal is to support artists in finding clarity in their work and confidence in their voice. I spend time understanding each mentee’s goals so I can offer tailored resources such as relevant texts, artists, and opportunities that deepen their research and expand their conceptual vocabulary. I approach studio visits as honest and supportive conversations centered on inquiry, experimentation, and growth. 

For me, teaching is rooted in the same values that drive an effective studio practice: curiosity, reflection, and a willingness to take creative risks. I encourage an inquiry-based approach that treats art-making as a form of critical thinking, an evolving dialogue between idea, material, and context. My aim is to help students build practices that are both self-directed and socially aware, grounded in research, and sustained through meaningful engagement with their communities.

Address

2501 Stevens Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Contact Us

612.874.3700
800.874.MCAD (6223)
Fax: 612.874.3701

Campus Directory

Join our Email List

Land Acknowledgement

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


Nondiscrimination Policy

MCAD admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or marital status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.