What surprised you the most about the Pre-College Summer Session?

One thing that surprised me was how welcoming of an environment PCSS was. MCAD felt like a place where you could truly be yourself. It was really easy to settle in and join a community of artists. I felt safe and invited.

What aspect of the program had the biggest impact on you?

What surprised you the most about the Pre-College Summer Session?

What surprised you the most about the Pre-College Summer Session?

I was surprised by how much art students were making in such a short amount of time. Before coming to the program, I never thought I could create that many finished pieces within just two weeks. As I worked from project to project, I could actually see my skills improving and notice changes in the way I approached my work. I became faster and more confident in turning my ideas to illustrations without overthinking every small detail.

What surprised you the most about the Pre-College Summer Session?

I think the amount of freedom we had is what surprised me the most. You could really do anything with your free time, which is something I enjoyed about PCSS since it really helped me learn a lot about myself.

What aspect of the program had the biggest impact on you?

Being away from home and having my own dorm definitely had the biggest impact on me. I think it really helped me find my independence, and what it will be like once I go to college.

The inaugural Films at the Fair showcase at the Minnesota State Fair presented by Square Lake Film & Music's features six MCADians, including alumni and faculty. The alumni films showcased include by Boots by Lily Berg ’21, Clementine by Ren Curry ’26, Fallen Stars by Jon Passig ’26 and Celeste Wilburn ’26, Halcyon Days by Bri Dorsey ’25, La Frontera by Paola Guerrero Abrego ’24, The Surveyor by Avery Luthardt ’25, Spaghetti with Seeds By Grey Anderson ’24, as well as a film by Marcie LaCerte ’16.

The Whittier Alliance invites the community to come together and imagine a long term memorial for Alex Pretti, the ICU Nurse who was killed in Whittier earlier this year during the ICE Metro Surge. So far they’ve held meetings with business owners directly surrounding the memorial and have organized a meeting for people with a personal connection to Alex, but now they’re now looking for thoughts and ideas from the full community.

Kelly R. Ludeking ’97 will be speaking at the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Foundry Society's (AFS) meeting in Milwaukee on September 21, 2026. He will be speaking on bringing awareness to communities about the importance of foundry and job opportunities for students in industry.

Ludeking has been hosting community based metal casting events for the last 30 years. In 2004, He co-founded the Down on the Farm Iron Pour, an annual gathering on his family's Iowa farm that has grown into an international event celebrating cast iron, community, and creative exchange.

MCAD faculty Nancy Ariza has been awarded a 2026 Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort award. She is one of thirty mid-career craft artists who will receive $10,000 grants and join a six-month cohort experience that supports their artistic and teaching career development with programs, mentorship, and peer-to-peer learning.

Ariza draws from her Mexican heritage to explore themes of craft, cultural memory, familial ties, and migration. Blending traditional and alternative printmaking, natural pigments, and textiles, her work is grounded in cultural preservation.