May 26, 2022 Image He/Him Sophomore, Fine Arts Studio Dean Wilson Art of Making Sculpture Merit Scholarship $2,000Online Portfolio Wheaton, Illinois Describe the work you submitted for merits. For merits I set up an exhibition centered around identity and the elements that shape us as beings. My works included: oil paintings, bronze and plaster casts, collage and sculptural elements, and poetry. Why did you decide to come to MCAD? I decided to come to MCAD because of the tight-knit community and the materials and art services that are offered within the buildings and the courses. What's next for your practice? Anything you're really excited to make? I’m excited to push myself out of the bounds of my comfort zone for the next steps in my practice. I’ve been working a lot recently with layers/collage and challenging how we view works, like paintings, and figuring out my answer to the question: “how do we take up space?”. What inspires you? I feel like it is silly to say but, lately, I’ve been finding inspiration within myself. My own journey with identity has not been easy but instead of wallowing in my hardships I’ve turned to art and making works out of these challenges. I strive to help educate people on lgbtq+ issues and to help them find ways to soothe their minds and heal within my artworks. Do you have a favorite piece you've made? Describe it! My piece titled For Robert Cowan which was included in my merit exhibition has definitely been my favorite piece I’ve created so far. The process of grieving as well as experimenting with impermanence in the work itself was a big theme. The piece was a series that included three layered paintings of abstracted funeral bouquets. The pigments and the textures I was able to create were very exciting!