2026/27 Merit Scholarship Recipient: Aziz Kuhn

Why did you decide to come to MCAD?

I really admire how much art is celebrated in Minneapolis. The community at MCAD feels like a space where artists collaborate and lift each other up; it doesn't have the competitive nature I noticed in a lot of other art colleges.

Why did you decide to come to MCAD?

I really admire how much art is celebrated in Minneapolis. The community at MCAD feels like a space where artists collaborate and lift each other up; it doesn't have the competitive nature I noticed in a lot of other art colleges.

Favorite thing about college life (so far)?

The community here is so wonderful! As I said, everyone is so encouraging and eager to help each other out. I also really enjoy all of the clubs and events we have. They're a lot of fun and a great way to connect with other artists!

Aziz Kuhn, Drawing 1 Final

Describe the work you submitted for merits.

The art I submitted was a culmination of all I have learned at MCAD so far. It shows the wide range of projects that foundation classes set students out to experiment with.

What's next for your practice? Anything you're really excited to make?

I am most excited to continue taking animation and film classes here. So far the media arts classes have been my favorite, and I'm looking forward to making more video art projects.

What inspires your creative self?

Movies are a massive inspiration for me. I have an ever-growing watch list, and every movie I watch sparks a new drawing or writing or animation idea. I can't want to create more movies of my own-- hopefully they'll be feature-length some day.

What's the best thing you've found on the Free Shelf?

My first day here I found this trio of adorable gonks (the little gnome guys) and they have been a staple in my dorm ever since. I've even collected more gonks at garage sales and thrift stores and am looking to expand my collection!