2026/27 Merit Scholarship Recipient: Maria-Emilia Borja

What made you choose to come to MCAD for your MFA?

I was looking for a program that embraced illustrative practices as well as conceptual work, and this balance of the two was quite intriguing to me.

Favorite thing about the program or the community (so far)?

I truly enjoy the interdiciplinary aspects of the MFA program, and my ability to explore a wide variety of materials and scales. Access to so many different resources has also been incredible, including conversations with other artists, galleries, curators, librarians and museum experts.

Describe the work you submitted for merits.

Building and labor are themes I explore in my current work. Craftsmanship and physical making are central to how I understand my practice as I draw from domestic and material traditions, particularly fiber, and place them in conversation with construction and carpentry. Through this mixing of media and focus on labor, I explore process, new forms of storytelling and a way to create my own mythology. My relationship with color often drives my practice and it is central in creating meaning in many of my pieces.

What inspires your creative self?

I am currently guiding myself through exploration of archetypes found in traditional tarot decks, as well as drawing inspiration of women in myths and ancient stories. The retelling and alternative storytelling of personal and historical narratives drove me to reinterpret The Tower and the Hanged One cards in two of my pieces. The third piece was inspired by the myth of Leda and the Swan, where I imagine an alternate ending to the fate of the female figure in relation to power dynamics of a dominant Zeus.

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

I recently found several old frames! As a carpenter I think I hit the jackpot.

Lastly, do you have a favorite question we didn't ask? Tell us and answer it!

What does the world need more of? Murals! Especially murals in schools (a personal goal of mine currently in the works). The amount of gray walls in our cities is bleak and astounding to me. There are so many opportunities to bring color to our world even beyond illustrative mural making. Can you imagine if everyone in the Twin Cities painted their front door a different color? Even that small act could radically change the mood of our city environment.