2025 VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition

The 2025 VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition premieres cutting-edge works from twenty-six emerging artists and designers, representing the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts departments of Craft/Material Studies, Graphic Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media. Presented for the first time at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, the thesis exhibition is the culmination of two years of intensive research and practice, showcasing the creativity, dynamism, exploration, and invention that make VCUarts one of the nation’s leading schools of art and design.

Participants include: Alex K. Bacon, Rasim Bayramov, Catherine Chen, Debra Dowden-Crockett, Amy Duval, Molly Garrett, Tariye George-Phillips, Häsler Gómez, brooklin grantz, David Guarnizo, Madeleine Herisson-Leplae, Aleckxi Hristou-Dorhofer, Aya Khalife, Sina Khani, Yvonne LeBien, Lars Mattingly, A. Neuscheler, Rebecca Oh, Tyna Ontko, Diego Pablo Málaga, Hannah Rotwein, Anne Sarachan, Suzy Slykin, Quinn Standley, Weitong “ShanMu” Sun, and Wren Tiffany.

This year’s exhibition is co-curated by Misa Jeffereis, associate curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; Egbert Vongmalaithong, assistant curator at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU; and Chase Westfall, head of gallery at VCUarts Qatar. It will take place throughout the ICA, as well as at VCU’s on-campus gallery, the Anderson, where the show has been held since 1973.

MFA Film Screenings:

The following films have a running time of approximately 20 minutes each and will be screened back-to-back in the ICA auditorium at the times listed below:

Quinn Standley, Orb Weaver (2025)
Sina Khani, Forough (2025)*

Screening dates and times:
Friday, April 11, 5–8 p.m.: continuous screenings throughout the exhibition opening

Tuesday–Sunday, April 13–May 10, 4–5 p.m. (no screenings on April 12, 15, 17, 18, or May 8)

*There will be a screening of Forough followed by a Q & A with Sina Khani on Friday, May 2, 12–1 p.m.

MFA Performances:

Suzy Slykin, “Post-Opera”
Performance
Saturday, April 12, 3–4 p.m.
Location: ICA auditorium

Catherine Chen, “Long Day’s Journey and Back: Soft Strategy for Breakeven”
Lecture / performance
Thursday, April 24, 6–7 p.m.
Location: ICA auditorium

Rasim Bayramov, How long does it take to get a hug (2025)
Gallery interventions
Friday, April 11, 5–8 p.m.
Saturday, April 26, 3–4 p.m.
Location: ICA, Gallery 2

David Guarnizo, The Paradox of Value (2025)
Gallery interventions
Saturday, April 19, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saturday, April 26, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saturday, May 3, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saturday, May 10, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Location: ICA, Gallery 2

Wren Tiffany
“The Slime Workshop”
An expanded green-screen lecture, film screening, and interactive performance event
Saturday, April 12, 7– 9 p.m.
Location: The Anderson
“The Green Room: A Multimedia Drag Extravaganza!”
Come see The King Collective’s Viktor Licktor and more in this drag jukebox musical live “Queer-keying” performance event cohosted by Lady Boner and Zukini Lèsagna.
Friday, May 2, 7–9 p.m.
Location: The Anderson

Artists by Department

Craft/Material Studies
Debra Dowden-Crockett,* Amy Duval,* brooklin grantz, Aleckxi Hristou-Dorhofer

Graphic Design
Rasim Bayramov, Molly Garrett, Tariye George-Phillips, Aya Khalife

Kinetic Imaging
Yvonne LeBien,* Quinn Standley, Weitong “ShanMu” Sun, Wren Tiffany*

Painting + Printmaking
Alex K. Bacon, Catherine Chen, Madeleine Herisson-Leplae, Rebecca Oh, Diego Pablo Málaga, Suzy Slykin

Photography + Film
David Guarnizo, Sina Khani, Lars Mattingly

Sculpture + Extended Media
Häsler Gómez, A. Neuscheler, Tyna Ontko, Hannah Rotwein, Anne Sarachan

*Showing at the Anderson
Debra Dowden-Crockett, Amy Duval, Yvonne LeBien, Wren Tiffany

Anderson and ICA hours differ, both museum schedules are as follows:
ICA: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m,
Anderson: Tuesday- Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.