The Department of Art graduate cohort express our gratitude to the College of Fine Arts for funding our recent art research trip to Los Angeles, April 21-23. The trip was an incredible opportunity for our MFA students to experience the vibrant art scene of LA, and cultivate connections with professional artists.
Our itinerary allowed us to visit some of the best art museums and galleries in the city. We were able to view exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (ICALA), LA Hammer Museum, Craft Contemporary, LACMA, Various Small Fires, Honor Fraser, and many other gallery spaces. The diverse collection of contemporary art (painting, video, photography, sculpture, and more) was energizing to see, and we gained new insights into art making.
When we arrived in LA, we visited ICALA and viewed Milford Graves: Fundamental Frequency. Students working in performance and video were especially inspired by this exhibition.
On the second day of our trip, during our visit to the Hammer Museum, we reconnected with the collaborative team, Beck and Col, UNLV Art 2021 virtual artists-in-residents. We also saw Alisha Piller’s sculptural installation at the Craft Contemporary (some of us did virtual studio visits with Alicia Piller in 2021). Rekindling old connections helps us build a stronger community during and after graduate school.
On our last day, we met with Erin Drew, a recent UNLV MFA Art graduate to discuss post-grad life, and visited LACMA. On our way back to Las Vegas, Kyla Hansen, an undergraduate alum, opened up her Pasadena studio space and shared her experiences leading up to her recent first New York solo show. As artists, we were inspired not only by the art we saw at the galleries and museums, but also by these conversations with artists working in the field.
Thanks to the support of the College of Fine Arts. we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the dynamic art scene of LA and have a truly memorable and generative experience.
-Lyssa Park
Lyssa Park is a 3rd year MFA Art student graduating this Spring