Alumni in the News

Leadership program created by Gay Gaddis (B.F.A., Studio Art, 1977) will support 3 Fine Arts undergrads in new cohort

May 22, 2026

The UT Tower, with orange flowers in the foreground

Three Studio Art alumni earn artist residencies at Estudiosix in Austin

May 21, 2026 | Glasstire

Ariana Gomez (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2024), Matt Rebholz (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2008), Leah Shirley (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2022) were among nine artists who were a test cohort at the arts venue in Central Austin. Estudiosix has launched an open call for the next group of six-month artist residencies.

Jonathan Kulp (Ph.D., Musicology and Ethnomusicology, 2001) retires after 25 years on the faculty at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

May 21, 2026

Kulp served five years as director and two years as associate dean of the College of the Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His next role is driving school buses part-time for Lafayette Parish Schools.

Collen Blackard (M.F.A., 2024, Studio Art) named artist-in-residence at Headlands Center for the Arts in California

April 28, 2026 | Headlands Center for the Arts

Ariel Wood (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2022) launches solo exhibition at Southwestern University

March 26, 2026 | Glasstire

Ariel Wood’s solo exhibition porous takes as its primary point of reference the detention basins neighboring carceral facilities in Georgetown, TX.

Painter John McAllister (B.F.A., Studio Art, 1999) earns inaugural Dallas Art Prize

March 20, 2026 | Glasstire

John McAllister, a Massachusetts painter who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999, has been awarded $20,000 in unrestricted funds as part of the inaugural Dallas Art Prize. His work will be featured in the booth of Los Angeles- and New York-based James Fuentes Gallery at the 2026 Dallas Art Fair.

Actress and author Felicia Day (B.S., Mathematics, 1998) releases new graphic novel

March 18, 2026 | Simon & Schuster

Actor, writer, producer, author and podcaster Felicia Day's new book The Lost Daughter of Sparta (Simon & Schuster, 2026) follows the adventures of the lost mythical character of Philonoe — Helen of Troy’s sister.

Day attended The University of Texas at Austin on a full violin scholarship. She received the E. William Doty Distinguished Young Alumna Award from the College of Fine Arts in 2019.