Welcome!

Whether you are a student looking for the next level of creative study or a working artist, attending graduate school is an act of self-investment.

Our program is a 60 credit 3-year Masters of Fine Art in studio art that offers the freedom for both specialization and interdisciplinary experimentation.

Supported by excellent faculty and facilities in Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, Printmaking + Book Arts, Painting/Drawing and Design, our MFA is designed to encourage independent research and creative risk-taking.

For more information contact:

Jennifer D. Printz, MFA Director, Distinguished Professor of Visual Arts

Jprintz@wcu.edu 828-227-7210

MFA Thesis Exhibition 2026 Artist video Interviews

✨ Faculty Spotlight: Heather Mae Erickson! ✨ . A Professor of Undergraduate and Graduate Ceramics/Studio Art and Area Coordinator of the Susan and Randall Parrrott Ward Endowed Ceramics Studio at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. . Erickson is interested in wholehearted teaching and learning, engaged scholarship, and classroom community building. She strives to foster that environment in the classroom to encourage mentorship opportunities among the students and herself, as well as with the Graduate Teachers of Record. . We are so thankful for Heather Mae’s guidance, generosity and support to our school and graduate students. . #wcu #mfa

Final critique for our 1st and 2nd year MFA students, and a wrap for the 25-26 academic year. . A big thank you to all our faculty who participated for your time, constructive feedback and support! @sethjmcc @hmaemaeceramics @alviani_photo @johnseefeldt @jenniferdprintz @jameskkirkpatartist @tomschramstudio. . Work by @kevin_in_color, @artsy_shara_, @zh_anzhanzhan, @the_woman_of_the_woods, and @bgarciaart. . Congratulations! 🎉 #wcu #mfa

WCU MFA Virtual information session is at 5pm on May 5th! Join us on zoom via the link. See you there! . #wcu #mfa

✨ Faculty Spotlight ✨ Tatiana Potts is a printmaker and book artist. She makes her books using prints that she creates with various techniques such as lithography, screen print, relief and/or intaglio. She is originally from Slovakia. Being a person from country that doesn’t exist, she finds herself creating composite depiction of space and places that she visited or lived in, in order to reflect upon my identity, culture, language, memories, architecture, belonging and experiences of spaces and places and their constant change. . Advice: Make and make more, don’t be afraid to fail, learn from it and keep on going, you will discover what works for you and what you want to create. . #wcu #mfa

There are so many opportunities and resources close to our campus. One of those is the @unca_steam_studio in Asheville. Graduates and MFA coordinator, Jennifer Printz, toured the space to help inform their ideas for public art. Thank you for @unca_steam_studio for giving us a tour and welcoming us in your space! #wcu #mfa

Enjoyed our time with @sharonlouden these last few days. She provided a workshop on sustaining a creative life, visited studios of graduate students, and facilitated a panel discussion @revolveavl with @jenniferdprintz @jeannierebecca @luis_alvaro_sahagun. #wcu #mfa

✨Faculty Spotlight! ✨ Jillian Ohl is an assistant professor in graphic design here at WCU. . Jillian is an illustrator, artist, and designer and makes work inspired by ideas of femineity, pop culture, and personal narrative. She works in a variety of analog and digital mediums including drawing, painting, collage, and print making. . Advice Jillian would give to MFA graduate students/artists is: “It is called an artistic practice because you have to practice. I will not make work unless it is fun for me to make. Come have fun with me anytime. @jillyohl “ . #wcu #mfa

Please join us in congratulating our third year graduates in completing their thesis! 🎉 #wcu #mfa

✨YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS. ✨ Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: A Conversation with Sharon Louden! . A timely and compelling conversation on what it means to build and sustain a creative life will take place at REVOLVE, Asheville’s community-driven contemporary art space. Join acclaimed New York–based artist, educator, and advocate Sharon Louden alongside artists Jeannie Regan, Jennifer D Printz, and Luis Alvaro Sahagún Nuño for an engaging panel exploring the realities of sustaining an artistic practice today. . Location: REVOLVE, 821 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC Presented by: Western Carolina University MFA Program . #wcu #mfa

@alviani_photo helping third year graduate student, @lhudsonnc photograph their thesis work. ✨

Grad Spotlight: @artsy_shara_ 🪴 Tishara Sneed is a first year MFA student. Her work explores her Cherokee culture. Focusing on creating masks from ceramics, and large scale paintings of basket patterns. #mfa #wcu

Grad Spotlight: @kevin_in_color Kevin is a first year MFA graduate student. He is focused on the gesture, the absurd and the body as a subject and tool. He is piqued by science fiction, graphic novels and finds visual queues in these to engage with. #wcu #mfa

Please join us in honoring and congratulating our 2nd year MFA students, Victoria and Nastassja, in their successful candidacy review exhibition and talk. #wcu #mfa

Grad Spotlight: @bgarciaart ✨ Bobbe is a first year MFA student. Working with printmaking and sculpture, she analyzes the obscurity of memory. Exploring subject matter and material while deconstructing personal motifs. . #wcu #mfa

Please join us for the opening reception of this year’s candidacy review, Earth as Verb, on March 17th from 5-7pm. Located on the 5th floor at the Apodaca Science Building at @western_carolina. This exhibition will feature sculpture and ceramic work by @beinglichen and @the_woman_of_the_woods. . #mfa #wcu

Another incredible visiting artist experience with @lauren.krukowski. ✨ Thank you so much for our insightful studio visits, engaging artist talk and inspiring demo of pulp painting paper with a linoleum embossing. . #wcu #mfa

Highlights from Material Conversations ✨ . Thank you to everyone who came out and supported @hollyannhill1 and @lhudsonnc at the @littleanimalsspace. We are so proud. . #wcu #mfa

Join us @thebascom for the reception of Emergence: A Survey of Southeastern Studio Programs. Included work by MFA Director @jenniferdprintz and MFA student @beinglichen. . #wcu #mfa