Time goes incredibly fast at UCF and everyone is in constant motion, both physically and intellectually. Preparations for Art Knight! 2022 began early, as this was the first year that the annual event was held at the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD).It is a large, public event that includes the BFA exhibition, showing works from the graduating class installed at the spacious UCF Art Gallery. It also serves as an informal showcase of students’ work at all levels and in all disciplines offered at SVAD, including undergraduate work in Studio Arts (Drawing, Illustration, Painting, 2D and 3D Design, Printmaking, Book Arts, Ceramics, Woodworking and Sculpture), Graphic Design, Photography, Architecture, Immersive Experience Design, and Animation & Visualization (including Visual Storytelling, 3D Modeling and Visualization, Motion Design, Stop Motion, 3D Animation, 2D Animation and Visual Effects). Scheduled events for the evening include a lively art trivia session hosted by the Art History department, animation showcases, special projects and artists Q&A. MFA Students in Emerging Media in Studio Art & Design and Animation & Visual Effects showcase the their ongoing research at different stages of development. There are food trucks outside, music on the breezeway, SVAD merchandize made by screen printing students and a few freebies such as pens, stickers and such.
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| My first Artknight! Set up in a drawing studio at UCF. Stella Arbelaez, MFA class of 2025. Year one. |
This year the event took place the evening of the final critique for my first semester, making it an exhausting endeavor for all involved. Thankfully everyone pitched in one way or another. We worked alongside Jason Burrell, who is the school’s Assistant Director, the Graduate Coordinator for Studio Arts, and heartbeat of the program for us. After our final critique ended at the graduate studios, we met at the visual arts building (VAB) and quickly cleared our assigned rooms on the second floor. We moved easels and furniture across the hall for storage and opened large areas to display our works. Classmates worked together to quickly transport work, install it, break down and return the rooms to their previous layouts at the end of the night.
This is one of my favorite events at SVAD. The energy and excitement the public brings into the school are palpable and contagious. I showed my finished sculpture titled The Broken Woman (2022) and the beginning stages of my large multi-figure drawing titled To My own Self I am True (2023), which I started after midterms. I also showed photos taken by Laine Flournoy (UCF, 2021) during my public performance of Moon Convocation (2021), dressed as The Nature Goddess (2021), her headdress and staff. This was the same set up I shared with professors and classmates at finals a few hours earlier, so I was eager to observe the public's reaction to my work. For this reason, I remained in the rooms assigned to the graduate students for the entire night, talking to people. I enjoyed the opportunity to elaborate on the experiences, concepts and artistic processes that propels my work, and was moved by the compliments and stories that generated from it. The evening provided countless opportunities to connect with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
Marisol Merced, a journalism student (class of 2025) from The Nicholson School of Communication and Media interviewed participants and photographed the event for an article published shortly after.
Following are a few photos of works shown by fellow MFA students.
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