Arts

Fine Arts Center Hosts Four Artists for Residency Program

The Fine Arts Center recently hosted four artists for its residency week, an initiative designed to foster creative collaboration, research and public engagement as part of the FAC’s yearlong 50^th anniversary celebration.

During the last week of September, multimedia and performance artist Camille Turner, glassblower Sally Prasch, multidisciplinary artist and painter Angel Abreu and playwright Michael John Garcés worked closely with students, faculty and staff, establishing relationships that will help inform their upcoming projects.

Camille Turner (center) and Angel Abreu (right) participate in a glassblowing workshop durin during the Fine Arts Center’s artist residency week in Sept. 2025. Top: (L-R) Angel Abreu, Camille Turner, Michael John Garcés and Sally Prasch participate in a roundtable discussion during the residency week.

These interactions will also serve as the foundation for the artists’ spring exhibitions and performances, which will reflect months of research and collaboration across campus. During the academic year, the artists will translate complex social issues — including climate change, race representation in literature, Indigenous rights and local histories of slavery — into compelling art that resonates with a wide range of audiences.

The residency week was not only about fostering creative exchange among the artists but also about engaging with the broader university community. They immersed themselves in conversations with local artists, creators and scholars, attended a reception, and joined MFA studio arts students for lunch and discussion. They toured the University Museum of Contemporary Art with student educators and visited local archives to kickstart their respective research endeavors. By the end of the week, they had begun to shape the direction for their spring projects.

Over the coming months, the artists will continue their research and campus engagement through student workshops, class visits, book clubs, and ongoing meetings with faculty and research departments.

Public events include a talk with Turner and the Slavery North institute on Oct. 28, a workshop with Abreu on Feb. 7, and glassblowing workshops with Prasch in February, March and April.

A complete feature article about the artists’ experiences during their residency week can be found on the FAC website, and further details about upcoming events and spring exhibitions with the artists will be announced soon.