What are our alumni doing today?
Our alumni go on to pursue a wide variety of career opportunities. From community focused organizations, to building their own business, to taking positions in art direction, design, manufacturing, and art production. Many others go on to further their fine arts education around the world.
Alumni Testimonials
“Discussions of what was currently going on in our country as well as the world happened in my general education classes and my art and design classes. Both of these class environments have prepared me to enter a world of diverse people and opinions.”
Colleen O'Donnell, Art Education and Painting
“It's more than teaching us how to use this camera or that editing software. Those quickly change. It's about teaching us how to tell stories, and to learn how to learn, so we're never left in the dust.”
Michael Elzinga, Film and Video Production, 2009
“I really liked the photography program because it was so personal. I liked that the professors worked closely with students and knew them by name.”
Amber Felicioni, Photography Student
"More than just a better understanding of art history, this program has given me excellent researching and writing skills as well as taught me to be more inquisitive and analytical in my everyday endeavors."
Amy Thompson, Art History
“I gained a better understanding of the role art can play in the real world, it is not something that is simply hung on a wall or put on display, but an amorphous, and magical part of our everyday experience.”
Giles Hefferan, Sculpture, 2008
"A liberal arts college encouraged me to listen and learn from multiple sources within and outside my area of emphasis. I find my own work is better when I seek outside influence and advice."
Allyson Haller, Illustration, 2004
Selected Alumni per Emphasis Area
The list below highlights the accomplishments of a selected group of GVSU alumni to date.
Art Education
Becca Guyette (Schaub), Director of Educational Programs at UICA
Rosemary Haugen, Elementary K-4 Art Teacher, North Oakview Elementary
Mary Hall (Powell), Elementary Art Teacher, Traverse City Public Schools
Zyra Castillo, Edify Education Consultant, Kent ISD
Kelly Junis, Middle School Art Teacher, Greenville Public Schools
Art History
Our program is quite young, but alumni have attended MA and PhD programs devoted to museum studies, historical administration and public history, as well as art history. Students have pursued advanced degrees at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Eastern Illinois University, George Mason University in Virginia, Northeastern University in Boston, the University of Denver, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and The Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
After completing their advanced degrees, alumni have gone on to work in collections management, art co-ops, archival collections, as well as pursued curatorial work in galleries and museums. Many of our graduates have chosen not to pursue graduate study putting the transferrable skills stressed in the program to good use as they pursued careers in technology, publishing, arts practice, and teaching English overseas.
Ceramics
Jeremy Brooks, MFA, Alfred University, Professor at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Brian Caponi, MFA, Alfred University, The Ceramics Instructor at The Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
Nathan Dorotiak, MA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Art Teacher at Arthur E. Canty Elementary School, Chicago, IL
Dean Foster, MFA, University of Montana, Missoula, Ceramics Instructor at The Clay Studio of Missoula, MT
Chris Scamehorn, MFA, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL, Professional Studio Potter Instructor at CMS Ceramics Fairfield, IA
Film & Video Production
Christina Choriatis, Production Coordinator / Freelance Editor, New York City
Jeff Donehoo, In-Game Entertainment Coordinator, Colorado Rockies
Matt Dressel, Freelance Screenwriter, Los Angeles
Jason Honeycutt, Editor/DP/FX Network, Los Angeles
Klaas Kwant, Grand Rapids
Jillian McCafferty, Production Assistant, Comedy Central, New York City
Angie Mistretta, Pixar, California
James "Tre" Jackson III, Videographer/Production Assistant, Atlanta
Brad Stencil, Assistant Editor, Los Angeles
About the Film & Video Production Area
Information on the Film & Video Production Program can be found here
Graphic Design
Nicholas Ciliak, Interactive Designer, RealHouse, Chicago, IL
Zachary Freeland, Graphic Designer, Concept A, Spring Lake, MI
Amanda Northrop, Graphic Designer, Vox Media, Washington, DC
Kyle DeGroff, Creative Director, Barfly Grand Rapids, MI
Ryan Fitzgibbon, Hello Mr. Brooklyn, NY
Kuu Hubbard, Product Designer at Matchup.io, Chicago, IL
Jesse Hora, Make and Co. Chicago, IL
Kelsey Kolokowski, Graphic Designer, Full Circle Marketing & Advertising, Grand Rapids, MI
Ian Macnider, Apple Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lissa Marques, Art Director, The Image Shoppe, Grand Rapids, MI
Corey Price, Hook, Minneapolis, MN
David Schofield, Senior User Experience Designer, Visualhero Design Co., Grand Rapids, MI
David Shankin, Graphic Designer, Daniel Brian Advertising, Washington, MI
Amber Stout, Designer at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
Breanna and Ross Tanner, Principal Designers, Studio_Us, Grand Rapids, MI
Ashley Van Dyke, Graphic Designer, ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, MI
Andy Van Solkema, Visualhero Design Co. Grand Rapids, MI
Eliza Von Hagen, Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA
Valerie Waldbauer, True Fabrications, Seattle, WA
Jordinn West, Graphic Designer, The Highland Group, Grand Rapids, MI
Illustration
Eric Ervine, Senior Graphics Editor and Art Department Manager, The Onion, Chicago, IL
Jesse Gregg, Animator, IMDb
Allyson Haller, Freelance Illustrator
Jimmy Hasse, Senior Graphics Editor and Art Department Manager, The Onion, Chicago, IL
Geoffrey Holstad, Cabin Time Artist Residency Designer, Patagonia
Loreen Hospodar, Owner and Artist for Reenie Rose, Chicago, IL
Kim Knoper (Main), Senior Scientific/Medical Illustrator, New England Journal of Medicine
Laura Mayes, Illustrator; Designer, Hallmark
Jewelry and Metalsmithing
Peter Antor, MFA, Jewelry Metalsmithing Edinboro University
David Huang, Independent Metalsmith
Abbey Hunter Blodgett, Full-time Welder at Founders Brewery; Founder of Hot Spot, Grand Rapids, MI
Jessica Scimeca, Dental Lab Technician, Davis Dental Lab, Wyoming, MI
Alec Zielinski, Bench Jeweler, Jensen’s Jewelers, Hudsonville, MI
About the Jewelry and Metalsmithing Area
Information on the Jewelry and Metalsmithing area can be found here
Painting
Angela Bryant, MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Artist, Curator and Director at Dominican University
Shanna Shearer, Campus Director, Ox-Bow School of the Arts, Saugatuck, MI
Marion Siebert, Art Director, Brightly Grand Rapids, MI
Casey St Louis, Master of Art Therapy/Counseling, Southern Illinois University Art Therapist, St. Elizabeth Hospital, St Louis, MO
Julia Victor, Art History Graduate Student Artist in Residence, West Side School for the Desperate, Chicago, IL
Photography
Crista Chapman, Photo Editor (National Desk), New York Times, New York, NY
Megan Major, Museum Technician II, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan
Hollyn Johnson, Photojournalist / Staff Photographer, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Hilo, Hawaii
Kristin Schillaci, Artist and Professional Photographer, Santa Fe, NM
Morgan Anderson, Professional Photographer, Morgan Anderson Photography, Chicago, IL
Stephanie Trapp, Professional Photographer, Trappfotos, San Francisco, CA
Matt LaVere, Professional Photographer, Matthew LaVere Photography, Detroit, MI
Mark Andrus, Artist and Professional Photographer, Mark Andrus Photography, Grand Rapids, MI
Printmaking
Todd Freeman, Independent Artist
Kim Hindman, Professor, University of Memphis
Katie Platte, Studio Manager, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
Jenny Pope, Independent Artist, JPOP Studios
Lisa Price, Founder and Proprietor of Artgoodies
Adrienne Quint, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Jenn Schaub, Director at Dwelling Place and Avenue for the Arts, Dwelling Place
Lisa Sweet, Professor of Printmaking, Evergreen College
Amanda Wieczorek, MFA program at Royal College of Art, London.
Sculpture
Paul Amenta, MFA, School of Visual Arts, Co-Founder and Curator at Site-Lab
Kyle Fleet, MFA, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Industrial Designer at Herman Miller/Hayworth
Giles Hefferan, MFA, Tyler School of Art, Preparator at Pace Gallery, NY
Ashley Lieber, MFA, University of Michigan, Independent Artist
Alison Stehlik, MFA, Penn State University, Assistant Professor of Sculpture at University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
Visual Studies
Dulcee Boehm, Staff, Oxbow School of Art
Kate Garman, Assistant Designer, The Scott Group
Steve Koller, Web Developer, Pillar Technology
Megan Oswald, River City Scholars, Elementary School, Grand Rapids, MI
Jessica Pleyel, MFA, University of Iowa
Michael Wolf, Division Avenue Arts, Collective Dwelling Place, Grand Rapids, MI