School of Art + Art History + Design
Source: https://art.washington.edu/newsletters/winter-2026-newsletter Parent: https://art.washington.edu/design/bdes-visual-communication-design
Winter 2026 Newsletter
Director Notes
It is hard to believe we are more than halfway through the winter term and well into 2026. Although Seattle has remained cold, the energy in the School has kept us warm. In this month alone, we have celebrated the opening of indira allegra’s The Book of Zero at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery (on view through April 4), multiple student exhibitions, the New Genres MFA symposium, and many vibrant conversations in and out of the classroom. We now look ahead to the Kollar Lecture on February 26, featuring Rachael Z. DeLue. I hope you will join us.
In this issue, you’ll find news of faculty honors, alumni achievements, and coverage of The Book of Zero. You will also see the direct impact of your support through student workshops, excursions, and scholarships. We are deeply grateful for your generosity that makes these experiences possible.
We hope you will continue to stay engaged. The BA in Art and Design shows, the Sand Point Open House, and the MFA + MDes Thesis Exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery are just ahead, along with many events in between. See our calendar for all upcoming events. We hope to see you soon.
Featured Stories
Kristine Matthews’ award-winning projects
In 2025, Studio Matthews received five major design awards across multiple projects, many of which included UW Design alumni as collaborators.
February 18, 2026
Rachael Z. DeLue is the 2026 Kollar Lecturer in American Art
Rachael Z. DeLue's lecture will examine the relationship between art and science in response to astronomical phenomena in nineteenth-century Europe and North America.
January 28, 2026
Miriam Chusid is awarded for upcoming book
The Ill-Fated Afterlife examines the emergence of paintings of Buddhist hells in thirteenth-century Japan. The book will be published in the fall of 2026.
January 26, 2026
Student Stories
Exploring vibrant art scenes
Thanks to your gifts, students learn from visiting artists and travel to major arts cities that expand how they see themselves and their work within the broader art world.
February 18, 2026
Design students win at WINFO Hackathon
The winning projects that included design majors got awarded for Best Design and Best Impact.
February 13, 2026
2025–2026 Scholarship recipients
These need-based and merit-based awards are made possible through the generosity of our supporters, whose commitment reflects the value of our programs and students.
December 22, 2025
Alumni Stories
OneCourt helps blind and low-vision fans track the Super Bowl live
Founded by Industrial Design alum Jerred Mace (BDes 2023), OneCourt is a Seattle-based startup dedicated to making live sports more accessible for people with blindness or low vision.
February 09, 2026
Small business, big heart
Emma Teal Laukitis (MDes 2018) and her sister Claire not only catch and sell Alaska’s most famous fish, they help feed hundreds of thousands of Alaskans through their donations.
January 26, 2026
UW MFA alum is a 2026 USA Fellow
Anthony Sonnenberg (MFA 2012) is among this year's 50 artists across the country awarded the prestigious United States Artists Fellowship.
January 20, 2026
Jacob Lawrence Gallery Stories
‘The Book of Zero’: indira allegra’s multimedia meditation on cycles of life
indira allegra’s "The Book of Zero" introduces a guided, meditative experience shaped by themes of rebirth and transformation. Featued on The Daily.
February 18, 2026
indira allegra: Rebirth in ‘The Book of Zero’
indira allegra's exhibition, The Book of Zero, navigates themes of death, rebirth, and transformation, encouraging visitors to consider what they want to let go of and reflect on the prospect of change.\
February 06, 2026
The Liberation Book Club continues
As the year-long series continues, we’re reflecting on the gatherings so far and inviting you to take part in what comes next.
January 09, 2026
Other News
The exhibition Woven in Wool at the Burke Museum, co-curated by Associate Professor of Art History Katherine Bunn-Marcuse, is featured in The Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine and on Cascade PBS’ Art x PNW series. The exhibition is open through August 30, 2026. See exhibition details.
Industrial Design seniors Natalie Ge & Jasmine Kwon are bronze 2025 Spark Design Award winners for their project FIREXT (view project). Another ID senior Megan Pan was a finalist for her project SYNTRUM (view project).
The Neddy Awards announced this year’s eight finalists, which include Associate Professor of Art Sangram Majumdar, and alums Dana Blume (MFA 2023) and ralph salazar (MFA 2025). Stay tuned for the winner announcement in the coming months. Read the announcement.
Featured on The Seattle Times, first-year MFA student Gaeun Kim is participating in Once Removed (Art in Vacant Spaces) with alums Ali Meyer (MFA 2024) and Nadia Ahmed (BA 2018). The house is open by appointment from February 22 until the closing date at 9208 Dayton Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. For the closing date and additional performances, go here.
First-year MFA student Skye O’Brien will be presenting a lightning talk titled Energy Efficiency: The Future of Glass Art Making at Scholars’ Studio online on Wednesday, March 4, 3–4 pm (PST). Register on Zoom.
School staff member Jennifer Mineer has work showing in Imaginary Birds at Common Objects. The show opens on Friday, March 13, 6–9 pm during the March Belltown Art Walk. See event details.
Last quarter, seniors in the Advanced Industrial Design class taught by Assistant Professor Meichun Liu collaborated with Precor, a premium fitness equipment company. During the 3-month collab, students developed projects envisioning the future of fitness and wellness equipment for commercial environments. View projects.
Artist, affiliate faculty, and alum Lauren Grossman (BFA 1983) presented her solo exhibition Talk Show at Traver Gallery in the fall. Watch this video as she walks us through the installation and shares her ongoing explorations of Judeo-Christian texts in her work.
Congratulations to Dakota Gearhart (MFA 2013), who was selected as the 2025–2026 resident for the Sharpe Walentas Studio Program. See the artist profile.
We are saddened to share that Bill Ingham, School alum and former member of our Advisory Board, passed away on December 18, 2025. We send our deepest condolences to his family on behalf of the School community. Read the obituary.
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Media Contact
Leo Carmona, Media Relations Specialist, soanews@uw.edu