Dear School of Art Community,
As the energy of a new academic year fills our campus and energizes our studios, I’m thrilled to welcome both new and returning students to the Carnegie Mellon School of Art!
Our first-year students have spent the past week at Orientation, embarking on the Foundations curriculum that will shape their journey over the next four years. This spectacular new Class of 2028 comes to CMU from seven countries around the world and 15 states across the country. Our incredible new MFA cohort also represents a wide range of practices and backgrounds, hailing from Pakistan, Pittsburgh, and places in between, and they are just as busy settling into their studios and program. I want to welcome all of you to our School — for those new to Pittsburgh, welcome to our great city, and to those from abroad, to America and our historic university. It is a really big deal to take this life leap, and we are all here to help you find your way, get your footing, and thrive!
In addition to welcoming our many new students, I am very pleased to welcome Prof Alisha B. Wormsley to our full-time faculty. Alisha has been a critical part of our School for years, teaching across our entire curriculum and within our graduate program, so it is all the more special to have her energy and involvement become a permanent part of our School and its culture. We are incredibly lucky to have such a dynamic and impressive faculty, and I would like to share some of their many accomplishments and exhibitions over this summer, from Prof Sharmistha Ray at SECRIST | BEACH in Chicago, Prof Kim Beck at Dimensions Variable in Miami, and Prof Golan Levin at Gazelli Art House in London, to Prof Alisha B Wormsley at Creative Time in New York City, Prof Britt Ransom at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Mississippi, Prof Imin Yeh at Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco, and, here in Pittsburgh, Prof Jon Rubin in collaboration with Prof Ray, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
The School also recently welcomed three new staff members, each of whom will help shape the School’s operations moving forward. This spring, Phillip Crook joined us as our new Marketing and Communications Manager, and he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and will oversee our School’s appearance in the world. Bill Rodgers — who has managed our incredibly successful Pre-College program for five years — has joined the school full time as our new Undergraduate Curriculum Coordinator and will work to streamline our School’s expanded course offerings and new curricular structure. Finally, we are delighted to welcome Wendy Willis, our new MFA Assistant Director, who will help to guide our top-ranked graduate program into the future.
In addition to our staff and faculty, the School has made significant updates to our facilities over the last several months, including enhancing accessibility with a new key card system for studios and classrooms, redesigning and rebuilding our third- and fourth-year undergraduate studios to improve equitability, and installing a new air handling system in our wood shop. These changes make the School smarter, safer, and healthier, and they are all designed to ensure that our School continues to welcome talent and support innovative work for years to come.
Moving into the fall, I wish everyone the best as they launch into their studios and classes, and I strongly encourage all of our students, both new and returning, to fully engage with the opportunities that await you. The Frame Gallery, now in its first full year of programming since reopening after renovations, is a truly special space for student-led exhibitions and events and a great opportunity to view the work of your peers. We also have a fantastic lecture series this year, with great artists and thinkers coming to campus, that is free and open to our students and the wider community.
I also want to urge all of you to look beyond our School and University to the wonderful museums, programs, and events throughout our city that can expand your community and sharpen your awareness of what’s possible. A few very exciting events coming up are TQ Live! which is co-produced by Prof Scott Andrew, Joseph Hall, Prof Suzie Silver, and sarah huny young; the Pittsburgh Art Book Fair, a celebration of printed materials that includes among its organizers some incredible alumni of our School; and, finally, our first artist’s lecture, where Prof Ling-lin Ku will speak on September 17 in the Kresge Theatre!
Last but not least, I want to move from the excitement to focus on the present moment, with an awareness of a world in the midst of change, complexity, and challenge, to remind all of us — faculty, staff, students, and administrators — that we are a small and close-knit community. We are here for each other; here to support a healthy and productive space for growth and learning for all; and here to be honest, respectful, kind, and attentive. Our small School spans a vast swath of the globe; we all bring so much to our shared culture, and we all look forward, together, to a year of mutual respect and collective support.
Finally, I want to thank our faculty and staff, whose dedication makes all of this possible. I can’t wait to see how our community continues to grow and evolve this year, and I look forward to the incredible work to come from our studios, classrooms, and galleries.
Once again, welcome to the 2024–25 academic year at the Carnegie Mellon School of Art. Let’s make it our best year yet.
Warmly,
Charlie White
Regina and Marlin Miller Head of School
School of Art
Professor of Art
Carnegie Mellon University