MFA Thesis (2025)
More Like ThisMFA THESIS SHOW (2025)
Painting • Graphic Design • Sculpture • Print Media and Photography • Visual Narrative
April 8 – 19, 2025: MFA Graphic Design, MFA Print Media & Photography, MFA Sculpture, MFA Visual Narrative
April 29 – May 18, 2025: MFA Painting
808 Gallery • Stone Gallery
Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts (SVA) presented the Class of 2025 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Thesis Exhibitions, in April and May, 2025. The MFA exhibitions featured works of graduating students in BU’s MFA programs in Graphic Design, Painting, Sculpture, Print Media & Photography, and Visual Narrative. These culminating exhibitions highlight the diverse practices, critical inquiries, and innovative approaches shaping the next generation of contemporary artists and designers.
- April 8 – 19, 2025: MFA Graphic Design, MFA Print Media & Photography (808 Gallery)
- April 8 – 19, 2025: MFA Sculpture, MFA Visual Narrative (Stone Gallery)
- April 29 – May 18, 2025: MFA Painting (Stone Gallery)
Visual Identity by: Amanda Mundy (@amandamundydesign), Caitlin Lu (@caitlinludesign), Erica Pritchett (@ericapritchettdesign), and Lucy Ye (@yexiii.jpg). Faculty Advisor: Christopher Sleboda (@christophersleboda), Associate Professor of Art, Graphic Design
“The work presented by SVA’s MFA students in Graphic Design, Painting, Sculpture, Print Media & Photography and Visual Narrative reflects not only the rigorous training and conceptual development fostered at BU, but also each artist’s ability to engage through their medium with the world around them,” says Marc Schepens, Director of BU School of Visual Arts and Senior Lecturer in Art, Painting. “The work we see represents two years of collaborative dialogue with faculty, peers, and critics.”
Situated within the College of Fine Arts’ rich artistic community—one that, in turn, is embedded in Boston’s vibrant artistic community—the exhibition serves as a bridge to the broader art world, where these emerging artists will continue refining their voices, building networks, and navigating the complexities of sustaining a creative life. Rather than an endpoint, this exhibition marks the beginning of a lifelong commitment to artmaking, one that will evolve through experience, risk, and dedication.
Exhibiting Students by Program
MFA Painting
Sam Bittaker • Adel DiPersio • J Grace Giordano • Nasiri Guzman • Ivo Makianich • Andrea Manning • Sylvie Mayer • Dylan Foster Mintz • Miranda Pikul • Lemuel Eliasaph Saputra • Hannah Stoll • Noah Wertheimer
MFA Sculpture
Joseph Metrano • Maithili Rajput • Ziwei (Helen) Sun
MFA Visual Narrative
Francis Bordeleau • Gabriel Joy Reid • Sam Roberts • Jade Rodriguez • George Zachary
MFA Print Media & Photography
Shannon Johnson • Jason Parent • Jerry Rodríguez Sosa • Susan Swirsley • Tung Lin Tsai
MFA Graphic Design
manjing • Hangi Cho • Jason Dong • Ghazaleh Farrokhi • BRADY george • Lauren Greenblatt • Wenbin Huang • Yuhong (Rainbow) Hui • Ruoshui Liu • Caitlin Lu • Neve Luo • Amanda Mundy • Lucy Purvis • Xiuqi (Vea) Ran • Micaela Sato • Maidha Salman • Xinran Wang • Niharika Yellamraju • Jingyi Zhang • Xuru (Chichi) Zhao
Photo by Cydney Scott
La Sabatina, Mama y Mama and other paintings included in the thesis project of Nasiri Guzman (CFA’25) recall time spent with loved ones during blackouts in his native Dominican Republic. Photo courtesy of Nasiri Guzman
Jerry Rodriguez Sosa (CFA’25) with elements from his MFA Print Media & Photography thesis, Borderlands. Photo by Cydney Scott
For her sculpture thesis, Memento Mori, Helen Sun (CFA’25) created more than 20 small ceramic figures, glazed them, encased them in acrylic squares, and mounted them in a row. Photo by Cydney Scott
A frame from OFFSIDES, a queer love story that takes place on the soccer field. The author, Gabriel Joy Reid (CFA’25), was partially inspired by their own experience as a soccer player. Photo by Cydney Scott
Faculty Advisors, Chairs, and Collaborators
Lynne Allen, Professor of Art, Printmaking, Chair of MFA Print Media & Photography • Kristen Coogan, Associate Professor of Art, Chair of MFA Graphic Design • Deborah Cornell, Professor of Art, Chair of BFA Printmaking • Joel Christian Gill, Associate Professor of Art, Chair of MFA Visual Narrative • Rina Goldfield, Lecturer in Art, Painting; Interim Co-chair MFA Painting • JM Howey, Assistant Professor of Art, Painting; Interim Co-chair MFA Painting • E.E. Ikeler, Lecturer in Art, Painting • Toni Pepe, Assistant Professor of Art, Chair of Photography • Marc Schepens, Director, School of Visual Arts; Senior Lecturer in Art, Painting • Christopher Sleboda, Associate Professor of Art, Chair of BFA Graphic Design • E Tubergen, Assistant Professor of Art, Sculpture • Lissa Cramer, Director, Boston University Art Galleries
Additional Events
2025 MFA Visual Narrative Thesis Book Talks
Friday, April 11 • 4:30 – 5pm • Howard Thurman Center
The MFA Visual Narrative graduating class hosted their thesis Book Talks at the Howard Thurman Center, where they will present professional graphic novel pitches, read excerpts, and exhibit pages from their books-in-progress.
MA Art Education Exhibition and Reception
Gallery 5 at 855 Commonwealth Avenue • April 22 – May 2
Alongside the MFA Thesis Exhibitions, the MA Art Education students installed the artwork created by their students from Boston-area schools. MA Art Education students prepare to be teaching artists by engaging in coursework and research that include interdisciplinary studies, collaboration with other programs and colleges, arts-based research methods, and immersive practice in PreK-12 schools, museums, or in the community.
Dozens of Dazzling Projects on View in Annual School of Visual Arts MFA Thesis Exhibitions
After two years of intensive work, a new cohort of graduates from the College of Fine Arts five Master of Visual Arts programs have put the finishing touches on their thesis projects, and members of the BU community can now see and appreciate their virtuosic work.
Boston University School of Visual Arts Announces 2025 MFA Thesis Exhibitions
The 2025 MFA Thesis Exhibitions celebrate the works of graduating students in BU’s Graphic Design, Painting, Sculpture, Print Media & Photography, and Visual Narrative graduate programs.
