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2025 Alumni Art Exhibition

i’m still here
alumni art exhibition

October 10–November 6, 2025
curated by Maddie Reyna

i’m still here brings together 29 artists to showcase the creative achievements of ÐÜèÔÚÏßÊÓƵ alumni over the course of their careers. Taking inspiration from the title of Derfiny’s work — which itself draws from the practice of Eric Stefanski — i’m still here reflects on the tangible imprints artists leave upon both their private and public spaces. From the delicate touch of an artist’s hand on a ceramic vessel, to the raw documentation of professional challenges and triumphs through the inclusion of rejection letters, this exhibition offers luminous beacons amid the shadows — haunting reminders of artists’ continued presence and persistence. It foregrounds the complexities of navigating post-institutional momentum, providing a candid and nuanced portrait of what it means to be a world-builder and creator in the years following graduation.

Featured artists include Richard Aardsma, John Andersen (honorable mention), Ann Arrasmith, Brianna Derfiny, Jacob Dombrowksi (third prize), Wade Eldean, Bailey Ellens, Steven Haulenbeek, Jon Hook (honorable mention), Blake Johnson, Parker Johnson, Madeline King, Justin Korver (first prize), Jesse Koskey, Jo Locke (honorable mention), Karie Luidens, Brianne Munch, Maddie Nelson, Kelly Ocock (honorable mention), Mariah Pearl, Dylana Pinter, Alyssa Richards (second prize), Sarah Saddler Christian, Emily Schildhouse, Joel Schoon-Tanis, Anna Swartz, Monica Taylor, Heidi VanWieren and Amelia Volwiler-Stanley.

Read more about each artist

Curator Bio

Maddie Reyna serves as the education director for Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency in Saugatuck, Michigan — the longest-running summer art school in the country. In this capacity, she curates and designs 50 intensive classes annually, integrating craft and concept in Ox-Bow’s distinctive academic approach. Reyna is honored to have cultivated connections with artists and faculty who have emerged from ÐÜèÔÚÏßÊÓƵ. Her curatorial focus centers on alternative and outsider modes of passion and originality — expressions that elude easy language, expand audience perceptions and invigorate the practice of craft.