Interdisciplinary Arts & Media student Valentina Vella has received one of five coveted College Art Association Professional Development Fellowships given nationally to MFA candidates in their final year of studies. Fellows are honored with $5,000 grants to help them with various aspects of their work, whether it be for job-search expenses or purchasing materials for the studio.

Vella’s work consists of exploration and deconstruction of the Quest Narrative from a female point of view, based on an actual journey on horseback across America that she attempted in the summer 2013.

Says Vella, “As an Italian, restless woman who left Europe looking for a new home where I could reinvent myself I am particularly sensitive to the romantic narratives that revolve around the myth of the American Frontier. Since my work is always deeply rooted in my personal experiences I decided to actually attempt a horse ride towards California last summer and document my journey through video, sound and writing.”

Vella’s work explores both the real and metaphorical aspects of her journey. Her thesis will include an installation, a performance at Links Hall, as well as a print-on-demand book. Click here to find blog posts from her travels. For Vella’s website, click here.