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Three years ago, I began my MFA journey at Columbia. Now, as of a few days ago, that part of my life is finished. But, for me, the MFA and my time at Columbia was just a smaller part of a larger journey, one that will continue. And I have a lot planned.

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Our installation for the show began a few weeks ago. There were only six of us this year (the smallest class for the foreseeable future), so it made the space work a bit better. Because there were only six of us, and because we unfortunately didn’t have all that long to get the show installed, we elected not to build any walls and instead leave the space completely open.

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The show opened and ran for two weeks. It was short, but the opening was busy and all the faculty came out for the annual toast to the new graduates. It is an event that is strange to be a part of now that I have witnessed it from the outside for the past two years. Many lovely things were said by the faculty and students as we were on our way out Columbia’s doors.

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But I am ready to be done, and to begin something new. To keep myself busy over the summer, I have taken on an intern for the month of June. I have an MFA student from Cranbrook that will be living with me for the month. We will be making up portfolios, talking with people I am interested in having model in my images, and archiving all the work I have made up to this point. We will hopefully be making some photographs as well, assuming we can get the right models.

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I was also fortunate enough to win a residency in the fall. About a week before graduation, I interviewed for, and subsequently was named as the Artist/Instructor in Residence at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. I will be spending the fall semester living on campus in Portland, conversing with students, teaching digital, conducting numerous meetings and hopefully some talks all over the area, and continuing the work I begin this summer. It is a big deal for me, and was somewhat unexpected although I had my fingers crossed.

So like I said, this is just another stop along a much longer path for me, but it’s nice to have completed it.

You’ll hear more from me over the summer.