BFA student Hannah Foster
When she was little, Hannah Foster wanted to become a veterinarian, a singer, and an artist. She worked for a vet for a few years, took college classes in zoology and wildlife studies, and dabbled in the performing arts. But ultimately she chose art over science and enrolled at MUM to pursue a BFA, a career she hopes can give her the most independence.
Modeling at the 2015 MUM Eco Jam
Hannah grew up outside St. Louis, Missouri, and learned about MUM from her sister Jada, who is an MUM alumna. At MUM Hannah discovered that creating art is part of her personal development process.
“I am interested in philosophy and spirituality, and art gives me an outlet to explore the nature of life and existence,” she said. “I like taking something abstract and trying to express it in physical limitations.”
At the wheel in a ceramics class
Hannah says that the practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique has helped her to be less critical of her own creative work and instead adopt a grander view. “I practice twice a day, no matter what,” she said. “It’s a place that I know I can go to take time out, and it has helped me feel less anxious and more confident.”
Ceramics and painting are Hannah’s favorite media, and she often combines them into multimedia collages. She also enjoys teaching, and last summer she developed and taught a community ceramics class. As her work-study job, she manages the ceramics studio in the art department.
2670: A ceramic sculpture, 2016
“Hannah is inventive in the studio and excited about making art,” said Gyan Shrosbree, assistant professor of art. “She has a lot of promise as an artist: dedicated to her studio practice, balanced in her life and her demeanor, organized, and able to take advice and make it her own.”
During her previous semester, Hannah created a portfolio for graduate school, and two universities have offered her full scholarships. She will begin her MFA at Pennsylvania State University next fall.