Daniela Hillman Robles grew up in Mexico and attended Maharishi School for a year as an exchange student. She enjoyed the supportive environment and fell in love with creative writing. When it was time to choose a college, she decided to return to Fairfield.

“There is something very characteristic about the Maharishi School teachers, which I thankfully also experience here at MUM—they are very passionate about what they do and they care about the students,” said Daniela.

Daniela is in her third year now and has been accepted into the BFA in Creative and Professional Writing program. She enjoys writing poetry and creative non-fiction using her family relationships and upbringing in Mexico as material.

She found that the practice of the Transcendental Meditation^®technique has helped her as a writer. “TM allows me to be fully myself and to be able to express myself and create so much from it,” she said.

Daniela also enjoys working with people and being part of a team. First she joined the Queer Coalition club, where she became president. She was instrumental in the club’s initiative to create gender inclusive housing on campus by conducting student surveys and communicating LGBTQ students’ needs to the university’s administration.

Next she joined Student Government, where she serves as secretary. “There is no small leadership role for me,” she said. “It’s really rewarding to be part of the cohesiveness and seeing that everyone brings their full potential.”

In her free time, Daniela also volunteers with a Chicago nonprofit organization that is engaged in community building. She is responsible for writing their newsletter, managing their social media pages, and promoting events. After graduating from MUM, Daniela wants to pursue a graduate degree in creative writing.

The three December graduates of MUM’s MA in Studio Art are all starting highly ranked MFA programs this fall. They all received full tuition assistance and two of them have living expenses covered.

The goal of the MA is to give artists who are hoping to enter an MFA program the opportunity to spend a year developing their work, assembling a strong portfolio, and receiving guidance from faculty on applying to graduate programs.

“Their success is due to a combination of being receptive and hardworking and of course talented,” said Professor Gyan Shrosbree. “We help them with picking schools, photographing their work, writing essays and artists’ statements, as well as helping them practice interviews and presentations.”

Caroline Lichucki chose the University of Oregon, based on the engaging work the faculty and students produce. In addition to full tuition, she was offered a paid teaching internship for the duration of her studies. She plans to push herself to expand her creative horizons and produce a large body of work. “MUM’s MA in Studio Art granted me the opportunity to be pushed beyond my comfort zone and grow beyond creative limitations,” she said.

Genevra Bell will be heading to the University of California, Davis to study studio art. She hopes to continue her work on installation, sculpture, and video. The fellowship she received will provide her with full tuition assistance and a monthly stipend.

“The professors, Jim Shrosbree, Gyan Shrosbree, and Sean Downey, were incredible,” she said. “The program allowed me to create a portfolio and also work on my artist’s statement and theory, which was necessary when applying to schools. I 100 percent would not have gotten into the grad schools I wanted to attend without having done this MA.”

Genevra also noted the contribution of the Transcendental Meditation^® technique to her success. “Coming to the studio clearheaded is essential for my ability to be productive,” she said. “My TM practice is a critical tool for clearing out the stress and letting me get to work.”

Younes Kouider received a full tuition scholarship to attend Yale University, which he chose from five schools based on its accomplished art faculty and its friendly and competitive environment. He will continue his work on sculpture. “The MUM MA in Studio Art helped me tremendously to get the confidence, the groundedness, the technical knowledge, and the understanding of both the practice of art and the current art world,” he said.

In addition, Younes also received a scholarship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine for nine weeks in the summer of 2020. Established in 1946, Skowhegan is a prestigious and intensive residency program for emerging visual artists.

Savannah Boothe came to MUM from Virginia two years ago, drawn by the Regenerative Organic Agriculture Program. After seeing an ad on Instagram, she came to a Visitors Weekend and enrolled right away.

Two months after arriving on campus, Savannah signed up for Student Government as secretary. This year she joined again as vice president. She has also completed a work-study position with Student Activities, organizing events and workshops. “I like working with people,” she said. “I like being the glue of the community and working on a team.”

Savannah also became a residential advisor in the women’s dorm and now oversees four residential advisors as the residential director. She makes sure that students are comfortable and know where to turn with their questions. Through her work-study job, she also enjoys learning about customs of various countries represented by the diverse student body.

In addition to taking a variety of courses in sustainable living, Savannah also completed an internship with Fairfield’s Ideal Energy, doing hands-on work during the construction of the MEG’Array Solar Power Plant adjacent to the MUM campus.

Her experiences at MUM have helped increase Savannah’s awareness of her talents and true interests. “MUM really gives you a clean slate when you come here,” she said. “In a few months, you really get to know the people around you and yourself in the process; and practicing TM, eating healthier, and following a structured routine give you a sense of clarity. TM has helped me gain a certain understanding of life, and a clearer view of how things happen and how I make decisions.”

In her second year, Savannah is continuing to refine her mission and purpose. She is in the process of designing an individualized major focusing on communication, organization, and sustainability.

The many achievements of art professor Jim Shrosbree were recognized this April by the Guggenheim Foundation, which honored him with a 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship. This award is not only a highly prestigious honor, but also comes with a substantial grant that typically allows recipients to focus exclusively on their research or writing or art for six months to a year.

Mr. Shrosbree was one of 168 scholars, artists, and scientists selected from a group of nearly 3,000 applicants in the Foundation’s 95th competition. He was one of only 25 who received the award for their work in fine arts.

“I’m over the top!” Shrosbree said. “It’s hard to quantify the enormous rush of gratitude and appreciation. This award affords freedom to create, so it is a chance to explore materials and size as well as some travel related to my studio practice.”

He added that the award is also a benefit to the art department and the university. “The benefit naturally spills into the art department and to the university as a whole because it stimulates and underlines the value of what is termed ‘research’ in an academic setting. That value is that each achievement can open the door for more and greater things to happen both personally and for the community of scholars.”

Mr. Shrosbree has worked in a variety of media, but has focused on sculptures formed out of simple, yet idiosyncratic materials. Many of his pieces are meant to be mounted on a wall and often have drawn lines or colored shapes placed behind and/or around them. In addition, many have physical connections, like wire, uniting the form and the wall through suspension, tension, and/or balance.

His sculptures, paintings, and works on paper have been exhibited nationally and internationally, and are included in such collections as Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Art, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Des Moines Art Center, Mint Museum, and the University of Iowa Museum of Art.

Professor Shrosbree has taught art at MUM since 1979. Visit his gallery here.