Minneapolis College of Art and Design

08/22/2026

Now on view through October 31!

We're spotlighting the art and research undertaken by both full- and part-time faculty in the 2026 MCAD Faculty Biennial. Some fifty faculty members in the college’s Creative Entrepreneurship, Design, Fine Arts, Media Arts, and Liberal Arts Departments are participating in an exhibition located in our Main and Concourse Galleries. Participating faculty will also be presenting papers, film screenings, performances, and readings as part of a Faculty Forum Series.

The wide variety of media and formats will showcase the breadth of the faculty’s expertise and offer audience members multiple in-person and remote engagement opportunities.

Exhibition: August 22–October 31, 2026
Reception: Friday, September 11, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Learn More at mcad.edu/events/2026-faculty-biennial-exhibition-and-forum

08/20/2026

Hend Al-Mansour ’02, MFA
This year, we honored Hend Al-Mansour ’02, MFA with the Alumni Achievement Award at spring commencement. She has received the Minnesota State Arts Board’s Creative Support and Artist Initiative grants, the McKnight Fellowship, the Jerome Fellowship in Printmaking, and the Juror’s Award at the Contemporary Islamic Art exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her practice includes screen-printed works with stylized figures, Arabic calligraphy, Sadu and henna motifs, animation, and shrine-like, textile installations that merge contemporary Islamic art with feminist storytelling.

Doug Vanornum ’93
“MCAD opened my mind to another world of possibilities. Through my experiences there, I learned as much about myself as anything. I left with new skillsets, a broader perspective, and more confidence...Today, our society needs educational sanctuaries more than ever,” says Vanornum, who since 2005 has been giving generously to the MCAD Fund and Scholarships. He states, “My hope is that the school will long continue to be for others what it was for so many of us. MCAD is a special place.”

🎨 This annual publication celebrates the creative achievements and cultural leadership of MCAD alumni. Inside, you will discover innovative work being done by peers as well as current students, the latest developments at the college, and ways to engage with the MCAD community.
🎨 Read the full stories at mcad.edu/cut-paste

08/12/2026

Grover Hogan ’21 and Sage Phillips ’22 are exhibiting new paintings and sculptures together for "Good Kitty" at AfterHours Gallery in St. Paul. "Good Kitty" chews on actions of self-domestication, marking, and agency–exploring the terrors and rituals of intimacy.

Join them for the opening reception on Friday August 14 from 6:00–9:00 p.m. "Good Kitty" will be on display from August 14–September 5, 2026.

Learn More at mcad.edu/news/mcad-alumni-exhibit-good-kitty-afterhours-gallery

08/11/2026

We've kept busy this summer and are excited to announce you can now purchase MCAD merch at mcadartcellar.com 🛍

08/08/2026

Jay Blacks ’25, MA
“I really liked being in community with other people in the program, but I also thought the curriculum was very practical in nature,” he says. “Probably eighty percent of what I learned I was able to apply immediately on the job. As someone who was growing into leadership, it also gave me the confidence to say, I am a leader. While there are things I’m embarking on that might still feel a little scary, now I also feel prepared for them.”

Jackie Salway ’25, MA
“One thing I’m thinking about a lot is: how do we as creative leaders bring hope and joy back? How do we also just keep our own sanity?” she says. “Designers are so good at making a point, and making it exciting. But how do you surprise and delight in this moment? The question I want my students to answer for themselves is: how can design bring about positive change?”

Cornell Beard ’25, MA
“I signed up to have something to occupy my newfound time as a freelance designer,” he says. “But out of nowhere, things got so busy that I was juggling a full-time agency, hiring designers, and going to MCAD. My work in school felt like a mirror of my professional life. Being able to talk with classmates in the same field was really helpful, and helped our agency get to where it is today.”

🎨 MCAD's online graduate programs give creative professionals the chance to grow without putting their careers on pause. CUT/PASTE talked with three professional designers about how a mid-career boost helped to make them more creative and capable of giving back to their communities.
🎨 Read the full stories at mcad.edu/cut-paste

08/03/2026

Art and Design Classes for All

Seeking career development? Personal enrichment? MCAD inspires lifelong learning for students of all ages. A variety of programs, both in person and online, are taught by professional working artists and designers in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Register today at mcad.edu/academics/continuing-education/adult-classes

08/02/2026

A week worth celebrating! This Friday, August 7, MCAD's 2026 Master of Arts graduates will be walking across the stage 🎓

Join us in honoring the newest graduates as they take the next steps in shaping the future of art, design, and creative leadership.

07/31/2026

Counting down to one of MCAD’s biggest weekends of the year

Throwback to the 2013 Art Sale. Three days of student and alumni work, packed galleries, and a tradition that supports student scholarships while bringing the MCAD creative community together.

See you in November ✨
mcad.edu/artsale

07/20/2026

Leslie Barlow ’16, MFA recently finished a new mural that was commissioned by The McKnight Fellowship Foundation for their Minneapolis Headquarters. The mural, titled "Belonging to the Entire Universe", is part of the new McKnight Fellowship public art series.

Around 66 feet wide, the mural features similar motifs of humanity and inter connectivity as Barlow’s other work. As Barlow explains "This mural emerges from collective storytelling, engaging public space as a site of reflection and as a space for imagining more just and interconnected futures.”

Learn More: mcad.edu/news/leslie-barlow-creates-new-mural-mcknight-fellowship-foundation

07/20/2026