These pieces will be released through both a video and website — the video, on Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m., and the website with the full line of each designer’s work, on Sunday, April 18 at 7 p.m.

This event, sponsored and created by the Office of Culture and Identity (OCI) raises funds to support scholarly initiatives for students who pursue diversity related art projects that foster inclusivity. This event is free to the public. However, donations would be greatly appreciated to ensure the continuity of our Diversity Grant Artist Fund.

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS

Six designers with six respective collections will present creative solutions to the world's woes through a minimum of four looks. To fully execute an inclusive, sustainable, and accessible show, the designs showcased ranged from fully digital renditions of fashions to the documentation of physical garments. In addition to creating these looks, while following CDC guidelines, the designers were asked to document each of their collections from home.

Participating designers include:

• Kira Bell ’20 (Interdisciplinary Sculpture BFA)
• Ariana Bendana ’21 (General Fine Arts BFA)
• Alec Ferrer ’22 (Fibers BFA)
• Cameron Heavener ’22 (Fibers BFA)
• Jennifer Nguyen ’22 (Fibers BFA)
• Isabel Oliva ’22 (Fibers BFA)

Directors include:

• Damla Yenigun ’21 (Product Design BFA)
• Cristy Rodriguez ’22 (Fiber BFA, MAT) 
• Talia Skyles ’21 (General Fine Arts BFA) (assistant director)

Website created by:

• Akia Jones ’21 (Graphic Design BFA)
• Hannah Ahn ’21 (Graphic Design BFA) 

Video editor and director:

• Wei Chen Lou ’22 (Filmmaking BFA)

ABOUT THE SHOW

Grow, emerge, alter, change, EVOLVE. Now more than ever, it is apparent that we need people to be conscious and willing to take action against the issues affecting our communities, environment, and our world at large. As we enter a new decade and move through precarious times, we need to put our energy into solving problems as they arise and turn them into opportunities. 

March 11, 2020, marked the day the world changed when the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and around the globe, people's lives were put on pause as the "new normal" unfolded. 

With only a month away from our yearly event and MICA's looming closure, the reality set in that the show had to be canceled; its first in 27 years. But little did the team know, EVOLVE could not have presented itself as a more relevant and necessary theme. Even amid our angst and upheaval due to the health crisis, we remained committed to the show going on. 

With six months of work already put into planning and support from OCI, the team agreed to work remotely to determine how the show would continue smoothly while still being impactful. With an added need for re-imagined community connection and engagement, the crisis created an opportunity to EVOLVE how the show was planned, executed, and experienced.