Three TCU MFA Students Selected for Inaugural CADD MFA Showcase
Three TCU School of Art graduate students are among 11 finalists selected for the inaugural Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas (CADD) MFA Showcase, a new region-wide initiative connecting emerging artists with Dallas galleries, collectors and the contemporary art community.
MFA students Elizabeth Hutchinson, Kylie Nash and Gretchen Stark were selected from a pool of artists nominated by faculty at all nine universities offering MFA programs within 100 miles of Dallas. Each finalist has been paired with a CADD member gallery, where one work will be exhibited throughout September before all 11 finalists come together for the CADD MFA Showcase on Sept. 27 in Dallas' Tin District.
The showcase is designed to help bridge the transition from graduate study to professional practice by connecting emerging artists with the region’s professional arts community.
“The CADD MFA Showcase is an incredible opportunity to expand professional networks and visibility for emerging artists across the region,” said James Enos, Professor and Director of the School of Art. “TCU is humbled and proud to be represented by these three incredible, thoughtful artists, whose practices speak to the enduring power of materials, conceptions of the body and the many forces that shape us.”
Elizabeth Hutchinson | James Harris Gallery
Elizabeth Hutchinson's selected work, Fragile Histories, consists of five fragments of bronze-cast paper and fabric. The casting process
requires the original fibers to be burned away, transforming delicate materials into
enduring objects.
“In that destructive act, soft becomes hard and vulnerable becomes enduring,” Hutchinson said. “These five scraps reflect on how histories are carried forward: altered through time, yet still holding traces of what they once were.”
The work connects to Hutchinson's broader practice exploring relationships among objects, memory and care through fibers, found objects, wood and cast bronze. Working with James Harris Gallery has also given her an opportunity to experience the professional exhibition process firsthand.
“Opportunities to show my work and build connections within the art community are invaluable,” she said. “I'm really excited to have my work recognized alongside other MFA students across the region.”
Kylie Nash | Laura Rathe Fine Art
Kylie Nash is exhibiting a painting from a new body of work focused on the female
body and the ways women learn to observe and monitor themselves. Through a push and
pull between her figures and their surroundings, Nash creates ambiguity around where
the body ends and the surrounding space begins.
Her time in TCU's MFA program has challenged her to examine the decisions behind her paintings while also becoming more comfortable trusting her instincts.
“TCU has challenged me to be more intentional about my work and to think about why I am making each painting, each mark and each decision,” Nash said. “At the same time, I have learned that intentionality does not always mean overthinking. Sometimes the work needs room for intuition and experimentation.”
The experience with Laura Rathe Fine Art has also made the professional gallery world feel more approachable.
“I have learned that galleries are not these distant or intimidating places because they are made up of people who genuinely appreciate and care about art,” Nash said. “It has made me more comfortable advocating for my work and participating in the process of exhibiting it professionally.”
Gretchen Stark | Valley House Gallery
Gretchen Stark is exhibiting Stars Falling on Water, a mixed-media work combining collage, painting and drawing on cut paper. The piece
continues her broader exploration of the question, “What threatens the body?” with
recent work examining the body’s internal systems and inequities in access to healthcare.
Through fragmented imagery, layered materials and manipulated paper, Stark considers the vulnerability of the body within systems intended to provide care. Her time in TCU’s MFA program has encouraged her to expand that practice while developing greater confidence in her instincts as an artist.
“Through this process, I have developed a greater sense of confidence and trust in myself and my instincts as an artist,” Stark said. “That confidence has given me the freedom to take risks, embrace uncertainty and allow my practice to continually evolve and flourish.”
As a final-year MFA student, Stark sees working with Valley House Gallery and participating in the showcase as an important opportunity to build relationships as she prepares to transition into professional practice.
“The connections I establish during this final year will be instrumental in helping me build a sustainable professional practice beyond graduate school,” she said.
The CADD MFA Showcase will bring all 11 finalists together from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept.
27 at 2720 Bataan St. in Dallas.