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Master of Fine Arts show at Museum of Art

Thesis exhibition

Encounters with creativity await visitors to the Washington State University Museum of Art’s annual Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, April 5-May 4. An opening reception will be at 6 p.m. Friday, April 5, in the museum gallery. Museum admission is always free.

The display of work by MFA graduate candidates was organized by Keith Wells, the late Museum of Art curator.

“This exhibition provides a wide range of styles for faculty, students and local museum constituents,” Wells said. “The world class faculty at WSU encourage the MFA candidates to become more confident and articulate in their convictions. The museum presents this year’s graduate thesis work in hopes that undergraduate students, first year graduate students and anyone willing to be moved by art will find it a fun and stimulating experience.”

Read more about the thesis exhibit at WSU News >>

Gift of Helm works provides insight into creative process

By Debby Stinson, Museum of Art

The Washington State University Museum of Art has received an $82,000 gift of work by late Northwest artist Robert Helm (M.F.A. ’69). The donation, by Robert and Shaké Sarkis, consists of 82 works on paper created 1975–99.

The Sarkises have amassed what is arguably the most comprehensive collection of Northwest and West Coast art. Robert Sarkis and WSU Museum of Art director Chris Bruce have known each other for more than 30 years. In addition to this gift, the couple previously donated other works by Helm to the WSU permanent collection.

“We are thrilled to add this amazing portfolio of drawings by former WSU fine arts faculty member Robert Helm to the Museum of Art and thank Robert and Shaké Sarkis for their generous gift,” said Jill Aesoph, director of development for the museum. “It is through such gifts that we have been able to build a permanent collection with more than 2,500 distinctive works of art, which will be part of the WSU experience for years to come.”  Continue story →