About

The Forst Endowed Fine Arts Visiting Artist Program brings students face to face with artists from the Northwest and beyond. Visiting artists and scholars present public lectures, conduct seminars and one-on-one critiques, and share informal meals with students. MFA and BFA students have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with these nationally and internationally recognized artists. Often, visiting artists will exhibit or create an installation in Gallery 2, a professional gallery space within the Fine Arts Center. Students have the opportunity to collaborate with or assist visiting artists on these exhibits or installations. Additional exhibitions are scheduled in Gallery 2 throughout the year, as well as those of our MFA graduate students at the end of their first year. The Gallery 2 exhibition schedule and Visiting Artist Program also reflect our commitment to issues of diversity, gender and contemporary practices in the visual arts.

The lecture program is organized by the Visiting Artist and Gallery Committee. Run by MFA students, the committee brings several artists and scholars to present on campus each year. Recent visiting artists include: Kori Newkirk, Victoria Fu, Lien Truong, Ginger Ewing with Emma Noyes and Inga Laurent, Arshia Fatima Haq, Jeffry Mitchell, Paul Rucker, Tariqa Waters, Shana Moulton, and Nanibah Chacon.

Past visitors have included: Wendy Red Star, Marie Watt, Mark Dorf, Letha Wilson, Kim Stringfellow, Oscar Tuazon, MSHR, Carlos Castellanos, Kristan Kennedy, Melinda Hurst Frye, PSJM, Isabelle Andriessen, Jenny Hyde, Eroyn Franklin, Clyde Petersen, Ann-Marie Oliver, Pae White, Shrijon Chowdhury, Jeff Olson, Tracy Featherstone, Ayana Jackson, Julie Anand, Nicole Pietrantoni, Harrell Fletcher, Beth Cavener Stichter, Jennie Nagy, Amanda Knowles, Susan Zeller, Lonnie Graham, Susan Noyes Platt, Randy Bolton,  Janine Antoni, Claudia Bernardi, Sidney Chafetz, Enrique Chagoya, Elizabeth Dove, Joe Federsen, Juan Granados, Andrei Kamalov, Suzanne Lacey, Ake Lianga, Rick Lowe, Judy Moonelis, Anne Perrigo, Tim Rollins, Ji Rouxiao, Miriam Schapiro, Carol Silverstein, Buster Simpson, Julio Sims, Kiki Smith, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, and Bill Viola.

Gallery 3 and The Locker Gallery are managed by graduate and undergraduate students, providing special curatorial and exhibition opportunities.

In addition to the galleries in the Fine Arts Center, The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU (located adjacent to the Fine Arts Center) provides students with direct access to exhibitions of work by regional, national, and international artists.

Click here for current information on visiting artists and scholars