Embedded Files
Ellen Fletcher (She/Her)
Cleveland, Ohio
M.F.A. in Printing, Miami University, 2028
Ancestor Tree, 2024
Print using CMYK process inks, 230 mesh aluminum silk screens, photo emulsion, and halftone transparencies
42 x 24 inches
Ellen Fletcher's Blue Lady Series speaks on the relationship to autonomy, bodily mechanics, and
community in relation to people assigned female at birth (AFAB), especially in a political context.
This specific work depicts a humanoid subject with their female anatomy externalized, supporting
the weight of a child hanging below. "Her" legs are replaced with sex organs, removing her
mobility, yet positioned in a sexually suggestive pose, bringing ambiguity to the line between pain
and pleasure. The humanistic features and experiences juxtaposed with machinery visualize the
objectivity of AFAB people in society and their efforts to break from that conformity. The layers of
colors and screens, as well as the physical effort required in printmaking, capture the heterogeneity of Fletcher's identity and that of the AFAB experience.
Fletcher, being a Jewish Queer woman with Ukrainian lineage and a background in sex work,
captures the vexing and unique experiences she holds as an individual in contemporary American
society, and as she has experienced within her community. Her grandfather's recent passing
has shifted her artistic perspective, documenting the injustices she has faced in various facets
of her identity.
Addison (He/Him)
Cleveland, Ohio
B.A. in Fashion Design, University of Cincinnati, 2026
Drift Navigation, 2026
Duck cloth, spiral steel boning, plastic boning, metal zipper
30 x 36 inches
Addison's perspective on fashion focuses heavily on fantasy, rebellion, and body modification. As part of a larger line of works, Drift Navigation draws inspiration from travel wear and aerodynamic
forms, depicting his optimistic yet apprehensive experience navigating the design world. Entering the arts deviates from traditional career paths, and Addison's abandonment of conventional fashion design captures this experience. Triangular forms exaggerate the shoulders while the corset curtails the waist, emphasizing Addison's interest in how fashion can reshape our bodies beyond recognition. These efforts, inspired by drag artists, grant the wearer a level of freedom to escape the confinement of societal norms.
As a queer artist from the Midwest, Addison uses fashion to fantasize about a world yet to be traveled. Like drag, Addison seeks to go against the grain, hinging on the support of his community
to transcend his lived experience in Ohio. These efforts have started to bear fruit, as his designs have been sported by well-known drag queen Lexi Love on the 2025 MTV VMA red carpet. Addison's designs have played a part in uplifting a more underground and often scorned subculture within the queer community, proving the impact of drag on pop culture.
Ryan Jeansonne (He/Him)
Columbus, Ohio
B.S. in Art Education, Miami University, 2026
Pasture Through Time, 2025
Agamograph, created with wood, two cyanotypes toned with red wine, beetroot, moringa powder, and fenugreek
14 x 19 x 3 inches
In Pasture Through Time, Ryan Jeansonne captures feelings of nostalgia and fragmented memories, representing Jeansonne's personal attachment to the Dewitt Pasture in his early years at Miami. The hazy blue image achieved through cyanotography is reminiscent of memories. When gazing from the left side, a distant shot of horses in a field is visible. From the right, the perspective is much closer, creating a sense of intimacy with the scene. However, when looking straight on, the image is abstracted, causing the viewer to focus on what is being presented, much like the increasing labor required when recalling memories from the more and more distant past.
Jeansonne has always been drawn to photography, but craved a more hands-on approach that
allowed him a physical route in manipulating his captured images. Drawing inspiration from
Kelsey Nolin (MFA, Department of Art, Miami University, 2024) and queer artist John Dugdale,
Jeansonne began creating cyanotypes, granting him this ability. Even more than creative literacy,
this practice provided him with a more accessible way of teaching photography. Now, Jeansonne
extends this communal effort in his endeavors as anart educator to future generations of
creative minds.
Emma Siemer (She/Her)
Mason, Ohio
B.S. in Primary and Special Education, Miami University, 2026
Untitled (The Light of India), 2025
Photo prints captured with digital camera
5 x 7 inches
Emma Siemer's photography series from her time in India depicts candid moments from her travels, capturing moments of dramatic lighting and human connection. The lighting in these images transforms the scene, creating a cinematic experience for the viewer through the artistís perspective. Some desolate scenes create a meditative state, illustrating moments of reflection and contentment. Light illuminates the unseen interactions that are so easy to overlook, spotlighting the significance of everyday experiences that shape the people we are as individuals.
Siemer, as a queer artist, struggled to find representation in the arts. After seeking a community
and discovering people who reflected her own lived experiences, she began to use this to inspire
her artistic vision. Siemer's goal in photography is to capture the beauty present within various
communities, exposing the significance of the people who influence our development at various
points in our lives.
Shelly Boehm (She/They)
Atlanta, Georgia
B.A. in Emerging Technology in Business and Design, Miami University, 2023
Gut Brain Connection, 2025
Digital print on canvas, created with cinema 4D and Redshift
20 x 12 inches
Shelley Boehm utilizes 3D design to communicate her lived experiences, using the arts as a medium to express herself and to connect with like-minded audiences. Gut Brain Connection specifically allowed Boehm an outlet to express her struggle with an unknown chronic autoimmune issue, highlighting the internal makeup of the figure. This almost manifests what Boehm hoped was possible, making her invisible ailment visible and therefore treatable.
Growing up in Atlanta, Boehm often faced criticism for her traditional Jewish features, but now
reclaims these features in her works. Oftentimes, she uses her own physical features to influence
the design of her characters. Boehm also acknowledges the disparity in women 3D artists and
finds inspiration from seeing women excel in this artistic field. Before graduation, she did not
regard herself as an artist. However, through finding her community and passion to create,
she now designs professional works that allow her to leave her mark on the artistic landscape.
Sarah Soryal (She/Her)
Sarah Soryal (She/Her)
Cleveland, Ohio
B.A. in Emerging Technology in Business and Design, Miami University, 2023
A Flower For You, 2024
Digital print on canvas, created with paper, pencil, and Adobe Illustrator
12 x 12 inches
Sarah Soryal, often leaning into 2D digital design, creates designs inspired by nature, her Egyptian-American roots, and her experience as a queer person. A Flower for You, inspired by the occurrence of the Fibonacci sequence in nature, captures her interest in nature and highlights actions related to engaging with her community. The offering of this perfectly symmetrical yet abstracted flower not only depicts the complex dynamics she has experienced as a queer child of an immigrant artist but also emphasizes the value she holds in human connection.
Soryal, descending from artist parents, has always been encouraged to create. This drive is compounded by her community, borrowing inspiration from other underrepresented artists and mediums, especially from her immediate circle. She lends credit to the people she surrounds herself with, insisting that she would not be the artist she is without them. This brings to light the influence peers can have in shaping artists and individuals.
Alex Harrison (She/Her)
Colerain, Ohio
B.A. in Emerging Technology in Business and Design, Miami University, 2026
Arterial Feedback, 2026
Sculpture created with raspberry pi, Arduino, various sensors and lights, recycled e-waste, 3D printed components, silicone
20 x 25 x 25 inches
This artificial tree, made of a tangle of repurposed wire and heartbeat sensors, visualizes the viewer's own heartbeat projected onto the work. Arterial Feedback puts community engagement at its center, requiring the audience to participate in the work to make it whole. With the heartbeat acting as the bones of the audio feedback, the user has the agency to manipulate the feedback. This acts as a representation for Alex Harrison's experience entering the artistic field, using her
technological savvy as a platform to base her works from and welcoming her community to provide her the confidence to explore more creative fields.
Harrison, being a local to the area, has long been acquainted with the community of
southwestern Ohio. Before entering Miami, she exercised her love of tinkering as a computer technician, and she expected to stick to this path throughout her educational journey. However, thanks to the influence of her creatively inclined peers and the openness of other women in tech to share their experiences, Harrison found her passion in the arts. Now, Harrison has the wherewithal and community necessary to expand this facet of her life, owning the creative side of her identity.
Fatemeh Shekarforoush (She/Her)
Shiraz, Iran
M.F.A. in Studio Art, Miami University, 2026
Minarets of Myth, 2024
Oil on wood panel
48 x 24 inches
Fatemeh Shekarforoush uses her identity to guide her experimentation in contemporary art forms.
Minarets of Myth depicts a flattened yet textured depiction of a home. Drawing inspiration from
Persian rugs, Shekarforoush focused on using lines and patterns that lift the image off the canvas to
create this architectural landscape. Like traditional Persian paintings, the scene is flattened, utilizing
a 2D composition to convey the image rather than forced perspective. These principles, combined
with the striking use of color, create a balance between visual interest and simple brushstrokes.
Shekarforoush, born in Shiraz, Iran, is taking advantage of her education at Miami, leveraging facets
of her identity to push her abilities as an artist before pursuing a Master of Arts Management at
Carnegie Mellon University. As she creates new pieces, she draws on inspiration from her family and
other artists who focus on concepts of memory, migration, and restriction to explore new ways of
expressing her experience as an immigrant. Often painting beyond her own individual experience,
she creates artworks that encourage dialogue about worldly issues. To explore more of
Shekarforoush's work, visit her MFA thesis exhibition, Somewhere In Between, currently on view
in the Hiestand Galleries, Hiestand Hall, Miami University, through April 24, 2026.
Mel Hale (They/Them)
Cleveland, Ohio
B.A. in Ceramics, Art Education and Emerging Technology in Business and Design, Miami University, 2026
Splight, 2025
Ceramic sculpture, created with earthenware, engobe, and lightin components
16 x 9 x 9 inches
This earthenware lamp depicts Mel Hale's educational path, combining ceramic artworks with
technological integration. The contrast between the round globe and obtrusive spikes highlights the juxtaposition of Haleís route. Often times, technology and art are regarded as separate entities.
However, Splight works to challenge this notion, marrying the two to create an artwork that
expresses how the artist views themself. More than just a sculpture, this is an addition to the home, reiterating the projection of personal tastes and values.
Hale, descending from artist parents, has grown up in the creative sector. This interest was propelled by the community they have built, full of underrepresented artists who work to build off each other's modes of expression in the arts. With this environment, the creative process is a communal process. This collaborative mindset will assist Hale in future art education endeavors, facilitating deeper connections with the arts in future generations.
Research Team
Research Team
Anderson Knapp
Anderson Knapp
Emerging Technology in Business + Design and Arts Management
Dr. Youngaah Koh
Dr. Youngaah Koh
Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship
Abstract/Introduction
Abstract/Introduction
Epiphytic plants, like orchids, use the support of other plants as scaffolding to aid their continual growth. Unlike parasitic plants, these organisms do not harm their support system, but add to biomass and biodiversity of their native ecosystem. Epiphytism visualizes this social interaction through the arts. Featuring developing artists and spotlighting how their influences and experiences have brought about the artists they are today, this exhibit works to emphasize the importance of togetherness. In contemporary art, there is no isolated creation. When we observe this network, we can recognize that we, as individuals, continue to grow from each other.
Research Questions
Research Questions
How can the arts be used to ignite social change?
Methods
Methods
Market Research: Benchmarking was conducted to guage efforts made by successful art galleries.
Public Outreach: Solicting funding and participation from various stakeholders ensured the project could be actualized.
Community: I relied on artists within my network to curate my gallery, allowing me to focus on developing artists and to better iterate the importance of community in my exhibition.
Academic Experience: This endeavor was an acuumulation of all facets of my education. From ETBD, I borrowed topics around design, marketing, and logistic management. From AMAE, I utilized topics around fundraising, community engagement, leveraging partnerships. Finally, my Museums and Society minor informed me about curation, accesibility, and cultural literacy.
Results, Findings and Discussion
Results, Findings and Discussion
Result: A small yet expansive exhibit that included assorted artforms and represented developing artists form various backgrounds. This allowed Miami students to recognize the talent stemming from local communities, inspiring greater participation in the arts. With a focus on community, the exhibit also emphasized the importance of the people who infleunce you on your daily life in shaping who you are in the present, championing togetherness.
Findings: While I thought this would be a relatively simple endeavor, I faced various roadblocks that required me to implement an innovative mindset to create the exhibit I envisionsed with minimal resources.
Venue: To host my exhibit, I contacted various venues. However, I foudn that many art galleries are scheduled at least 2 years in advance. This not only put in to perspective the kind of proactive planning that takes place within arts organizations, but connected me with various stakeholders within the local arts scene.
Funding: Securing funding was a large challenge for me. However, through communcal fundraising and soliciting donations through my network, I discovered the importance of maintaining relationships in the arts for continued support.
Logistic Management: Due to the various artists I represented, I was a challenge to keep everyone motivated to provide me the necessary information and materials. From this experience, I learned the importance in uniting a team toward a common goal and the value of folllowing up on opportunties.
Discussion: This exhibit was a large undertaking for me, and shed light on various aspects of the arts world. While I made mistakes and hit various roadblocks, I was able to learn from these hinderances and I became an even stronger arts manager because of it. I have not only gained invaluable experience, but reestablished my passion for the arts and museums in communicating cultural variety through exhibition.
Conclusions and Future Study
Conclusions and Future Study
Conclusion: The arts a powerful unifier. They allow greater control over expression, and create more opportunties for understanding. Arts-related programming brings people of all backgrounds together to celebrate a common theme.
Future Study: I hope to continue my efforts in the arts in my professional career.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
College of Creative Arts
Dr. Youngaah Koh
Todd Stuart
NACE Career Readiness Competencies
NACE Career Readiness Competencies
Career and Personal Development: I was able to acquire skills related to arts programming throughout this process. I was able to embrace my curiosity about the museum field through hands-on experience, and it allowed me to realize the challenges that come with this kind of work. Despite this, I established my passion for the arts and communication through exhibition.
Critical Thinking: Thanks to the hurdles I faced in this process, it required me to think critically through ever step of the process. I had to consider how to connect 9 various artists together through one cohesive theme that could be digestable to a wide audience. On top of that, I was to keep in mind logistic management to ensure the exhibit was conducted successfully and professionally. When I had achievements I struggled to reach due to the lack of accesibility, I was to think creatively to reach my expectations for this project.
Equity and Inclusion: Since I was communicating the experiences of people from various backgrounds, I had to consider how to approach this disparity in understanding with grace, uplfting all parties involved. Additionally, inclusion is a core part of museological operations, ensuring all feel welcome in an exhibit and can efficiently comprehend the message behind the exhibit.
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