Compelling work from four current and past BFA students of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts University is the focus of the new exhibition “SMFA at Tufts: Fragments of Self,” on view from November 23, 2024 – April 27, 2025 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), in the Edward H. Linde Gallery (Gallery 168).
The SMFA Juried Exhibition is a biannual program that features a peer-to-peer curatorial experience, showcasing work by current SMFA at Tufts students and developed with graduate students and recent alumni from the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Tufts.
This presentation is one of a series of programs that reflects the MFA’s commitment to the next generation of young, promising artists and curators and continues the historic relationship between the two institutions, which dates to SMFA’s founding in 1876.
This exhibition brings together work from emerging artists that explores the fragments of personhood—their own and those of others. The combined work examines the concept of the self: the multifaceted nature of personal identity, the composition of cultures and contexts, and the sum of personal trials and triumphs.
The artists’ work draws upon histories of artistic creation to consider present and possible future affirmations of the self. Though divergent in their choice of subject matter, each of these artists help us understand how identity is not a singular idea or ideal, but a variable and embodied experience.
Through painting and sculpture, Maria Cazzato (A26) considers the representation of Catholic martyrs to interrogate oppressive contemporary body norms.
Ian Choi (A25) paints herself among Korean silks and American fabrics to underscore her layered and textured identity developed through her movement between two distinct cultures. Currently pursuing a BFA, Choi plans to continue her studies though the Fifth Year Master’s Program with the Department of Education at Tufts and earn a MAT in Art Education.
Guadalupe Najar (A24) joins in this examination of selfhood with sculptural pieces that reference her ancestors’ material histories and her self-mythologization within equine culture.
Intimate and colorful, Bertil Chappuis’ (A24) portraits exist in active dialogue with their subjects, encouraging free and fluid interpretations.
Identity, these artists suggest, is a sum of relations between fragments of self that coalesce into us.
All the artists featured are either current Bachelor of Fine Arts degree students or received their BFA degrees as members of the SMFA at Tufts Class of 2024.
The exhibition is organized by Nick Nemeth, a current graduate student in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture and the Museum Studies program at Tufts; and María Fernanda Mancera (AG23), a recent master’s graduate of the History of Art and Architecture and the Museum Studies program at Tufts. Mentorship was provided by Michelle Millar Fisher, the Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts within the Department of Contemporary Art at the MFA, with support from Tufts University Art Galleries.
The exhibition is generously supported by the Callaghan Family Fund for Contemporary Exhibitions.
This close cooperation between SMFA at Tufts and the MFA is one of many programs that reflect the museum’s commitment to the next generation of promising young artists and curators.
“This collaboration between the museum and the school exposes the work of our talented students and alumni to the visitors of one of the world’s top art museums,” said Scheri Fultineer, dean of SMFA at Tufts. “This exhibit is a meaningful continuation of the MFA and SMFA at Tufts’ robust partnership.”
Previous exhibitions in this series spotlighted the work of former SMFA Traveling Fellows in addition to showcasing the work of pervious graduating classes and current students.
Established in 1899, the SMFA Traveling Fellows program awards funds to select artists for post-graduate work and travel. Ten SMFA at Tufts alumni are selected by a jury each year to receive a $10,000 grant to use for travel, research or other expenses related to their work. One of the largest endowed art school grant programs in the United States, the fellowships provide critical early-career support for SMFA at Tufts alumni.
The next installment of this series will showcase the work of an SMFA Traveling Fellow, selected by a jury.
The MFA brings many worlds together through art. Showcasing masterpieces from ancient to contemporary, their renowned collection of nearly 500,000 works tells a multifaceted story of the human experience—a story that holds unique meaning for everyone. From Boston locals to international travelers, visitors from all over come to experience the MFA—where they reveal connections, explore differences and create a community where all belong. Plan your visit at mfa.org.
SMFA at Tufts Juried Student Exhibition: Fragments of Self
Edward H. Linde Gallery (Gallery 168)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston
November 23, 2024 – April 27, 2025
Hours: Saturday-Monday, 10 am-5 pm; Wednesday 10 am-5pm; Thursday-Friday, 10 am-10 pm
