Jessica DamskyBFA 2008, MFA student 2009-10

jessicadamsky.com/

"I owe so much of my development as an artist to the robust art department at UH Manoa. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and challenged, which taught me how to talk about my work. The dedicated faculty made sure I know how to create a portfolio, artist statement, CV, and how to approach a gallery. They guided me into applying for my first job teaching art, coached me through applying to graduate programs, wrote countless letters of recommendation for me, met with me outside of class to talk about my paintings and my essays, and even met up with me when I was a grad student in NYC! There is such a well-rounded group of faculty with diverse skillsets, and an enormous array of art history classes to choose from. I became addicted to art history, and ended up staying an extra year to get my minor in it, to add to my BFA. I took multiple semesters of contemporary art theory, Japanese, Chinese, American, Native Hawaiian, 19th century, 20th century, photography, and Renaissance art history classes. I was worked with excellent studio faculty and made art with wood sculpture, metal casting and fabrication, digital art, varied approaches to painting and drawing—and, I still regret not having taken glass, printmaking, photo, and ceramics at UHM. I attended lectures and had studio visits with acclaimed visiting artists. The art galleries on campus have consistently great shows coming through. The galleries gave me such valuable experience in the logistics of coordinating and hanging shows, as well as the thrill of my first experience with publicly showing my work, and being mentioned by an art critic in the local newspaper. I will always cherish the time I spent at UHM, the people I met there, the ideas and skills I developed, and the memories of sipping coffee under the bamboo forest in the middle of the art building, while while looking at art through the gallery windows."