Student Success | Winter 2026
Check out this sampling of CFAC student successes during the previous quarter, from about October 2025 to January 2026. Congratulations to everyone making waves on their educational paths!
Two printmaking seniors had their work accepted to high-profile, juried exhibitions:
- Kayla Cordy: Southern Graphics Council International Member’s Juried Exhibition, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock, Texas; Bellwethers Annual Juried Exhibition of Collegiate Art, University of Tennessee at Martin
- Em Varga: Persona Exhibition, Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming; The Baker National 2026, Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas
The Material Topics Symposium for January 2026, “Interwoven,” featured events in and around Gray Gallery at Jenkins, organized and led by metal design graduate students Stacy Bolkovac, Denton, and Eliza Landis. The symposium brings together artists, educators, and students to explore the theme — this year, the intricate connections that bind us materially, conceptually, and communally. Exhibitions included “Interwoven,” a juried exhibition showcasing a diverse selection of artists and works exploring the theme; “New Kids on the Block,” a juried student exhibition featuring undergraduate, graduate, and craft school student work; and work by Bob Ebendorf, Belk Professor Emeritus from the SOAD.
A team of entrepreneurial ECU film and video production students made it to Round 2 in the Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge (APC), the university’s signature entrepreneurial business pitch competition. Art juniors Khy Chapman and Jakeyia Dunn pitched their idea, local film production company CinaGlow, to a panel of four ECU alumni judges during a first-ever CFAC Round 1 of the competition on Oct. 7, held in the morning before the campuswide challenge. During the campuswide round, fellow School of Art and Design junior Taylor Greene also advanced to Round 2. Greene, who has an animation emphasis, pitched CarriOn, a roadkill cleanup and recycling service she hopes will help keep roads clear and minimize waste. Greene made it to the APC semifinals last year with CarriOn.
During the Feb. 9 Round 2, Greene again moved on to the semi-finals!
We are excited to share our collaboration to display CFAC student and alumni art in Raleigh. We thank Rep. Matthew Winslow (District 7-Franklin/Vance) for starting the conversation with our Chancellor’s Office, then connecting with Dean Linda Kean to display student art in his office. Rep. Winslow is a 2000 Pirate alum in urban and regional planning. During our visit this semester, staff and students also visited with local legislators Rep. Gloristine Brown (District 8-Pitt), Rep. Dr. Tim Reeder (District 9-Pitt), and Sen. Kandie Smith (District 5-Edgecombe/Pitt).
We first delivered the art last summer, and during Fall 2025 visited Rep. Winslow with two of our now-alumni artists, as well as a third ECU School of Art and Design alum, Afyana Daniel ’24. The Fall 2025 artists and their pieces were:
- Kas Eastwood ’25 – “Alligator Shoes”
- Jesi Franklin ’25 – “Land-Ho”
- Bianca Gutierrez ’25 – “Florida Scrub Jay”
Students and CFAC staff also recently delivered the art for display in Spring 2026, and we are happy to expand the legislative offices where the art is displayed, following last fall’s visit. Currently on display is art from:
- Aydan Lawler, senior (Winslow)
- Jamie Antinore, senior (Winslow)
- Cullen Irby, second-year MFA (Winslow and Reeder)
- Lenni Baldwin, senior (Brown)
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Instructor BJ Emerson and sophomore Elina Fridman helped film scenes of a short film with Peletah Academic Center for Excellence students and actor Karen Abercrombie. The students learned about the roles on a film set, and while acting, performed improvisations. The film was shown at a showcase for the students’ families.
A group of 38 students presented Form Forge 2025 in October. The group is a production club that spends a semester on a creative project. Hilary Huskey, the faculty leader and assistant professor of animation and interactive design said, “We bring worlds to life.” The project simulates a production environment for students that they might encounter in their working world. At the Fall 2025 presentation and installation, 2025 graduate Garrett Moore attended as a guest speaker.
We welcomed internationally celebrated performer and prize-winning cellist Gary Hoffman on campus during Fall 2025. He offered a free and public masterclass for several cello students. You can check out our popular short video from the masterclass, and also watch the entire session. You can also watch the concert Hoffman performed with pianist Chloé Jiyeong Mun.
Music Therapy students in the Music for Group Activities class completed a variety of great activities during Fall 2025 — each student arranged and conducted a song for Rock Band instrumentation, set for people of all abilities ages 8 and up; they selected a children’s book and set it to song; and they learned to wrap percussion mallets for use in their clinical work.
Music therapy students
McCade Walker, a Master of Music student in piano performance) was named winner of the MTNA State Young Artist Piano Competition. A student of faculty artist Kwan Yi, Walker performed a program of Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 and the Barber Piano Sonata in E-flat minor, Op. 26.
The School of Music represented at the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA) annual conference in November. Two of our student ensembles performed free, public concerts: ECU Jazz Ensemble-(A) with jazz professor Kobie Watkins; and the ECU Chamber Singers with director Dr. James Franklin