Alumni

Sara Spaulding, B.F.A. Studio Art, Glass

Sara Spaulding, a native of the Texas Panhandle, graduated in 2011 with a studio art BFA in glass. While at WT, Sara explored the ideas of identity and perspective within the modern feminist movement. Sara continues to work in glass, clay, metal, and other various materials to create organic, abstracted forms with a feminist dialogue. She has spoken at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum about her Kilgore Research Grant "The Surveyor and the Surveyed: Research for Identity," which also touched on aspects of modern feminism. Sara has worked for the Native American artist Tammy Garcia in New Mexico from 2012 to 2013, and for Dallas Glass Art from 2014 until the present. Although now she is only teaching kiln form classes part time, Sara, along with her husband and their two children, are still residing in Dallas while she takes time to focus on a new series of work and on running their family’s side business, Blind Bird Designs

Jolene Settle, M.F.A. Studio Art, Photography

Jolene moved to Austin shortly after earning her degree and began working at a small pottery shop. While there, she was also creating and selling jewelry. After a few years, she began another job as a graphic designer for a corset company where she was in charge of graphics, marketing, and photography. She is now a freelance, commercial and realestate photographer.

Krista Troy Real, M.F.A. Studio Art

After receiving her degree, Krista began teaching art history and drawing the following spring. Since then, she’s taught art in a Title I school in Bryan, Texas, and is currently teaching middle school in Odessa, Texas. Every day, she gets to challenge kids to make something they didn't know they could, solve difficult problems with creative and original solutions, and help them find new ways to answer the most difficult questions they will face. She credits her professors at WT for teaching her how to ask those questions while answering them with art of her own.

Mark Martin, M.F.A. Studio Art

Mark has been teaching as a professor of art at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas. His classes include painting and drawing, art history blended online and in-class, and art appreciation in class as well as IVC live video delivery. He teaches numerous A&M system students via Blinn TEAM, which is a co-enrollment process between the two schools. 

Nora Hyman, Graphic Design, B.A.

Nora been working as a graphic designer since graduation and began working for Texas Tech University in 2016. She is currently the Senior Graphic Designer for Communications and Marketing in the TTU Libraries. She does freelance design for several non-profit organizations and in her spare time enjoys painting.

Corinne Holloway, B.F.A. in Studio Art

Corinne has worked for a national arts nonprofit in Philadelphia, taught private art lessons, and became a mother, all while continuing to work as an artist. From managing websites and marketing collateral to creating work for gallery shows, she feels the program at WT gave her the tools and education to creatively solve the problems in every project. But more than just teaching technical skills, she says, the WT art teachers pushed her to seek out local art, gain exposure to contemporary art and the ideas behind it, and ultimately solidified in her a deep passion and appreciation for the arts.

Caitie Quezada, B.F.A. Studio Art

After graduation, Caitie held the position of Education Assistant for the Amarillo Museum of Art. There, she developed outreach programs, directed group tours, and taught children’s art classes. Her experience provided the opportunity to become the manager and lead teacher at Kudos Art Studio, where she shared her talents with the community for a year. Currently, she is teaching art to preschool and kindergarten students at the Amarillo Montessori Academy, while also making her own studio practices a priority. Her work has been featured at Cerulean Gallery, and can be purchased through a local home decor boutique, Duniven Co. She also creates custom paintings for clients' homes and businesses. This spring, she is excited to be working with the Refugee Language Project to create an art program for refugee children living in Amarillo. 

Simone Dale, B.F.A. Graphic Design

While still completing her degree at WT, Simone got her start in graphic design with an internship working for Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc., a local company that designs Star Trek war games. After graduating, she began working as a full-time graphic designer with another local business, Accent Embroidery, a company that specializes in embroidery and t-shirt printing. She works to refine clients’ needs into effective designs, maintains the company's social media, and fills the store front with many designs of her own.

Monica Prado, B.F.A. Studio Art, Printmaking, Painting Minor

Monica worked at Texas Tech University as a Teaching Assistant for Life Drawing III. Here, she has traveled to Southern Graphics Council International Conference, Print Austin, and Texas Tech Marfa Intensive 2017. She is the recipient of the Helen DeVitt Jones Foundation Art Talent Fellowship, the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Graduate Fellowship, and is a McNair Fellow. Prado’s current work focuses on her Mexican-American identity and on traditional variables of craft and fine art. Prado has maintained an active role in showing locally at Charles Adams Studio Project Galleries and Landmark Gallery and in collaborative shows, such as the TTU College of Human Sciences exhibition Environmental Design: Apparel Design. Prado looks forward to finishing her master’s degree in the Spring of 2019 www.pradoprints.com.

Duangdao Tulaphitak, M.F.A. in Studio Art

Born in Khon Kaen in Northeast Thailand, Duangdao, has always been fascinated by drawing, fine arts and how the world is represented through the eyes of being a Buddhist. She was drawn to Buddha’s doctrine and this interest was cultivated during her childhood. She later decided to study abroad as an exchange student in California between 2004-2005, where she discovered her passion for graphic design. She received her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand in 2011, and after that, came to Canyon to finish her master’s degree in studio art. As an artist, she aims to promote and create her own style focused on Buddha’s doctrines hinted inside the visual elements of her works. She enjoys conceptual ideas and continuing to experiment with new ways to create her work across a variety of media. She now lives and works in Bangkok, Thailand. She teaches visual arts and graphic design in a media arts program, at the School of Architecture and Design, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.

Brandi Juarez, B.A. Art Education

Brandi is currently a High School art educator in Bryan Tx. She is in her ninth year teaching and absolutely loves it. Her favorite thing about WT was the small university environment, "I felt I really got to know my professors and enjoy my time there."

Arash Ghahari Kermani, M.F.A. Studio Art

Born in 1988 in Iran, Arash Ghahari (Arash Ghahari Kermani) is a Dallas-based visual artist. He was inspired by his father, renowned artist Ali Ghahari Kermani, and his artist brother. After his father’s death, he moved to Ankara, Turkey, where he earned a BA in Sculpture from Hacettepe University. He later relocated to the U.S. to complete an MFA in Studio Arts at West Texas A&M University in 2017.

Arash has exhibited internationally and taught at various institutions, including West Texas A&M University, Amarillo College, Jinan University in China, and the University of Texas at Dallas. His figurative sculptures explore parallel realities, often depicting himself and symbolic animals while commenting on modern politics and global capitalism. He blends pop art, contemporary culture, and historical references, viewing contemporary art as a universal language that encourages meaningful dialogue. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at UT Dallas, focusing his dissertation on grotesque aesthetics in Iranian and Western visual arts.

Josiah Winger, MFA Studio Art

"Since graduating I have successfully curated lessons that promote creativity through both contemporary and traditional mediums while focusing on the seven elements of art for the past three years as a Junior High Art Teacher in East Texas. My contributions to curriculum development, committee participation, and student mentorship goes hand in hand with the knowledge and artistic practices I learned in the graduate program at WT!"

Loc D. Dao, B.F.A. Studio Art

Loc is a Vietnamese artist whose practice intersects with Social Practice, exploring art’s role in community engagement. He currently works as a Library Assistant in the MakerSpace at Amarillo Public Library. Follow his work on Instagram at @locddao. Loc credits the WT Art Department’s dedicated faculty and outstanding facilities as a key foundation for his artistic journey.

Chit Pu, B.F.A. Studio Art

West Texas A&M University is a place Chit holds close to her heart for its transformative impact on her life  and career. She has a deep appreciation for the university’s art department and its faculty, who played a pivotal role in shaping her artistic journey.

Since graduating, Chit has taken on the roles of freelance translator and painting instructor, dedicating herself to sharing her love of art with others. She is deeply involved in the arts community, constantly exploring new ways to grow as an artist. She loves reading, wandering the city for inspiration, and experimenting with fresh techniques to bring her creative vision to life. Through her work, she aims to inspire others and celebrate the beauty of artistic expression.