Yeroham Ashagre: Winner of the 2026 MFA Prize

Yeroham Ashagre is the 2026 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Prize recipient, capping three years of intensive study as an MFA student in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University. Ashagre received the MFA Prize for his thesis exhibition, “Womb of Tomb,” that is part of the 2026 MFA Exhibition on view at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum through May 17, 2026.

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MFA Artist Uses Art as Activism to Challenge Stereotypes and Celebrate African Culture

For Vadu Rodrigues, there is no separating art from activism. Growing up in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, he uses his art — and the Positive Africa creative movement he founded — to challenge negative stereotypes about the continent and its people by highlighting its history, culture, and communities.

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College of Arts & Letters Students Earn First-Place Awards at Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum

Eight students whose primary majors are in the College of Art & Letters received first-place awards for their research and creative scholarship presented at Michigan State University’s 28th annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). Several other MSU students who received first-place awards were mentored by faculty within the College of Arts & Letters.

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MFA Artist Expands Painting Beyond the Canvas and Understanding of Persian Art

Niloufar Fallahfar’s paintings are not confined to the canvas. As her artistic practice has evolved, her work quite literally has expanded into space through the inclusion of three-dimensional objects that become part of the narrative itself. “I started by putting canvas on top of each other to offer a different perspective and make the audience curious about the different angles of the painting,” she explained.

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Why This Emerging Artist Isn’t Worried About AI Replacing Human Creativity

As an emerging artist, Alex Vlasov isn’t afraid of artificial intelligence. While some futurists predict AI could replace human-created art and writing, Vlasov disagrees. “Photography didn’t replace paintings. Ever since the first photographs in 1826, paintings are still created,” Vlasov said. He further explained that human-created art will continue to provide opportunities for people to see connections, find themes, and experience the emotions conveyed through an artist’s work.

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