Current Graduate Students in Media Arts
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Shanel Locke is working on developing a serious game called ChallengED that simulates the daily challenges of a first-year substitute teacher navigating a chaotic classroom environment. The game aims to foster empathy for teachers by immersing players in the emotional and practical struggles of the profession, utilizing mechanics such as respect management, constant distractions, and student relationships. Through this project, Shanel Locke hopes to raise awareness about the pressures teachers face while creating an engaging and meaningful gameplay experience.
Shanel Locke is currently working on testing the mechanics for ChallengED. Please access a copy of the game here and fill out the testing survey at the end so she can compile research data: .
Shanel Locke focuses on digital art and game design. Locke uses tools like Unreal Engine, Blender, Character Creator, and Adobe Photoshop to bring her characters and environments to life, ensuring they are both visually unique and technically sophisticated.
Website:
Instagram:
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During my graduate studies I am trying to absorb as much information as I can and learn new techniques and software to improve my animation skills. Thus far, most of my work has been in 3D. However, I hope to expand my research and experiment with other forms of animation, including more traditional methods.
Jordan is a digital artist specializing in animation and 3D modeling. His work spans a variety of subjects and styles, often taking inspiration from films and artwork throughout history. Jordan aims to create art that connects with people on a personal level through engaging visuals and storytelling.
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brittany.westlund@umconnect.umt.edu
My work centers on game design and interactive media, where I combine storytelling and technology to create meaningful, transformative experiences. Drawing from virtue ethics and depth psychology, I aim to promote empathy and self-awareness. Through exploring storytelling frameworks and psychological archetypes, I seek engaging ways to encourage personal growth and interdependence in gaming.
Originally from Vancouver, WA, I now live in Kalispell, MT, with my husband, whom I married in 2013. I enjoy reading a variety of genres, including history, fiction, and folklore, teaching media arts and graphic design, and creating illustrations and animations for my games. You can view a sample of my work on my website, brittanywestlund.com.
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Anya is a Media Arts MFA student focusing on screenwriting. She is particularly passionate about stories that deal with religion, sexuality, and womanhood. She graduated from the 91次元 in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. In addition to attending school, she works as a Marketing Assistant for Accelerate Montana and a Storyteller for the Rocky Mountain Women's Business Center
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rachel.cronk@umconnect.umt.edu In my graduate studies, I am pursuing a deeper understanding of videogame design with an emphasis on breathtaking visuals and captivating narratives--the creation of stories that move, impart, and inspire. For my degree, I will be focusing on creating a game titled Forlorn, a 3D third person dark fantasy RPG.
Biography: Rachel is a 33 year old student who lives in Hamilton, MT. They have a plethora of hobbies within the creative umbrella, such as painting, arts & crafts, photography, writing novels, pottery, animation, pixel art, and more. They also have two pets and a myriad of plants that they care for--the goal is to acquire over 200 plants and live in a veritable indoor jungle. Originally from all over the states (though mostly New England and the PNW), they use their wide experience of life from all corners of the US to draw inspiration from, though Montana is assuredly their favorite state.
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brett.bloom@umconnect.umt.edu
My name is Brett Bloom, and I am a graduate student in the School of Media Arts. I received my BA in English with a focus in Creative Writing from Middle Tennessee State University, after which my now-wife, Kristin, and I moved to Missoula. Kristin recently received her MFA with a focus in Cinematography, and now I'm pursuing mine with a focus in Screenwriting.
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michael.couso@umconnect.umt.edu
'Throughout the program, Couso plans to broaden his skills in game development by engaging in every aspect of the creative process. By focusing on a survival horror project, he hopes to explore video games’ capacity for storytelling and the creation of compelling narrative experiences. While his ultimate goal is to open a game studio, he first aims to gain hands-on experience with each component of game development through solo projects. This approach will allow him to better collaborate with other artists in the future and communicate effectively across disciplines.
Couso received his Bachelor’s degree in Computational Physics with a minor in Russian Studies from the 91次元 in 2022. Since then, he has worked full-time in IT, supporting research computing. Over the years, he has explored diverse fields including theatre, voice acting, film, and metal fabrication. Although he has spent the past decade more immersed in technical fields and the sciences, he is excited to once again pursue creative endeavors—bringing together his technical expertise and artistic passions through interactive media.
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Dakota/Lakota Name Translation: First Day of Light Woman
Tribal Affiliation: Amaskapi Pikuni, Assiniboine and Dakota
omastewin.foster@umconnect.umt.edu
I’m a first-year graduate student at the 91次元, pursuing an MFA in Media Arts and an MBC in Entrepreneurship and Museum Studies. My work centers on data-based storytelling, mixed media, and entertainment management, all grounded in a culturally rich perspective. My academic research explores narrative delivery systems and emerging technologies, which deeply influence my creative practice across animation, film, illustration, and digital projection. Where I primarily look to reexamine the exploitation of Indigenous people throughout Western history. In the entertainment sector, I build solidarity-focused networking systems and infrastructure that champion Indigenous sovereignty. I collaborate with Indigenous and BIPOC-led initiatives rooted in frontline activism, advocacy, wellness, prevention, culture, youth empowerment, and the arts.
Current Graduate Students in Studio Art
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"I am moved by the resilience of Ukrainian society forced to adapt to these harsh new realities. Repeated motifs, such as drones and anti-tank obstacles, have become symbolic in my work. They represent resilience and adaptation in the face of an overwhelming invader, evoking the familiar David vs. Goliath story.”
Sasha Barrett is a Ukrainian born ceramic artist currently pursuing an MFA in Ceramics at 91次元. Primarily trained as a potter, Sasha has been changing directions and exploring sculpture and installation based artwork. When not making work Sasha is cooking soup.
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Lily Kip is a figurative oil painter working from photographic, snapshot style reference imagery. Her paintings make use of unapologetic saturation and expressive brushwork to depict young people, often women, in banal yet intimate situations. The work resists the familiar aestheticization of contemporary image making, instead capturing the unease of living in the perpetual present.
Though hailing from the eastern side of Massachusetts, Lily received her B.A. in Studio Art and English Literature from Bates College in 2019 and stayed in Maine for several years after. Arriving in Missoula in 2022, Lily has spent the first portion of her masters teaching Drawing and Painting through the Graduate Teaching Assistantship, showing work on and off campus, 4making paintings, and developing a taste for cowboy boots and trail running.
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Crystal McCallie has been making art since she was old enough to hold a pencil. McCallie grew up on a dryland farm in the Texas Panhandle where she was inspired by the scenes and stories of rural life. She attended Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University majoring in art. Building on a love of drawing and stories, she became a freelance illustrator. Her commissions included a large-scale holiday painting for the Toys for Tots drive and a full-color children’s book called Seeds of Hope - a gift for the Ugandan children at the Wells of Hope orphanage. After several years of being a stay-at-home mom and volunteering for numerous activities involving her children, McCallie returned to higher education and completed a BFA from the 91次元 in drawing and printmaking. Her work has been exhibited locally and nationally. McCallie has taught printmaking, collage, and textile workshops to high school students, adult art educators, and area artists. During her time at UM, she has taught drawing, printmaking, and assisted with teaching art history. She is an assistant printmaker to Matrix Press, a UM affiliated printmaking organization which hosts artists residencies to nationally and internationally recognized printmakers. McCallie is currently an MFA Candidate with an emphasis in printmaking in the 91次元’s School of Visual and Media Arts.
McCallie resides in Missoula, Montana with her husband, four children, two dogs, and a budgie. She balances her artwork and teaching practice with her time with family and is very much inspired by the joys and trials of motherhood, nature, and children’s stories.
I make art that is personal to me, unveiling a page from my own familial story with the hope that the visual representation of these memories connect us through a shared collective experience. As a printmaker, I translate images, patterns, and textures that speak of quiet moments that are as fleeting as a fading vapor. I emphasize childhood and the bittersweet passage of time that the inevitable, yet hopeful coming-of-age journey represents. Through processes of woodcut relief, intaglio, and monotype, I build multiple matrices and print an intuitive, stratified collage where every layer has its own story of complex, creative handling. The layered memento becomes a fragmented illusion of the past, and the details undulate like a mirage, recalling an idealized impression or perhaps a distant childhood memory.
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Joe completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sierra Nevada College in 2004 with an emphasis in new genres, and drawing. After earning this degree he was hired to build and implement K-12 art programming for a small school in Truckee, California where he taught for 10 years.
Joe returned to pursue a Masters of Fine arts in Ceramic Sculpture in 2022 at the 91次元. While at UMT, he taught ceramic classes, directed the UC Student Gallery, Worked for the Montana Museum of Art and Culture, Co-founded the Love Child Gallery, held the positions of President and Vice president for the UM Clay Guild, and worked as an assistant to Julia Galloway and Casey Zablockki.
I create abstract ceramic sculptures that playfully blend elements of the human body with features of the natural world. My practice is deeply rooted in curiosity about the world and the belief that wonder and play are powerful avenues for learning. My process begins with spontaneous mark-making in my sketchbook through which I explore the movement of my wrist and arm. These drawings often evoke rock outcroppings, reminiscent of landscapes found in national parks—places that captivate my imagination and spark my wonder. I then bring these forms into the physical world through maquettes and larger sculptures.
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Hailing from small town Arkansas, Lane Chapman received her BFA in Ceramics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2017. After graduating, she moved to Rochester, NY for a two-year residency at the Flower City Arts Center. She then moved to Missoula, MT for a residency at The Clay Studio of Missoula for two years from 2019-2021 and then a resident at Wildfire Ceramic Studio from 2021-2022, also in Missoula. Lane is currently an MFA pre-candidate at the 91次元 in Missoula.
My work explores the relationship between Victorian aesthetics and the enduring ramifications of Montana’s mining industry. I juxtapose the intricate beauty and romanticism of the Victorian period with contemporary scenes of environmental decay, more specifically in relation to the Upper Clark Fork River valley. Through the use of Victorian motifs, I aim to challenge the paradox of progress that has led to our present-day ecological ruin.
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After years of being a commercial photographer and creating images for others, I have decided it's time to return to school and explore creating imagery for myself.
I am currently working with historical photographic processes, exploring the idea of mixing these processes with current digital technology to create imagery that utilizes the best of both worlds.
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Carolyn is creating abstract sculptures that evoke organic forms and show the structural limits and possibilities of clay. She is particularly interested in the relationship between fragility and strength, as seen in the cultural perceptions of women.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Carolyn worked for over ten years as a professional librarian before pursuing graduate studies in ceramics. Carolyn is also in the final year of an advanced mentorship program at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado.
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I started my career in the ceramic’s arts in the fall of 2014 as I attended Indiana University, working towards my BFA. Between then and now I was at the Iowa Ceramics center as a resident artist, followed by a 4 year stint of managing a small farm in southern Indiana. I am currently an MFA at the 91次元.
I am currently interested in addiction and the opioid epidemic in rural America. This work consists of pottery with imagery depicting caricatures and icons of a specific tourist town in southern Indiana. My second body of work is focused around movement through wiggles and alterations of pottery. I am figuring out if these two bodies can coexist or need to merge.
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As a figurative oil painter, I explore how people engage with the world and each other, while simultaneously reflecting on my own place within that space. My work blends ambient and surreal elements, using lighting and color to evoke a particular mood.
Lillian Sciulli is a figurative oil painter from Ohio. She received a BFA in Painting and Drawing from Ohio University and is now pursuing her master’s degree at the 91次元.
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Bracha is interested in Maternal and Gender theory and the roles we knowingly, or unknowingly, assume after becoming a parent. In her work, she seeks to better understand the competing priorities of family and career and how we value care. Additionally, Bracha's work explores her overall rejection of the Hassidic community she grew up in, while, simultaneously, showcasing her appreciation of her Jewish heritage and certain aspects from her upbringing. Her paintings reflect the many ways in which ritual and community can bring meaning and value to one's life.
Bracha Tenenbaum grew up in Brooklyn, NY in an ultra-orthodox community and moved to Missoula, MT in 2015 after graduating with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Her cultural identity, as well as her experience as a parent, heavily influences her artwork. She pulls inspiration from her everyday life with a focus on the small moments of care, which are essential to our collective wellbeing.
