Wren Holzinger graduated from RMCAD in December of 2023 with a Fine Arts degree. While at RMCAD, Holzinger dove headfirst into her learning which brought her to ceramics. Eventually, she co-founded Clay Club, a pottery-oriented extracurricular. Her education has taught her a lot about both art and herself, leading her in new directions she never could have imagined! Holzinger shared her experience as a fine arts graduate and how building her portfolio landed her the internship of a lifetime.
Choosing the Right Fine Arts Program
Like so many other young artists, Holzinger had a passion for multiple mediums. She came to RMCAD as a transfer student from the University of Wisconsin-Stout having previously majored in digital cinematography. However, Holzinger felt that it wasn’t the right time for her to focus on school and she took a three-year break before she found the right art school program for her at RMCAD. “I knew I wanted a smaller school environment than I had had at UW Stout,” shared Holzinger.
Evaluating Art Schools and Programs
Holzinger wanted to continue her digital arts career using much of the foundation she had learned at UW Stout. Thus, when she transferred, she initially started as a photography major. “I never really thought I would be a fine artist. Growing up, photography was always my thing,” Holzinger shared.
Core Curriculum and Learning Outcomes
While at RMCAD, Holzinger took advantage of her major-specific coursework as well as her foundation’s courses. This dedication and open-mindedness helped her expand her style and creative voice.
Overview of Foundations Courses
“My very first class was 3D design, a foundations course. I dropped it at my first university, but when I took it at RMCAD, I loved it. I felt like I learned so much!” This newfound love for 3D design prompted her to get out of her comfort zone and attempt more work in physical mediums. It was RMCAD’s foundation courses that began widening the young artist’s horizons with courses in illustration, painting, and ceramics – until she found her way into the fine arts degree.
Developing Technical Skills and Artistic Voice
Despite moving firmly into the Fine Arts Degree Program path, Holzinger believed that photography thoroughly informed her keen eye as an artist.“I fell in love with photography because it allows me to see the world differently. That’s something I love about all art, it’s this process of looking at things with a curious lens,” she shares. Holzinger enjoys applying this lens to a variety of mediums, however she always seems to come back to ceramics.
Practical Experience During Your Degree
Through RMCAD’s Fine Arts Program, Holzinger has gained experience working with a variety of tools, organizations, and exhibition opportunities. Holzinger calls herself a “recovering perfectionist,” and credits much of her growth to her art, saying that experimenting and getting her hands dirty with a new project has opened up how she sees the world.
Workshops and Studio Time
Holzinger shared that one of her favorite things about RMCAD is all the studio spaces available to students. “I was honestly terrified of using big machinery at first. It’s scary. But now that I have learned the safe way to use various equipment and tools, it makes me excited to try new things,” Holzinger said. One studio in particular became a favorite for Holzinger and many of her classmates. The Neusteter ceramics studio is home to eight pottery wheels, a kiln, and even a ceramic 3D printer. After completing RMCAD’s two ceramics courses, she realized she still had much to learn about making pottery.
Collaborations
Along with a classmate in the art education program, Holzinger founded Clay Club, a student organization open to all students. The club’s mission is for students to “engage with each other, explore new materials and techniques, and gain new experiences regardless of their degree path.” The club has extended access to Neusteter’s pottery studio and supplies, empowering students across RMCAD’s programs to get their hands dirty and make ceramic work they are proud of. Clay Club was the perfect opportunity for Holzinger not only to continue making the ceramic work she loved but also to share her wisdom with fellow students who may not have had ceramics as a part of their curriculum.
Preparing for the Professional World
In addition to starting a club, Holzinger was a RMCAD student ambassador, which provided her with a strong college network of faculty and staff. All of which was essential in helping her prepare for the professional world. However, building an art portfolio was also at the top of her list. She had already spent countless hours in RMCAD’s dark room, woodshop, and pottery studio, but Holzinger wanted a few more pieces that she could confidently exhibit after graduation.
Building a Professional Portfolio
Wanting to better represent her wealth of knowledge in visual arts, Holzinger compiled work she had created throughout her college years, not just her ceramic pieces. From breathtaking Alaskan landscape photographs to personal installation work, and even silk cyanotypes, she showcased a wide range of skills in her professional art portfolio. Every single piece represents that curious lens that excites Holzinger as an artist.
Networking and Exhibitions
According to Holzinger, as important as building great art is, it’s equally as important to learn how to discuss it. An artist’s ability to speak critically about their artwork and share what compelled them to create certain pieces can stand in the way of many talented creatives. However, Holzinger was no stranger to discussing her work in pursuit of exhibition opportunities. She had not only exhibited work in multiple shows on the RMCAD campus but had joined faculty members’ off-campus shows as well. She shared that now being in the professional art world, she is thankful for “the experience of having to present myself more professionally through different exhibition opportunities.”
Career Path as a Fine Arts Graduate
An Alaska Native, Holzinger is of Lingít and Inupiaq tribal heritage. Following graduation, she returned home to work with the Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI), a non-profit focused on preserving and advancing the culture of Southeast Alaska Natives. Holzinger’s relationship with SHI has been lifelong, but their contributions to her education through multiple scholarships were particularly impactful. After graduation, she got more involved in art and social responsibility and spent the summer of 2024 in Juneau as an intern at SHI. Throughout the nine-week internship, Holzinger spent six weeks in SHI’s archives and three weeks in their art department during which she was also given a week-long artist residency.
Working in the Archives
As an employee of SHI, Holzinger learned about the organization’s collections – including the process of finding, cataloging, and preserving Indigenous artwork. She was fascinated by SHI’s massive art archives. Working in the archives also put Holzinger’s experience in perspective. Having spent years working as an artist, it was her time in the archives preserving and studying the work of fellow Indigenous artists, that she realized an administrative role could provide Holzinger the creative satisfaction she was seeking. Illustrating that careers with an art degree can be more diverse and rewarding than exclusively creating original work.
Working in the Art Department
In SHI’s art department, Holzinger assisted with an Indigenous art camp for Alaska Native Youth. Having been an art student for years, this was the first time she had taught art and it was a “light bulb moment” for her. By working in SHI’s art mentorship program, it opened up the possibility of teaching. “Reflecting on how much my RMCAD professors impacted and guided me, I’m really thankful for that and I would love to do that for someone else in the future.”
Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning
Art internships are a great way for students and graduates alike to improve their knowledge. Along with the administrative duties that Holzinger completed in the archive and art departments, she also got the opportunity to continue crafting her creative voice.
Residency in the Arts
The one-week residency at SHI helped Holzinger capitalize on everything she learned in her internship and put it into practice. Cultural preservation is at the core of SHI’s mission, which helped inform how Holzinger not only views her own art but also how she views herself. “I’m a learner, and so being able to soak up all of this new information in an environment that is familiar was incredible,” shared the young artist.
When she left RMCAD, Holzinger said she felt the way that so many college graduates do: uncertain and unsettled. “Post-grad life feels almost like you’re floating,” she said. However, returning home and working with an organization that values not only art but the cultures of Indigenous communities gave her a rudder to push through the tides of professional uncertainty until she found herself back on the shore again. Not even a year after graduating from RMCAD, she shares: “I feel like I have one foot on solid ground again, and I know eventually the other pieces will come together too.”
Ready to Find Your Footing?
At Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, we are committed to supporting artists and designers as they bring fascinating concepts to life. Available on-campus, our Fine Arts Degree Program provides a powerful introduction to the myriad of visual styles in the arts. Reach out to learn more about our fine arts degree and how it can help you prepare for an exciting career path.
Many of the quotes in this story have been edited for brevity and clarity by the author, but retain the significance and purpose of the original speaker.
