MFA-VA Visiting Artists & Critics

The Sam Fox School brings nationally and internationally recognized artists, designers, architects, historians, and critics to campus, promoting new ideas in practice, theory, and technology. Invited speakers often participate in graduate studio visits, conducting one-on-one reviews of work.

In addition, the MFA-VA program invites external artists, critics, theorists, and distinguished guests to campus to review students’ exhibitions and conduct studio visits at the end of each academic year.

A man in a gingham shirt, blue jeans, and black loafers sits in a chair (at left) talking to a woman (at right) in a green, army-style coat, black hoodie, black jeans, and black sneakers. Daylight illuminates the studio space from a large window at left. Artmaking materials are scattered across a worktable behind the figures. Sketches are pinned to the wall adjacent to the window.

Visiting artist Michael Ray Charles meets with a student for a studio visit.

2021-22 Visiting Artists + Critics

Hugo Crosthwaite / David Antonio Cruz / Dan Devening / Jess T. Dugan / Lisa Lapinsky / Marianne Laury / Cole Lu / Meleko Mokgosi / Robyn O’Neil / Maya Parnas / Deborah Roberts / Dario Robleto / Ingrid Schaffner / Sheldon Scott / Taryn Simon / Stephanie Syjuco / Adrian Octavius Walker

On the left, a woman in gray coveralls stands next to a woman in a black cardigan and black jeans, discussing a large sculpture-in-progress, at right. Each of them stands with an arm extended at shoulder levelto touch the sculpture, which is composed of two 3-inch-wide verticle PVC pipes wrapped in chicken wire and a panel of handmade yellow and brown felt.

Freund Teaching Fellow

The Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Teaching Fellowship centers around two core components: teaching in the Sam Fox School’s Graduate School of Art, and producing work for a solo exhibition for the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Currents series. Artist Meleko Mokgosi is the Freund Teaching Fellow for the 2021-22 academic year.

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Upcoming Lectures

Mar 26 at 6pm • Saligman Family Atrium

Emeka Ogboh with Caroline Kita, Associate Professor in Comparative Literature and Thought, Arts & Sciences

Join artist Emeka Ogboh in conversation with Caroline Kita, associate professor in comparative literature and thought in Arts & Sciences.

This program is part of the 27th Biennial St. Louis Symposium on German Literature and Culture, Archiving the Sounds of German Cultures: A Century of Collection, Curation, and Creative Practice, March 26–29, 2026. Hosted by WashU’s Department of Comparative Literature and Thought’s Program in Germanic Languages and Literatures, the biennial symposium brings together scholars, students, and members of the university and public to explore how the recording and documentation of sound has shaped German cultures and their narratives from the early twentieth century to the present.

This event is presented in conjunction with Emeka Ogboh: The Song of the Germans, on view in the Kemper Art Museum’s Video Gallery from February 27 to July 27, 2026, and Listening to the Art of German Cultures, a Teaching Gallery installation on view through July 27.

The talk will be followed by a reception in the Kemper Art Museum lobby.

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Past Lectures

Check out some of our recent guests’ lectures. If a recording of the lecture is publicly available, you can find it by clicking through to the event page.

Visit the Sam Fox School YouTube channel for archived recordings.

February 12, 2026 at 5:30pm • Steinberg Auditorium, Steinberg Hall

Natalie Andrewson Lecture

January 28, 2026 at 11:30am • Weil Commons, Weil Hall

Addoley Dzegede: Weil Wall Lecture

November 19, 2025 at 5:30pm • Steinberg Auditorium

Artist Panel: Mary Weatherford and Katharina Grosse

canvas hanging on wall, abstract with pinks and blues

November 13, 2025 at 11:30am • Kuehner Court, Weil Hall

Tomashi Jackson: Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Visiting Artist Lecture

the artist is setting up a display in a gallery

October 27, 2025 at 5:30pm • Steinberg Auditorium

Sonya Kelliher-Combs: Arthur L. and Sheila Prensky Island Press Visiting Artist Lecture

October 26, 2025, 2:00 – 4:30pm • St. Louis Art Museum

Katy Siegel: Lecture on Joan Mitchell

Past Public Lecture Series speakers include:

Diana Al-Hadid / Laylah Ali /Morehshin Allahyari / Gabriel Asfour / Dave Hullfish Bailey / Reinhard Bek / Xu Bing / Maggie Breslin / Gaby Brink / Michael Ray Charles / Seymour Chwast / Huey Copeland / Leah Dickerman / Mark Dion / Catherine Dossin / Henrik Drescher / Sam Durant / Omer Fast / Lisa D. Freiman / Tom Friedman / Coco Fusco / Thomas W. Gaehtgens / Orly Genger / Michelle Grabner / Pablo Helguera / Candice Hopkins / David Humphrey / Alfredo Jaar / Natasha Jen / Michael Joo / William Kentridge / Sylvia Koblowski / Erica Kochi / Ruby Lerner / Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle / Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) / Wangechi Mutu / Shaun O'Dell / Trevor Paglen / Jaume Plensa / John Douglas Powers / Shelley Rice / Julian Rosefeldt / Lisa Sanditz / Anne Schaefer / Beverly Semmes / Duane Slick / Christopher Sperandio / Martino Stierli / Michael Taylor / Jan Tumlir / Victoria Vesna / Carrie Mae Weems / Ai Weiwei / Pae White / Paula Wilson / Peter Yost

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