The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals.
Following is a Q&A with Wylie Knight, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Art with a digital studies certificate and graduating in spring 2025.
How did you become interested in pursuing a degree in the arts?
I’ve always had quite a passion for art in general, whether it be art history or studio classes. I came in as a Communication Arts major and knew I wanted to get an Art certificate. Then, through the art classes at UW, I was like, this is where I need to be and went full Art [major] my sophomore year.
How did you hear about UW–Madison and why did you decide to come here?
I had an aunt who lived about 30 minutes away from the university and we would visit her and come to campus. I hung out here as a child and that was always such a fun experience. It’s always been a place that I felt very comfortable in, so once I applied and I got in, it was like…there we go.
What has been your most meaningful experience in the Art program so far?
I think my most meaningful experience has been Advanced Painting Workshop. It’s a really awesome class. You put up a portfolio and it’s a great opportunity for undergraduates who are interested in painting because you get your own little studio space, which has been super helpful in my own art practice. You get to work with fellow classmates who are super interested in painting and build off ideas with other communicative artists who are all very excited about what they do. You also work tightly with professors, which is super nice. So definitely Advanced Painting Workshop.
Can you talk through the art shows on campus and how they work?
To get into an art show it all kind of depends. I’ve had a few where if you’re an artist you just sign up, and you’re in. Through classes like Advanced Painting Workshop, the class has a gallery space and it’s the class’s role to organize the show, lay things out, and put things up. It’s like a show you run yourself. There are also shows where you apply with your portfolio and the show curators will choose specific pieces to be in it.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you, and why?
All the professors that I’ve had, whether it be an MFA candidate or a 10-year professor, they’re all very insightful within their own craft. They’re very personable, which I find very nice. They understand the art they make is probably different from the art you’re making, but they’ll give you critiques in a way they think you could benefit from.
Rebecca Katz, she was a painting professor I had for four semesters in a row and it was very nice to have the same professor understand my art practice, watch me grow as an artist, and see my work come to a fruition throughout the years.
Can you talk about any experiences you’ve had with an academic adviser or a program adviser?
A’ha (Vuong) genuinely transformed my experience. She helped me organize my schedules for the semesters, run the DARS report, and recommend classes that would work for me and would be manageable. So A’ha is like a superstar in my brain. Every experience I have had with other people in the Art Department has been great.
What are your future goals or plans?
I hope to pursue my master of fine arts in painting. My end goal is to be a professor within the arts. I hope to get either a post-grad internship through a museum, or I have also been looking at a few artist residencies that I think would be really awesome for my art practice and portfolio.
What do you value about the School of Education or the program that you’re in?
I think, specifically for the Art Department, they do a great job of sharing information. There’s the weekly Art Department newsletter and the Art Department Instagram that will ‘shout out’ students and post their work, which is super awesome to see.
And then do you have any tips for students who are starting college?
Just be open and explore what the campus or the program you’re in has to offer, whether it be through advisers or doing a little deep dive on the web. There’s so much to become involved in.