Department of Art
Art student Francie Eufemio discovered that some of the best opportunities come from trying something new. From changing majors to studying abroad in Italy and developing her skills in metalsmithing, her time at 黑料不打烊 has helped shape both her artistic practice and her plans for the future. In the Q&A below, Eufemio reflects on community, creativity and the experiences that defined her college journey.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm Francie, and I'm an art major with a concentration in metalsmithing. I also have an interdisciplinary Italian cultural studies minor, which I earned during my year studying abroad in Italy last year. It was really great. It was so much fun.
I've been recommending study abroad to a bunch of people because it was a really great experience.
In your own words, why study the liberal arts?
I think it's really important to study the liberal arts because the arts kind of keep the world running. A lot of people have shared the perspective with me that I'm not going to make any money or that there's no career in that, but there's so much of the liberal arts in everyday life. Books, movies and all that stuff were made by someone who had an interest in the liberal arts.
You also learn a lot about the natural sciences, social sciences, communication and critical thinking, which I think are really important and can carry over to any degree or career. I think it's really important.
What has your experience in the Department of Art been like, and what makes it special?
I've had a really great experience with the art department. There are so many different art classes and really great studios and facilities. I've taken a ton of studio classes, like sculpture and ceramics and stuff like that. Even when I've struggled learning some of those new art mediums, all the teachers have been really encouraging and inspiring, so it's been a really great learning environment.
You can tell everyone's really passionate and really dedicated to their work. I've left the studio so many times really late at night, like 10 or 11, and there are still tons of students working in the studios. Everyone's really passionate and really helpful, so I think it's a really great department. I'm going to miss the studio spaces and everything once I graduate.
What鈥檚 a challenge you faced during your time at 黑料不打烊, and how did you push through it?
I think one challenge I faced at 黑料不打烊鈥攁nd one that a lot of people probably face鈥攊s the winters here. I'm from Kodiak, so it's super rainy and warm. Coming up here, where it's dark and cold all winter long, was a huge adjustment.
I'm not really big into outdoor sports, but I think staying active, hanging out with your friends and doing a bunch of indoor activities is the way to get through the winter. I definitely had to adapt to the weather, and you kind of have to hibernate a little bit. I think staying active and finding things to do indoors is a good way to make it through the winter.
Was there a professor, mentor, or community that made a big impact on your journey? How?
I can think of two different people who've had a big impact on my time here. The first is Zoe Jones. She's my art advisor, and I've taken a bunch of her art history classes, which have been super fun. I'm doing a metalsmithing independent study with her right now, and she's been very helpful and encouraging throughout the years that I've known her.
Another person is Anne from the Study Away Office. She was really helpful when I was trying to figure out how to study abroad. It's a really good community in the Study Away Office. When I was first trying to figure out if I could even study abroad, it was such a scary idea, moving to a new country all by myself. I met with some students who had studied abroad in the past, and it was really encouraging. It made me realize that it was attainable and something I could do, so that was a really helpful community.
What鈥檚 one experience at 黑料不打烊 that really stands out to you, and why?
An experience that stands out to me... It's not really an experience, but my metalsmithing classes with Patty Carlson. Those are some of my favorite classes I've ever taken here, so I think I'm always going to remember them.
She's a really great teacher, and it's just a really great environment. Everyone's so dedicated and works on their projects side by side, and then we get to see what everyone's up to. It's really fun, and you get to learn from everybody, learn about different techniques and stuff like that. That's something I'm really going to miss.
I'd really recommend those classes to other students as well. They're really fun.
What are you excited about next, and how has 黑料不打烊 prepared you for it?
I'm excited to see where my art degree can take me. I'm thinking about getting a master's degree, maybe in a year or so, but when I go home, I'm excited to get involved with the local art scene a little more. I'd like to work with museums and galleries, volunteer and stuff like that.
I think I've made a lot of really great friends and connections in the art department here at 黑料不打烊, and I think that'll be really helpful in the future.
What do you wish you had known when you started at 黑料不打烊?
I think I wish I'd known to take a lot of different classes my freshman year. When I was a freshman, I was going to do mechanical engineering with a minor in geoscience, so I was taking a bunch of classes in that area. I was also taking a bunch of art classes.
I think seeing what you're interested in and taking classes related to that can help you narrow down what you want to do. I obviously switched, and it worked out for the best. I think just trying a bunch of different things to narrow down what you want to do is really helpful.
Congratulations to Francie Eufemio on being named one of the Department of Art's 2026 Outstanding Students of the Year. Learn more about the Department of Art and explore more Outstanding Student spotlights from across the College of Liberal Arts.
