Gustavus Adolphus College offers a myriad of experiences for students, often in areas they would never expect. Studio Art and English double-major Mya Hanson ‘25 experienced this when winning the President’s Art Award.
On her time getting the award, Hanson ‘25 said, “One thing we do in the art department is we have juries. Every Art major (Junior and Senior) has a jury day where all the professors come and critique your art and discuss it with you. When they do the junior major critiques, they not only score you and give you feedback, but they are also picking one of the Junior Art majors to receive the President’s Art Award – where you get to put some of your art in the president’s house. I was chosen for this award in the Spring, which is exciting and very unexpected, but it is a great honor that I get this opportunity.”
Contrary to what you may assume, Hanson ‘25 did not originally intend to be involved in the Art department here at Gustavus.
“When I came into Gustavus, I was not planning on majoring in art. I didn’t take any art classes my first year, but sophomore year I took digital photography with Priscilla Briggs. I remember she pulled me aside a couple times and asked me if I would major in art. I didn’t think I was capable of double majoring, but the chair of the department, Betsy Byers, also reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in majoring in art.”
Even with the support, Hanson ‘25 was wary of adding on another major to her English one. However, “the way that Betsy approached me and the conversations we had really rekindled my love of art, and I was in the right spot so I thought I would try it. So, I am a major now and all of the professors are truly amazing people. They are so kind, and so creative, and they really know how to push you just the right amount to create your best work.”
Being involved within the art sphere has helped Hanson ‘25 embrace her time at Gustavus Adolphus College. As she puts it, “it is so cliche, because it is what everyone says, but [Gustavus] really feels like home. I think the community here is so beyond what any college is like. It is safe, it is welcoming, everyone is learning and growing together, and everyone is cheering each other on through their own journeys. To me, that is really inspiring and more people should get to experience that.”
Learn more about the fine arts at Gustavus here: https://gustavus.edu/finearts/