Location: UCF Art Gallery
The Rooms We Build: 2026 MFA Exhibition showcases the thesis work of Studio Art & Design Master of Fine Arts candidates at the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design.
Alberto Alonso’s work investigates homesickness and nostalgia born from the impossibility of returning to his home of Puerto Rico transformed by time, disaster, and human-driven change through photographs and painting as catalysts for a symbolic return to Puerto Rico to honor grief, preserve fleeting relationships and memories, and confront the impermanence that shapes both life and belonging. Using visual narrative and symbolism, Stacie Becker’s artistic practice dissects and reconciles complex moments of personal identity-shaping experiences as a woman—the struggle between the internal self and external expectations—with the intention of reclaiming and restoring the sense of self to its authentic, unashamed state. Alissa Burch combines visual aesthetics from online fandoms, video games, and self-portraiture to reflect on her personal medical trauma and the validity of fan art in self-expression. Nelson Garcia’s painting examine the incongruency of queerness within traditional masculinity through personal reclamation, queer joy, humor, and self-exploration. Through the lens of polite humor, Kenyari Gil Rosario hosts a space to engage others with the concepts of loneliness, anxiety and neurodivergence through soft sculpture, digital paintings and community projects. Emerging from a fractured home shaped by alcoholism and abandonment, Angelina Palmisano paints vibrant, whimsical worlds that celebrate life’s tenderness by honoring friends, family, and love, transforming hardship into magical escapes.
Opening Reception: February 26 | 5-6PM (VIP event) 6-8PM (public opening)
REGISTER HERE!
More information coming soon…