Kaitrin Acuna

Was there a defining moment during your time at UConn? I vividly remember sitting on the floor of the studio, on the first day of my first class at UConn, and watching an art professor stand on a podium and drop 60 sheets of printer paper one by one. It was a wonderful feeling to finally be […]

Was there a defining moment during your time at UConn?

I vividly remember sitting on the floor of the studio, on the first day of my first class at UConn, and watching an art professor stand on a podium and drop 60 sheets of printer paper one by one. It was a wonderful feeling to finally be in a classroom full of people who saw wonder where many do not.

Describe someone you’ve met here who has already impacted your future.

The many art professors who encourage every improbable idea we have – and help us to actually make them happen.

As a UConn IDEA Grant recipient, what project did you pursue?

My IDEA grant project was a photo book and exhibition that explored invented folklore by digitally compositing surreal imagery. My work has been on display recently in the VAIS gallery in the UConn Art Building.

Where are you headed after graduation?

I’m taking a few years before applying for my MFA in photography. Currently, I’m working with a small team to create a Kickstarter project to fund a large photobook project on alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes people to lose all of their hair in as little as a few weeks. If funded, we will be traveling to many different countries to photograph and share uplifting stories of people with alopecia. I will also continue making unique portraits and creative advertising imagery for clients.

What will you miss most about UConn?

The people in the art community. It’s been incredible living and working in the same space as 50 other artists for the past four years. I hope to be in touch with some of these beautiful human beings for the rest of my life.