Celebrating a Year of Creativity, Achievement, and Community

This year, Ursuline artists crossed borders and filled galleries proving that their creativity is boundless. From participating in juried competitions to engaging in artist-led workshops, our students continued to expand their creative voices while connecting deeply with the broader arts community in Dallas and beyond. Here is a glimpse into the exciting ways students have been engaging in the arts this year. 

Regional and International Art Encounters

Ursuline participated in our first-ever international art exhibition at our sister school Colegio Santa Úrsula in Santiago, Chile. The traveling exhibition, Art in the Land of Poets, featured work by fifteen Ursuline students and faculty members. These opportunities offered students invaluable experience submitting, exhibiting, and presenting their artwork to an international audience. 

A highlight of the year was participation in the ISAS Arts Festival, hosted by St. Mark’s School. This dynamic three-day celebration of the arts brought together 39 schools from six states, with more than 3,000 students and faculty in attendance. Twenty-one Ursuline students exhibited their work alongside peers from across the region, engaging in creative exchange and artistic growth through critiques, portfolio reviews, and art workshops as part of a vibrant, collaborative environment. 

Sister Mary Frances Judge: Artist Talk & Permanent Collection Donation

On Tuesday, April 28, the Ursuline Visual Arts Department welcomed Sister Mary Frances Judge, O.S.U., to campus for a special artist talk with students enrolled in Studio Art and Photography courses. She was joined by her friend and art appraiser Jane St. Lifer, along with Steven Montgomery, her agent and development consultant. 

Sister Mary Frances is an accomplished artist whose career spans more than 50 years. An Ursuline nun and former Artist-in-Residence at Ursuline Academy of Dallas in the 1980s, she fondly recalls maintaining a studio on campus and engaging with students who were curious about her artistic process and later became patrons of her work. 

Her artwork has received significant critical acclaim. Characterized by rich, color-drenched surfaces and complex textures, her paintings invite viewers to traverse the subtle topology of the canvas. Many of her titles—such as Moonlight Sonata and Verso la Luce—reference music, and much like abstract harmonies and melodies, her nonobjective paintings evoke a contemplative visual experience. These works become sites for reflection on faith, connection, and our shared entanglement with time, space, and the cosmos. 

This year, Sister Mary Frances generously donated six paintings to the Ursuline permanent art collection which are currently on display in the Popolo Gallery. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to steward this legacy. She is currently featured in a solo exhibition at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas. 

Connecting with Alumnae and Arts Professionals 

When students, artists, alumnae, and mentors come together, creativity flourishes—and this year was a shining example. One of the department’s goals was to connect students with alumnae and working artists through presentations and hands-on workshops such as the ones listed below: 

• Recent Cornell graduate, Savannah Flores ’21 led multiple workshops, including a pulp painting workshop for Book Arts & Papermaking and a monoprint workshop for AP Art and Digital Photo II. She also served as the juror for Ursuline’s annual on-campus art exhibition. 
• Caitlyn Eps Kerl ’16, Head Photographer for the Arizona Cardinals, joined photography students via a Teams presentation to discuss her career path and experiences as a professional photographer. 
• Artist Casey Murano led a colored pencil drawing workshop for Studio Art I students. 
• Debbie Spalding Doyle ’78 conducted a sculpture workshop for Ceramics II and III. 
• Film students had the opportunity to hear from Justin Herring, editor and videographer for NASA, who shared insights from film school, festival life, and his professional journey—and even offered a behind-the-scenes preview of his role in the upcoming Artemis II mission. 

Encounters Beyond the Classroom 

Our classes and clubs transformed creativity into connection with the broader Dallas community. 

The UA Photo Bears Club hosted its first Spring Break Photo Contest, open to all Ursuline students. The contest featured seven categories and awarded $120 in prizes, with Kathryn Forbes ’14, Ursuline Communications Specialist, serving as juror. 

Students in Printmaking courses and the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) participated in Parish Printfest, hosted by Parish Episcopal School. This hands-on steamroller printmaking event fostered collaboration and creative exchange with students from other ISAS schools. 

Additionally, National Honor Art Society (NAHS) students participated in a workshop creating bowls for the Empty Bowls Supper, supporting the North Texas Food Bank. Through this project, students combined craftsmanship with compassion, using art as a meaningful form of service. 

Student Recognition & Juried Shows 

Ursuline visual artists participated in a wide range of regional, national, and international juried exhibitions, demonstrating both technical excellence and powerful creative vision. Student work was featured in: 

• Texas Visual Arts Association High School Art Competition
• JPII DFW High School Art Competition 
• Young American Talent 
• Dallas Young Artists Exhibition at the Blue Print Gallery 
• Congressional Art Competition 
• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 
• National Art Honor Society Juried Exhibition 
• Jesuit Dallas’ "Shorts Film Festival" 
• Art in the Land of Poets International Art Exhibition, Colegio Santa Úrsula, Santiago, Chile 

Overall, we are exceptionally proud to boast a year of bold ideas and meaningful encounters that continue to remind us that art is both a practice and a shared experience! Thank you to our amazing faculty members, Sarah Kennedy, Bill Thompson, Molly O’Sullivan, and Hannah McKee for supporting our students and providing them with these enriching opportunities to learn and grow. To celebrate this year of artistic achievement, we invite you to join us on Thursday, May 7, at 5:30 p.m. for the Annual Visual Arts Awards Ceremony and Reception, held in the Ursuline Theatre. 

Jocelyn Holmes, Ph.D.

Visual Arts Department Chair, Director of the Popolo Gallery