Ready to “start their journey,” 125 high school students from nearly 60 Missouri schools attended the 2025 Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA) June 1-14.

As a summer residential program, MFAA serves highly motivated high school student artists throughout Missouri. The program, taught by faculty from across the state, gives students an immersive training experiences in visual arts, theatre, dance, creative writing and music.

The academy received 209 applications for the 2025 session, according to MFAA Director Dr. Fatih Benzer, associate professor in the Department of Art and Design.

The Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) at Missouri State hosts MFAA and works with the state legislature to manage the affordability of the Academy. As a result, MFAA 2025 students received free tuition, thanks to the support of the State of Missouri and private donations. Benzer said he remains grateful to Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for “keeping ‘MFAA 2025’ free.”

Let’s start the journey

This year’s academy theme was “Let’s start the journey,” Benzer said. “MFAA 2025 became the beginning of a journey [the students] started by exploring various forms of art such as music, visual arts, creative writing and theatre to express themselves,” he explained.

Stepping outside of “the comfort zone”

Benzer gives credit to MFAA’s students as well as faculty and staff for making this year’s academy successful.

“MFAA 2025 was a great success because students were more than willing to take challenges set by our outstanding faculty to step outside of their comfort zone while earning college credits,” he explained.

Emma G., a student artist at this year’s academy, echoed these observations. She described her experience at MFAA as something she will never forget.

“We got to step out of our comfort zone,” Emma G. said. “I’ve seen people blossom in an art they weren’t even accepted into the program for.”

Because of her experience at MFAA, Emma G. said she feels inspired and motivated to make more time for art, even if it is not perfect.

“I’m not afraid of making bad art, because it’s my art,” she said. “And that is something to be proud of.”

Finding your art: so many incredible options

What Emma G. described is exactly what happened for student artist Parker F.

Parker F. struggled at first to decide what she wanted to do at MFAA. She confessed to being a bit overwhelmed by its many “incredible” options.

Finally, Parker F. decided to pursue the visual arts track. Yet once she was at the academy, she found herself enjoying the theatre track as well.

“I quickly found that there were plenty of other opportunities to express my other talents,” Parker F. said. Not only did she enjoy acting and musical theatre, she also passed a vocal audition for a masterclass session.

Program brings economic benefits

“There is no doubt that the arts are a major factor in the development and prosperity of our community,” Benzer said. “Robust art residency programs like MFAA can lead to employment opportunities in a variety of industries, such as art administrators, art educators, K-12 art teachers and related businesses.”

According to Benzer, many former students now work as K-12 art and music teachers throughout Missouri. Still others are currently pursuing graduate degrees in the arts. Additionally, MFAA also has a positive impact on the tourist and entertainment sectors.

“Students at MFAA are exposed to world-class artists, performers and cultural events,” Benzer said. “We should concentrate on strategies for the development of our cultural sector.” Doing so keeps communities “vibrant and ready for further economic and educational growth,” he added.

“Unique approach” encourages creativity

Like student artist Emma G., faculty also embraced the chance to step out of their “comfort zones” with their art.

“I have done a recital each year and really pushed myself to think outside of the box,” said Dr. Jason Hausback, professor in the Department of Music.

Hausback enjoys the creative and intellectual challenges MFAA inspires. This year marked his fifth time to teach for MFAA, where he serves as faculty for instrumental music. For the 2025 academy, he co-taught an interdisciplinary musical theatre class and a disciplinary instrumental music class. He also gave a recital as a guest artist.

“Each person brings something different to MFAA, and it is slightly different each year,” Hausback continued. Describing MFAA as providing a “unique approach” to exploring art, he said the experience “empowers the students to create and push themselves to a new level.”

“It also challenges the faculty to come up with new ways to be innovative,” he added.

Expanded access to art and artists

One appealing aspect of MFAA rests in how it provides access to arts training for urban and rural students throughout Missouri. According to Hausback, this expanded access not only benefits everyone who participates in the academy, but also all of Missouri.

“I’ve seen programs like this encourage the most talented students from the state to stay in that state to go to college,” he said.

Student artist Johanna S. is one of those rural students who benefits from programs like MFAA.

“As a young, inexperienced artist from a small rural town, my creativity is rarely valued,” Johanna S. said. “But MFAA has taught me the importance of my craft and my place in the world as an artist. It has truly changed me for the better.”

Inspired to “create, invent and imagine”

This aspect of MFAA inspires Laine Cordell, an instructor in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Cordell worked with acting students and led an audition prep workshop. She also collaborated with Dr. Heather Nelson to teach the “Holding Space” course. This was Cordell’s second summer teaching for the academy.

“I became interested in MFAA because I strongly believe in the power of providing a creative outlet for students who may not receive support in their local communities,” Cordell said. “For a lot of these kids, this is their first, and possibly only time being surrounded by fellow artists.”

For Johanna S., MFAA gave her opportunities to interact with supportive mentors, skilled instructors and a community of like-minded artists. She also found the space and time needed to “create, invent and imagine.”

“Passion radiates off of each MFAA camper, RA (resident assistant) and faculty member,” Johanna S. said. “It is so inspiring.”

“The Next Generation of Great Artists”

At first, student artist Evan C. was not sure what to expect out of MFAA.

“Maybe a little college experience, a few nights staying up late working on projects, and a couple of songs performed,” he said. “What I got was far different from what I expected. What I found was a place that changed my perspective on not only my art, but the world — and it changed it forever.”

“MFAA fosters an environment for these students to see themselves as we see them: The Next Generation of Great Artists,” Cordell said.

“No matter what you end up doing, you‘ll belong at MFAA,” Parker F. agreed.

Continuing the journey

Student artists Emma G., Evan C., Parker F. and Johanna S. all described MFAA as a life-changing experience. After MFAA, they now not only see themselves as more confident artists, they also believe they are more confident individuals. MFAA helped them start their journeys, and they want to continue.

“I will never be the same again because of MFAA,” Evan C. said. “I can only hope to have an experience like this again one day.”

“This camp has been such a gift, and I am so appreciative of the incredible opportunities MFAA has provided me,” Johanna S. said. “I hope Missouri Fine Arts Academy will continue helping young artists like me flourish for many years to come, especially in a world that increasingly needs our voices.”

Emma G. said she believes that our experiences define us. Because of that, she said she “will always be so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have experienced MFAA.”

Cordell echoed these observations. “A lot of people outside of the arts do not understand how paramount it is for an individual’s creative development to see examples of adults doing the very thing some of us are told are merely daydreams,” she said.

“We believe in the dreamers.”

 

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Photos by John Di Fatta.