If you’ve ever wondered what that long, squat, lonely building across from Rand Hall is, you’re not alone. On Feb 12, I learned not only its name — the Foundry — but that the unassuming structure contains absolute wonders within; the MFA students’ studios are tucked away inside. I have Michael Morgan ’26, one of those MFA students, to thank for showing me Foundry’s contents, including his own awe-inspiring art. Color, texture, composition and lighting are all exemplified and mastered in Morgan’s pieces. The walls of his studio space were a wonder I could have stared at forever, pressing my face close to the canvases to discern every adept brushstroke. But I was there for an interview, and I had to accomplish that purpose.
Morgan and I sat down, and I pulled out my usual list of questions about artistic background. His answers surprised me from the start. “I’ve always been interested in art, but if I have to give [my journey] a first moment, it was because I hated the trombone.” Making art to escape the trombone was certainly one I hadn’t heard before. “I worked really hard on my art in high school,” Morgan continued, “I started to build that connection, seeing queer art as … an out to express myself in a way that respected my closeted self. I felt that a lot of my work was an outlet for … stress and expression I couldn’t verbalize. It made me feel like part of a community.”
Despite all that connection and comfort Morgan found through creation in his high school years, he almost didn’t pursue it any further. “I’m first gen college educated,” Morgan shared. Art, being as unconventional and difficult a career path as it is, didn’t seem viable for him then. “I went to Northwestern to undergrad with the intent of becoming a lawyer.” Law was something he loved as well, and might have been happy pursuing had things panned out differently. However, in his senior year at Northwestern, Morgan’s father passed away from cancer, setting him on a new path. “[My father] always wanted me to be doing what I love. His passing reminded me that I have one life.”
After committing himself to the life of a creative, Morgan continued to hone his artistic practice by working in the industry, selling artwork and attending Columbia University for a second B.A. in visual arts. As time passed, Morgan refined his style, molding it into the colorful, vibrant wonder it is today. Looking at his collection, I was stunned by the myriad mediums he employed with such mastery. Combinations of collage and sculpture stood side-by-side with massive, wall-length oil paintings. “It’s hard to say what the preference is,” Morgan said, “On one hand, collage and assemblage are something I’ll always be married to, but painting is that thing I’m always kind of chasing. I want to be an oil painter. But it’s so laborious. It almost unleashes a hyper vigilance. … I’ll spend an entire week on a figure in a painting.” From what I saw, those entire weeks spent on the figures definitely paid off.
Beyond being visually stunning and demonstrating clear command of form and hue, Morgan’s art evoked an emotional response. Which, as it turned out, was exactly what he intended. “Art from 400 years ago motivated me to take a shitty bus hundreds of miles just to see it,” Morgan laughed, sharing a story from when he took a bus from Los Angeles to San Francisco to see a painting. “There’s this kind of connection. I want my work to feel connected and resonate with people. Art means making something that resonates.”
For a final, fun note, I asked Morgan to define art in a few words for me. The ones he chose were determination, community, sweat, meaning, stories and humor. The second of those words — community — was why he chose to come to Ithaca in the first place. Cornell’s MFA program only has 12 students, making for a tight-knit and personalized experience. “Cornell has been really great for me so far. I think that you need to be a part of a community that you support and that supports you. I get that with my cohort. Here are you and 11 people and you have to get along and support each other.”
As for the future, Morgan has many aspirations. “I want to get my work out there. I want to be an art professor.” Currently acting as a TA for Cornell’s non-major painting course, Morgan already knows he loves teaching artistic techniques. But that isn’t all. “I would like to be an exhibiting artist,” he continued, “That doesn’t mean I want to be commercially successful. I want to be able to sustain my career. I want to be in a community with people.”
If you want to see more of Morgan’s art, you can check michaelmorganart.com or @mikemorganart on Instagram. He can also be contacted at mjm764@cornell.edu.
‘Student Artist Spotlight’ is a column that runs intermittently, featuring student artists of all kinds on campus. For interest in a feature, please contact Melissa Moon.
Melissa Moon is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at mmoon@cornellsun.com.
