Olive Trump

Degree: BFA, Fibers, minors in Art History and Spanish

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

2021-2022 Scholarship
David McCosh Memorial Scholarship in Fine Arts

I Am Originally From Portland, OR

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the University of Oregon because when I visited it felt very comfortable. There were also so many program options which was appealing to me because I was unsure what I wanted to study when I came to UO.

I chose my major because I knew I had always been interested in art. I took Art 115 Surface, Space and Time to see if it was something I’d want to pursue and I liked the way the program was structured and I really enjoyed it. I was instantly drawn to fibers, despite my lack of previous exposure to the field, but as soon as I got into each fibers class I was really enjoying the work and decided to pursue a BFA with a concentration in fibers.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
My entire family is full of fine artists, which I do not consider myself, and so drawing and painting was always a big activity that we would do and this made me take a break from art because I never created things at the same level as my family. Ultimately taking a break was really important for me, because I went out on my own and realized that I liked working a lot more in 3D mediums, which is how I got into fibers. But I also really appreciate all that I learned from my time drawing and painting, because I definitely find myself referencing that as I’m creating something now.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
I genuinely have greatly enjoyed all of my art professors. I took drawing with Eric Guerrero, Visiting Professor in Printmaking, and enjoyed his teaching style, so when I learned he was a printmaking professor I was excited to work with him again. In fibers I have worked with Jovencio de la Paz, Assistant Professor and Director of the Fibers Program, and Mika Boyd, Printmaking and Fibers Studio Technician, and both of them were such supportive professors and really encourage the students to create pieces that they feel passionate about. I definitely am looking forward to working more in depth with Jovencio next year throughout my BFA.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I have been on the equestrian team every year here, and am the current president. It was a great way for me to meet a lot of people, I’ve made so many friends from the team and it’s a different environment when you travel and compete with a group of people because it really forces you to get close. I also think it’s important to have an activity outside of school that you’re only pursuing for the joy of it.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
My greatest learning experience was in my stitchwork strategies class with Jovencio. The structure was really cool because we were focusing on quilting techniques but each student was allowed to pick a style of quilting and make anything from it. I learned a lot of sewing strategies because I hadn’t sewn a lot before, but I also learned a lot about my personal style compared to my classmates.

AFTER GRADUATION
I would love to join an apparel company, and ultimately I think it would be really cool to join design operations. I would love to work in a fibers department and the art and design background is of course important in apparel.

YOUR GIFT
This scholarship is important because any funding towards my education now lets me think more about grad school. I would love to do something like the MS in Sports Product Design program in Portland, but I don’t know if that is something that I can do financially. However, with scholarships  such as this, it gets me closer to the possibility of affording graduate school.

Thank you so much for creating this scholarship and supporting art students like me at UO.

*Photo Caption—Spring break 2021, my roommate and I went on a road trip to Death Valley, stopping at multiple national parks along the way. We wanted to go on a trip that would be minimal interaction with others due to Covid and be something we would remember. We were both inspired by this trip, and since returning I have been creating a weaving that is inspired by this location. I love creating pieces that connect to nature, so this trip will definitely remain a big influence in my future work.