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Kristen Letts Kovak is an Associate Teaching Professor and Senior Associate Dean of Academics and Student Success in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University. She teaches undergraduate courses focused on drawing, painting, aesthetic philosophy, and a seminar titled 'Passport Arts.' Kovak holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, awarded in 2010. Her artistic work explores connections between the visual and perceptual realms through cognitive patterning, utilizing surface articulations to investigate the interplay between representation and abstraction. Her pieces aim to challenge the viewer's comprehension, drawing parallels to the complexities of navigating the ocean's destructive power. Kovak's work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries, and she has held solo exhibitions at notable venues including the 707 Penn Gallery and Westmoreland Museum of American Art. As a curator, she addresses psychological and aesthetic questions within diverse artistic practices. Her recent projects at SPACE gallery, such as 'Cataloguing Pattern' and 'Identity Play,' highlight artists who confront social and material norms. Kovak's pedagogical research emphasizes cross-disciplinary thinking, representation, and aesthetic philosophy. She has been awarded the Wimmer Faculty Fellowship by Carnegie Mellon’s Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence for her innovative approaches to teaching and fostering creative risk-taking.
Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.