The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA at Tufts) presents "Passages," the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, on view from May 5 to 17 at Tufts University Art Galleries in Medford, Massachusetts. The show features thesis work by nineteen MFA candidates, exploring themes of journey, transition, and exploration across media including painting, sculpture, assemblage, and artists' books. Works incorporate found visa documents, portraiture, clay cities, and symbolic animals such as goldfish, black birds, and a dog-headed cynocephalus.
The exhibition matters as it marks the culmination of the students' graduate studies and offers a snapshot of emerging contemporary art practices. It highlights how young artists engage with personal and geopolitical themes—migration, identity, fear, and belonging—through diverse materials and conceptual frameworks. For the art world, such thesis shows provide early visibility for new talent and reflect current pedagogical approaches in leading MFA programs.