Bryer Haywood, Contributing Writer
VCUarts has paused accepting students for its furniture design graduate program for the 2026-27 school year, and did not renew the contract for the only full-time woodworking professor in the fine arts program.
The decisions, which come amid the implementation of VCU’s academic repositioning initiative, have sparked concerns from students and faculty about the disappearance of niche, hands-on fields of study.
The VCU Board of Visitors voted last March to combine the Department of Craft and Material studies, Department of Painting and Printmaking and Department of Sculpture and Extended Media — all housed in the DePillars Building — into one Department of Fine Arts.
“The proposed organizational change will not alter or change any existing degree programs in the School of the Arts,” a brief of the passed resolution read. “No changes will be made to the other departments in the school as a result of the reorganization of the three existing departments to establish one department.”
The resolution also stated faculty would see “limited change” as a result of the realignment.
Annie Evelyn, the sole professor teaching the department’s furniture design graduate program and head of the wood program, was told at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year her contract would not be renewed. She noted that university administration was not very communicative with her about the future of the program afterwards.
“Defunding the wood program not only affects the program, but the entire field of craft and material studies — it’s short-sighted,” Evelyn said.
Evelyn said the university should have worked with her and other faculty members to try to keep the program.
“VCU has such a long, rich history in the arts and crafts and it feels like this administration doesn’t care about that,” Evelyn said.
Kristin Caskey, acting chair of Craft and Material Studies, said undergraduate programs would not be affected by the pause on the furniture design graduate program.
“Under the department are five subject areas: Metals, Clay, Glass, Wood and Fibers. Each of these areas offer courses which students can elect to take, and all these areas will continue to be taught to our undergrads by full time and part time faculty,” Caskey stated.
At the same time, there is not a full time faculty member in line to replace Evelyn, according to Caskey.
“The fall courses are just being organized,” Caskey stated. “In all the arts programs at VCUarts we hire excellent designers, makers and artisans as adjuncts.”
VCUarts dean Carmenita Higginbotham and interim provost Arturo Saavedra did not respond by the date of publication to a request by The CT, asking to clarify if there would be a full time faculty member to replace Evelyn, and if there are plans to bring back the furniture design graduate program in the 2027-28 school year.
The Board of Visitors voted in March to combine the Department of Theatre and the Department of Dance and Choreography into a Department of Theatre and Dance.
Justin Cockrell, a fifth-year craft and material studies student focusing on fiber and wood, spoke to the importance of the program.
“VCU craft, as it stands, is one of the only craft programs left in the country. It’s the last bastion of craft in the academy,” Cockrell said. “The wood program is meaningful to a lot of people.”
Nathaniel Newcomb, a second year M.F.A. candidate in craft and material studies, discussed the sidelining of crafts at the university level.
“Craft is something that should be measured qualitatively, not quantitatively. So a lot of universities’ metrics seem to not understand, or care, how important of a field it is,” Newcomb stated.
Newcomb decried VCUarts’ decision to part with Evelyn.
“I think every student who goes through the program and now won’t be able to take a class with Annie Evelyn is missing out. She is a talented artist, an amazing educator and VCU was lucky to have her as a professor,” Newcomb stated.