猫咪tv

After earning dual bachelor鈥檚 degrees in elementary education and art education from the University of Northern Colorado in 2023, K-12 teacher Kristina Angelo was thrilled to join the university鈥檚 new program last fall. She鈥檚 building a body of mixed-media sculptural work focused on her research into the legacy of women who have fought against societal oppression.

鈥淧rior to joining the master鈥檚 program, I was unsure about the direction my work was going. Even amidst the chaos and stress of teaching art at two different schools this semester, this program helped balance things in my life,鈥� Angelo said.

A happy life event sparked Angelo鈥檚 research.

鈥淚 got engaged last year. Through the process of learning about common wedding traditions, I started recognizing how the many traditions society celebrates are rooted in oppression. They are designed to control women.鈥� 

Kristina Angelo 

Angelo made a quilt titled 鈥淣othing More Than His Wife (Mr. & Mrs.)鈥� from a deconstructed wedding gown. From afar, it appears cheerful, but a closer examination of hand-embroidered patches accenting the piece reveals a darker view of matrimony. Learning about the Salem witch trials prompted her to sew a long-sleeved black full-length dress with a white apron, which she frequently wears in public.

鈥淲ithout being so forward about it, I am using subversive techniques to help people realize the situation that we, as a society and a country, are in. We are taking some big steps backwards politically,鈥� she said.

Whether people see her out in her Puritan attire or view her sculptures in an art gallery, she aims to make them think.

Two 猫咪tv faculty members in the School of Art and Design鈥檚 College of Performing and Visual Arts have supported Angelo鈥檚 growth: , a professor of painting and advisor for the M.A. program, and , an assistant professor of sculpture and digital fabrication.

Eisen has been Angelo鈥檚 mentor, advisor and instructor in some of her academic classes.

鈥淟auren Eisen has been so helpful by providing feedback with this body of work that dances on a political line. Her support and reassurance have been invaluable,鈥� Angelo said.

Murphy, who was one of Angelo鈥檚 undergraduate professors, teaches the graduate studio class. They provide resources and technical support, helping students make connections to contemporary artists to stimulate their research and strengthen their visual art and writing skills.

鈥淲orking with Bri Murphy has introduced me to different art processes and materials. That has influenced my research and use of material as an opportunity to strengthen the context behind my work. And, they鈥檝e been so generous with their time helping me with material quests,鈥� Angelo said.

Murphy was exceptionally resourceful when Angelo needed lead. Because lead is a toxic metal, it can be difficult to obtain.

鈥淚 sent her on this chase to auto mechanics. She found some discarded wheel weights from older cars, but we had to pivot to find more. I had some lead piping taken out of my house, so I brought Kristina a big section of my drain for her to melt down and turn into her project,鈥� Murphy said.

The resulting sculpture, a lead casting of birth control pill packets, has continued to inspire Angelo鈥檚 current body of work, which will culminate with a thesis paper and group art exhibition.

Murphy said Angelo鈥檚 intrinsic desire for learning makes them excited to teach.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so heartening when Kristina takes what I鈥檝e said in class and turns it into something thoughtful and beautiful,鈥� they said.

After she graduates in May 2026, Angelo will teach both art and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) in the Englewood Public School District. With the clarity she has gained in the M.A. program, she鈥檒l continue to build her body of work.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very liberating to make the work that I am doing,鈥� she said.