Jillian McEvoy is a 2nd year MFA candidate in Ceramics
Why did you choose UMass Dartmouth/CVPA to begin with?
I chose to come to UMass Dartmouth to do my graduate studies because of the facilities the Star Store had to offer, the faculty I would be working with, and the location of the Star Store in New Bedford. As a ceramicist, facilities are essential, and the Star Store had an extensive offering of kilns and firing options necessary, glaze and clay mixing facilities, and other necessary equipment and space we could utilize. This is an incredible loss for the students and faculty.
What have you lost thus far, educationally, creatively, personally?
This has been an emotionally taxing experience that has taken time, resources, and education from us. We have been robbed of the studio experiences and facilities promised when coming here. The time frame of this move was inhumane and unrealistic, taking a huge mental toll on us all.
Why you organized to save the Star Store/why it was important to your education/creative life?
The Star Store served us far beyond being our studio spaces. It was a center for our creative community and served as our home. It provided us the facilities necessary to create our work, and without it, it has proven impossible to continue making in the ways we previously had. The kind of facilities the Star Store provided cannot be quickly reestablished, and we are losing time and education we are paying for because of this incredible loss and oversight.