Yeah, But...

“Yeah, But...” MFA Students Want Their Art to Bring Hope

Gallery West at the UTA Studio Arts Center presented Yeah, But, a two-person exhibition by MFA students Paula Currie and Emelie Stenhammar (September 25 - October 9, 2025). Through sculpture, painting, and installation, both artists reflect on themes of resilience and hope amid uncertainty.

Emelie Stenhammar's canvases draw inspiration from her own spiritual experiences and biblical narratives. Her tactile surfaces - built from acrylic, ink, charcoal, and oil stick - convey restless energy and invite viewers to inhabit the uneasy balance between despair and endurance. In dialogue with these works, Paula Currie's sculptures offer an intimate view of military family life. Drawing from 22 years as a military spouse, Currie gives form to the emotional landscape of absence, waiting, and sacrifice.

“My children were forced to say goodbye to their father time and time again as he served his country,” Currie reflects. “The works on display showcase the longing and sacrifice experienced by military members and their families.”
Currie's pieces expose the often unseen costs of service - the quiet strength of those left behind and the invisible threads that bind families across distance and duty.
“I enjoyed working together with Paula,” says Stenhammar. “Her work about the struggles of the families of deployed soldiers is a good example of the kind of life-chaos I want my paintings to bring hope to."

Together, the two artists created a dialogue that oscillates between pain and perseverance. “I felt my work paired nicely with Emelie's paintings, inspiring hope in the midst of chaos," Currie adds. Amplifying the exhibition title and its tension between resignation and resistance, Stenhammar invited visitors to become part of the dialogue. One wall of the gallery became an interactive surface where viewers could write their own “yeah, but” statement in charcoal.

“What started out as a few statements grew over the course of the exhibition until it completely filled the wall space,” recalls Currie. “Reading everyone's words was really interesting. It allowed viewers to leave their mark and interact with the exhibition, with their words ultimately becoming part of the exhibition itself.”

Over two weeks, this evolving chorus of voices became a proof of how deeply art can open conversation and connection. From “Yeah, but I'm scared” to “Yeah, but I'll always miss you”, each mark revealed a private hesitation or hope. Together, they formed a collective portrait of courage—proof that everyone carries a “but,” and that sharing it can be an act of connection and empathy.