Creative U Faculty, 2025

Alexandra Barnett

Visual Arts Technician, Studio Art: Photography
M.F.A., Photography, Texas Woman's University, Denton
B.F.A., Photography, Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Alexandra Barnett is a visual artist who explores self-expression through photography, mixed media and installation. Barnett's art has been showcased in juried exhibitions at Arts Fort Worth, Appleton-Patterson Arts Center of the Greater Denton Arts Council, Rockport Art Center, SRO Photo Gallery at Texas Tech University, Texas Woman’s University, and Baylor University.

Zoë Couvillion

Visual Arts Technician, Foundations
M.F.A., Printmaking, Northern Illinois University
B.F.A., Printmaking, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Zoë Couvillion is an artist from Alexandria, Louisiana. She loves using different printmaking methods, such as stone lithography, reductive relief, papier-collé, and blind embossing. Her artwork explores how people deal with grief and celebration, focusing on personal expression and connections with others.

Zoë recently taught as a visiting instructor at Ohio University but is excited to be back in the South! Zoë’s main focus in school and in her art was printmaking. She’s currently exploring a method called collagraph, which she’ll share in her Creative U workshop. Her art has been shown all across the United States, as well as in Canada and Sweden. You can find her work in permanent collections at the Hilliard Art Museum and the Southern Graphics Council Print Archive.

Clarissa Gonzalez

Visual Arts Technician, Studio Art: Printmaking & CVAD Adjunct Faculty
M.F.A., Printmaking, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 
B.F.A., Studio Art, University of Texas at Austin

Instagram: C_Gone331
Website: Clarissa Gonzalez

Clarissa's studio practice considers the social influences of traditionally printed media, such as maps, geography, and shifting global culture.

The Creative U Printmaking in Public Spaces workshop will explore how printmaking, as an art medium, assimilates information and art in the public sphere. Students will learn how printmaking and art are used to share information. Projects include printing broadsides and creating linocut prints for a collaged mural.

Whitney Holden

Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Communication Design Program
Lecturer, Communication Design: Graphic Design
B.F.A., Studio Art, University of Texas at Arlington

Instagram: Studio-Holden
Website: Whitney Holden and Studio Holden

Whitney Holden is an award-winning graphic designer, creative director, design mentor, artist, and entrepreneur. She has created brands, designed publications, and won national awards for small local agencies and global entities such as Funimation, Flower Mound, Texas, and Mary Kay, Dallas. Holden has served in creative leadership positions as the design studio supervisor at Mary Kay and recently as the creative director at Dodd Creative, Dallas. She has previous teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her leadership and teaching style come from a place of empathy, lifelong learning and continual self-improvement.

Sarah Loch-Test

Visual Arts Technician, Studio Art: Metalsmithing and Jewelry
M.F.A., Metal Design, East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina
B.F.A., Studio Art, Kent State, Kent, Ohio

Website: Sarah Loch-Test

Sarah became the first studio apprentice at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly known as the Society of Contemporary Craft of Pittsburgh. Her experience living in Pittsburgh, a resilient post-industrial city, profoundly influenced her metalwork. Her current work reflects her response to the impact of various industries on the environment and landscapes.

An avid trail runner, Sarah finds inspiration while running the trails in Texas, a state known for its oil and wind energy. Her work has been featured in the biennial exhibitions of the Enamelist Society in Norcross, Georgia, and is part of the permanent collection of the Enamel Foundation in Los Angeles.

Max Raign

Visual Arts Technician, Foundations
Alum: M.F.A., B.F.A., Studio Art: Drawing and Painting, UNT 

Instagram: @maxothelioma
Website: Max Raign

Manikya Sai Tejaswini Vallabhajosyula

CVAD Teaching Fellow, Fashion Design Program
B.F.A., Fashion Design, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, India

Instagram: Manikya
Website: Manikya Sai Tejaswini Vallabhajosyula

Meet Manikya, a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, where she’s pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Design with Creative Technology. Through her designs, she loves blending traditional Indian craftsmanship with fresh, modern fashion, telling unique stories about heritage and culture. With experience in fashion illustration, precise draping, and textile innovation, Manikya is all about inspiring students to think creatively and design sustainably.

During Creative U 2025, Manikya will lead the “Fashion Design: Upcycling Your First Garment with Design Process” workshop. You’ll learn the basics of fashion design — mind-mapping, creating mood boards, and exploring color palettes — and then jump into hands-on upcycling projects. Together, you’ll transform old clothes into awesome new bags or tops! This workshop focuses on sustainability and creativity, showing you just how fun it can be to give your favorite garments a whole new life.