College of Liberal Arts
For BFA student Ayona-Reily Dixon, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ has been a place to explore her creativity while building the confidence to pursue her own artistic vision. Through mentorship, research opportunities and a supportive community of artists, she has developed both her professional practice and her plans for graduate study. In the Q&A below, Dixon reflects on the experiences that have shaped her journey as an artist.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Ayona-Reily Dixon, and I am a Bachelor of Fine Arts student. My concentrations are in painting and printmaking, and I have two minors, as well, in foreign languages and art history.
What brought you to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, and what made you decide that it was the right place for you?
I grew up here in Fairbanks. My mom attended ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, as well as my grandmother. Coming to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, after already being in Fairbanks, seemed like a natural stepping point. I was also awarded scholarships that made it possible for me to attend. Really, it was just this perfect storm that all came together, and I got to attend ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
When I was 13, I started attending ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's Summer Visual Arts Academy. It's a really great opportunity where you can come for two weeks during the summer and take art classes with university professors, as well as students attending ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. I attended VAA for a couple of summers, and that's when I kind of knew I wanted to eventually pursue my Bachelor of Fine Arts, as early as age 13.
In your own words, why study the liberal arts?
Studying the liberal arts is incredibly important because the arts are incredibly important. As an artist, we have such an ability to present things in a visual format that's not written and that's not heard. It can be shared in so many universal ways.
I think that's an amazing opportunity to share what you have to say with the world. Studying in [the College of Liberal Arts] really gives you the opportunity to do that.
What has your experience in the Department of Art been like, and what makes it special?
Fairbanks is a small town—we know this—and therefore ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ is a fairly small university, too. While some people may think that's a bad thing, I think it's a good thing because the sense of community within the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Department of Art is very strong. You end up taking classes with the same people, and you get to learn more and more about them the more classes you take. I think that's one of the best things about earning my BFA here, as opposed to traveling somewhere else and going far away from home.
Was there a professor, mentor, or community that made a big impact on your journey? How?
Yes, my professor and mentor, Sasha Bitzer. She has made my experience at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ so much better than it already was. She really saw who I was, what I wanted to create and who I wanted to be as an artist, and she's helped me every step of the way toward that goal.
A couple years ago, she applied for an URSA mentor award, which she got, and she chose me to be the student she mentored. We traveled through ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, and we went to glaciers, and we studied them. Then we came back, and we made a collection of works called Cognitive Cryogenics, and we had a show here at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
It was a really amazing experience, and it was really good to work with someone who has had so much experience in the field, and all these new ideas. Really, she's made a huge difference for me.
What’s one experience at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ that really stands out to you, and why?
To go back to my first semester as a student, I signed up for intermediate printmaking because I'd already taken Beginning Printmaking, and that was my first class with Sasha.
One of the first things we did was an introductory critique, where we brought in two or three pieces we'd already made to say, "This is who I am. This is what I create. This is what I want to create with printmaking."
Throughout high school, I faced a lot of negativity for being an abstract artist, and people not really understanding why I did that, or appreciating it. And, yeah, I came to class like, "I'm gonna do what I want to do. This is what I want to create, and this is how I want to do it."
My whole class was like, "Oh, that's so cool. You should keep doing this. I don't know how you're going to do all these crazy textures and stuff with printmaking, but you can do it."
I just felt so seen and supported by that class.
What are you excited about next, and how has ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ prepared you for it?
One of my other committee members is Da-ka-xeen Mehner, who is the director of the Native Arts Center at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. I've taken two classes with him, and I'm going to take a third next semester. He has all these really cool skills—carving and all these different Native arts techniques—that I've been learning.
I'm really hoping to go to graduate school within the next couple of years, especially to study Native arts. ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's support of the Native Arts program, along with Da-ka's support of me, has helped me prepare to think about what it would look like to attend graduate school. There's only one other place in the U.S. that offers an MFA in Native arts, and that's [the Institute of American Indian Arts] in Santa Fe. Having Da-ka as a mentor has really helped me put my toe in that door.
What advice would you give to future ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ students?
One of the things I wish I'd known is that it's okay if your art isn't what you want it to be yet. It's okay that you're taking the time to learn, and it's okay if what you're creating is maybe not good. It's a process, and we're all here to learn. You're not exempt from all the things we're learning in class, and you shouldn't expect to be a pro at them immediately.
I wish I could go back and tell myself, "It's okay. Critiques aren't as scary as you think. As long as you think about what you're doing and why, you'll be fine."
Congratulations to Ayona-Reily Dixon on being named one of the Department of Art's 2026 Outstanding Students of the Year. Learn more about the Department of Art and explore more Outstanding Student spotlights from across the College of Liberal Arts.
