Washington University's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will present its 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition in the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum beginning Friday, May 6, and running through Monday, Aug. 1.

Curated by Karen K. Butler, assistant curator for the Kemper Art Museum, the exhibition will feature projects by 24 graduating Master of Fine Arts candidates in the Sam Fox School's Graduate School of Art.

Exhibiting MFA artists are: John Talbott Allen, Meghan Bean, Shira Berkowitz, Darrick Byers, Ji-Sun Choi, Zlatko Cosic, James Daniels, Kara Daving, Andrea Degener, Kristin Fleischmann, William Frank, Nicholas Kania, Jordan McGirk, Zachary Miller, Esther Murphy, Kathryn Neale, Katherine McCullough, Christopher Ottinger, Maia Palmer, Nicole Petrescu, Lauren Pressler, Bryce Olen Robinson, Whitney Sage, and Donna Smith.

Also opening May 6 will be Cosima von Bonin: Character Appropriation, the first solo museum exhibition in the American Midwest for the influential conceptual artist, who lives and works in Cologne, Germany.

Curated by associate curator Meredith Malone, the exhibition will survey the last decade of von Bonin's career and is inspired by the Kemper Art Museum's acquisition of Rockstars (Character Appropriation) (2003), an early example of the artist's signature textile "paintings."
Both exhibitions are free and open to the public. The opening reception on May 6 will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Kemper Art Museum.

An after-party will follow the reception, starting at 10 p.m., at Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester. The event will feature a computerized dub set by Moritz von Oswald, an influential electronic music pioneer and frequent von Bonin collaborator.
Cover will be $3, but free passes will be available at the museum reception. The after-party is open to all those 21 and over.

In addition, Malone will lead a free gallery talk about Cosima von Bonin: Character Appropriation at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7. The event will provide an in-depth look at themes and works included in the show.