Sometimes, it takes a little extra time to discover a passion. When Daniel Wang originally began his journey at LMU in the fall of 2009, he was a psychology and pre-med major. This past December, over fourteen years after his undergraduate journey had originally begun, he graduated with a degree quite different from what he had started with – art history – and was accepted into the prestigious CalArts MFA program in the fall.
Wang, who is from Austin, TX, originally felt called to the medical field, mostly due to external societal and family pressure, and entered college with plans to become a doctor. During his time in school, he began to find himself far more interested in learning about the arts and was drawn more to courses in studio arts and art history. Wang struggled during what was supposed to be his final semester and decided to drop out.
Wang came back to LMU after a nine-year break to pursue his true passion – art. “I first started to view art as a serious career path in 2020, and in 2023 my gallerist at Martha’s Gallery in Austin convinced me to go back to school and finish my last semester at LMU and apply to MFA programs,” said Wang. Returning to LMU at 33 years old to finish his degree, he ended up having a completely different experience from his time here as a teen.
“I knew I wanted to be an artist, but I had no idea how to break into or navigate the art world,” Wang said. “I spent the last ten years painting, working odd jobs, learning as much as I could about art, and looking at as much art as possible– mostly on the internet and social media.”
Wang was advised to take art history classes at LMU, which greatly shaped and enriched his perspective on his own work as well. “Art history taught me to analyze art in its social, historical, and political context. I think that the art historical method of approaching problems helps me conceptualize my work in a comprehensive way that I would not have been able to do if I had studied only studio arts as an undergraduate. I now feel like I am able to work in dialogue with the artists and artworks that I have studied.”
“Art history taught me to analyze art in its social, historical, and political context. I now feel like I am able to work in dialogue with the artists and artworks that I have studied.”
Daniel Wang ’23
Studying a subject that moves him has certainly paid off, and his acceptance into one of the most prestigious MFA programs in the country is a testament to that. “At 33, my goals were very clear – finish LMU and get into an MFA program, all for the goal of furthering my art career. That clarity made it much easier to focus on my academics, and I got straight A’s for the first time in my life.”
While Wang’s academic and creative journey towards the program may have been different from his peers, being a more mature student allowed him to be more focused on his goals and also allowed him to form strong relationships with his professors. He received support and mentorship from art history professors Melody Rodari and Damon Willick in particular, who encouraged him and assisted with his graduate school applications.
With a laser-focus on his life and career as an artist, Wang is excited to develop his talents in a creative and supportive space. “Up to this point in my career, I have been a self-taught artist,” he said. “I’m looking forward to learning new skills and experimenting with new mediums and genres. Until now I have been more of a figurative painter, but CalArts has a very experimental and conceptual approach. I’m excited to learn and grow and see where my work goes from here.”