Transformative Yale summer residency motivates senior art student

NMSU senior studio art major Citlali Delgado describes her six-week residency at Yale Norfolk School of Art’s Summer Residency Program as “the best time of my life, from the people to the content to the curriculum.”

Delgado was one of 26 students selected from among more than 200 upcoming senior art students across the country to participate in the summer residency at the nation’s second-ranked fine arts institution.

In addition to two classes, Delgado engaged in workshops with four Yale student professors, each teaching different subjects. One was building a camera; one was printmaking and drawing; one was a performance class; and the fourth was a self-portrait class.

“It was all very intense, but I enjoyed it,” Delgado says. “Experiencing a three-hour lecture class was very different, where everyone was participating and sharing their thoughts. We had to do multiple readings every week. It was very intense, but I pushed myself to participate every session.” 

Critiquing during Delgado’s residency was called “Process Club.” Every Friday, five students were selected randomly to have their work discussed and receive feedback from the class for 45 minutes. 

“My biggest takeaway for anyone considering this residency is just allow yourself to be present,” Delgado says. “It was very scary doing a five-minute performance in front of a class. We had to do a final performance the sixth week and I wore a sentimental folkloric skirt and braided my hair in front of everyone. That was the last performance. And if I were to have done that halfway through the residency or the first week, I’d be a nervous wreck. But I found I was comfortable, I was confidently making eye contact with everyone and being myself, being in that spotlight and owning the space for that set time.”

Delgado, whose art has already been in various shows, is eager to see how the Yale residency will impact her work by the end of her senior year. She plans to take a year off before pursuing graduate school.