Gaylin Nicholson (‘25 Sculpture) was featured in the January/February 2026 edition of Sculpture Magazine, as a recipient of the International Sculpture Center's 2025 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, highlighting emerging sculptors and their commitment to the medium.

Sculpture Magazine is a publication of the International Sculpture Center that is the essential source of information and dialogue on all forms of contemporary sculpture internationally. Jill Downen, the Associate Professor and Chair of Sculpture, nominated Nicholson, who was recognized for his mixed-media work, Altars to The Could Have Been, which incorporates ceramic, gilded barbed wire, and salt.

Nicholson is an award-winning artist living and working in Kansas City, KS. Deeply fascinated by storytelling and memory, his work explores the fluctuating nature of personal history and how our domestic environments shape our reflections on the past. Nicholson's work uses a wide range of methods, techniques, materials and found objects to imbue them with the myths and stories of his life. Drawing on his experience in scenic design and construction, he fuels his obsession with architecture, residence, and materiality.

Nicholson will be speaking virtually, reflecting on the works presented in the Award Exhibition and situating his sculptural practice within personal and inherited narratives of immigration to the United States. This event will take place on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 at 7 p.m. EST, view the event details HERE.