MCA Stories: Ren Whitticar

Ren Whitticar
BFA in Illustration with a track in Comics, 2020

What do you hope to focus on in your career?
I plan to work in freelance full-time as an illustrator and to continue to write more content for future projects, like my book on freelancing for beginner freelance artists!

What was a memorable experience you had while you were a student?
Definitely critique days were my favorite, though this might be a shock to some because they were probably the most anxiety-filled days of class. I learned more about ways to improve my work and got to collaborate on different ideas with my classmates on how to make my work stronger. The bits of humor to break the tension during critique is something I’ll always miss!

What does MCA mean to you?
MCA means a lot to me, I learned a lot and not just about the artwork but about myself. I learned to open up and learned so much about myself during my four years here. My time here and the people I met is something I’ll never forget and will forever cherish. I feel like I’m walking away from MCA a new person!

What made you decide to continue with MCA after the closure was announced?
Going to college, in general, was something I wanted to do for myself, and coming to Memphis and studying at MCA was like home for me. I met so many people here that have impacted my life so much including my professors. The amount of times I’ve gotten to have a one on one talk with my professors about my work or to just talk and connect is something I wouldn’t find anywhere else. (Thank you, Michele, Mary Ruth, and Big John for teaching me so much!)

What do you think MCA’s legacy will be?
The artists who learned and created at MCA will be its legacy. The things we learned, the things we created, and the memories we all made together will live on as long as we keep creating and telling our stories. The alumni of MCA are family, honestly; even if you didn’t take classes with a few people, we always supported each other.