Kim Bishop obtains an MFA at UTSA 30 years after the BFA | UTSA today | UTSA

After earning her teaching certificate in 2003, Bishop taught art from grades three through six at Del Valle. She then taught second grade at Seguin before moving into secondary education, first at Seguin High School, then at Brackenridge and Jefferson High Schools in San Antonio. Bishop retired from Jefferson High School in 2017.

Since 2009, Bishop has taught at the Southwest School of Art (SSA), where she focuses primarily on evening adult continuing education classes. She also gave workshops for high school students over the summer.

“I love the Southwest School of Art and its community arts education mission,” she said. “It’s exciting to see that UTSA will join SSA and continue the incredible work they started in downtown San Antonio.”

Over the past several years, UTSA has aggressively increased its presence in San Antonio. The university’s 10-year master plan calls for an additional 5.3 million square feet by 2028. Meanwhile, partnerships, such as the merger between UTSA and SSA, have allowed the university to increase its investment in downtown San Antonio.

With her two children now graduating from college and achieving success in their own careers, going back to school was an easy decision for Bishop. UTSA was a clear choice for her as she was eager to advance her career and finally realize her dreams.

“I know a lot of artists who got their MFA from UTSA. I really have a lot of respect for them,” Bishop explained. “I actively follow their work and wanted to work with the professors they worked with. Some of the professors here have amazing reputations and amazing work that I felt I could learn a lot from.