College of Fine Arts Dean's Office

Marie Bukowski currently serves as Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Wichita State University. Previously, she served as Associate Dean of the College of the Arts at Kent State University, Director of the School of Art at Kent State, Director of the School of Art and Design at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Professor of Art at Louisiana Tech University, where she also served as Graduate Program Coordinator, and BFA Studio Program Coordinator.  

Bukowski began her art studies at Carnegie Mellon University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a double major in Painting and 19th Century German Literature and a double minor in Printmaking and Linguistics & Rhetoric in 1992.  She received her Certificate in Art History and Polish language from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland in 1999.  Bukowski went on to receive her Master of Fine Arts with Honors with a double degree in Painting and Printmaking in 2000 from the University of Pennsylvania.   

Bukowski is an internationally recognized printmaker, included in public collections and museums in countries such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.  Throughout her career, she has had almost twenty solo exhibitions, over 125 invitational and juried exhibitions; more than 40 of which are on the international level.  Bukowski has received eight artist-in-residence positions with prestigious institutions such as Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anchor Graphics in Chicago, Illinois, the Frans Masereel Centrum in Kasterlee, Belgium and Milkwood International in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic.  She has received numerous grants to support her work including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Bukowski is represented by Cole Pratt Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana and Stowarzyszenie Międzynarodowe Triennale Grafiki in Kraków, Poland. 

Wendy Hanes serves as Assistant Dean of Fine Arts at Wichita State University. She taught ballet in the WSU School of Performing Arts/Dance program and established the College of Fine Arts Institute preparatory program at WSU.  Prior to that, she taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Iowa State University.  Her performance career was as a soloist with the Des Moines Ballet Company, where she also taught extensively and established a Dance in Public Schools Program.  She studied dance with Mary Joyce Lind in Des Moines, Stone-Camryn School of Ballet in Chicago and University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she received her BFA in Ballet.

In her role as Assistant Dean, Ms. Hanes oversees curriculum changes, course scheduling, faculty committees, guest artist contract requests, Fine Arts Ambassadors and Faculty Excellence Awards.  She also often represents the College at Admissions events and recruitment fairs and serves as the liaison with the College of Applied Studies on the ILTPC committee.

Wichita native Megan Ewert received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute and her Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art (NYAA). She is the recipient of an NYAA Fellowship nomination and a summer studio residency hosted by Shanghai University and Central Academy of Fine Arts. She was also selected for the NYAA/WNA Eric Fischl Artist-in-Residence Teaching Program. Specializing in figurative drawing and painting, her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

In addition to her administrative duties, Megan is a lecturer for the ADCI studio arts program. She teaches both painting and drawing courses, including intermediate painting: materials and processes, and life drawing studio.

Ray Clithero is the Director of Fine Arts Facilities, which entails the coordination and supervision of many of the twelve facilities in which the college has a presence. He also serves as the supervisor of Performance Facilities, which oversees the more than 500 performances and presentations done by the college annually.

He is a true Wichitan, born and raised. He came to Wichita State to major in Theatre and found his true passion to be behind the stage rather than on it. After leaving WSU, he took a number of professional technical jobs throughout the U.S., including such stops as Louisville and Philadelphia, where he worked at a number of prestigious theatres, including Bucks County Playhouse and Pocono Playhouse. He also toured nationally with Mickey Rooney’s Broadway hit Sugar Babies.

He is also known for his work with Century II as the business manager for IATSE, as well as his long-standing time at WSU.

Kevin Wedan, Assistant to the Dean, is a WSU alum with a B.F.A. in Dance from the College of Fine Arts. Upon graduating from WSU, Kevin moved to NYC where he worked as assistant to various deans of the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at The New School in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.

After 25 years of taking advantage of all NYC has to offer, Kevin returned to Wichita, WSU, and the College of Fine Arts.  When he is not at his desk in the CFA Dean’s Office or in a dance class, Kevin can be found in attendance as an avid audience member of Wichita’s myriad fine arts performances and gallery showings.

Kristen Watts serves the College of Fine Arts as the Director of Advising and Student Services. She received a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in College Student Personnel from Arkansas Tech University. Prior to taking on the role of Director, Kristen served in the Fine Arts Advising Center as an academic advisor. Kristen has also worked as an advisor in multiple capacities both at WSU and other four-year institutions. 

Kristen and her team of Academic Advisors are dedicated to helping students reach their true potential, navigate their academic journey at Wichita State University and achieve their educational, career, and personal goals. 

Throughout her childhood, Kristen was always involved with Fine Arts disciplines (primarily dance) and has passed down her love of the arts to her daughter, Sophia, who loves to sing and draw. Kristen knows first-hand the dedication, time, and passion Fine Arts disciplines take and admires the students, faculty, and staff who put their heart into their work.