M Acuff

M Acuff is a Professor of Art at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, where they have served since 2007. Their artistic practice spans sculpture, installation, video, and performance art that interrogates the Anthropocene through lenses of aesthetics, ecology, and materiality.

• B.A., Augustana College (1992)
• M.A. & M.F.A., University of Iowa (2000 & 2002)

Acuff’s research synthesizes:

• Ecological crisis and climate change
• Deconstruction of toxic masculinity in Western sculpture
• Queer and trans embodiment
• Material alchemy and digital integration

Key projects include CLOUD (2017), a participatory cement book installation exploring knowledge dissemination, and Arctic Circle Residency projects (2017) examining polar ecotoxicology. Their work has been exhibited nationally at venues like Carnation Contemporary and Woman Made Gallery.

• Artist Trust GAP Grant
• Mississippi Arts Commission Fellowship
• Residencies: Sitka Center, Signal Fire, Djerassi

Acuff integrates teaching with performative pedagogy, collaborating across disciplines in Theatre, Dance, and English. Their exhibitions often feature interactive lectures and bodily engagement with materials.