Jump to content

felixo

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    35

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by felixo

  1. felixo
    I come from a photography background - I even worked as a documentary photographer for some years before deciding to focus on art - I can tell you that 'art' photography and 'documentary' photography can sometimes butt heads and are held in different esteem at different institutions - documentary work isn't always considered 'art' - it's a messy area that remains unresolved and it's good to be aware of this history, especially if you're looking at MFA programs. Still, good work usually transcends. But based on what you're saying, I think you would might entertain looking into photojournalism MA programs in communication colleges in the US - Syracuse, Ohio University, University of Missouri, ICP in NY come to mind. London College of Communications as well. Duke University has an MFA in experimental and documentary arts that is worth looking at, and Ohio U has a new communications MFA as well similar to Duke's in mission it seems - those two programs are unique in terms of MFA that I am aware of. University of Hartford has an MFA low residency that is focused on photo books primarily. The traditional photo MFA programs in the US can be hit or miss when it comes to accepting photojournalism/documentary work as you've described - some tend to be more conceptual - something to be aware of. SVA, SAIC, Yale, Columbia (Chicago) are worth looking at. I'm sure there are others - I know there are some in California (Cal Arts, UCLA?), but those are some of the better known programs in the field on my side of the Mississippi at least. You should find work of photographers that has threads in common with what you want to do and see where they went or where they teach - it might give you an idea of how your ideas may fit. Good luck,
  2. felixo
    I think you need to think hard about how important your art is to you, and if it does have any crossover - will that take the enjoyment out of it or change your relationship to your work. FWIW - I have been fortunate enough to make some semblance of a living purely from my work, but that's because photo has lots of inherently commercial applications. After making work for other people for long enough (while trying to also further develop my own stuff), I realized that no matter how much time I set aside for my own work, the way I thought about it was still impacted by trying to get more commercial work. I've usually been good at compartmentalizing, but there's something to be said for just blocking out the financial aspect of it for a little bit to see what happens. It's why I decided to go back to school - the way I want to explore making work with photographs has little to no value with my typical client base of magazines and companies. Don't get me wrong - I love being able to make a living from making photographs - it's better than lots of other options in so many ways, but at the end of the day it's still a service and a business and it's not art as I think of it, and I still care about making art. I look back and wonder if I'd be a better artist if I hadn't always conflated my medium with trying to get clients from the get go. I'll never know, but I'm going back to try and unlearn some of the business side of things and liberate my work if I can. Now, if you're someone who's passion has immediate commercial applications - that's the sweet spot. If your passion is furniture building or making portrait photographs etc - it can make the whole thing easier and it's just a matter of letting the right people know about the work you're doing. If you don't feel you need the two things an MFA is usually practical for (rapid creative development/professionalization and teaching qualifications), I would question the value of an MFA over, say, living in a vibrant community and just getting studio space and focusing on your practice on your off hours from your other work - or training specifically for the other field you want to combine your art with. You can bring your art practice (without an MFA) into other fields a lot more easily than you can do the opposite. IE if you want to combine your art with psych or medicine you're probably better off trying to study that other specific thing instead, since you already have art making experience.
  3. felixo
    The last part of your comment gives me pause. Sounds like they bought all the right stuff, but the one thing that grad school is intended for you can't buy - and that's an inspiring, challenging atmosphere. Facilities and all that don't matter if you're not being pushed and inspired. Lots of subpar universities have great, modern facilities and yet some of the best ones in the country are perfectly content teaching in the same old classrooms that they've used since forever - but they have the best profs.
  4. felixo
    I'd go to SAIC no question - especially for painting. Unless you're super acclimated to NYC already, Chicago is a better city to actually make work, more manageable, people more approachable, showing work easier etc etc - which is the point of grad school. It sorta depends on your style of work though. At some level schools aren't better, they're just a better fit (or not).
  5. felixo
    This is entirely frustrating - seeing your situation. One thing about grad school is that many administrations are no more professional than anyone else you know. Lots of variables flying around and lots of screw ups every year. Best of luck with it all - one thing that baffles me in general is just the lack of transparency and clear communication. Hopefully they are giving your app the fair shake and consideration it deserves.
  6. felixo
    Your future self will very likely thank you profusely for making a tough but prudent decision that will ultimately give you a better chance to lead a freer and more practice based and self directed lifestyle. Keep trying and be patient for the *right* opportunity.
  7. felixo

    Playwriting MFAs

    felixo replied to dampka's topic in Performing

    I understand this - but I think until facts are known it is best to give institutions the benefit of the doubt. Rejections can't be sent out until all spots are committed to - this often means that the institution will return to the applicant pool repeatedly as their top choices may have committed elsewhere - or, they are waiting, waiting, for their top choices to decide. I think schools could do better to notify applicants of their being waitlisted, however, because that seems to be a very common thing.
  8. felixo
    @Chris Yuda check your PMs
  9. felixo

    Playwriting MFAs

    felixo replied to dampka's topic in Performing

    Not sure if it helps but I know someone who applied for the MFA in directing and they got word of their acceptance about a week ago. Not sure if the channels are similar for the playwriting.
  10. felixo
    Chris, you've gotten some great advice here so far. As someone who is from Chicago and visited many of the interdisciplinary programs mentioned (U of C, Northwestern, UIC) and seeing that you're from NC and have an interest in teaching I feel compelled to mention that you should explore UNC-Chapel Hill as an option. It is small, interdisciplinary, has a specific teaching component, generally well funded and your style of work sounds like it would suit in the mix. It's not a big name art school, but for me, personally, it was the first one I really connected with out of those mentioned (Disclosure - I start in the fall) though U of Chicago in particular I did like - if I had still lived in Chicago that would be my pick.
  11. felixo
    Work and hope for the best, prepare for the worst - aka 30-50k a year hustling adjunct etc. Estimate what your monthly payments are going to be upon graduation, and then imagine living your life without that money for 10-20 years (whatever your plan is). If you can do that, go for it. If it seems rough....it very well may be. Source - have been paying between 400-800$ a month for about 8 years on my loans (about 60k debt - I pay more when I can afford it) and it very much affects lifestyle. It could be the difference between having a roommate as a 32 y.o. or having your own apt, whatever. It could be what prevents you from accruing enough savings to put down for a house/condo at that age. Not saying I would trade in my education - but...for some perspective. *This assumes no inheritance, SO with main income, support from parents etc. Basically, if you're not on your own financially, the situation could be different of course. In fact, that often IS the difference.
  12. felixo
    I just left (Chicago, not UIC) this past summer, but have some friends that went through that program. They really enjoyed it and made good work. Underrated program IMO, (given the giant of SAIC looming) - I hope you find it rewarding and good luck! If I stayed in Chicago I would go there or U of C (if I had that option of course - I never tried).
  13. felixo
    Just to reiterate I think that every serious artist on here would do well not to look at a rejection as a value judgement on their work, but rather as an issue of 'fit' - there is no objective measurement for 'good' in art, especially when you get to dedicated, serious practitioners. There is only taste. If you dedicate time and mental energy to your practice you will grow over time. If a school doesn't take you it could be for any number of reasons. It could be demographic. It could be they have enough of your medium addressing this or that issue. It could be they want someone who has a different color palette, simply because someone in the dept. responds to that more for some reason. It could be that your work shows promise, but they want you to have a deeper understanding of why it shows promise first. Keep applying, keep researching a good fit, and keep making art. You will hone your application and your voice as an artist - every application season has the potential to make you a better artist.
  14. felixo
    @meghanmetier I actually believe a lot of schools do this, especially those with smaller class sizes where the numbers matter more - it's sort of the only way to get the most preferred class. Most situations, not all accepted in the first go will commit, and if you're the school you want to keep your options open for round two - it sucks for applicants, but in a lot of cases it means you're not quite out of the game yet. =( @Poodle-Doodle you've killed it - looking forward to seeing what you do. Lots of inspiring work around here in general. Makes me even more grateful that I'm going back to school next year.
  15. felixo
    I don't mean to be negative or discouraging in any way! I mean, I'm on this forum for a reason - I am starting my MFA in the fall, so I believe in it and I believe in making art your work/life and the sacrifices that entails. It's just that some of what you were saying conflicted with some of my experiences and the experiences of many that I know, so it felt important to raise that point for any others who may be weighing various factors. Wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.
  16. felixo
    @tugbamina_871 this is part of the dance of life - priorities etc. I would take the time to find a program that works for you in your life with your specific demands, personally. For various reasons it doesn't sound like SAIC will be that, but I don't know. Disclosure - my partner and I are from Chicago - we are in NC for a portion of my partner's career - and I found a program here that I very much like, but feel lucky about that. But I am happy I did it this way. While in Chicago I worked hard commercially and on my art and while I am older, I feel good about how things have panned out. I couldn't imagine raising a kid alone while in school, but hey, people do amazing things. I would say that, at 26, you've got some time to be picky and it sounds like you'll have strong prospects in the future.
  17. felixo
    It sounds like you know yourself and your work and are ready to do this, All good things, but I think some of the message is getting lost. Again, I am not advocating for a 'struggle' or for hardening - for me it was rich and fascinating life experience that actually made me a softer, more empathetic person. That 'struggle' narrative needs to be put aside and working in general (in whatever capacity) does not need to be associated with that in this context. Saying you have not had a job at 26 makes me curious about your dismissal of varied experiences though. I also feel compelled to mention that in many places in this country a university teaching job may be insufficient for a middle class lifestyle. I'm not talking high income. I'm talking making ends meet survival - paying bills, funding your art, putting away for retirement and maybe going out to eat sometimes. Meaning a full time teaching appointment and affording a house and a family is often unrealistic given the compensation. Maybe if you have a partner who also has stable work you're okay. And as far as jobs go considering financial compensation, unless you're going into a major growth industry and your degree correlates to industry specific training (healthcare, tech, engineering, biotech) - university degrees aren't necessarily going to do a whole lot beyond a bachelor's. It's more how you hustle that degree and use it creatively. Lot's of PhD's have these same issues. Not trying to be discouraging, but it's better to be clear eyed about it. If you go where the cost of living is very low, you could be okay, but a lot of artists want to be where things are happening - and inevitably costs are higher in those places. I really think that equating an MFA with achieving a middle class lifestyle is a dangerous association that could leave one disappointed and disillusioned. It's possible of course, but if it happens it will be because of much more than getting the degree (you are an exceptional artist/teacher/hustler/marketer of your work etc). The main thing, and I think the most realistic expectation one should have with any graduate degree that is not required for the job (MFA is generally this - with the exception of university teaching) is clarity and growth with your work - be it art, research, etc. As @KatieB1987 mentions, she's got friends from great programs who are still figuring it out financially. Pay attention to this. This is the norm, these folks are not exceptions. The exceptions are the university jobs that support a middle class lifestyle. Not saying it's not worth going for of course. Sorry for the getting off topic of everyone's admission process! I just feel like there is a little bit that needs to be addressed in these statements.
  18. felixo
    There is a big difference between surviving for 5 years and getting real life, relevant and varied experience. Different paths are appropriate for different people, but 5 yrs as a barista, I would agree, isn't doing a lot for your career. 5 years doing work (working for a non-profit, working in an unrelated field, working as a journalist in my case) that expands your worldview and knowledge base that helps clarify what you want to do with your art is time well spent before grad school, because you will have more focus and have deeper insight into the issues you want to address with your art. You don't get a whole lot of insight about the world from inside academia unless you really push yourself to get outside of it - and that's a tough ask for most people who are consumed with the workload already. Bottom line, if you know what you want to do while you're there and you're ready to do it, then it's probably not a bad call. A lot of younger people go to grad school at least in part to delay a lot of the inevitable life decisions - that's not a good idea IMO because they won't be any different - if that's not you then it doesn't apply. I also tend to disagree that an MFA will land you much better work than a bachelor's - unless you're trying to teach specifically, or you are making more inroads (namely selling work) with your art because of the work you did in the program. There are many other ways artists can earn a living. Also, university teaching jobs hardly equate to higher income - stability, yes - but I quit teaching because I made more money making actual work - and that didn't mean I was making a lot. I think your view on this is a little myopic. It doesn't take a whole lot to beat a university position in terms of financial compensation. The lifestyle might be hard to beat, but money will remain a concern for a long time, and tenured positions are harder to get all the time - a reality for very few MFA grads these days.
  19. felixo
    This is me. I had a year between undergrad and grad school (M.A.). No way I would have gotten into MFA programs at that point, had only been seriously into my medium (photography) during college and was trying to do it commercially right off the bat. I learned that, while it's great in some ways, I wanted more. 8 years later, mid thirties and finally starting my MFA in the fall. Thrilled about it, but because only I finally have a better sense of purpose with my work. I spent a lot of my MA program quietly rebelling against some of the dogma taught there, because I realized it wasn't a great fit in the first term, but I wasn't sure what was a good fit. I had full tuition waiver and stipend so I stayed and grew on my own terms, but it took a good 5-7 years after that before I felt like my voice started to solidify as an artist. Others will vary, but life experience inevitably will affect your work, and usually for the better. The one caveat is that I don't know that I regret my first grad school, in that I did make lifelong friends and definitely grew personally - but I ultimately did not pursue the path that the program was intended for. I am quite thankful now that I didn't get a terminal degree - though at the time I was frustrated about it. It kept the door open for me. That said, I think this poster may have been completing undergrad later in life, so it might be a different scenario.
  20. felixo
    Ok - I'm speaking as a mid 30's guy who finished grad school (not mfa) as a 25 yr old with a similar amount of debt in a field that's slightly more practical than art - the loans were mostly from undergrad and I have mostly better interest rates than you can get today. I've made a modest living since then, mostly living the way I want, but very simply. I can tell you that if I did not have monthly loan payments I would have had more resources to travel and put into my work, and enjoy life in terms of not stressing going out to dinner etc. I made rent every month - but 60k is substantial enough to change your day to day life and you will have to make adjustments for it. If I could have done this part of my life over again I would have found a cheaper way to do it - given what I've ended up pursuing as a career. 60k is worth it if it plays directly into a decently rewarding career - but as someone who actually does a bit better than most other artists I know (strictly terms of income, because of commercial applications) I can tell you that 60k is a big risk if you're gonna have the average artist's career. Don't underestimate the ball and chain of loans. A lot of professors teach because they basically have to, because they are saddled with debt from school and can't take the risk of the inconsistent income that comes with being a practicing artist, and therefore they make less art. If they didn't have the debt, they'd be free to make more art. I'm not saying they don't love to teach, but it's a muddy situation in terms of motives for many of them and worth being aware of - is that a situation you want to be in etc? For some, it's a good way to go, for some, maybe you don't want that. The higher the loan balance the more you take choice out of the equation.
  21. felixo
    This is ridiculous! It's like, just be straight with me. Like and being stood up for a date without any explanation. Just tell me I'm ugly already - at least I'll have closure. It's not like any of us are new to rejection in some form or another...
  22. felixo
    No - but it depends on your situation. If you're the average grad student looking at the average artist's future (25-40k$ / yr) with no savings to kickstart it and will have to finance all of it thru student loans you need to consider that 60k will basically mean paying double rent for 10-20 yrs (your payments will likely be btwn 700-1200 month) depending on, again, your situation. You can get payments lowered but this accrues more interest and costs you more long term - like, if you want to lower your payments to 3-400 a month you'll likely be paying your loans off into your 50's or something. Personally, my ceiling for total cost of an MFA would be in the 20-30k range, and I already get fairly consistent freelance work in my field (photo) that makes it more possible to pay off while going through it if I get a few of the right jobs. If you get better funding elsewhere I'd think hard about it... you might think about talking to some recent grads of the program though, usually they will be pretty candid with you. SAIC definitely gets mixed reviews from alum. I know some who have loved it, some who's debt has been a long long burden for them. Then again, if any of us were really that logical about money we wouldn't be going for this to begin with - with the exception of maybe the best funded programs that actually waive tuition and pay you a decent stiped. There is the odd artist who will pay their loans off ahead of schedule (Hank Willis Thomas mentioned something about this last time I saw him speak) and well, then yea, it was probably worth it. So I guess, how do you feel about your chances of getting to that level? I wouldn't be surprised if someone on this forum may actually get there so you never know.
  23. felixo
    I believe that there are some programs that do not know until later where the rejections will be headed. Often, you need to send out acceptances and chances are not everyone who is accepted will attend, so once a program finds that out they go back to the applicants and see who else they might want, and repeat until you have a fairly fully committed class. Basically, instead of telling you you're waitlisted they just sit on your decision. Once you send out a rejection it's hard to come through with a late offer if, perhaps, you were in their 'maybes' category. So, while a late notice is nervewracking in many situations it means a school isn't ready to commit to the 'no' just quite yet.
  24. felixo
    I have a friend who heard back from OU Athens - but he applied from the new joint comm/media arts MFA, so I'm not sure how much if any parallel it would bear to their college of fine arts MFA notification schedule. He got rejected - heard 2 weeks ago.
  25. felixo
    You should know that many times acceptance isn't really a value judgement on your work - you could be a talented artist but may not fit what the school wants. As someone who didn't study art in undergrad I will second the comment about learning to speak/write (and think!) about your work. There really is an entrenched language surrounding art in academia, and if you don't learn how to use it to your advantage it could be awhile before you get anywhere with your work in an academic context. It took me a few years to learn how to speak about my work proficiently enough - and I still feel uncomfortable about it, mostly because my work is rapidly evolving and tends to be experimental and multi-faceted. The idea of speaking about it in general terms always seems to shortchange something. In the end we are artists, not writers. We turn to art because words fall short for us generally - but that doesn't mean we can avoid them. I really doubt that your country of origin and your idea of art would be cause not to get in (if that is the case, you've still gotta wait!), it's possible that whatever your ideas about art and how you express them, they just may not be placed in proper academic context. Your work should also demonstrate a knowledge of where it fits with other similar works and where you are trying to do new things and push the mediums forward - most good art schools will want to see that you are on a path towards truly unique and original works. Also, many people will apply to MFA programs for a few years before attending - because they don't get in, they don't get funding, a school doesn't end up being a good fit, life happens, etc. You learn something every application cycle - take it as an opportunity to think about how you'll evolve for the next cycle and keep making new work and research, research all the schools out there and try to get an idea of what institutions might be most receptive to your take on things. I am not a painter/sculptor (photo is my primary medium) but if you want to send me what you have via a private message go for it and I'll give you my thoughts. But one thing - there is not a damn thing wrong with your art. If it's honest work and shows what you're interested in and you care about it, there's nothing wrong with it. The fact that you make it from an honest place makes it right.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

  I accept