[Post-Bac @ MICA?]

No advice here, but glad to see someone in a similar boat. I took zero art classes in undergrad, majored in Electrical Engineering, and have since had similar numbers of solo shows and a ton of group shows here and abroad. I also worked worked in LA as an illustrator and have been freelancing (but hope to stop soon).

I know what I missed out on from undergrad was the consciousness to produce a really cohesive body of work - however from all the experimentation I think my work is much stronger now. I oftenI see that common thread among the non-academic artists.

I'm a painter also dabbling in video - more animation. I applied to 3 top schools and one backup, was accepted by the backup, but am planning on moving to NY and working in the studio for a year. I'll figure out whether to just keep working in the studio or reapply to MFA's in NY in the fall.

Good luck! For what it's worth, the post-bac doesn't sound like it's worth the money to me. You could probably take 1/4 of that tuition, rent a nice studio, hit up the right bars, and buy drinks for whatever artists/profs/critics you'd like and get a similar education.

[the unforeseen reality of no acceptances]

I recall at some point you said you were interested in figurative programs, and if you're really feeling the need to get into an MFA program The New York Academy of Art might be a possibility. It's fairly young and not a huge name, but you're going to get studio space in TriBeCa and they have a good number of recent grads showing in Chelsea right now (just saw 2 last week) which is more than you can say for a lot of schools.

There are some pretty laid back areas to live in Brooklyn. My sister just got a big bedroom facing McCarran park in a 3-bed for $700. Rents seem to be 10-25% cheaper than a year ago at this time.

I believe they have an april 15 due date for late admissions. I got in early, visited last week and was actually pretty impressed (my only other visit was CCA where the work was universally disappointing). I'm probably not going to be accepting the offer as it will make much more sense for me to do school in another 1-2 years, but I can see a definite path to success through the school as they really seem to try to get those all-important collectors and celebs involved with the school. Eileen Guggenheim is on their board and saw pictures of Bill Clinton at their last fundraiser.

Anyhow, that wasn't supposed to sound like as much of a sales pitch as it might read. Good luck! I'm leaning towards waiting a year myself but who knows.

[anyone knows about UW School of Arts?]

First the good:

Ann Gale, one of the professors there is a great figurative painter. I'd love to have the opportunity to work with her.

The school's museum where you'd have your thesis show, The Henry, is fantastic and gets some top notch exhibitions.

That said, I really think Seattle is a crap art town. It's great for indie music, game design, software, not for visual art. It's great for hobbyist painters and Burning Man types, but there just isn't a very high ceiling. I saw a pretty ugly scene at a talk with one of the curators at the Seattle Art Museum where some older artists were yelling at him for not purchasing works from northwest artists. There's definitely some sort of inferiority complex going on around here.

I've spoken to a few UW MFA alums who teach where I'm taking some classes right now and they're super sweet people, just not impressive artists.

Kimberly Trowbridge http://gageacademy.org/artists/?page=in ... s&i_id=122

Eric Elliott http://gageacademy.org/artists/?page=in ... s&i_id=134

Margaret Davidson http://gageacademy.org/artists/?page=in ... rs&i_id=24

Margaret is quite inspiring (went to grad school in her 40s I believe and is now selling out big shows) but still, her work is just abstracted still lifes of tree branches - fits in to the naturalistic tendencies out here.

I went to UW for electrical engineering, but have been working as an artist/illustrator here in Seattle for the last 5 years.

Hope that helps some! Seattle is a lovely place to live, but I'm moving to NY in a few months to get closer to the action.

[MFA Admission Replies - short and simple]

Kathy - I remember seeing some of your (I assume) self-portraits down at La Familia and they were really striking. I live just upstairs in the TK lofts but am heading out to NY soon. Congratulations on your admissions!