joeyjoejoeshabbadoo

all that matters is your work! if your portfolio is good then you're golden. I talked with a professional artist once and he stressed to me that it begins and ends with the work, anything else is kinda secondary.

I am curious, do people ever get accepted to MFA programs without an interview? It's not a necessary component at NYAA, and conversation ITT seems to be of the thought that it's exclusively interview or rejection

oof, I haven't got a BU painting interview invite (yet!) but congrats to yall who did!

you're right-- a couple of my programs even had feb 1 app deadlines. I guess checking this site each day isn't helping my patience haha

it's only the fifth of feb but i'm starting to dislike how I haven't heard back from anyone

I had my department chair and other professors write my letters of recommendation. I asked them because I felt they knew me and my work well, that our professional relationships were good and enduring, and that they were involved in and committed to my success. I know some of them to be well-connected-- there were other profs I could have asked who I also have good relationships with, but I opted to ask those I knew to have some pull. we'll find out soon if that clout paid off for me haha.

https://www.instagram.com/matthewjnapoli/

Just had an interview with the New York Academy! To clarify, any applicant can sign up for one. It seemed to go quite well! Fingers crossed. I was asked which artists are important to me, both academy faculty and generally, and for basically my story; how I got to where I am and why. I was also asked what my questions were, which I was prepared for thanks to this site lol.

I definitely value profs with similar research interests and alumni success over rank. Rank becomes a little arbitrary if the school just isn't right for you; I was originally planning on applying to Yale painting, but after seeing the work that faculty and students were producing, I didn't even bother.

@Scrambledmegs i'll also say they were very considerate to me last year; I was meant to be in the summer program last year (but covid), so they deferred that acceptance to this year, and I got to do some free zoom workshops in the meantime with Melanie Vote and Will Cotton, where I learned a lot! Painted along with Will Cotton twice. They also send weekly zoom links to a life drawing session, but I don't really see the value in life drawing online, after trying it once.

@Scrambledmegs i'd forgotten a similar offer was extended to me as well, even though I applied for the fall semester, AND I have yet to be accepted to the MFA program, AND I am still an undergrad this spring semester AND I already have a commitment with the academy this summer in their undergrad residency program!!! So I think it's safe to assume the accelerated timetable offer went out to a massively broad mailing list, to try to compensate for the huge mess (logistically and financially) that covid has left the academy with. They seem to just want people to know 2020 was fucked and they're trying to make moving forward easy for people. still odd though. interesting to me as well they didn't remark on the controversial/grotesque aspect of your work, but I guess with people like Eric Fischl affiliated with the academy, they're used to it haha. that one painting with the guy jerking off in a kiddy pool comes to mind. I'm not as concerned with the level of incoming talent; bodes well for my acceptance! I wonder if they do actually weed out first years who don't make the cut (and what that would look like). I saw last year's final thesis work and I was mostly pleased (in some cases, blown away!) so that's not as big a concern for me. thank you so much for all the perspective and info! hopefully we'll know by the 15th as you say and will have a good valentine's day lol. and yes @SocialKonstruct I would find it helpful to hear in what way it affected your friend's time at the academy

could you expand on this? i'm pretty curious since I applied there. having seen some student work, i'm surprised you're in doubt of their quality. has anyone else here applied to NYAA?

hopefully we all get in and can study together!

Hi diddily ho stressed-erinos! I applied to the painting/fine arts MFA programs at: NYAA LCAD Boston U Texas Christian U PAFA I will post here again when I hear back from them, if that is helpful I also have an interview with NYAA, which I can share questions from if anyone would like that