Hi everyone! Glad to have found this forum after a few weeks of research on MFA programs.
I received my BFA from UNM Albuquerque in 2015 and after several years of developing my independent practice while working full-time, I'm feeling ready for a change in my life and for the opportunity to take my work to another level through an MFA program. I have studio space and show semi-frequently in small galleries in my area (Bay Area), but I think my practice could really benefit from returning to an environment where I can further hone my critical skills and have access to facilities where I can experiment more and strengthen the conceptual aspects of my work. I'm looking for a program that encourages interdisciplinary exploration. I make primarily collage and have some skills in photography, drawing, painting.
Reading some posts on here I'm worried that I might be a little overly ambitious thinking I could realistically attend in Fall 2024. I have a lot of work that I've made over the last couple of years so I feel relatively confident in my portfolio, but I haven't started my statement of purpose and I need to heavily revise my artist statement. I'm not too worried about letters of recommendation as I've luckily maintained relationships with my mentors from undergrad.
All that being said I'm also still working on my list of schools to apply to. I'd ideally like to stay in California or on the west coast and a well- or fully-funded and interdisciplinary program would be ideal.
I'm not sure there are any institutions in the Bay Area that are worth applying to. CCA appears to be the most well regarded however the price tag pretty quickly takes it off my list.
-UC Davis is the closest school to me currently with a program that looks like it might be a good fit, and from a glance I think I would get along with some of the faculty.
-UCLA (although I've read some criticism of this school lately re: faculty being uninvolved or retiring--also their low acceptance rate makes it feel like a longshot) I signed up for a zoom info session in a couple weeks
-UC Irvine
-UCSD - not particularly interested in living in this area but I'd like to know peoples' experiences here
-U of Oregon - this program looks like it offers good funding and I like the work I saw from the current MFA candidates, however I'm not sure how plugged-in to the art world this university is in terms of further opportunities--I haven't seen much discussion on this school in general online.
I suppose my questions are:
Am I a bit late in the game to be starting the application process so soon for admission next year?
Are there any schools missing from this list that are worth considering?
thanks for reading! Interested in reading others' experiences and from others who are hoping to start next fall as well!
