robybeef

yes, i'm going to 'risk' SFAI. after reading both the letter written by the school's president, and the letter of concern from the SFAI community, it seems to me that worst thing i could possibly do as someone who's been accepted into the school is avoid it like the plague. From what i gather from both of the letters is that the financial future of the school is shakey, yet for the most part stable. While i don't quite agree with the actions taken by the president to lay off tenured faculty in lieu of other more expendable resources, i'm quite impressed with the fact there exists such a strong communitas within and around the school. The very fact that a letter of concerned was posted on a website created specifically to cover a crisis of a single school is one that is making me feel more secure in my decision to attend in the fall. To quote the last paragraph of the letter from the SFAI community "It is about relationships and community. It is about the great things that happen when people who care about making art come together and support each other. We feel that now is the time to come together as a community in order to address this deeply troubling situation and support the San Francisco Art Institute that we have come to know and love." I really do have to agree with this sentiment. It's probably one of the main reasons i'm totally stoked on pursuing an MFA degree: spending 2 years with other artists creating art. How exciting is that? It's definitely a bummer how certain events have transpired over the course of the last few years at SFAI (mfa program falling from #14 to #30 in the nation, poor WASC report) but i'm banking on the prospects that the powers that be will take the recent history of the institution and learn from it in order to set SFAI on a course for a more prosperous future. or maybe i'm just insanely naive...i'm still probably going though.

don't sweat it, i didn't get in either and i'm sure we're not alone!