SAIC or CalArts？ Photo MFA

[bubumas]

Hi guys,

Got 80% tuition-covered scholarship from SAIC and had already decided to go there.. 

but this morning, CalArts offered a full prize scholarship.

I feel like in a struggle to choose any one..

Any suggestions on their photo programs?

Many thanks!

 

 

 

 

[nowaytosay]

maybe think about what kind of work you want to make during grad school

and what faculty do you wanna work with?

[wendi]

I have definitely heard mumblings of discontent at both of them, so if I were you I'd try to nail down what the gossip is, but that's just me.

[bubumas]

18 minutes ago, wendi said:

I have definitely heard mumblings of discontent at both of them, so if I were you I'd try to nail down what the gossip is, but that's just me.

thank you. I actually want to hear what’s negative about CalArts, there is really not much information about its photo program.

[bubumas]

1 hour ago, nowaytosay said:

maybe think about what kind of work you want to make during grad school

and what faculty do you wanna work with?

Thank you. I love the works by calarts faculty and students much better. But I love the city of Chicago and feel there are more subjects and elements for shooting... so it is really had to compare them.. I post to see if others have more thoughts on their photo programs..  

[wendi]

1 hour ago, bubumas said:

thank you. I actually want to hear what’s negative about CalArts, there is really not much information about its photo program.

I have a friend there for painting undergrad and he's been unhappy, but I'm not sure WHY.  He was trying to get me to apply to their photo MFA because he thought the master's cohort work he had seen was a bunch of super lame baloney and he figured I'd get in.  That really might be the only beef as far as I know, and since you say you like the alumni work then maybe it's irrelevant.

SAIC has had something bigger going on but I also don't know EXACTLY what it is.  We recently had an artist talk with SAIC faculty and someone in the audience ripped into her about the school and how they're treating a lot of "politically correct" progressive discourse.  She wasn't very articulate, but what I could put together was that they had a highly white-feminism/all lives matter approach to political artwork.  This may be worth investigating in alumni/current students.  Some other whispers I've heard from my advisors and professors is that SAIC "famously" underpays their faculty (this comes with an eyebrow-raise when you look at their tuition costs).  I think there is more, but I haven't kept up because they're not really on "my list."

[Eric from America]

9 hours ago, wendi said:

We recently had an artist talk with SAIC faculty and someone in the audience ripped into her about the school and how they're treating a lot of "politically correct" progressive discourse.

I am not expressing an opinion or providing advice one way or the other -- those are both overall great schools and I don't know much about their photo programs -- but for background information, that comment about SAIC and "political correctness" is possibly in reference to this from last summer:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/07/24/debate-over-art-teaching-and-prejudice-school-art-institute-chicago
 

[bubumas]

15 hours ago, wendi said:

I have a friend there for painting undergrad and he's been unhappy, but I'm not sure WHY.  He was trying to get me to apply to their photo MFA because he thought the master's cohort work he had seen was a bunch of super lame baloney and he figured I'd get in.  That really might be the only beef as far as I know, and since you say you like the alumni work then maybe it's irrelevant.

SAIC has had something bigger going on but I also don't know EXACTLY what it is.  We recently had an artist talk with SAIC faculty and someone in the audience ripped into her about the school and how they're treating a lot of "politically correct" progressive discourse.  She wasn't very articulate, but what I could put together was that they had a highly white-feminism/all lives matter approach to political artwork.  This may be worth investigating in alumni/current students.  Some other whispers I've heard from my advisors and professors is that SAIC "famously" underpays their faculty (this comes with an eyebrow-raise when you look at their tuition costs).  I think there is more, but I haven't kept up because they're not really on "my list."

Thank you!  I wish I could have learnt those informations earlier before I applied. An open academic atmosphere is really important. I don't have a particular interest in political themes, although I love to explore a little bit, but I don't feel the school should put any emphasis on it. I think I will go to CalArts.

 

 

6 hours ago, Eric from America said:

I am not expressing an opinion or providing advice one way or the other -- those are both overall great schools and I don't know much about their photo programs -- but for background information, that comment about SAIC and "political correctness" is possibly in reference to this from last summer:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/07/24/debate-over-art-teaching-and-prejudice-school-art-institute-chicago
 

Thank you Eric. I just carefully read through this article. After learning more about SAIC, I feel it might not be a right place for me.