Working in the "Big City"

[nathancotephoto]

Well, in about two weeks I'm going to start visiting campuses (Rutgers in NJ, UNLV and U of Penn). I was wondering if anyone else was moving to a drastically different location from where their current work has been based. The town I have been living in for the last year and a half has 18,000 people(Dickinson, ND), hour and a half from a starbucks, 9 hours from a art museum and zero art community. I'm not worried and have projects planned to work through in school. Anyone have advice on how to prepare for such a drastic switch? I have done a lot of traveling and am very excited for the change! I feel pressure to get to work instantly when I arrive at school and yet I will be totally unfamiliar with the surrounding area. I would like to be able to move a few months before the program would start but I dont think I will be financially prepared until August.

Edited March 25, 2010 by nathancotephoto

[ATumble]

After living on the West Coast for my whole life, I moved to New York after my BFA. It was so intoxicating. I was on a high for the first six months. I visited every museum/gallery I could find and went to every party, event, show etc. And then I CRASHED. I was so tired of everything and got depressed. I was living in an artists' collective and felt the need to move out into a regular(quieter) apartment. I stayed in nyc for another year but my life was totally different. I still visited art shows and went out with friends but my life was a lot less crazy. Even though I had managed to slow things down a bit, I was having a hard time with my art. I finally decided to move back to Seattle. Now that I've been here for almost 2 years, I've been able to focus on my work and reflect on my experiences in nyc. I think if I hadn't completely burned out in the first 6 months there, I might have stayed. Anyhow, I'm moving to London for school this year and am excited but also anxious. When I visited it was as exciting as when I first went to nyc, but I knew that I had to be careful. Although, I think this time around it will be better since I'll be in a MFA program and I'm a lot older(almost 30!).

So my advice to you would be to pace yourself. You're going to have lots of time to experience all the new things. Also, your work and the way you work will probably be affected. Embrace it! Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Give yourself time to adjust. I think moving for school is a great way to experience a new place. You'll have something to keep you from straying too far. Good luck!

[jon cocktoe]

I think you'll find that where you live greatly affects the kind of work you make, even if it's still conceptually related to what you intend to do. The fact is that unless you're working strictly in a studio, the look of your photographs will probably be very different in Nevada vs. Pennsylvania. My advice would be to try and be as open to your intuitions and impressions when you visit each school. Talk to students and faculty there and see how fluid or natural it feels to be there. Visiting schools before I applied was a bit more difficult because I didn't know yet where I would get in, so I just pretended that I'd already been accepted and was trying to picture myself working there. At the end of it all, there was one clear choice where I really felt like I belonged, almost like coming home, even though it was a place I had never been to before. At other places I felt a lot of inertia. It seemed like students were running into a lot of barriers that made it more difficult than necessary to do the kind of work they wanted to do. At another school it seemed like some of the students just couldn't get going on a project as if they'd been left out in the cold. All in all, I think it's great that you've got some ideas for projects going (I do too!), but don't try to force it because once you're there, there will be a lot of other variables that might change your direction a bit, not to mention the guidance of the faculty and community of other students. Take some time to get to know the new place that you're living in, and just pay attention to how you're feeling and act accordingly. At least that's what worked for me both times that I've made drastic moves in my life.

p.s. please report back after you've visited all three schools, I'm very curious about all of those places but didn't have a chance to visit/apply for various reasons.

Edited March 25, 2010 by shutterbug

[brianmc]

Nathan,

Do you know your financial aid status at the schools yet?

[littlenova]

I am not gonna lie...UPenn would be my hands down choice. Philly has a great art making community. Close enough to New York for the connections without having to go through the drama of living in NYC. (Although, there is nothing like NYC and I would move back in a minute. I spent some time in Brooklyn and LOVED it.) You can walk everywhere...You wouldn't need a car.

Vegas or Jersey...not so much. I think even the programs reflect the location, too.

Also...I don't think your concerns have to change just because your geography does. I still document my Florida roots and caribbean culture...I just fly in from DC to show in Miami or shoot. You can always plan photo shoots during your breaks if you want to still photograph that kind of work. I really would hate to see you switch that focus, because I think where you come from really makes your point of view unique as a photographer.

@Shutterbug: Where did you finally decide on going?

[jon cocktoe]

@littlenova: I would have to agree that out of those three, Penn would be my first choice. Provided funding was roughly equivalent, it would be impossible to match the benefits of having people like Charlotte Cotton and An-My Le on the faculty. But then again, I haven't been to any of those schools, so it's really hard to say.

As far as my choices, I haven't made a final decision yet because I'm still waiting to hear back from two schools. I was accepted to my first choice, but if RISD or UMass Amherst admit me with better funding (not likely for RISD, but I'd like to know for sure), then it will be a tough choice.

Edited November 28, 2010 by bgk

[littlenova]

@shutterbug: RISD is a great program. Haven't heard much about UMass...I'll have to look into that.

Good luck!

and yeah...Charlotte Cotton is amazing. She is still living in London, though. She only guest lectures there. She also visits other programs like Bard, SAIC and MICA. I just saw a project she is working on with Timothy Druckery from MICA. I would love to meet her.

Edited March 25, 2010 by littlenova

[nathancotephoto]

Atumble, I totally understand the 'burn out'. I went through that my first year after graduating from undergrad but under different circumstances. Working Full time, directing photography for a magazine, my own small business, personal work all adding up to a minimum of 80 hours a week! I had to stop it all and restart, pay off undergrad and now focus on my own personal work. Learned my lesson and so I feel better prepared for Grad School.

I have not received any financial news yet Penn said I should have a letter within the next week, similar to UNLV. Rutgers said mid april. Penn is my top pick for now but its really going to take a visit to these schools to decide. Like littlenova i will be doing some traveling for some of my work and coming back to North Dakota. I am excited to bring work I am doing in ND to Philly for critique.

Ive got another question for you folks. How are these critiques going to start? With work completed recently? Will we be able to bring in work we had been working on throughout the summer for instance? I have quite a bit of work lined up(portraits/documentary) for July and August and by the time I get them developed it would be September. I guess that may be a good question to ask on my tour next month!

Edited March 26, 2010 by nathancotephoto

[littlenova]

Every program is different. When you meet them, I am sure they will talk with you about what they would like to see happen in your work (strengths, weaknesses, etc.) and give you some things to think about at the very beginning of the program. The first year is pretty heavy duty everywhere from what I hear...just be flexible and open. They will let you know when critiques are going to happen. You are gonna do great!

I met my faculty advisor, got my required 1st year reading list and already checked out my studio. I am so excited. I am sure we will get a rhythm once we start.

My program is over 3 summers. I start this June. During the summer I will have 6 week intensives on campus (classes, critiques, studio practice) and then during the year I am free to make work. I will still be on campus from time to time to meet with photo faculty and to be a TA for undergrad Photo to satisfy my teaching component. But, it's very self guided which I love. I liked this schedule because I can plan shoots throughout the year and work independently.

They mentioned we have guest lectures we have to attend, workshops and critiques with curators in our 2nd and 3rd year. Halfway through there is a candidacy show...Then, the 3rd year (which would be your second), we work on our thesis and final show.

But, a full time program is a bit different. You should ask all these questions when you go.

[nathancotephoto]

Wow, I really love how they structured your program! I like all of the freedom to work. UNLV is similar in how it is stretched out over 3 years. On the flip side, I have been steadily working on my own with little structure or discussion about my work with other artists. Two years of intense discussion/study with peers and professors may be more of what I need. Who knows? I have to eagerly wait for those letters about funding to roll in!

[tink23]

Wow, I really love how they structured your program! I like all of the freedom to work. UNLV is similar in how it is stretched out over 3 years. On the flip side, I have been steadily working on my own with little structure or discussion about my work with other artists. Two years of intense discussion/study with peers and professors may be more of what I need. Who knows? I have to eagerly wait for those letters about funding to roll in!

Hey, I've visited rutgers and it's much more laid back geographically than UPenn-- it would be an easier town to live in. although west philly is pretty laid back, it's a city-- new brunswick isn't.

I don't know too much about the programs. Rutgers, I went to their open studios and there was some pretty interesting stuff-- great faculty too. Upenn's faculty I saw in action about 6 years ago-- some strength there.

[nathancotephoto]

Well this is sad.

"The cost for tuition and general fee for full-time masters degree students in the School of Design for the academic year 2010–2011 (Fall and Spring semesters) is $40,056: of this, $2,153 is a general fee."

I have to claim some ignorance here, I thought Penn was a state school. Turns out its Ivy league? I wish I had some more direction when applying. I will be visiting the school but that amount of debt is scary without funding.

Edited March 27, 2010 by nathancotephoto

[tink23]

Well this is sad.

"The cost for tuition and general fee for full-time masters degree students in the School of Design for the academic year 2010–2011 (Fall and Spring semesters) is $40,056: of this, $2,153 is a general fee."

I have to claim some ignorance here, I thought Penn was a state school. Turns out its Ivy league? I wish I had some more direction when applying. I will be visiting the school but that amount of debt is scary without funding.

If I had the choice, I'd go for Rutgers. The difference in quality, based on what i've seen, isn't worth the difference in price--rutgers could easily be a better fit and place..especially for a photographer. closer to nyc too..and a safer place to live.

[littlenova]

@Nathancote: You didn't know it was Ivy League? Lol. Yep. My husband went to their rival Cornell...lol. But, unlike some other Ivy Leagues for art (Yale excluded of course), they are alot more edgey.

@tink23: They are all great schools...But, IMHO...if he gets aid, I would have to say I totally disagree. The work coming out of UPenn is the standout. And Philly has a bigger art scene than New Jersey...and it is only 1 hour further away from NYC.

But, yeah...You need aid.

Edited March 29, 2010 by littlenova

[jon cocktoe]

any updates nathan? I'm curious to know how your visits went and also how the financial aid worked out.