Current MFAs / Closure due to COVID

[Jjjuliannn]

Hello all

I'm writing you as a second year of the UPENN MFA program. As you know, universities have begun moving classes into the online format. We're due to graduate in May and our thesis, the shows we have planned, and all of our work have come to a halt. We were asked to vacate our studios and not to return to campus for the rest of the semester. I'm reaching out to ask what other MFA programs around the country are doing. 

-how does your program plan to move your education forward

-how does your program plan to compensate you for time and education lost

-what demands are you making of your program

-what plans have you made to continue your work

Best wishes

jz

Edited March 17, 2020 by Jjjuliannn

[SpillToBuilt]

No studio access at my school indefinitely, but it is possible that we will be allowed back mid-semester. I won’t hold my breath though. No talk of compensation, nor had that thought even crossed my mind—it is not like the colleges are at fault.

Demands? I am instead thrilled to have extra time off. Sure, I hope I can get back into the studio soon, but there are other things I can be doing too. We are artists—we are supposed to be resourceful, ya know? But I take it UPenn is not fully funded with stipend, so your perspective would be different from mine. Still, it is just an all around difficult time for everyone. Everyone everywhere is taking a big hit in some way, NY mayor says we are headed to second great depression, and even Prez T seems concerned.

My plans—enjoy the extended break and do lots of reading. Also, work around the house and yard. I can’t make my work completely without the studios, so there is not much else I can do. Maybe I will switch to a medium that I can do at home. We will get through this!

[Artistinquarantine]

I started a post writing about my own experience

 

[Artistinquarantine]

We have gone to our administration by writing a letter with all us signing it. We did get a response, from which we received an larger show catalog in form of individual catalogs to form a set. We each will receive a certain amount of catalog sets and the one single one. They will give us a stipend of $1000 used towards art education, resident grants etc. I am in an international program in Florence Italy. For us to re-schedule our group show would be difficult. Thank god we did get our solo shows done before the closure. I myself experienced a great loss of money due to having to leave everything behind in Italy.

We did not get any time off. Only after the students reached out via this letter did we get a weeks break. Our school does not give grad students a spring break. We are suppose to work until we graduate. This was expected of us even in lock down and no access to our studios. We are slowly getting to get them to understand this is not normal and should not be expected of us.

Our program will continue online until we graduate end of April. 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by iris@irisrichardson.com

[Artistinquarantine]

Curious how did your MFA programs fair over the pandemic? Did the universities compensate you for the loss of your studio's? We just found out that ours is closing end of June 2021. The alumni tried fundraising after we found out about the planned closing you can find more info here https://savesaci.com