Printmaking

[stationof]

Anyone working on their MFA in Printmaking or looking for a program to attend?

If so, where?

[Eraserhead]

Hey likeafire. I'm sort of looking at printmaking programs but also leaning towards ones that are more non-traditional and open to installation, video, etc. Probably not going to be an easy task. Right now I think IUPUI (Herron School of Art) and VCU are closer to what I'm looking for than something like Madison or Iowa, despite their reputations. I was actually doing a printmaking MFA at Ohio U and didn't find it to be a good fit, so I left. But it's a pretty good school if you're a more traditional printmaker because the faculty there is more focused on technical print skills, editions, etc.

I also heard from a friend of a friend who is going to MassArt in Boston for print and she says it's a pretty good program. But I wonder what type of thing you're looking for because there's quite a range of philosophies regarding printmaking right now.

@ Brian - thanks for recommending Univ. of Delaware. Lance Winn definitely seems like someone I'd like to work with.

[stationof]

Hey likeafire. I'm sort of looking at printmaking programs but also leaning towards ones that are more non-traditional and open to installation, video, etc. Probably not going to be an easy task. Right now I think IUPUI (Herron School of Art) and VCU are closer to what I'm looking for than something like Madison or Iowa, despite their reputations. I was actually doing a printmaking MFA at Ohio U and didn't find it to be a good fit, so I left. But it's a pretty good school if you're a more traditional printmaker because the faculty there is more focused on technical print skills, editions, etc.

I also heard from a friend of a friend who is going to MassArt in Boston for print and she says it's a pretty good program. But I wonder what type of thing you're looking for because there's quite a range of philosophies regarding printmaking right now.

@ Brian - thanks for recommending Univ. of Delaware. Lance Winn definitely seems like someone I'd like to work with.

My work is more experimental and conceptual than traditional printmaking, I'm also looking at VCU. I'm not looking int herron much because I live in Indiana. Madison looks good and so does Iowa, but for the past couple of years they've been working out of an abandoned Menards Wearhouse, and I'm not sure if i want that to be my grad experience. Mass Art also looks good, but I need more state schools on my list.

[ArhEmBea]

My work is more experimental and conceptual than traditional printmaking, I'm also looking at VCU. I'm not looking int herron much because I live in Indiana. Madison looks good and so does Iowa, but for the past couple of years they've been working out of an abandoned Menards Wearhouse, and I'm not sure if i want that to be my grad experience. Mass Art also looks good, but I need more state schools on my list.

MassArt's a public school. From what I can tell, their printmaking department's pretty traditional though.

[Eraserhead]

MassArt's a public school. From what I can tell, their printmaking department's pretty traditional though.

I agree, it does appear that way. What I heard was that once accepted a printmaker could easily transition to more experimental work, but that maybe showing prints for the application would be a good idea. Which sounds kind of shady to me. Seems like if they were down with non-traditional work in the print area, then they'd just say that.

I wonder though, because when you look at the work of faculty from a place like Iowa or Madison you would perhaps be tempted to think they would be "old school" in their thinking, and yet they have print grads doing installations, objects, video, etc. It's difficult when some schools don't show much if any recent grad works on their sites.

Printmaking in general seems to be split between "printmakers" and those who use print vocabularies to produce works which maybe don't appear to have anything to do with printmaking at first glance... I'm having a hard time finding many schools that fit the latter description!

Likeafire - Have you looked at Univ. of Georgia? Also, I would say perhaps IU Bloomington or Southern Illinois Carbondale, but it sounds like those are "too close to home" for you...

Also, Iowa is supposed to be getting a brand new building but I can't find any info regarding when that project is scheduled to be finished. In fact, it looks as though they maybe don't even have all the necessary funds to finish it. Anyone know what's up with that?

[purpleprovincial]

Hey there!

Just wanted to quickly say hi. I'm looking at 2012 fall in printmaking too. Although, I'm an amateur with no art school background. Which means I'm just going by descriptions of the programs and have no better judgment. Would really appreciate any information or advice you're willing to share. I'm also new to the American university system.

I've spent some time in a community college print studio and absolutely love the medium. I'm based out of california and am trying to find an affordable school.

Thanks.

[losemygrip]

Arizona State has one of the best reputations in the country for printmaking. I don't know how traditional it is, but they certainly have other, intermedia faculty that you could work with.

[proartistic]

I am a first year graduat at Tyler School of Art in Printmaking.

I met facultes and had conversation about program here.

Tyler has a great multidisciplinary program; you can explore diverse and diffrent processes.

As a printmaking major, you need to take one printmaking seminar and project and the rest of your courses are up to your interest.

Tyler has a solid and strong fine art programs; especially, Tyler's painting & drawing, sculpture, and printmaking are its longstanding top programs in the country.

My work is not embeded in a traditional printmkaing process at all. Actually, I use vocabularies of printmaking and the idea of mass-production that suggests an extension of printmaking process in my project. The whole idea of printmaking has drastically changed over last a few dacades.

I believe, contemporary printmakers should define their own definition of printmaking which varies according to your own conceptual method.

Nowadays, most renown graduate schools support and encourage their students to intergrate their artistic practice into diverse disciplines.

I am not knowlegeable about other school's programs. But as a person who went to one of the most multidisciplainary art school in the US for undergraduate (SAIC), I can confidently say that the idea of media specificity has become obsolete. And over last 20 years, most galleries gaining critical claims within contemporaray art scene support artists who take a huge risk and never cease to go across the boundaries of media, processes, and ideas.

Thus, I would not merely consider your school's printmaking program, instead, I will look closely up its other programs and overall environment including recent graduates, location, and art scene.

I hope this helps your dicision making!

Edited July 26, 2011 by proartistic

[purpleprovincial]

Much thanks, this really helps.

How accommodating are the universities about non-BFA applications? Most of them don't lay down a strict undergraduate requirement yet, not just 1% of the student profiles consist of varied experience. I'm rather concerned about this.