What should I be doing right now?

[justjean]

I plan things ahead, maybe sometimes too far in advance and then I get anxiety about it until whatever I'm trying to accomplish is decided and done. I've been thinking about where I want to get my MFA. There are a lot of factors to consider. The ones I seem most concerned about are, am I going to feel safe in the area and will the school I go to have a nice studio and be somewhat interdisciplinary/conceptual/ independent? I also have a dependent little dog named Moxie who is attached to my hip so when I consider moving somewhere for graduate school I consider if the area I live in has apartments that accept dogs (preferably without a monthly pet fee, she's only 6lbs and she's super well behaved!).

Schools I've been considering:

UCLA (Living in that area sounds the most pleasant and the fact that it's hard to get into makes me want it more.)

CALarts

Yale

Mica (I' not sure about these, the programs sound amazing, but I don't know if I want to live on the east coast)\

Cranbrook (Campus looks pretty, but I couldn't find any apartments that were less than 5 blocks away and it looks so gloomy?)

It's also hard because I wont be living in dorms (because of my dog) so I will be driving to school everyday and want to live as close as possible so I don't want to worry about the traffic or neighborhood I live in.

I'll be graduating from MCAD with Drawing/Painting. I'm originally from Alaska and I've always lived with the ocean by my side, so california sounds very appealing.

What I'm wondering is if I'm interested in these schools? What should I be doing to prepare in terms of my work? Here is my work. Should I have more shows on my resume? It's been hard trying to find places to exhibit here for some reason. Also can anyone reccomend any other schools they feel like I'd be suited for? I was also considering University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota, but I'm not quite sure if I want my resume to show that I never left the midwest.

Edited June 3, 2011 by justjean

[michaelwebster]

I plan things ahead, maybe sometimes too far in advance and then I get anxiety about it until whatever I'm trying to accomplish is decided and done. I've been thinking about where I want to get my MFA. There are a lot of factors to consider. The ones I seem most concerned about are, am I going to feel safe in the area and will the school I go to have a nice studio and be somewhat interdisciplinary/conceptual/ independent? I also have a dependent little dog named Moxie who is attached to my hip so when I consider moving somewhere for graduate school I consider if the area I live in has apartments that accept dogs (preferably without a monthly pet fee, she's only 6lbs and she's super well behaved!).

Schools I've been considering:

UCLA (Living in that area sounds the most pleasant and the fact that it's hard to get into makes me want it more.)

CALarts

Yale

Mica (I' not sure about these, the programs sound amazing, but I don't know if I want to live on the east coast)\

Cranbrook (Campus looks pretty, but I couldn't find any apartments that were less than 5 blocks away and it looks so gloomy?)

It's also hard because I wont be living in dorms (because of my dog) so I will be driving to school everyday and want to live as close as possible so I don't want to worry about the traffic or neighborhood I live in.

I'll be graduating from MCAD with Drawing/Painting. I'm originally from Alaska and I've always lived with the ocean by my side, so california sounds very appealing.

What I'm wondering is if I'm interested in these schools? What should I be doing to prepare in terms of my work? Here is my work. Should I have more shows on my resume? It's been hard trying to find places to exhibit here for some reason. Also can anyone reccomend any other schools they feel like I'd be suited for? I was also considering University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota, but I'm not quite sure if I want my resume to show that I never left the midwest.

I would look outside of top 10 schools mostly. Getting into these is an apply and pray type of process, whereas schools ranked between 20-100 will give you a lot better chance of getting to choose a location, if that is really important to you. Also, if you are applying straight out of undergrad, your chances of getting into a Yale or UCLA are very slim.

[justjean]

Thanks, not getting in because I'm coming straight out of undergrad was worrying me a bit. If the reason for this is experience, are they looking for people who have had a lot of exhibitions? What can I do to get myself to par with the other students applying?

[michaelwebster]

Thanks, not getting in because I'm coming straight out of undergrad was worrying me a bit. If the reason for this is experience, are they looking for people who have had a lot of exhibitions? What can I do to get myself to par with the other students applying?

It is experience and readiness. Exhibitions are a little part of it, but also anything else that might be on your resume, like residencies, grants, curating, teaching, traveling, etc. But really the experience is about having the time out of school to develop a practice a little more on your own and have it progress over time. Also, you need the time to investigate conceptually the themes and discourse your interested in, do lots of reading and exploring. An undergraduate degree in art is not enough in itself to ready people for grad school usually. If you do apply now, you must also have some good answers as to why you want to go to grad school now. I know because I went after only taking 1 year off.

[losemygrip]

You need to be entering juried shows on a regular basis. It amazes me at how many students these days expect show opportunities to fall into their laps.

You need to apply to a range of schools, from highly competitve to "fall-back." Then you go where you get the best deal.

You need to do your research on these schools. Look at the CAA guide to graduate schools in studio art.

You need to know exactly why you're seeking an MFA. Terry Allen once said that if you want to be a professional artist, an MFA is a waste of time. Be very clear about what you hope to accomplish. Do not go to grad school because you're not sure what else to do and momentum is carrying you there, or because you can't make a decision about a career. Are you seeking more feedback about your work? Do you want to teach at the college level (really the primary reason for getting an MFA)? Do you want "free" studio space (this can be the case in New York City)?

[justjean]

Thanks I really appreciate all the advice. I've always known that I want to go to graduate school. I value the academic establishment and to continuously learn and immerse myself in art is my passion. But really no disrespect I don't think that if I want to go or if it's right for me should go is something to discuss. I do want to become a professor, and that is also is rooted to my passion of continuous learning. I really appreciate your advice about entering juried shows. I check daily for these shows on local art sites such as springboard for the arts and mnartists (minnesota based). Do you recommend applying for juried shows outside of the state I'm currently in? I definitely do not feel that show opportunities will just fall in my lap, If I can't find them, I try to make those opportunities for myself. I recently worked with a outreach center for troubled youth and was able to curate a show in their gallery space for my work. I know that this isn't a juried show, but I am a hard worker and I am always looking for the next step up, without someone else's ladder, but my own. =)

You need to be entering juried shows on a regular basis. It amazes me at how many students these days expect show opportunities to fall into their laps.

You need to apply to a range of schools, from highly competitve to "fall-back." Then you go where you get the best deal.

You need to do your research on these schools. Look at the CAA guide to graduate schools in studio art.

You need to know exactly why you're seeking an MFA. Terry Allen once said that if you want to be a professional artist, an MFA is a waste of time. Be very clear about what you hope to accomplish. Do not go to grad school because you're not sure what else to do and momentum is carrying you there, or because you can't make a decision about a career. Are you seeking more feedback about your work? Do you want to teach at the college level (really the primary reason for getting an MFA)? Do you want "free" studio space (this can be the case in New York City)?

[losemygrip]

Do you recommend applying for juried shows outside of the state I'm currently in?

Yes, absolutely. Those local shows won't help you much. Those are expected. Some national exposure and success competing nationally will help to make you stand out. Also, juried shows are by nature competitive--admissions committees may not know if a local show is juried or curated or whatever. You can also look in the back of _Art in America_, or on the CAA website for opportunities.

If you want to be a professor, that's a legitimate reason to get an MFA. It's your union card. Your motivations are definitely something to discuss. I say this from years of experience with students (I've been a professor for almost 20 years). But you seem to have a rationale for it, so by all means go ahead.

[justjean]

Yes, absolutely. Those local shows won't help you much. Those are expected. Some national exposure and success competing nationally will help to make you stand out. Also, juried shows are by nature competitive--admissions committees may not know if a local show is juried or curated or whatever. You can also look in the back of _Art in America_, or on the CAA website for opportunities.

If you want to be a professor, that's a legitimate reason to get an MFA. It's your union card. Your motivations are definitely something to discuss. I say this from years of experience with students (I've been a professor for almost 20 years). But you seem to have a rationale for it, so by all means go ahead.

Thank you so much for your advice. I only have a year left until I'll have to start applying and I feel that with just two posts you've helped to immensely better my chances. =)

[vermillion]

I agree with the others about not applying solely to Yale, Columbia, etc... the top tier schools...of course you should apply to these programs but also apply to programs that aren't in the top tier. I have been in the last application round on here and I have seen many people apply primarily to top tier schools and not get in. Also you said "What I'm wondering is if I'm interested in these schools?" I feel that people considering grad school should apply to programs they truly believe in, and not just because of name recognition. You should really try and find programs that you love and would be proud to be a part of,regardless of how famous it is. Here's a good article about things to consider about applying:

http://www.nyfa.org/level4.asp?id=174&fid=1&sid=51&tid=205

As far as your work, the one piece of advice I've heard many times is to have one consistent body of work as opposed to smaller groups of works or a bunch of unrelated works. Also, about showing your work in galleries, I honestly would say not to focus too much of your time on that right now. Of course, if opportunities arise to show you should do it, but try to spend this time making the best work you can. Speaking for myself and all my friends who got into or are already in grad school, we had no experience or minimal experience showing in galleries outside of school. At the end of the day it always comes down to your work, so try putting as much effort you can into your studio practice. Hope this helps, good luck.

[michaelwebster]

I agree with the others about not applying solely to Yale, Columbia, etc... the top tier schools...of course you should apply to these programs but also apply to programs that aren't in the top tier. I have been in the last application round on here and I have seen many people apply primarily to top tier schools and not get in. Also you said "What I'm wondering is if I'm interested in these schools?" I feel that people considering grad school should apply to programs they truly believe in, and not just because of name recognition. You should really try and find programs that you love and would be proud to be a part of,regardless of how famous it is. Here's a good article about things to consider about applying:

http://www.nyfa.org/...&sid=51&tid=205

As far as your work, the one piece of advice I've heard many times is to have one consistent body of work as opposed to smaller groups of works or a bunch of unrelated works. Also, about showing your work in galleries, I honestly would say not to focus too much of your time on that right now. Of course, if opportunities arise to show you should do it, but try to spend this time making the best work you can. Speaking for myself and all my friends who got into or are already in grad school, we had no experience or minimal experience showing in galleries outside of school. At the end of the day it always comes down to your work, so try putting as much effort you can into your studio practice. Hope this helps, good luck.

I would agree that just entering the work you have now in exhibitions isn't going to help much. You say that you want to apply to a more interdisciplinary program, but your work is mostly painting. If you have an opportunity to do an installation or create something more site-specific as part of an exhibition I would definitely jump on that, but don't spend your time and money sending your work you have now to tons of juried shows. The work is the most important thing, and it seems like this is your first body of work from undergrad. They need something more developed than that. btw, have you seen Tacita Dean's work?

[losemygrip]

Yes; certainly what I've said takes for granted you have a good body of work to present to these schools.

However, I would argue against the idea that you have to sacrifice one for the other; that you should somehow be spending all your professional time just making art. Successful artists carve out a chunk of time for other professional activities.

Admission committees look at a lot of interesting work (and even more that is boring). While a good exhibition record cannot replace images that catch the fancy of the faculty, it can help to distinguish you from others similar to you. And if you want an academic position eventually, you can't start too early on building that exhibition record.

And yes, definitely if you want to do an interdisciplinary program, you need to show some interdisciplinary work in your portfolio (or else have one hell of an admissions essay to explain the discrepancy!)

[Allie2011]

Just wanted to say that I got into UCLA and a handful of other programs (applied to eight schools, got into four, and was interviewed at a fifth) with a pretty pathetic exhibition history and no grants or residencies. And not for lack of trying: I spent my first year out of college (and a small fortune) applying for thing after thing. I've only been in eight group shows, four of which were at my undergraduate institution and a given that I would get into, and another two of which were connected and basically only count as one show. Exhibitions and grants and residencies may help you stand out, but with a solid portfolio you can do well without them and, as someone else said above, you'd be better served putting time into making work than chasing things to put on your CV.

I am four years out of college, and I cannot say for sure whether or not knowing I had taken a break made a difference to the schools that accepted me. Some schools care, some schools don't. I CAN say that my work improved big time in those four years, and I would not have gotten into any of those programs with the work I was making when I graduated from college, but people work at different levels so you may do better than I would have.

I grew quite a bit as a person between 21 and 25, and I think that the emotional maturity that comes with time spent working crap jobs and trying to make art on the weekends is what attracts certain schools to older students. I suggest that anyone, say, 23 or under make a special effort to demonstrate that they are hard-working adults who are serious about art. If I were on an admissions committee, I think I would suspect anyone coming right out of college of trying use grad school to hide from the real world for a few more years.

When you're researching schools, be sure to look carefully at the faculty. Writing about faculty I wanted to work with was probably the most painful part of the statement-writing process for me, but I think that the fact that I was able to say "I want to work with this person because I know and respect their work think I can learn XYZ from them" was definitely a plus. But choose your words well and be sincere--there is a fine line between conveying respect and admiration and looking like a brown-noser.

After I wrote the above, I looked at the NYFA list Vermillion linked to. It's great, commit it to memory! I didn't have it when I applied, but I was lucky enough to have had the chance to learn those things through watching my husband apply for MFA programs a few years ago. I would add that, since you're still in school, you should take advantage of the faculty you're working with now and ask them for suggestions as to where you might apply.

[timeisdying]

I plan things ahead, maybe sometimes too far in advance and then I get anxiety about it until whatever I'm trying to accomplish is decided and done. I've been thinking about where I want to get my MFA. There are a lot of factors to consider. The ones I seem most concerned about are, am I going to feel safe in the area and will the school I go to have a nice studio and be somewhat interdisciplinary/conceptual/ independent? I also have a dependent little dog named Moxie who is attached to my hip so when I consider moving somewhere for graduate school I consider if the area I live in has apartments that accept dogs (preferably without a monthly pet fee, she's only 6lbs and she's super well behaved!).

Schools I've been considering:

UCLA (Living in that area sounds the most pleasant and the fact that it's hard to get into makes me want it more.)

CALarts

Yale

Mica (I' not sure about these, the programs sound amazing, but I don't know if I want to live on the east coast)\

Cranbrook (Campus looks pretty, but I couldn't find any apartments that were less than 5 blocks away and it looks so gloomy?)

It's also hard because I wont be living in dorms (because of my dog) so I will be driving to school everyday and want to live as close as possible so I don't want to worry about the traffic or neighborhood I live in.

I'll be graduating from MCAD with Drawing/Painting. I'm originally from Alaska and I've always lived with the ocean by my side, so california sounds very appealing.

What I'm wondering is if I'm interested in these schools? What should I be doing to prepare in terms of my work? Here is my work. Should I have more shows on my resume? It's been hard trying to find places to exhibit here for some reason. Also can anyone reccomend any other schools they feel like I'd be suited for? I was also considering University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota, but I'm not quite sure if I want my resume to show that I never left the midwest.

just make paintings, don't worry about it

Edited June 19, 2011 by timeisdying

[timeisdying]

I plan things ahead, maybe sometimes too far in advance and then I get anxiety about it until whatever I'm trying to accomplish is decided and done. I've been thinking about where I want to get my MFA. There are a lot of factors to consider. The ones I seem most concerned about are, am I going to feel safe in the area and will the school I go to have a nice studio and be somewhat interdisciplinary/conceptual/ independent? I also have a dependent little dog named Moxie who is attached to my hip so when I consider moving somewhere for graduate school I consider if the area I live in has apartments that accept dogs (preferably without a monthly pet fee, she's only 6lbs and she's super well behaved!).

Schools I've been considering:

UCLA (Living in that area sounds the most pleasant and the fact that it's hard to get into makes me want it more.)

CALarts

Yale

Mica (I' not sure about these, the programs sound amazing, but I don't know if I want to live on the east coast)\

Cranbrook (Campus looks pretty, but I couldn't find any apartments that were less than 5 blocks away and it looks so gloomy?)

It's also hard because I wont be living in dorms (because of my dog) so I will be driving to school everyday and want to live as close as possible so I don't want to worry about the traffic or neighborhood I live in.

I'll be graduating from MCAD with Drawing/Painting. I'm originally from Alaska and I've always lived with the ocean by my side, so california sounds very appealing.

What I'm wondering is if I'm interested in these schools? What should I be doing to prepare in terms of my work? Here is my work. Should I have more shows on my resume? It's been hard trying to find places to exhibit here for some reason. Also can anyone reccomend any other schools they feel like I'd be suited for? I was also considering University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota, but I'm not quite sure if I want my resume to show that I never left the midwest.