NYU? + prior education + more questions

[paintbarf]

Hi all!

I'm new here. Please bear with me!

I'm living/painting in Spain at the moment.

I have plans to do the Open House at NYU on January 21st and to do the application for the Feb 1st date.

I'd like to do Open House sooner than January -- but, hey. I'm in Europe.

You may wonder: Why NYU?

Well, it would appear from their website that they do not require a Bachelor's in order to apply. (That, and I've always had a soft spot for NYU.)

I've studied with professional artists individually in a sort of unofficial-apprenticeship sort of environ and I've taken some classes with other artists, specifically just to study with those artists. I studied independently (with no umbrella school, etc.) in Madrid, Florence, Bilbao, and Rome. I went to college for a bit - my GPA is average thanks to mathematics.

I started painting in oils at twelve and was doing a lot of commissioned work by fourteen.

However -- and this seems to be some kind of taboo subject in the art world -- I'm largely (gasp) self-taught. I have virtually no paper-trail, if the paper-trail = degrees. And how do you put 'I haunted galleries in major European cities for months' on a CV?

I've finally reached the technical level that I wanted to reach before beginning conceptual work. I've been saving my conceptual sketches and ideas for years until I felt that I could execute them to their full potential.

Consequently, I want a school that's going to help me hone my technique to a fine edge -- but more importantly, a school that will stimulate me conceptually.

My work is realist (occasionally photorealist depending on the project) and I have a strong interest in the human figure.

I'm not posting any work here as I haven't completed my conceptual 'application' work yet, and so it would be a poor representation. I'll post work as it's completed.

The problem?

It seems like the majority of schools require a Bachelor's, and I just don't want to/can't afford to spend the time going through the motions for things that I already know. Life is short.

I could go to an atelier, but they won't turn me on conceptually.

The other problem?

I absolutely cannot attend NYU unless I receive a great deal of financial aid + funding. By this I mean: practically effing free ride.

Is it possible to get in and get a scholarship based almost entirely on your portfolio? Does anyone know if this has ever happened?

I'm doing a new series of paintings to apply to NYU -- but does anyone have a point of reference for how much my lack of 'formal education' might hold me back? I can have glowing references from successful, gallery-represented, high-selling artists ... and maybe one professor (who doesn't even teach painting - he teaches sculpture). I feel pretty confident that my portfolio will be strong (I paint about eight hours a day - excluding illness, I think I can hammer the work out in time).

Also, anyone who knows of reputable schools which do not require Bachelors degrees -- you know how welcome you are here.

If you've read this far, you're a hero.

Thanks all!

[sympatico]

I honestly can't see how they can award you a Master's of Fine Art if you haven't got a Bachelor's. It just negates the entire progression and I'm willing to bet that, being that the program is relatively new, it's just an informational glitch.

As for being self-taught and all of that, it's totally irrelevant to any program's requirements. They just want to see if you can paint.

You could try a school like Cooper Union for a Bachelor's. If you're accepted I believe it's a full ride, and the entire curriculum is devoted to art.

[paintbarf]

I would like to state again that I am not interested in spending time on a Bachelor's. Thank you, but this is not why I posted.

A Bachelor's is not going to give me anything for my time, except perhaps a way to do things 'within the system' -- a system whose sole intent is to create an end result with traits that I already possess.

Also, please understand: getting a Masters is not an end-all for me. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do what I do regardless, and that is really the point. It's just something that I would really like to do -- something that I thought would be fun and enriching.

I'll call NYU today and come back with my findings.

[paintbarf]

I've called NYU Admissions four or five times and haven't gotten an answer. I emailed them earlier today. I'll probably hear back next week. Stay tuned.

[tubularculosis]

Check out Bard's MFA. IIRC Sadie Benning got her MFA there without ever getting a BA.

[paintbarf]

Ooh,

ilgattoanovecode

I love you. That's the kind of thing I want to hear.

Thanks a ton!!

[paintbarf]

I just looked at Bard's website, and I've gotta say that they don't really do the kind of thing that lines up with the kind of thing that I do. (Obsessed with 'traditional' arts over here ... would probably get pretty frustrated/annoyed by painting courses focused on abstraction.) I'll definitely look into it, however.

Any more that I should know about? Thanks again!

[losemygrip]

I would like to state again that I am not interested in spending time on a Bachelor's. Thank you, but this is not why I posted.

A Bachelor's is not going to give me anything for my time, except perhaps a way to do things 'within the system' -- a system whose sole intent is to create an end result with traits that I already possess.

Also, please understand: getting a Masters is not an end-all for me. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do what I do regardless, and that is really the point. It's just something that I would really like to do -- something that I thought would be fun and enriching.

I'll call NYU today and come back with my findings.

IMHO, this post is clear evidence that you DO need to get a Bachelor's degree. Bachelor's programs are NOT about technical skills alone, as you seem to think. Furthermore, you DO have to take general education courses as well. I've never known a successful artist who was not somewhat interested in and relatively educated about science, literature, psychology, etc.

You seem to think you are above all this, but I think a good BFA program could make a huge difference for you. Without that training, I don't think you would find an MFA "fun and enriching." You'd quit almost immediately.

[paintbarf]

losemygrip - You're making a few assumptions about my education and interests here.

Upon first reading your post, I was naturally a bit annoyed as anyone would be when assumptions are being made about their personality or character. However, this is the Internet. People do this all the time, and most of them are still perfectly lovely people. I looked at your profile and thought that, perhaps, given your experiences being an academic in the Southeast, you might have first seen what you first expected.

I never said that Bachelor's degrees were only about technical skills (that would be foolish), and I am familiar with the general ed courses.

The entire reason that I don't want to spend the time on a Bachelor's is because I have equivalent education already. I don't think I'm above anything. I just know where my time will be well-spent, and where it will not. I could try to CLEP out of an entire Bachelors curricula, or I could just do what would be most efficient and pursue the Masters.

As you are a 'seasoned academic ... of antique vintage', and as I have a soft spot for academics and artifacts of by-gone ages (having married similar) I thought I would take a moment to address your concerns. I've endeavored from a very young age to educate myself as much as possible in as many avenues as I can. This often meant (and still means) prodigious use of a library card. I am aware of the reality that everything ties into everything else, and I revel in the general inter-connectedness of our however-limited human knowledge. It would be a waste of both your time and mine to illustrate the truth of this statement and exactly how my interests and studies vary. For now, you will just have to trust what I say.

You are entirely correct about successful artists being interested in/relatively educated in other areas. I think it is a necessary trait.

Thank you for what would be excellent advice, if it were appropriate -- but, here, fortunately, it is not.

Edited November 6, 2011 by paintbarf