thalioness Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) I've been lurking on this site for a long time, and I know all of y'all are pretty busy right now. But if you could spare a few moments for an undergraduate that hopes to one day be a grad student, I have two questions . . . I'm a painting major and have yet to establish a secondary. My professor tells me that printmaking is the way to go, but our school happens to have a glass program. Do schools care about your secondary? If I managed to combine Kiln formed glass with painting, would this make me more competitive for graduate school and potential employment? Glass just seems more interesting to me (and far less accessible) than printmaking. I'd like to take advantage of an institution that offers these kinds of classes. I haven't seen any people on this board that have a background in glass. I know there are MFA programs for glass, but it makes me wonder if there aren't many employment opportunities for those who are interested in that medium. (Not many schools have glass programs.) I love painting, and want to one day teach painting, but glass just seems too interesting to pass up! And what if I find a way of combining and doing something interesting with both? Would I be hindering my future opportunities with a combination of painting and glass? You guys know more of what's "happening" at the moment . . . Edited March 20, 2012 by thalioness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfwd Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I don't see any reason why you would be hindering opportunities by pursuing both painting and glass. If you're interested and passionate, then go for it! The only thing that will make you more competitive is the strength of your portfolio - not the number of disciplines, but the quality of work you produce. ReallyTall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laksjflaksjfasd Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) The only thing that will make you more competitive is the strength of your portfolio - not the number of disciplines, but the quality of work you produce. This is true, and most schools like to see a cohesive body of work. I would recommend that you use your undergrad time to try as many things as possible--you never know what you're going to fall utterly in love with. You might end up becoming more passionate about glass than painting. If you can find some way to combine them, you could also begin researching mixed media programs. However, if you decide to apply for painting MFA, the schools will judge you first and foremost for your portfolio in that area. They will ask you about your other skills and strengths at an interview, but you won't get one unless your painting portfolio is solid (and it appeals to that particular committee at that particular time). In my [limited] experience applying for exclusively painting programs, your other concentrations will neither help nor hurt you. Most people have at least one, and the schools didn't seem too concerned about what they were. Mine was graphic design, and it didn't even come up. ETA: in terms of future employment, you'll probably have an equally hard time with painting vs. glass--it's best to go with what you're most passionate about so you'll keep up the fight longer. You'll have to seek out your own opportunities either way. Edited March 20, 2012 by canarybones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalioness Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thank you! I appreciate the advice. I agree. I think undergrad is a time to build up skills for a strong painting portfolio, but I don't think I should limit my experimentation with other types of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol'spice Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I don't see any reason why you would be hindering opportunities by pursuing both painting and glass. If you're interested and passionate, then go for it! The only thing that will make you more competitive is the strength of your portfolio - not the number of disciplines, but the quality of work you produce. I've been lurking on this site for a long time, and I know all of y'all are pretty busy right now. But if you could spare a few moments for an undergraduate that hopes to one day be a grad student, I have two questions . . . I'm a painting major and have yet to establish a secondary. My professor tells me that printmaking is the way to go, but our school happens to have a glass program. Do schools care about your secondary? If I managed to combine Kiln formed glass with painting, would this make me more competitive for graduate school and potential employment? Glass just seems more interesting to me (and far less accessible) than printmaking. I'd like to take advantage of an institution that offers these kinds of classes. I haven't seen any people on this board that have a background in glass. I know there are MFA programs for glass, but it makes me wonder if there aren't many employment opportunities for those who are interested in that medium. (Not many schools have glass programs.) I love painting, and want to one day teach painting, but glass just seems too interesting to pass up! And what if I find a way of combining and doing something interesting with both? Would I be hindering my future opportunities with a combination of painting and glass? You guys know more of what's "happening" at the moment . . . I agree with "ifwd", just do good work (whatever the medium or area, sculpture, painting) and build a strong portfolio; ideally you want to make sure you have way more than what most schools require... I'm a painter but a couple of times during my undergrad, professors told me I should seriously consider sculpture. I used exclusively paintings for my portfolio submissions, chose ONLY to apply in one area (painting/drawing), but one out of my three references was a sculpture professor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fool4nine Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 If your school has a glass program and you are interested in it, then I'd say to go for it. I've seen glass works sell for $50,000 on up. There are not many people perusing glass and it is one way to be unique. Also, I think painting on glass is a great way to combine both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelwebster Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) I agree, do glass, and try to combine it with painting if possbile, it sounds delicious. But I must tell you, that there are not many job opportunities for artists, painting or glass. So basing your artwork on employment opportunites is not the way to go about it. If you can make interesting work combining glass and painting, then you will have a really unique niche for your work. Every printmaker knows how to paint too, so your not doing anything unusual if you do the printmaking. Edited March 21, 2012 by michaelwebster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now