Looks like I will be applying again for Fall 2014, school recommendations??

[jwu]

This year was my first round of applying for MFA, much freaking out and tears

April 15th is about a month away, but most likely, I cannot afford to go to grad school this fall

I wish I discovered this forum earlier, I wish I applied to more widely ranged schools

 

So, I plan apply again for Fall 2014

 

I have been painting landscape for years, but I am in the transition towards more idea-driven work

I myself as a person is very contemporaty, and I am pushing my work that direction as well

my website has my old stuff: www.jennywuart.com

facebook page is more up-to-date: www.facebook.com/JennyWuArt

 

so, dear friends, what schools do you recommend when I apply for next year? I will have some new work in the portfolio, but most of it will still be landscape paintings

 

ideal programs: 

generous funding, financial aid, assistantship (I am not a citizen nor permanent resident)

big universities with all sorts of other majors, not an art school

prefer big cities or at least close to big cities

 

what do I want to do after MFA:

realist: a job will get me a working visa
ideal job: art professor, and paint all day long (yeah, i know this dream will take years if not decades to achieve)

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

 

[hwrios]

You don't want to go to American University, or it is too expensive?  And what about MICA or RISD?   You never know!  I wouldn't give up yet....

I recommend Ohio University!  That's where I'm probably going... and I'm actually really excited about it.  They have a wide range of artistic styles...
a few artists that went there  that I love are Frank Oriti http://frankoritijr.com/home.html and Beth Campbell 

 

http://www.bethcampbellstudio.com/category/work/   

[jwu]

You don't want to go to American University, or it is too expensive?  And what about MICA or RISD?   You never know!  I wouldn't give up yet....

I recommend Ohio University!  That's where I'm probably going... and I'm actually really excited about it.  They have a wide range of artistic styles...

a few artists that went there  that I love are Frank Oriti http://frankoritijr.com/home.html and Beth Campbell 

 

http://www.bethcampbellstudio.com/category/work/   

 

I really want to go to American U, and they gave me some scholarship, which I am very grateful for, but I still need to pay the rest of the tuition, plus living in DC for two years will put me in debt for 60k or so. Not to mention the student loan I already have from undergraduate. 

I didn't get interview for MICA or RISD, so not looking good at this point...

so I guess it wont hurt if I am prepared for the last option: reapply next year

 

I will look into Ohio U! thank you for your help, and I truly wish you the BEST LUCK!!

Edited March 14, 2013 by jwu

[bots]

Jenny, I'm so sorry that this process has been hard on you. It's quite an awful process! I waited 7 years before applying for an MFA program. When I do graduate, it will be 10 years after I received my undergraduate degree. The time away from school has been both hard and wonderful. What country are you from? I may have suggestions for what to do until you apply again, depending on the country.

 

You are a very talented painter...but I do agree that "the transition towards more idea-driven work" is a great idea. Though beautiful, your paintings come across as assignments. (Are they?)

 

I will be happy to try to make a list of schools I think would be a great fit for you. I think many people apply to Yale, Columbia, etc because of the rankings and not because they are a good fit. If you find the right fit, I think the funding will come with it. Just my opinion. How I chose schools was partially based on potential funding and student work. Was I drawn to the work? Could I imagine my work in the context of what I saw happening there? etc

 

Also, if you need someone to read your statement, I'd be happy to! I'm decent at editing.

[jwu]

Jenny, I'm so sorry that this process has been hard on you. It's quite an awful process! I waited 7 years before applying for an MFA program. When I do graduate, it will be 10 years after I received my undergraduate degree. The time away from school has been both hard and wonderful. What country are you from? I may have suggestions for what to do until you apply again, depending on the country.

 

You are a very talented painter...but I do agree that "the transition towards more idea-driven work" is a great idea. Though beautiful, your paintings come across as assignments. (Are they?)

 

I will be happy to try to make a list of schools I think would be a great fit for you. I think many people apply to Yale, Columbia, etc because of the rankings and not because they are a good fit. If you find the right fit, I think the funding will come with it. Just my opinion. How I chose schools was partially based on potential funding and student work. Was I drawn to the work? Could I imagine my work in the context of what I saw happening there? etc

 

Also, if you need someone to read your statement, I'd be happy to! I'm decent at editing.

Thank you so much for your kind words!!! 

to answer your questions, I am from China. Thinking about teaching English or art for a year, or even more, while I reapply again.

 

My paintings are not really assignments. I am aware that I am still into those "old masters" stuff, such as the visual forces, form, space, color, light, those old stuff. After I graduated college, I am residency hopping all over the country, exploring different landscapes, and different ideas. Such as bring in my architectural background instinct, paint on 2-3 panels to make the division mean something, go abstract, less "this is a beautiful landscape"

Eventually, I want what the "idea" is to come out of my paintings by itself. Recently, I am working on some up-side-down stuff, because they somehow maintain the visual forces,  spaces ect, but speak less of a "landscape."

 

Ideally, I want to attend an MFA program offers a diverse range of possibilities. Not too conceptual, nor too traditional. Really let my work decide where it wants to go in the next coupe of years. (American University is such a program for me, but the $$$ is the biggest problem for me...)

 

I am already start to gather a list of schools with great funding, and I will rule out way too conceptual programs. What schools do you have in mind? And I will message you the statement I wrote for this round application. 

 

Thank you so much! This means A LOT to me.

[bots]

Jenny, I'm on a bus at the moment, but saw your statement. It's really good, actually. I will take another look when I am in a better location and have time to properly respond.

 

I think taking some years off would be amazing for you. I also wanted a good mix of not too traditional and not too conceptual...that's why looking at student work is so important, I think. I really value the "visual" aspect of visual art, so if too many students seemed to not care about that fundamental part, I wasn't interested. I was painting at the end of undergrad, and the basic way of working has remained similar, but the ideas behind everything are so much richer now, and I also don't paint anymore.

 

As you work, you may start to see certain themes reoccurring in your your paintings. The concept is there somewhere, it just needs to shine! I thought my work was about one thing and realized it was totally something else that kept emerging. Many of my projects were not even fully realized or well-put-together, but I think the schools that have taken interest in me valued the ideas behind them.

 

As for what to do, I recommend a working holiday: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/chinawhs.htm

Take your brushes and paints and have a blast, get some life experience, make new friends, and have tons of stories to tell. If you're into landscape, NZ will be inspiring. There is also a similar visa for Australia.

 

I spent 2+ years after undergraduate travel this way. It definitely changed the way I thought about art, life, and the world. 

 

I'll write more later. 

[hwrios]

Jenny, 

 

I can't believe I forgot to mention the school I'm at now-- West Virginia University!

I really love it here, and would get an MFA here too if I could.  It is also a huge University, about an hour from Pittsburgh, and also has good funding (I had full tuition art scholarships for undergrad).  

Another FANTASTIC reason you should look into it is because the head of the painting department is Naijun Zhang-- from China!  He is an amazing painter, and has a great appreciation for classical painting.  His work is quite similar to Vermeer. 
OTher professors in the painting department are much more conceptually focused, so there is a nice balance between traditional and contemporary art.  

http://www.michaelbergergallery.com/Artist-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=470  (link to some of Naijun's work)

You could probably email Naijun and ask him questions about it, he is extremely helpful. 

[jwu]

Jenny, 

 

I can't believe I forgot to mention the school I'm at now-- West Virginia University!

I really love it here, and would get an MFA here too if I could.  It is also a huge University, about an hour from Pittsburgh, and also has good funding (I had full tuition art scholarships for undergrad).  

Another FANTASTIC reason you should look into it is because the head of the painting department is Naijun Zhang-- from China!  He is an amazing painter, and has a great appreciation for classical painting.  His work is quite similar to Vermeer. 

OTher professors in the painting department are much more conceptually focused, so there is a nice balance between traditional and contemporary art.  

http://www.michaelbergergallery.com/Artist-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=470  (link to some of Naijun's work)

You could probably email Naijun and ask him questions about it, he is extremely helpful. 

thank you thank you! 

Yes, I will add your alma mater to my list!

[Emoree]

You should definitely check out Indiana University Bloomington--- they have a great painting program and since they're a state school they're not horribly expensive.  They are also on the more traditional side of painting (but not stiflingly so).  Their program is 2 years and very intense, I've heard.  Since it's packed so full there isn't much room to play with other mediums, so if you really wanted to explore other things then it might not be a good choice.  But if you want to stick with painting then it could be great for you!

 

Good luck, and I hope you do end up getting in this year!

[taypwyrm]

Apply for external funding?

Everything you can find and more?

Plan B, loans?

 

I have to come up with 42,000 by August. If anyone has any info on any international scholarships please let me know!

[ArsenicYellow]

Definitely talk to the people at American University. If you explain your situation, they may be able to give you more money. I mean, if you're already considering next year, it wont hurt to talk to them.

[jwu]

Apply for external funding?

Everything you can find and more?

Plan B, loans?

 

I have to come up with 42,000 by August. If anyone has any info on any international scholarships please let me know!

 

oh, more student loans.... I have seen some discussions on this forum, and I am not sure if it makes sense for me to take a ton more loans for graduate degree. Plus I will be paying back $$ in additional to undergraduate loans I am already paying. 

[DaniDevotchka]

Hi Jenny

 

I went to Florida State University for undergrad and have always been very impressed by their painting faculty. If I wasn't itching to move far away and have an adventure I'd strongly consider FSU for my MFA. They're extremely well funded often giving MFA candidates full rides and then some. Plus the MFA students just had a whole middle school renovated into their studios.

 

Check out:

Carrie Ann Baade- teaches a ton of "old master" technique painting courses.

Lilian Garcia-Roig- Plein Air painter

Mark Messersmith- All around awesome.

Judy Rushin- conceptual painter to make the painting faculty a well rounded group

 

It doesn't meet all your criteria since Tallahassee is not a big city but the surrounding nature is really beautiful, and perhaps ideal if you work in Plein Air.

Just a thought!