UConn MFA- Studio Art

[littlestoyster]

I'm trying to get more information on this program,  revolving around opinions and experiences.  Anyone know where I can find this?  Or has anyone had experience with this school?

 

Thanks!

[indigoconcord]

After researching programs for the last couple years, it seems UConn info is hard to come by outside of their website. I've never come across anyone involved with the place, probably because its such a small program... Maybe someone will surface

Edited April 21, 2013 by indigoconcord

[ArsenicYellow]

My friend back in louisiana had an interview with them and so he stayed and my house and we drove over to the campus. From what we saw, there were a lot of negatives and few positives. The grad students there said the biggest plus is that it's basically free to attend if you're accepted and the studio space is amazing. The negatives: the professors are really hard to deal with. Due to the fact that the graduate studios are a good 10-15 minutes drive off campus, its very very hard to get the faculty to come look at your work. Also, a lot of the older faculty seem to be on cruise control, they've been there so long that they are almost tired of it. This doesnt apply to all faculty, mind you, but enugh that the graduate students themselves mentioned it. The campus is also in a terrible location. EXTREMELY rural. There are no bars and I believe the students mentioned one possible liquor store.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend the school to anyone, it gave me extremely bad vibes. I believe a few years back someone on here reviewed the school and said the exact same thing as I did. I posted a link to it in a similar thread recently where someone was asking about Massart.  

 

Edit: Found it 

Edited April 22, 2013 by ArsenicYellow

[cello]

I did my undergrad at UConn.

 

As ArsenicYellow mentioned in the previous post, they do offer funding (tuition waiver + stipend in exchange for teaching) to their MFA candidates. You also do receive a large studio space in an abandoned state facility 10 minutes away from the main campus. The studios are across from a low security prison as well. When I was in attendance there would be Open Studio night a few times a semester. Professors, undergrads, and general visitors would go party at the studio space and look at MFA work. The location is very rural, which is charming, in my opinion. It is also plopped halfway between New York and Boston, with buses to each stopping on campus. There are bars and liquor stores within walking distance of campus, so that is not an issue, haha. I would still suggest having a car though. There was a small hardware store on the edge of campus (I don't know if it is still there) which was useful for acquiring some art materials.

 

+ I had a very high opinion of the MFA work that was produced during the time I was a student here.

 

- My experience with the faculty in the art department at UConn was extremely negative. Obviously, everyone forges their own relationships, and my experience cannot be generalized.