post MFA career advice

[ssart]

Hey there, 

 

young(ish) artist seeking career advice. I studied painting at a community school as a youth, then went to Stanford University and majored in art and writing. I have always been very determined to have a successful career as a painter and would like to eventually teach on the graduate level or support myself from my work. After undergrad I was super cocky and applied to a number of programs, but only got into SFAI (duh... I was so young I barely knew how to write a statement!) I received full funding at SFAI, and although it was not my top choice school I felt like it would be stupid not to go because it was a free MFA. I taught painting at a school in San Francisco and in various PreCollege programs after finishing, but didn't feel as though I had any time to work because of my day job and my connections weren't panning out. I moved to a cheaper location, but I'm struggling with feeling stuck in general.  Not sure how to proceed. Anyone ever done a second MFA? Certificate program? Fulbright? I feel like I jumped through all the hoops early and not am now making art into a black hole. At 27 I'm young a little look for a teaching position, no one takes me seriously. I miss having an art community and wish I had based my school selection on working with specific faculty rather than the imagined pressure to go immediately to graduate school.

 

cheers,

anon 

 

 

[Crucial BBQ]

I dated a girl who received her Master's of Art.  Not an MFA...just "art".  We broke up shortly thereafter and I haven't talked to her since but last I heard she is working as a social worker.  Maybe doing art therapy?

 

A good friend of mine received her MFA, and now teaches at that same school.  Her undergrad major was BFA, but she minored in both biology and history.  The course she teaches is a hybrid of biology  and art where she teaches art through the learning of biology.  I have helped her with some of her Power Point presentations and they are straight out of a BIO 101 course.  

 

She got the job because she created a course that fills a niche the school itself does not offer.  As a strictly art/design/film school the school offers only a handful of liberal arts courses. Yet, there are students who, say, want to take a chemistry course and for them the school has an agreement with a local university where those students could take such a course. So her course is for students like them.  

 

Not sure if this helps, but I'd suggest looking to get a Master's in something other than a second MFA if you want to be serious about teaching.  That is what I would do.  Then, like my friend, I would combine the two disciplines. 

 

I reminded of a course I never took but wanted to.  It was a course that taught math through nature and art.  

Edited May 9, 2014 by Crucial BBQ

[Firenze]

A good friend of mine received her MFA, and now teaches at that same school.  Her undergrad major was BFA, but she minored in both biology and history.  The course she teaches is a hybrid of biology  and art where she teaches art through the learning of biology.  I have helped her with some of her Power Point presentations and they are straight out of a BIO 101 course.  

 

 I reminded of a course I never took but wanted to.  It was a course that taught math through nature and art.  

These are very interesting ideas. Could you give an example of how your friend teaches the art side of things in the biology course? I'm just wondering since I will have an MFA degree in two years on top of a previous master's degree in biology.

 

I've thought of putting together a sort of "math in nature for artists" course that would involve discussing such topics as the golden mean spiral found in nature that contains the golden ratio and also geometric patterns used by muslim artists that are derived from nature.

[osprey]

Hi Anon,

 

You've jumped through the designated hoops - now you've got to make your own hoops to leap through. Even if you're not showing now - you're not making art into a black hole. Art can exist independently of the shows or conversations that happen around it. Maybe those will come later - once you set up a situation for them to happen.

 

Keep regular studio hours - and perhaps add to those designated hours time during which you'll make an effort to develop a robust art community. Get out and talk to people. Submit proposals to galleries you like (after talking to people).

 

I'm giving this advice to you, and myself. I think it's especially difficult for good students to interact with the very informal economy of art. It's hard to ask for things - there rarely seems to be a right time to do so, and there's little structure aside from just rubbing shoulders with people. It's the kind of "networking" that honestly makes me a little sick to my stomach - but it's entirely necessary - for both shows and jobs. You probably know some interesting enough people from SFAI - keep in touch with them. If it doesn't come naturally, force yourself to do so. Almost all artists are a little awkward.

 

Good luck! Remember almost everyone has a day job - even really successful artists - so don't beat yourself up about that. There are very few tenure track teaching positions - and many of them are in the middle of nowhere. Consider what you really, really want - and push towards it - but don't beat yourself up about not reaching milestones within any particular time line.

 

Ultimately, being an artist is a feat of persistence, unreasonable determination, and perhaps a little delusion.

[seeingeyeduck]

Are you feeling stuck in terms of your career or in terms of your art? Very different advice!

In terms of career, I've found that you can't force it. You could apply for residencies locally or over the country. That gives you time and space to work and puts a line on the CV. Perhaps you can meet people there too. Have you been applying to group shows?

I think you're frustrated that you aren't getting a job in art but the truth is even the big name artists who get shown at SFMOMA or top galleries sometimes have to work two jobs for a decade before running into a teaching gig. The bay is expensive but there are other places with strong art communities - have you thought about moving to a place near a strong art school and meeting people there?

Ultimately you have to focus on the work - that is why you want to be an artist in the first place, right? In art, the gigs come from people liking your work, so you've got to figure out a way to keep making interesting work whether you have an audience or not. That's your entry into shows and residencies and if you don't show, you won't get the teaching gigs. Some of it is connections but all that means is keep in touch with your classmate and professor and try to meet people at openings. You don't necessarily have to "network", just meet people and see if you're interested in what they're doing, find a way to sum up your own work.

And get online. It takes a while but sometimes you can find a small group of likeminded people that you couldn't have in person due to distance. After blogging for a couple of years I got a chance to write for an indie arts mag that another blogger created. It's not ArtForum or anything but it's nice to be asked. Stop focusing on career advancement and figure out how to push your art practice.

I'm a SU alum too so if you wanna chat more about stuff, message me.

Edited May 25, 2014 by seeingeyeduck

[itscontents]

Anyone have advice: Do you think you have better chances of getting a teaching gig post masters if you have an MA before a MFA or should I get my MFA and then get an MA if I want to teach theory, after my masters not just studio art?

[SunshineState]

Anyone have advice: Do you think you have better chances of getting a teaching gig post masters if you have an MA before a MFA or should I get my MFA and then get an MA if I want to teach theory, after my masters not just studio art?

No. MFA is fine. If you want to teach theory, read theory, write theory, publish it, then design a course from start to finish. 
It's very hard work for very little pay. If you do two masters, make sure they're both fully-funded.

[nongfuspring1]

I've artist friends that have done Fulbrights. A year away in a foreign country with a decent stipend, support and plenty of time to work - great package. Some guys I knew were paired up with local universities and ended up being invited to do some adjunct teaching once their fellowship ended, but YMMV. 

Otherwise residencies in general are a good way of subsidising living costs while developing international networks and making your CV look better.