MFA 2015 All Art ADMISSIONS freak-out forum!!!!!!!!

[Xxanderr]

It's about that time of the year again guys!  I found the freak-out forum from 2014 and 2013 extremly helpful, and wanted to get one going for 2015 MFA applicants. Good luck everyone this MFA Admission season! Excited to hear from all you guys soon. 

[emiemi]

such an early freak-out. Good luck everybody ! 

[Xxanderr]

Actual last year they started the forum in July 27th, and the year before that it was started August 6th. I think this year is slightly late for a freak out.  What schools are you applying too?

 

such an early freak-out. Good luck everybody ! 

[emiemi]

Actual last year they started the forum in July 27th, and the year before that it was started August 6th. I think this year is slightly late for a freak out.  What schools are you applying too?

Iowa and Oregon for sure. BTW. I like your work, especially the one under category painting, although they are locked, and I can only see thumbnails. 

[Xxanderr]

Have not herd about Iowa and Oregon MFA programs, how are they?  Sorry, it's locked because I was in the progress of removing some of the work earlier today. 

[herdsman]

Hello all! 2015 applications opened up on September 1st I think...here we go!

[D4A1G7]

People generally seem interested in applying for SoCal schools so here's a recent exhibition which showcases graduate students' works from numerous schools in Southern California. 
 

http://greaterlamfa.com/index.html 

Here another interesting exhibition over at the Hammer Museum, Made In LA, features works by 35 Los Angeles artists with an emphasis on emerging and under-recognized artists. A lot of them graduated from graduate school in Southern California. 

 

http://hammer.ucla.edu/made-in-la-2014/

 

 

Feel free to ask any questions 

[thepictureisstill]

Freakin' out! Makin' stuff and freakin' out.

[01010101010101101010101010]

Painter here, time for MFA round 2.

VCU is top priority, applying there for my second time with much stronger work. Fingers crossed. 

[taltalim]

Hi All,

 

First year Sculpture MFA here. Just wanted to put in a plug for IUP. I'm copying a brief description that I wrote out in another topic below. It's pretty remote here, but not too far from Pittsburgh which has a really interesting and thriving art scene right now.

 

There are some incredible facilities here - there's an excellent woodworking/furniture program (with which we work pretty closely) and the sculpture studio itself has some pretty amazing facilities in its own right, and is getting better. There's also a brand-new jewelry/metals professor, so hopefully that will get pretty built out soon. Sean Derry, the head of the sculpture program does more conceptual work than what you're working in, but is capable, critical and open-minded. I'm not sure if there are folks in the sculpture program who will necessarily push you in the figurative direction, but if you're looking for material explorations, I think this is a great place to be.

 

It's not a very well-known program, so the connections aren't here like at Yale or Hunter, but Sean has a pretty strong practice in Pittsburgh, and there are resources and connections available if you want them. It is pretty remote here, though, and the winters can be tough. I personally chose it because of the facilities, and the fact that I don't come from a typical background (my work is between art, design and the social sciences, and I tend to work in wood and crochet) - here they're open to my doing work that doesn't necessarily fall into the gallery world (though most students are still working toward that).  Feel free to PM me with any questions!

[taltalim]

And when I said "more conceptual work than what you're working in," I was writing to someone whose work is more figurative Either way, he and the other new professors are great.

[Xxanderr]

Anyone going to National portfolio day in November?  

 

I'm familiar with undergrad national portfolio day, but not graduate national portfolio day. Does anyone have any stories to share regarding this event. Should I bring original work? Do they typical offer admissions on the spot...?

[thepictureisstill]

Anyone going to National portfolio day in November?  

 

I'm familiar with undergrad national portfolio day, but not graduate national portfolio day. Does anyone have any stories to share regarding this event. Should I bring original work? Do they typical offer admissions on the spot...?

Hey! Yes! Traveling from Ohio to Chicago for the event. I work in sculpture and larger forms so I don't think I'll be bringin any original work, but it depends on your media. I highly doubt they will offer anyone admissions on the spot (I think that probably goes against code) and never take someone's word for something you have to get in writing (a spot at a school, x amount of grants/funding). I may bring a smaller sculpture with me, but I have to map the drive/walk from our hotel to SAIC and that wil be the deciding factor.

[VLynn]

Hello Everyone! Happy to begin posting here and adding as much helpful information to this board as I can through this process. This has been such a life saver for me to scroll through when I've struggled with the preliminary process of getting everything ready for my applications. I have a BA in Journalism/PR, but have been a full-time artist for the past 5 years working solely through a collector base I grew myself... is anyone else in a similar situation? Working on my resume/cv, I'm finding it difficult to list/explain my success as an artist outside of the gallery system.

 

Starting to wrap up my portfolio and begin editing down my personal and artist statements, which seems so daunting. Does anyone else have a hard time with these? I have such a hard time writing about myself. 

[taltalim]

Hello Everyone! Happy to begin posting here and adding as much helpful information to this board as I can through this process. This has been such a life saver for me to scroll through when I've struggled with the preliminary process of getting everything ready for my applications. I have a BA in Journalism/PR, but have been a full-time artist for the past 5 years working solely through a collector base I grew myself... is anyone else in a similar situation? Working on my resume/cv, I'm finding it difficult to list/explain my success as an artist outside of the gallery system.

 

Starting to wrap up my portfolio and begin editing down my personal and artist statements, which seems so daunting. Does anyone else have a hard time with these? I have such a hard time writing about myself. 

 

Hi VLynn,

 

I didn't have an undergrad degree in art either, just a body of work that I'd been working on in the few years since graduating. Would you consider including a "Private Collections" heading on your CV? That would enable you to bulk out your experiences a bit, though of course, any shows/gallery experiences would help a lot. You could potentially also get a letter of rec from one of your commissioners.

 

For the personal and artist statements, I would make sure to go through a really iterative process with family/friends. Write what you can, have them read it, tighten it, and cut out anything that seems extraneous, then re-write, etc. I went through a whole bunch of revisions to get mine down within the word limit for a few schools (and was ultimately told that my writing was quite strong).

[abarcio]

Hello!

 

Just wanted to plug UNLV MFA program, if you are looking for freedom in the wild west this may be perfect for you! 

Here's the details- message me and I can answer any questions too!

 

3 year interdisciplinary program, fully funded + stipend. Your GA hrs. can be teaching, gallery work, museum work, sculpture, photo, digital lab etc. 

Large studios in an old Carl's Jr. (with a drive thru even), amazing material grants, trips (in the past we have gone to Marfa and San Francisco/ NY this year). Weekly visiting

artists with studio visits in the fall and AIR program in the fall. Our program is small, taking around 4 each year. 

Las Vegas is strange, yes- but rent is affordable and we are not far from LA.  Vegas has lots of opportunities and you can make of it what you want- again I 

can't stress the wild west aspect of this program with lots of freedom. It's not for everyone but those who have been out of school for a few years and have been 

grinding away in a major city- this place is a breath of fresh air.  Plus you can go swimming almost year round and visit Double Negative anytime you want!

 

http://finearts.unlv.edu/MFA/program.html

Edited October 19, 2014 by abarcio

[kogepan137]

Anyone know of programs that are multidisciplinary? It'd be lovely if you shared with me. I'm having a hard time choosing schools for multiple reasons, but I'm hoping for a program that'll allow me to focus on drawing, painting, and sculpture. Although I've heard some schools will let you do anything once you get in...  

[taltalim]

Thank you for such a helpful response. I didn't think of getting past or current collectors to write recs--- from the research I've done thus far, I just assume LORs should come from people whose opinions hold a certain amount of weight... I've scored a recommendation from a well-known sculptor and the head of top tech company. Having an attorney or doctor write a rec just because they own several pieces of mine, doesn't seem to be as strong compared to my other recommendations... or am I wrong here? Should my recs come from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences with me and my work? 

 

I've had two gallery exhibits. I attempted to go into the undergrad painting program until the head of the painting department happened to be represented by the same gallery I was. I was subsequently told my experience and art work would be detrimental to the learning process of the other students and told to drop out of the program... which I did, hence Journalism/PR degree. Of course it was an unfair and unprofessional situation, but it encouraged and motivated me to continue with my art practice outside of the undergrad art education system. The whole situation seems to have worked out to be the most positive experience in my arts career for what it propelled me to achieve. I do not know whether or not to include this information in my personal statement... it seems to me to be rather important in explaining the direction in which my art practice took in order for me to be where I am now. What do you think?

I'm no expert, but the way I've understood this is that all of the pieces of your application (like a job application) are building up a cohesive narrative about you. While I definitely wouldn't get all three of your letters from collectors, having one letter from a collector with the other two being more official would work, I think. On second reading, though, could you get a letter from your gallerist? Assuming they have some credibility, that could speak to a lot of different qualities that are seen as positive in an applicant. And unless your work is digital/tech-related, I'm not sure whether a letter from the head of a top tech company would be directly useful. Depending on the program, I think that slipping out of the constraint of "famous artist recommender" could be more or less useful in building that narrative.

 

The story you told about your undergraduate career is definitely very interesting. I think if you can explain it in a way that doesn't have negative components (and you're almost there - just use a phrase like "conflict of interest" instead of getting into too many details and saying that your presence would have been detrimental to the other students) then it could be compelling. Most schools will value professional art experience outside of a university education, I think.

[taltalim]

Anyone know of programs that are multidisciplinary? It'd be lovely if you shared with me. I'm having a hard time choosing schools for multiple reasons, but I'm hoping for a program that'll allow me to focus on drawing, painting, and sculpture. Although I've heard some schools will let you do anything once you get in...  

 

Hi Kogepan,

 

I know that Cornell used to be multi-disciplinary (and I don't think that's changed). Michigan is multi-disciplinary, through is starting to separate art and design. IUP has separate programs, but you also work in a studio minor - the sculpture and drawing professors are among the strongest in the department and the most open to doing multidisciplinary work, so it wouldn't be hard to have more than one focus. At Oregon, I think you select a concentration but are able to work in multiple disciplines beyond that.

 

Unless your work is mixed-media (incorporating drawing, painting, and sculpture into a cohesive body of work, if not within individual pieces), I would make sure that you are able to come across as focused in your applications. Even schools where you don't have to select a particular specialty will want to see very clear focus and direction, either in style or in content.

Edited October 20, 2014 by taltalim

[VLynn]

I'm no expert, but the way I've understood this is that all of the pieces of your application (like a job application) are building up a cohesive narrative about you. While I definitely wouldn't get all three of your letters from collectors, having one letter from a collector with the other two being more official would work, I think. On second reading, though, could you get a letter from your gallerist? Assuming they have some credibility, that could speak to a lot of different qualities that are seen as positive in an applicant. And unless your work is digital/tech-related, I'm not sure whether a letter from the head of a top tech company would be directly useful. Depending on the program, I think that slipping out of the constraint of "famous artist recommender" could be more or less useful in building that narrative.

 

The story you told about your undergraduate career is definitely very interesting. I think if you can explain it in a way that doesn't have negative components (and you're almost there - just use a phrase like "conflict of interest" instead of getting into too many details and saying that your presence would have been detrimental to the other students) then it could be compelling. Most schools will value professional art experience outside of a university education, I think.

Thanks a lot, really. I appreciate your insight. 

[beriredux]

Anyone know of programs that are multidisciplinary? It'd be lovely if you shared with me. I'm having a hard time choosing schools for multiple reasons, but I'm hoping for a program that'll allow me to focus on drawing, painting, and sculpture. Although I've heard some schools will let you do anything once you get in...  

Hi Kogepan,

 

There are so many multidisciplinary programs out there that it is difficult to know where to begin to answer that question in a way that would be useful. Perhaps you could narrow the field in some other way first—by location, reputation, faculty, student work—and then eliminate the ones that are too disciplinary for your needs once that is done. At the same time you need to be aware when reading program descriptions that many have a disciplinary application process for the purposes of application review only. It is a way to distribute the applications amongst faculty, as well as one of the ways they try to assemble a diverse cohort. They then dispense with disciplinary divisions once the program is under way.

Your recommenders should be able to help you focus your search once you have a good idea of what you want. They know your work, have some idea about how and where it could improve and may have helpful inside info about faculty and programs.

Good luck!

[FAR]

Hi Guys. So whats hot this year?!

Good Funding schools?

[kogepan137]

I do question my portfolio sometimes, it's a mix of drawings, paintings, sculptures, and installation. I don't consider myself mixed media. I'm confident that I project a cohesive body of work even though my pieces vary in physicality, but it's confusing sometimes to cater to a certain discipline when I'm applying for schools. I feel like even when I'm choosing a discipline to apply to, such as drawing/painting, I still have to talk about my sculptures and I don't know if they want to hear about my other processes besides drawing and painting. I also don't think limiting my portfolio to one medium is the right decision either.

 

 

Hi Kogepan,

 

I know that Cornell used to be multi-disciplinary (and I don't think that's changed). Michigan is multi-disciplinary, through is starting to separate art and design. IUP has separate programs, but you also work in a studio minor - the sculpture and drawing professors are among the strongest in the department and the most open to doing multidisciplinary work, so it wouldn't be hard to have more than one focus. At Oregon, I think you select a concentration but are able to work in multiple disciplines beyond that.

 

Unless your work is mixed-media (incorporating drawing, painting, and sculpture into a cohesive body of work, if not within individual pieces), I would make sure that you are able to come across as focused in your applications. Even schools where you don't have to select a particular specialty will want to see very clear focus and direction, either in style or in content.

[RSeverance]

I do question my portfolio sometimes, it's a mix of drawings, paintings, sculptures, and installation. I don't consider myself mixed media. I'm confident that I project a cohesive body of work even though my pieces vary in physicality, but it's confusing sometimes to cater to a certain discipline when I'm applying for schools. I feel like even when I'm choosing a discipline to apply to, such as drawing/painting, I still have to talk about my sculptures and I don't know if they want to hear about my other processes besides drawing and painting. I also don't think limiting my portfolio to one medium is the right decision either.

 

I have a bias because I currently attend MICA (not in the multidisciplinary program), but it could be advantageous for you to look into the Mt. Royal School of Art http://www.mica.edu/Programs_of_Study/Graduate_Programs/Mount_Royal_School_of_Art_(Multidisciplinary_MFA).html

 

The long-time director of the program just retired this past year, and was replaced with Luca Buvoli, who I understand to be a fairly well-known multidisciplinary artist. He has taught at several of the top institutions (SVA, RISD, etc.) at both undergraduate and graduate levels for the past 14-ish years. 

 

The studio center is set up in a way that the painting program is just on the floor below Mt. Royal, and there is a lot of inter-mingling between the programs. Some of the work I've seen at the very least has good visual impact, and spans through pretty much every medium I can think of. I haven't been able to delve deep into it in a critical manner simply because it's too busy to do so at this time. There are several people pairing sculpture with painting/photography, etc. in a cohesive manner, so it could be something to check out.

[FAR]

ALL,

 

What do you thing about the SAIC Low Residency program?!