No BFA, but want to pursue an MFA?

[LucyArt]

Hi, everyone!

So I'm new to this process, and I've got a couple questions that I'm struggling to find answers to. I appreciate any advice or feedback to any or all of the questions!

1. I'm graduating this spring with an MFA in Creative Writing, and I also have a Bachelors in English Literature, but I want to pursue an MFA in Visual Arts. I have several professors who would gladly vouch on my behalf, and so all of my recommendations would come from academics still, but none of them are in the art field. How concerned should I be about this? Should I aim to try to find recommenders in the field or stick with what I have?

2. As I have no formal education as such in the visual arts, I'm going to be working to develop a portfolio for graduate programs. I'm interested in painting, and I've been looking at past portfolio examples on the GradCafe forums. I've noticed most of the portfolios seem to consist of art that all follows a similar theme and style (and for the sake of discussing this issue further, I'm going to call this type of series of artwork a concentration and works that veer off the concentration breadth pieces since that's what I seem to remember it being called back from AP Studio Art). How much of the portfolio should consist of concentration versus breadth artwork? I've noticed the guidelines are pretty blurry in regards to graduate portfolios, so I'd appreciate any concrete advice, even if it's just personal opinion!

3. Seeing as I'm turning back to art much later in my formal education studies, should I include my past accolades/accreditations like getting a five in AP Studio Art, attending selective art programs, and winning awards like the Gold Key award back from high school? I've also had other successes in art beyond high school, but I think some of the awards from then also hold some decent weight, and I'm not sure if it's something to mention or not given the time that's passed since then.

4. Finally, I know I am probably disadvantaged due to my lack of a prior art degree. But that being said, it would take a considerably longer time to get both a second Bachelors degree and Masters of Fine Arts degree. So would it be impossible? What can I do to make getting this degree a more realistic endeavour without turning back the clock to get a second Bachelors degree?

Thanks again for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it!

[arte]

If you haven't painted since high school, I'd highly recommend going to post-bacc instead of applying straight to MFA. 

There you'll be able to find art professors who can write you recommendations, and have a chance to really develop a portfolio for an MFA. 

And I would personally not put in anything from high school in the CV, unless you're apply for a BFA program.

 

Wait, are you applying for a BFA?

if so, ignore everything I wrote, you can put in anything you want, LOR from professors are great, and you can put in awards and AP studio art scores in your CV.

[LucyArt]

Arte: While I appreciate the suggestion, I'm really not interested in a BFA. I did not say I hadn't painted since high school, only that there were some awards from then, but since, I have still been painting and creating new art. I've also had other more recent accolades, I just wanted to know how far back accolades should go in this type of scenario. If it should be limited to post-secondary, that's fine.

[Warelin]

On 8/27/2016 at 11:29 AM, LucyArt said:

Arte: While I appreciate the suggestion, I'm really not interested in a BFA. I did not say I hadn't painted since high school, only that there were some awards from then, but since, I have still been painting and creating new art. I've also had other more recent accolades, I just wanted to know how far back accolades should go in this type of scenario. If it should be limited to post-secondary, that's fine.

Grad schools don't care about high school achievements/extracurricular activities. Your best bet is to only include things from college onward.  You'll want your recommendation letters to be as closely related to the field you're interested in pursuing as possible. If you've taught at the graduate level for creative writing and teaching is part of the new degree, it's not a bad idea to include a letter which speaks to your teaching ability.

[yolandak]

Hey, first of all, good luck! I hope you get into a program you like!

I have a BA in Political Science and I am going into an MFA in Photography. Granted I have a lot of field experience (I took about three years off between the end of undergrad and my applications) and a few group shows, but I felt the disadvantage of being from another field in last year's cycle. I only applied to two schools, Yale and SAIC, and got into SAIC with some funding (grant aid). I chose to defer a year and reapply. 

If there is a series of paintings you are working on right now, I would recommend getting in an affordable residency that is not too selective between now and when you will apply. This will help you generate some work and make connections with people who might even be able to write letters for you. Some schools explicitly require recommendations from people actively working in the field, so your current professors may not be able to write for you. Otherwise, if you work hard, commit yourself in this direction and make good work, there is no reason you should not be accepted into a program.