have been seduced by the aesthetics of tumblr.
please continue to keep up with the MFAness at:
http://mfyay.tumblr.com
much love
07 September 2009
04 September 2009
Urbanite
I have just experienced what one would call, an unexpectedly delightful experience a la city living.
Purchasing a record player has been on my "When-I-Arrive-in-Boston-This-is-the-First-Thing-I-Need-to-Do List" for months, if not a year. Looney Tunes is a hole'ish in the wall'ish record store I noticed the first time I walked down Boylston St. Today, I thought I would stop by to see if they had any advice for what model player/receiver/speakers they would recommend. The place reeked of audiophile. A 50'ish man with stringy, gray hair that had not been washed in at least a week came to my aide. Luck would have it that a woman that had bought a player from them two years ago had just returned it because she was moving. Further, this man had just picked up a set of speakers that he wanted to give in the name of "community service" with hopes of enticing a young hopeful (who turned out to be myself) to begin the adventure of analog audio. The speakers belong in a late 90s LL Cool J music video and as horrible as they look, the deal (and deal maker) was just too good to refuse. It was an omen of omens. I thought it over and returned around 6:30 in the evening to pick up the goods and walk them home.
After a quick lesson in setting up analog audio, what I thought was going to be an easy 15 minute walk to the store from my apartment and back turned into a power-walk marathon. There was no way I could carry all four components at the same time (record player, receiver, two speakers)! After three trips over the course of two hours and some words of encouragement from a jovial customer wearing all purple with a rainbow headband, playing air guitar to whatever he was listening to on his worn in black headphones, I am sitting in my sparse apartment with a beautiful set up on wooden floor. Pedro the Lion's "It's Hard to Find a Friend" gloriously plays as I drink a beer and remind myself how badly I need to shower after that trek.
Sitting here, I realize two things. One how incredibly worth it that was to now be exposed to analog audio, which is so incredibly more pristine then digital and second how happenstance today's events were. Only by living in a city and not having a car would these events have unfolded the way they did and I can type to you with tired fingers that it very much so was, it very much so was.
Purchasing a record player has been on my "When-I-Arrive-in-Boston-This-is-the-First-Thing-I-Need-to-Do List" for months, if not a year. Looney Tunes is a hole'ish in the wall'ish record store I noticed the first time I walked down Boylston St. Today, I thought I would stop by to see if they had any advice for what model player/receiver/speakers they would recommend. The place reeked of audiophile. A 50'ish man with stringy, gray hair that had not been washed in at least a week came to my aide. Luck would have it that a woman that had bought a player from them two years ago had just returned it because she was moving. Further, this man had just picked up a set of speakers that he wanted to give in the name of "community service" with hopes of enticing a young hopeful (who turned out to be myself) to begin the adventure of analog audio. The speakers belong in a late 90s LL Cool J music video and as horrible as they look, the deal (and deal maker) was just too good to refuse. It was an omen of omens. I thought it over and returned around 6:30 in the evening to pick up the goods and walk them home.
After a quick lesson in setting up analog audio, what I thought was going to be an easy 15 minute walk to the store from my apartment and back turned into a power-walk marathon. There was no way I could carry all four components at the same time (record player, receiver, two speakers)! After three trips over the course of two hours and some words of encouragement from a jovial customer wearing all purple with a rainbow headband, playing air guitar to whatever he was listening to on his worn in black headphones, I am sitting in my sparse apartment with a beautiful set up on wooden floor. Pedro the Lion's "It's Hard to Find a Friend" gloriously plays as I drink a beer and remind myself how badly I need to shower after that trek.
Sitting here, I realize two things. One how incredibly worth it that was to now be exposed to analog audio, which is so incredibly more pristine then digital and second how happenstance today's events were. Only by living in a city and not having a car would these events have unfolded the way they did and I can type to you with tired fingers that it very much so was, it very much so was.
03 September 2009
Student Artists in Residence
Today was the breakfast orientation for first year MFA students at the Museum School. A little after 9 am (I am beginning to realize that art faculty, staff, and students have a very flexible understanding of time) the second floor crit space was filled with some 2nd year MFA students, the graduate faculty, and 40 first years.
Classes, community activities, studios, work logistics, safety, and many other topics were explained. One of the required courses that first years have to take, the CAP Seminar, which I talked about in an earlier post, is looking to be pretty demanding... in a good way though. There are three professors that teach it and you take each one for four classes then move on to the next. Its reading and discussion driven, covering a variety of topics including art history, contemporary artists, and conceptual and formal ideas present in working artists today.
I think that most all first years were quite excited, but all very freaked out. I for one have no idea what work I am going to start producing, which I better figure out soon as my first grad critique course is in a week and a half.
After the meeting we were all given our studio assignments which are mostly all on the second floor of the grad building. Think of it as a Hooverville'ish town of white walls and curtains. It's a pretty amazing space, which I plan to photograph to show you guys later. There is a shoot space that is right down the corridor from my studio which is great! I got to meet a number of first years; coming from a variety of ages, backgrounds, and locales its a pretty amazing mix of individuals. I am very excited to see the work to come and I think we are all interested to see what kind of works are peers have made. I am really beginning to appreciate how the Museum School's MFA program is strictly interdisciplinary, meaning that the photographers and painters are not segregated, but rather everyone taking all classes together. Think of it as a really tasty fruit salad.
I walked out of the grad building in the afternoon with a chair in hand. It was the first piece of furniture in my apartment! Luckily my mattress finally came later, but it's still a sparse and lonely place. Gotta work on that.
Classes, community activities, studios, work logistics, safety, and many other topics were explained. One of the required courses that first years have to take, the CAP Seminar, which I talked about in an earlier post, is looking to be pretty demanding... in a good way though. There are three professors that teach it and you take each one for four classes then move on to the next. Its reading and discussion driven, covering a variety of topics including art history, contemporary artists, and conceptual and formal ideas present in working artists today.
I think that most all first years were quite excited, but all very freaked out. I for one have no idea what work I am going to start producing, which I better figure out soon as my first grad critique course is in a week and a half.
After the meeting we were all given our studio assignments which are mostly all on the second floor of the grad building. Think of it as a Hooverville'ish town of white walls and curtains. It's a pretty amazing space, which I plan to photograph to show you guys later. There is a shoot space that is right down the corridor from my studio which is great! I got to meet a number of first years; coming from a variety of ages, backgrounds, and locales its a pretty amazing mix of individuals. I am very excited to see the work to come and I think we are all interested to see what kind of works are peers have made. I am really beginning to appreciate how the Museum School's MFA program is strictly interdisciplinary, meaning that the photographers and painters are not segregated, but rather everyone taking all classes together. Think of it as a really tasty fruit salad.
I walked out of the grad building in the afternoon with a chair in hand. It was the first piece of furniture in my apartment! Luckily my mattress finally came later, but it's still a sparse and lonely place. Gotta work on that.
01 September 2009
So This is Tufts
On September 1st, there was an all graduate student orientation at Tufts University. Just to clarify for those that do not know, the Museum School is academically affiliated with Tufts. This means that I take my required non-art courses there and also receive my degree from Tufts.
Located in Medford, I need to take two T lines an approximate 45 minutes to get to the Davis Square stop. From there I walk north for another 15 minutes or so to get to the main campus. Its an amazing campus that is on a slope filled with a variety of differently styled buildings, most colonial. There are big trees, long and winding walkways, and freshmen scattering to and fro carrying mattress pads and ugly target lamps.
Several hundred students filled an auditorium somewhere in the middle of campus. It was the "Graduate Matriculation Ceremony" that we were about to partake in, which mostly consisted of academic "be all you can be" speeches by faculty and students that in my opinion could have been cut in half if not more. I probably should have skipped it all together, but I wanted to pick up my student ID and T (public transportation) pass. To my disappointment the T pass was a flimsy card that operated monthly, not the super sophisticated and cool hard plastic card that Bostonians keep in their wallets as they wave over the sensor at the entrance stalls. Moving on to receive my ID, I was told that it would not be ready for another week or so... more on the ID picture story later...
On the way home I stopped at Diesel Cafe, a cafe recommended to me by some baristas at Intelligentsia. It was pretty great, but I am still in search of the boutique espresso shops that I long for in LA, Intelli, Cafe Luxxe, Surfas, French Market to name a few. Time will tell I suppose.
All in all, while I am excited to take four classes at Tufts, one this semester, my early interactions with the institution were not the most favorable. It seems that east coast Universities lack a sense of humor... more which I will get to later.
Located in Medford, I need to take two T lines an approximate 45 minutes to get to the Davis Square stop. From there I walk north for another 15 minutes or so to get to the main campus. Its an amazing campus that is on a slope filled with a variety of differently styled buildings, most colonial. There are big trees, long and winding walkways, and freshmen scattering to and fro carrying mattress pads and ugly target lamps.
Several hundred students filled an auditorium somewhere in the middle of campus. It was the "Graduate Matriculation Ceremony" that we were about to partake in, which mostly consisted of academic "be all you can be" speeches by faculty and students that in my opinion could have been cut in half if not more. I probably should have skipped it all together, but I wanted to pick up my student ID and T (public transportation) pass. To my disappointment the T pass was a flimsy card that operated monthly, not the super sophisticated and cool hard plastic card that Bostonians keep in their wallets as they wave over the sensor at the entrance stalls. Moving on to receive my ID, I was told that it would not be ready for another week or so... more on the ID picture story later...
On the way home I stopped at Diesel Cafe, a cafe recommended to me by some baristas at Intelligentsia. It was pretty great, but I am still in search of the boutique espresso shops that I long for in LA, Intelli, Cafe Luxxe, Surfas, French Market to name a few. Time will tell I suppose.
All in all, while I am excited to take four classes at Tufts, one this semester, my early interactions with the institution were not the most favorable. It seems that east coast Universities lack a sense of humor... more which I will get to later.
31 August 2009
Arriving
My plane landed around 5:30 in the morning on a Monday. Not having slept, I managed to shuffle out of the cabin, cluster my life segregated into three rectangular boxes, and take a taxi to 143 Park Drive.
About two hours later I arrived at the Espresso Royale Cafe in Symphony; I had ventured there with my parents during our last visit. Having some time to kill before the home stores opened, I drank a large black coffee trying to assure myself that I was not on vacation nor visiting.
The remainder of the day was pretty lonely. I walked to and fro, here and there, picking up some essential goods. The reality of carrying objects without the help of a car was a quick realization that while refreshing was also a little frustrating. Most of the key elements were at Ikea, which I could not travel to without a car so I was left with bedding and some bath supplies by the end of the day. I had a comforter on top of a sheet on top of a yoga mat on top of a freshly varnished wooden floor to call my bed. After picking up some thai food around the corner along with an oversized Stella, I called it a night watching There Will Be Blood in a room of wooden floor and white walls and not much more.
About two hours later I arrived at the Espresso Royale Cafe in Symphony; I had ventured there with my parents during our last visit. Having some time to kill before the home stores opened, I drank a large black coffee trying to assure myself that I was not on vacation nor visiting.
The remainder of the day was pretty lonely. I walked to and fro, here and there, picking up some essential goods. The reality of carrying objects without the help of a car was a quick realization that while refreshing was also a little frustrating. Most of the key elements were at Ikea, which I could not travel to without a car so I was left with bedding and some bath supplies by the end of the day. I had a comforter on top of a sheet on top of a yoga mat on top of a freshly varnished wooden floor to call my bed. After picking up some thai food around the corner along with an oversized Stella, I called it a night watching There Will Be Blood in a room of wooden floor and white walls and not much more.
26 August 2009
Shipping
I just got back from the UPS store.
Three boxes are on their way to meet me in Boston, including my bicycle, Goldie!
Three boxes are on their way to meet me in Boston, including my bicycle, Goldie!
23 August 2009
21 August 2009
20 August 2009
08 August 2009
Tufts Health Office: Don't Mess
The other day I received what was in my eyes an unnecessarily harsh email from the health offices at Tufts:
Dear Student:
We have reviewed your Health Examination report. Unfortunately, you still have outstanding required information due. This information is essential in order for Tufts University to be in compliance with the state law. This is something that Tufts University takes very seriously.
It is imperative that you submit the required data.
A non compliant status puts the entire campus community in jeopardy, as well as puts the university at risk for substantial fines. You are required to provide this information prior to attending Tufts University. Please contact Health Service at 617-***-**** or 617-***-**** if you are unsure of how to proceed.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Chart Review Coordinators
I ended up calling the offices to figure out what was wrong and they were completely helpful and care-free in letting me know I can just fix the issue the first week or so of school... A lesson to all of us to make sure we have checked all the boxes that have been asked to check or else a swift and brutal electronic reprimanding will follow.
Dear Student:
We have reviewed your Health Examination report. Unfortunately, you still have outstanding required information due. This information is essential in order for Tufts University to be in compliance with the state law. This is something that Tufts University takes very seriously.
It is imperative that you submit the required data.
A non compliant status puts the entire campus community in jeopardy, as well as puts the university at risk for substantial fines. You are required to provide this information prior to attending Tufts University. Please contact Health Service at 617-***-**** or 617-***-**** if you are unsure of how to proceed.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Chart Review Coordinators
I ended up calling the offices to figure out what was wrong and they were completely helpful and care-free in letting me know I can just fix the issue the first week or so of school... A lesson to all of us to make sure we have checked all the boxes that have been asked to check or else a swift and brutal electronic reprimanding will follow.
05 August 2009
27 July 2009
First Year/First Semester Registration, 10:00am EST
At 6:58am, my phone alarm went off reminding me of the two minutes I had to quickly log into my school's online student account site and register for classes. It was a little anticlimactic, but I did snag the last spot for a graduate critique course that I wanted to take which was exciting.
Here are a list of the three courses I registered for this morning and their descriptions. On September first, I am registering for an art history course through Tufts. I'll include that one too cause I am almost positive I will be taking it with the others. This should give you a pretty good idea of what my first semester is going to be like... on paper at least:
Grad Group Critique (Mondays, 6-9p)
This course is designed to build verbal and written articulation critique skills in a group setting among the first and second year graduate students. Led by a faculty member students examine the art work of their fellow classmates as the catalyst for critique. All first and second year Master of Fine Arts students are required to take this course each semester for the first two years of the program.
Grad CAP Seminar (Mondays, 9-12p)
Contemporary Art Practice. This mandatory MFA graduate seminar is open to first year Master of Fine Arts graduate students only. In the fall 2009 semester the course will be taught by faculty members of the graduate faculty. Topics will be announced.
Advanced Seminar: Material Photography (Tuesdays, 9-12p & 2-6p)
This course looks at the intersection of photography and sculpture, making material interrogations into the medium of photography. Looking at Man Ray's Rayographs and Henry Wessel's deadpan physical puns as important historic seeds of the gestures that have vastly expanded in the last 10 years of contemporary photography we address the materiality of the medium. As artists now collage, build, cut, perform, unfold, dance with photographs in the digital, ephemeral era we forge new relationships with a medium previously thought to be merely "2D," drawing out the sensual, tactile nature of the medium, exposing and playing with the physical mechanics of its exhibitions strategies. We will look at performative photographs with sculptural content that function somewhere between documentation and staged photography while also looking at sculptures created for the purpose of being photographed. Explorations between material and ephemeral photography (projections, digital screens) will be explored as students work in non-traditional ways with the medium, thinking in terms of sculpture and installation with photo materials and construction for photography.
Historiography and Methodology of Art History (Wednesdays, 1:30-4p)
Art History has undergone a period of intense self-examination in the last 25 years or so, i.e. the “crisis in/of the discipline”. We will survey some key theoretical vantage points ranging from connoisseurship to queer theory, social history to semiotics. Our goal will be to translate theory into practice and conversely, to understand the theoretical and methodological implications of what we do as art historians (students, teachers, critics, museum professionals, artists).
I can feel the workload already.
Here are a list of the three courses I registered for this morning and their descriptions. On September first, I am registering for an art history course through Tufts. I'll include that one too cause I am almost positive I will be taking it with the others. This should give you a pretty good idea of what my first semester is going to be like... on paper at least:
Grad Group Critique (Mondays, 6-9p)
This course is designed to build verbal and written articulation critique skills in a group setting among the first and second year graduate students. Led by a faculty member students examine the art work of their fellow classmates as the catalyst for critique. All first and second year Master of Fine Arts students are required to take this course each semester for the first two years of the program.
Grad CAP Seminar (Mondays, 9-12p)
Contemporary Art Practice. This mandatory MFA graduate seminar is open to first year Master of Fine Arts graduate students only. In the fall 2009 semester the course will be taught by faculty members of the graduate faculty. Topics will be announced.
Advanced Seminar: Material Photography (Tuesdays, 9-12p & 2-6p)
This course looks at the intersection of photography and sculpture, making material interrogations into the medium of photography. Looking at Man Ray's Rayographs and Henry Wessel's deadpan physical puns as important historic seeds of the gestures that have vastly expanded in the last 10 years of contemporary photography we address the materiality of the medium. As artists now collage, build, cut, perform, unfold, dance with photographs in the digital, ephemeral era we forge new relationships with a medium previously thought to be merely "2D," drawing out the sensual, tactile nature of the medium, exposing and playing with the physical mechanics of its exhibitions strategies. We will look at performative photographs with sculptural content that function somewhere between documentation and staged photography while also looking at sculptures created for the purpose of being photographed. Explorations between material and ephemeral photography (projections, digital screens) will be explored as students work in non-traditional ways with the medium, thinking in terms of sculpture and installation with photo materials and construction for photography.
Historiography and Methodology of Art History (Wednesdays, 1:30-4p)
Art History has undergone a period of intense self-examination in the last 25 years or so, i.e. the “crisis in/of the discipline”. We will survey some key theoretical vantage points ranging from connoisseurship to queer theory, social history to semiotics. Our goal will be to translate theory into practice and conversely, to understand the theoretical and methodological implications of what we do as art historians (students, teachers, critics, museum professionals, artists).
I can feel the workload already.
07 July 2009
One Week: A Lease is Signed and the Parents Explore the City!
Last week I was in Boston with the primary goal of signing a lease on an apartment for this upcoming school year. Aside from that, my parents had never been to Boston before so it was a good chance to show them around and get them familiar with the MFA program. We had an appointment with the associate dean of the graduate school which was much needed considering I was pretty out of the loop in actually understanding what classes I would be taking as well as the overall structure of the MFA program.
First things first we had to knock down an apartment. With the help of a great realtor who happened to be a Museum School alum, we were signing a lease after three days of viewing a colorful variety of apartments ranging from the shamefully spacious to the crooked floored. Regrettably I was not able to take pictures of the one we ended up going with, but I did use my friend Google Maps to give you all an idea of where it is and what the building looks like:
Here is how a robot sees the complex from a moving van during pleasant weather
And this purple line signifies the distance from my apartment to the main campus via walking. Little does Google know that there is a secret trail that cuts through the park. Approximate time: 5 minutes on foot.
More to come on setting up the new space when I am actually a tenant (September 1st).
Our meeting with the associate dean was very informative. The MFA program is two or three years, most choosing three. Courses consist primarily of graduate studio art courses alongside two graduate level art history courses and two graduate level non-art courses, both taken on the Tufts campus. Aside from that, each semester MFA students enroll in a graduate seminar that seems to be theory based and a graduate critique course where the student brings in their own work to discuss. The average class size for all these courses is around twelve. There seems to be a relatively intense workload that all has to be managed alongside producing your own work, which in my mind is hands down the most important activity within a MFA program.
At the end of the week I was emailed my advisor along with instructions on how to contact her and what to expect. Class registration begins in August and as of now I am waiting to hear back from my advisor so we can begin talking about what classes to take. More on that to come as I hear about it.
Aside from the business elements of the trip, we had a great time exploring the city and being tourists. The weather was pretty depressing for most of the days, but the sun did come out for a teasing minute or two.
Here are some pictures taken on the trip and more to come about classes when I find out more myself!
The Boston Commons are pretty, weather permitting.
The Butcher Shop is soon to be a weekly gastronomic stop, funds permitting.
A secret color coded door!
The ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art) had an impressive Shepard Fairey mid-career survey that I was reluctant to see, but am very happy I did.
Cappucini at the North End.
A really soft dog I met!
School!
First things first we had to knock down an apartment. With the help of a great realtor who happened to be a Museum School alum, we were signing a lease after three days of viewing a colorful variety of apartments ranging from the shamefully spacious to the crooked floored. Regrettably I was not able to take pictures of the one we ended up going with, but I did use my friend Google Maps to give you all an idea of where it is and what the building looks like:
Here is how a robot sees the complex from a moving van during pleasant weather
And this purple line signifies the distance from my apartment to the main campus via walking. Little does Google know that there is a secret trail that cuts through the park. Approximate time: 5 minutes on foot.
More to come on setting up the new space when I am actually a tenant (September 1st).
Our meeting with the associate dean was very informative. The MFA program is two or three years, most choosing three. Courses consist primarily of graduate studio art courses alongside two graduate level art history courses and two graduate level non-art courses, both taken on the Tufts campus. Aside from that, each semester MFA students enroll in a graduate seminar that seems to be theory based and a graduate critique course where the student brings in their own work to discuss. The average class size for all these courses is around twelve. There seems to be a relatively intense workload that all has to be managed alongside producing your own work, which in my mind is hands down the most important activity within a MFA program.
At the end of the week I was emailed my advisor along with instructions on how to contact her and what to expect. Class registration begins in August and as of now I am waiting to hear back from my advisor so we can begin talking about what classes to take. More on that to come as I hear about it.
Aside from the business elements of the trip, we had a great time exploring the city and being tourists. The weather was pretty depressing for most of the days, but the sun did come out for a teasing minute or two.
Here are some pictures taken on the trip and more to come about classes when I find out more myself!
The Boston Commons are pretty, weather permitting.
The Butcher Shop is soon to be a weekly gastronomic stop, funds permitting.
A secret color coded door!
The ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art) had an impressive Shepard Fairey mid-career survey that I was reluctant to see, but am very happy I did.
Cappucini at the North End.
A really soft dog I met!
School!
17 June 2009
Setting Things Up
From the 20th to the 27th I will be in Boston with my parents. Our main goal is to lock down an apartment, but we also have a meeting with the Dean of the graduate school at SMFA to discuss courses, advising, and of course show my parents where I am going to be spending most of my time over the next 2 to 3 years!
Hopefully upon my return I will have plenty of information about classes, living, and other goods!
05 June 2009
feel free to...
... send messages at my new school email: ebenjamins@student.smfa.edu!
even though i will probably forward it to my regular account.
even though i will probably forward it to my regular account.
15 May 2009
unemployment begins.... now!?
today marked the end of a year contract with loyola marymount university as the photo lab technician. more importantly, today marked the end of five years within the LMU community as first student, then staff. i have a new home base now.
the other week i got an email from the associate dean of academic affairs at the museum school to give me an idea of how things are going to progress during the summer. i'll paraphrase the gist of the monthly rundown:
may, the process of paring the student with an academic advisor begins
june, the student will be notified of their advisor and how to contact them
july, reserved time for contact with the student and the advisor via email and phone
late july, registration for first year MFA students
early september, orientation for both the museum school and tufts
8 sept, classes begin!
as the cherry on top of the sundae the one of the early parts of the letter contained this gem:
In some years I can perceive trends developing in new groups of students. I am delighted to say that your group seems to share an enthusiasm for getting started right away weeks before the deadline...
an omen?
things will be pretty slow as i am only a MFA student in theory, but once the school year begins, expect constant updates on a journey through a graduate studio arts program - in boston!
the other week i got an email from the associate dean of academic affairs at the museum school to give me an idea of how things are going to progress during the summer. i'll paraphrase the gist of the monthly rundown:
may, the process of paring the student with an academic advisor begins
june, the student will be notified of their advisor and how to contact them
july, reserved time for contact with the student and the advisor via email and phone
late july, registration for first year MFA students
early september, orientation for both the museum school and tufts
8 sept, classes begin!
as the cherry on top of the sundae the one of the early parts of the letter contained this gem:
In some years I can perceive trends developing in new groups of students. I am delighted to say that your group seems to share an enthusiasm for getting started right away weeks before the deadline...
an omen?
things will be pretty slow as i am only a MFA student in theory, but once the school year begins, expect constant updates on a journey through a graduate studio arts program - in boston!
03 April 2009
deal sealed!
risd's envelope in the mail yesterday confirmed the expected. and with the good news (of rejection) i submitted my acceptance paperwork to the museum school/tufts this morning.
a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and i feel incredibly priveleged and thankful to be starting at the museum school in the fall. i do want to address the results this year around though further supporting how much of a crapshoot the mfa application process really is. during the application process a year ago, i really had no idea what i was doing. further, in my eyes half of my portfolio was conceptually lacking. that being said i was interviewed and waitlisted at two top programs. one year later with a much stronger application, neither of those two came through. hm. things seem to have magically worked out though as the museum school seemed to be quite excited about my application. since visiting, communique with faculty, students, former students, and staff has been informative, friendly, and helpful.
in retrospect, the past two rounds of applications have been shrouded by prestige and name. as a young artist i fell victim to ranking, while not really taking the time to investigate if the program actually fit my desires as an artist. i would say that out of the six schools i applied to this year only two really fit what i was looking for in a mfa program. both saic and the museum school offer a challenging and inspiring balance of faculty, program structure, and geography that really fit what i was looking for.
im not too sure what comes next now that the acceptance is in the mail, but i am very excited to continue sharing my experience and progression through the mfa program with you all.
a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and i feel incredibly priveleged and thankful to be starting at the museum school in the fall. i do want to address the results this year around though further supporting how much of a crapshoot the mfa application process really is. during the application process a year ago, i really had no idea what i was doing. further, in my eyes half of my portfolio was conceptually lacking. that being said i was interviewed and waitlisted at two top programs. one year later with a much stronger application, neither of those two came through. hm. things seem to have magically worked out though as the museum school seemed to be quite excited about my application. since visiting, communique with faculty, students, former students, and staff has been informative, friendly, and helpful.
in retrospect, the past two rounds of applications have been shrouded by prestige and name. as a young artist i fell victim to ranking, while not really taking the time to investigate if the program actually fit my desires as an artist. i would say that out of the six schools i applied to this year only two really fit what i was looking for in a mfa program. both saic and the museum school offer a challenging and inspiring balance of faculty, program structure, and geography that really fit what i was looking for.
im not too sure what comes next now that the acceptance is in the mail, but i am very excited to continue sharing my experience and progression through the mfa program with you all.
22 March 2009
cornell
Dear Erik,
Your application for Fall 2009 admission to the Master of Fine Arts Program in the field of Art has been given careful consideration by the Admissions Committee. We regret that we are not able to offer you admission into our program.
The number of students who can be accepted is limited and as the overall quality of applications is very high, it is not possible to offer admission to many excellent students who would like to study here.
We appreciate your interest in Cornell and wish you success in continuing your future studies.
Your application for Fall 2009 admission to the Master of Fine Arts Program in the field of Art has been given careful consideration by the Admissions Committee. We regret that we are not able to offer you admission into our program.
The number of students who can be accepted is limited and as the overall quality of applications is very high, it is not possible to offer admission to many excellent students who would like to study here.
We appreciate your interest in Cornell and wish you success in continuing your future studies.
17 March 2009
los angeles no more
got the official rejection from UCLA last night via email therefore eliminating any possibility of staying in the west coast.
feel sorta good about that...
feel sorta good about that...
13 March 2009
NEA assures artists of the nation that we are still all screwed
according to the NEA:
-artists are unemployed at twice the rate of professional workers
-unemployment rates for artists have risen more rapidly than for US workers as a whole
-artist unemployment rates would be even higher if not for the large number of artists leaving the workforce
-unemployment rose for most types of artist occupations
-the job market for artists is unlikely to improve until long after the US economy starts to recover
taken from:
http://www.arts.gov/news/news09/artist-unemployment-rates.html
-artists are unemployed at twice the rate of professional workers
-unemployment rates for artists have risen more rapidly than for US workers as a whole
-artist unemployment rates would be even higher if not for the large number of artists leaving the workforce
-unemployment rose for most types of artist occupations
-the job market for artists is unlikely to improve until long after the US economy starts to recover
taken from:
http://www.arts.gov/news/news09/artist-unemployment-rates.html
10 March 2009
boston: there and back again
after a five day whirlwind in boston i have returned inspired, refreshed, optimistic, and educated.
aside from a lovely host and lovely city, it was great to check out the museum school. i was supposed to arrive at 8:30 in the morning at the mission hill building that housed the grad studios and some offices. my interview was at 9 so i did not have a lot of time to check out many things, but the grad students had covered the walls of the main area with a lot of current work so it was good to get a feeling for the types of art that was being created.
at 9 i was walked to a conference room where i met with my interview committee. it consisted of two faculty (photo & film) and one current graduate student (painting among other endeavors). to my surprise only one of the faculty had seen my application so we proceeded to go through my projected slides as i explained the two bodies of work as well as my inspiration and sneaking in some commentary on my interest in the museum school's program. the conversation was laid back, fluid, and surprisingly friendly. more informal conversation than interview, i tried my best to speak clearly and with authority. there were a lot of questions being asked back and forth in relationship to different types of grant opportunities at the museum school, the critique process, and mostly the interdisciplinary nature of the program. the student that was in the interview with me was trained as a formal painter, but was recently reaching out and working in photo. when the slide show ended i was told that i had already covered most of the questions they wanted to ask, which i think was a good thing. we continued discussion about my interest in the museum school as well as the desire to study at the graduate level in general. the interview ended with them asking me if i had any questions for them. i was not as prepared for this question as the others so unfortunately i could only come up with some pretty dumb questions that i could have found the answers for on the website or in other literature, but i did probe about the opportunity in stepping outside of the art community and the desire to have a discussion with non-art faculty at other institutions. i think the faculty were really supportive of this idea and told me about how there is plenty of opportunity to either take courses at a variety of other institutions within the boston area or at least meet up with other faculty for studio visits etc. the friendly conversation ended and i said my thank yous and goodbyes and wished them luck with the following applicants.
returning to the main room i realized that i had just spent the entirety of my energy from 3 hours of sleep the night before. i was a zombie during the following events including checking out the museum of fine arts, touring the school/facilities, seeing two galleries in the boston area featuring a current thesis show and another of students work completed on a residency in Alaska, as well as a scenic tour of boston via bus. around five i could not keep my eyes open, but there was a drink/snack reception back in the main building with current faculty, students, applicants, and recently graduated alums. everyone was extremely nice and it was very interesting to see where people were working, what they were doing, and their thoughts on boston and the program. one intriguing observation was the amazing number of international students and applicants. of around 80 applicants asked to interview for around 25 spots, i interacted with a small small amount, yet discovered people from croatia, angola, thailand, hungary, colombia, and india. i think i came across two other west coasters.
in summary the museum school is in essence the antithesis of what i thought mfa programs were. its difficult not to imagine those cold, eastern schools that push traditional ways of art making and a critique environment that spawns the occasional crier. as i realized this is simply not the case. the museum school's program is about as free-form as you can get. whereas most programs have discipline specific programs i.e. 7 photo, 7 painting, 7 graphic design etc., the museum school admits about 25 students per year across all discplines. i have more research to do on actual class structure, but essentially you are free to do/make what you want as long as you can argue its validity. further, the school operates within a consortion of several other schools where you can cross register to take classes. opportunities range from enrolling at berklee college of music to tufts to occasionally teaming up with faculty in the MIT media lab. it is sort of scary to have such free reign, but at the same time with discipline and a willingness to collaborate and experiment, i think the museum school is validly capable of producing amazing graduates making amazing work.
the following day my host, liz and i were enjoying a panoramic view several stories up from her brothers roofdeck in the historic part of boston when i got a call letting me know i had been accepted to the program. i was a little blown away at the speed of it all, but nonetheless am extremely happy. i am still waiting to hear from several schools, but it would be incredible to enroll at the museum school next year. i will say it definitely paid off to be over prepared and it is unfortunate that so many schools do not offer interviews at all - i suppose because of the close knit, family-like nature of the grad program it makes sense why interviews are so important.
i hope you all found this informative about the interview process as well as what the museum school is all about - if i do end up there next year, we will all be getting an up close and personal view of the program thats for sure.
aside from a lovely host and lovely city, it was great to check out the museum school. i was supposed to arrive at 8:30 in the morning at the mission hill building that housed the grad studios and some offices. my interview was at 9 so i did not have a lot of time to check out many things, but the grad students had covered the walls of the main area with a lot of current work so it was good to get a feeling for the types of art that was being created.
at 9 i was walked to a conference room where i met with my interview committee. it consisted of two faculty (photo & film) and one current graduate student (painting among other endeavors). to my surprise only one of the faculty had seen my application so we proceeded to go through my projected slides as i explained the two bodies of work as well as my inspiration and sneaking in some commentary on my interest in the museum school's program. the conversation was laid back, fluid, and surprisingly friendly. more informal conversation than interview, i tried my best to speak clearly and with authority. there were a lot of questions being asked back and forth in relationship to different types of grant opportunities at the museum school, the critique process, and mostly the interdisciplinary nature of the program. the student that was in the interview with me was trained as a formal painter, but was recently reaching out and working in photo. when the slide show ended i was told that i had already covered most of the questions they wanted to ask, which i think was a good thing. we continued discussion about my interest in the museum school as well as the desire to study at the graduate level in general. the interview ended with them asking me if i had any questions for them. i was not as prepared for this question as the others so unfortunately i could only come up with some pretty dumb questions that i could have found the answers for on the website or in other literature, but i did probe about the opportunity in stepping outside of the art community and the desire to have a discussion with non-art faculty at other institutions. i think the faculty were really supportive of this idea and told me about how there is plenty of opportunity to either take courses at a variety of other institutions within the boston area or at least meet up with other faculty for studio visits etc. the friendly conversation ended and i said my thank yous and goodbyes and wished them luck with the following applicants.
returning to the main room i realized that i had just spent the entirety of my energy from 3 hours of sleep the night before. i was a zombie during the following events including checking out the museum of fine arts, touring the school/facilities, seeing two galleries in the boston area featuring a current thesis show and another of students work completed on a residency in Alaska, as well as a scenic tour of boston via bus. around five i could not keep my eyes open, but there was a drink/snack reception back in the main building with current faculty, students, applicants, and recently graduated alums. everyone was extremely nice and it was very interesting to see where people were working, what they were doing, and their thoughts on boston and the program. one intriguing observation was the amazing number of international students and applicants. of around 80 applicants asked to interview for around 25 spots, i interacted with a small small amount, yet discovered people from croatia, angola, thailand, hungary, colombia, and india. i think i came across two other west coasters.
in summary the museum school is in essence the antithesis of what i thought mfa programs were. its difficult not to imagine those cold, eastern schools that push traditional ways of art making and a critique environment that spawns the occasional crier. as i realized this is simply not the case. the museum school's program is about as free-form as you can get. whereas most programs have discipline specific programs i.e. 7 photo, 7 painting, 7 graphic design etc., the museum school admits about 25 students per year across all discplines. i have more research to do on actual class structure, but essentially you are free to do/make what you want as long as you can argue its validity. further, the school operates within a consortion of several other schools where you can cross register to take classes. opportunities range from enrolling at berklee college of music to tufts to occasionally teaming up with faculty in the MIT media lab. it is sort of scary to have such free reign, but at the same time with discipline and a willingness to collaborate and experiment, i think the museum school is validly capable of producing amazing graduates making amazing work.
the following day my host, liz and i were enjoying a panoramic view several stories up from her brothers roofdeck in the historic part of boston when i got a call letting me know i had been accepted to the program. i was a little blown away at the speed of it all, but nonetheless am extremely happy. i am still waiting to hear from several schools, but it would be incredible to enroll at the museum school next year. i will say it definitely paid off to be over prepared and it is unfortunate that so many schools do not offer interviews at all - i suppose because of the close knit, family-like nature of the grad program it makes sense why interviews are so important.
i hope you all found this informative about the interview process as well as what the museum school is all about - if i do end up there next year, we will all be getting an up close and personal view of the program thats for sure.
02 March 2009
interview notes from a professor
i lucked out in having a close friend who is family friends with an adjunct professor who teaches at the museum school! she was incredibly helpful, friendly, and supportive... and just in time as the interview is this saturday. below are some words of advice she gave me. interestingly enough, a lot of her advice would have been a great help a year ago at my saic interview; there were definitely some similarities in the questions i remember being asked.
Hi Erik,
Congratulations on your interview! I teach in the painting dept. but know many of the photo faculty.
I have never sat on an interview at SMFA since I am adjunct faculty. However, having been through several MFA interviews when I was applying to grad school, I can make a few suggestions.
I know the SMFA culture well and think they are mostly wanting to get a sense of your personality and receptiveness to feedback. The best advise I can give is be genuine and don't try and be what you THINK they are looking for. One thing I know for sure is the school is obsessed with content. Be prepared to articulate meaning behind your subject matter. Also, if you have any background in critical theory it's good to have texts fresh in your mind in case they ask you what you read, etc. If not, be honest and say those are the things you hope to learn about in graduate school.
Often they will ask:
Why do you want to go to graduate school? A good answer is: exposure to faculty and visiting artists; develope strong community of peers; to challenge and srengthen the quality of your work; to prepare you to participate in a competative art industry
Why museum school?
Who or what influences your work? (artists, film, music...it's good to have relevant contemporary artist's names in mind)
What have you seen that you can't stand? (they asked me this at once school and I completely blanked)
Ok, now the most imporatant thing is to be conversational and not defensive. Also, don't try and be perfect. Take time to answer questions honestly and when you don't know a good answer say these are things you hope to get a clearer perspective on in grad school.
Mostly, they just want to make sure you are teachable and not a serial killer.
be sure and breath...
Let me know if you have more questions!
Hi Erik,
Congratulations on your interview! I teach in the painting dept. but know many of the photo faculty.
I have never sat on an interview at SMFA since I am adjunct faculty. However, having been through several MFA interviews when I was applying to grad school, I can make a few suggestions.
I know the SMFA culture well and think they are mostly wanting to get a sense of your personality and receptiveness to feedback. The best advise I can give is be genuine and don't try and be what you THINK they are looking for. One thing I know for sure is the school is obsessed with content. Be prepared to articulate meaning behind your subject matter. Also, if you have any background in critical theory it's good to have texts fresh in your mind in case they ask you what you read, etc. If not, be honest and say those are the things you hope to learn about in graduate school.
Often they will ask:
Why do you want to go to graduate school? A good answer is: exposure to faculty and visiting artists; develope strong community of peers; to challenge and srengthen the quality of your work; to prepare you to participate in a competative art industry
Why museum school?
Who or what influences your work? (artists, film, music...it's good to have relevant contemporary artist's names in mind)
What have you seen that you can't stand? (they asked me this at once school and I completely blanked)
Ok, now the most imporatant thing is to be conversational and not defensive. Also, don't try and be perfect. Take time to answer questions honestly and when you don't know a good answer say these are things you hope to get a clearer perspective on in grad school.
Mostly, they just want to make sure you are teachable and not a serial killer.
be sure and breath...
Let me know if you have more questions!
25 February 2009
saic (?)
well i am almost fully convinced that i did not make it to the interview at saic this year. i think it confirms what many have told me over the past year or so that the mfa application acceptance process is truly a crapshoot. i made it to the saic interview a year ago not really knowing what the hell i was doing. in my eyes, half my portfolio was weak and i was coming straight from undergraduate school. i think it proves that you really do not know what to expect - or at least that my portfolio this year around is not as strong as i thought it was.
i have not officially heard from saic yet, but i do know that their interviews are the same weekend as the one i have in boston. it only makes sense that they would have let me known by now. we shall see i guess. i wont be hearing from RISD, cornell, or ucla for at least another month, but i am working on putting together some interviews for current and recently graduated mfa students to post on the blog.
until then?
i have not officially heard from saic yet, but i do know that their interviews are the same weekend as the one i have in boston. it only makes sense that they would have let me known by now. we shall see i guess. i wont be hearing from RISD, cornell, or ucla for at least another month, but i am working on putting together some interviews for current and recently graduated mfa students to post on the blog.
until then?
09 February 2009
yale
Got a nice looking letter in the mail today with a rejection in it. Sorta bummed, but its one of those situations where you know the program isn't right for you, but its the holy grail of programs nonetheless.
Should be hearing from Chicago within a week or two and then its another month until the three other schools that do not have interviews.
We shall see!
Should be hearing from Chicago within a week or two and then its another month until the three other schools that do not have interviews.
We shall see!
08 February 2009
SMFA
I received an email a couple of days ago letting me know that I have advanced to the interview stage at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I am pretty excited about it and am looking forward of getting a good look at both the school and city.
check out this show
Lisa is a good friend of mine and an excellent photo-based artist who is a first year MFA student at USC.
introductions
Hey
My name is Erik and I am a 23 year old emerging artist that has applied to several MFA programs for the fall of 2009.
I started this blog to share my soon-to-be relationship with the MFA degree (if I end up getting in to a program that is).
There are lots of MFA related goodies out there in the blogosphere, but I have yet to find one that is sorta like a diary of a current MFA student. Not that I am one yet, but I figured post-app is a good place to start...
This year I applied to six schools:
UCLA, The School of the Art Institute Chicago, RISD, Cornell, Yale, and the School of the Museum of Fine Art Boston.
I'll keep you updated.
My name is Erik and I am a 23 year old emerging artist that has applied to several MFA programs for the fall of 2009.
I started this blog to share my soon-to-be relationship with the MFA degree (if I end up getting in to a program that is).
There are lots of MFA related goodies out there in the blogosphere, but I have yet to find one that is sorta like a diary of a current MFA student. Not that I am one yet, but I figured post-app is a good place to start...
This year I applied to six schools:
UCLA, The School of the Art Institute Chicago, RISD, Cornell, Yale, and the School of the Museum of Fine Art Boston.
I'll keep you updated.
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