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"The role of visual-art’s training is to go up against constructs set by other academic realms. I hope visual arts training has no relationship to that of other disciplines."v
Liz Toonkel
MFA, California Institute of the Arts, Scenic Design + Art and Technology, 2012I have found it difficult to answer these questions directly because each seem to inherently challenge my idea of what an Art MFA program should be. At the institution I attended it’s successes and pitfalls stem from its simultaneous desire to hold steadfast to its mission and a preoccupation with the idea that that mission is dead and in need of serious change.
In my mind, a graduate art program should not be focused on providing one with a skill set. An MFA program’s goal should be to teach one to create a methodology within which to express his or her point of view and to provide a discourse with which to challenge and critique the world. Administrators are in a tailspin about how to keep up with the digital revolution to the point of destroying aspects of art programs that are integral to their function. The few a-ha moments I have had in my artistic life have all come about from analog means. The first time I hand cut a -
film in my undergraduate studies was one of my most revolutionary experiences. Being able to manipulate an image with my hands and embody the narrative changed the way I approach art making. In graduate school, the first half-inch scale theatrical model I built had a similar impact on me and forever changed my design process and perspective. Knowledge of the digital realm is extremely helpful and essential to acquiring a job but is job-training/readiness the goal of graduate school?
The role of visual-art’s training is to go up against constructs set by other academic realms. I hope visual arts training has no relationship to that of other disciplines.
I think MFA programs should have absolutely no relationship to the art market. Revolutionary ideas are not birthed from adhering to the system. The relationship between art students and collectors/dealers is a tricky one. I appreciate that this was not a focal point of my MFA program. It kept the environment creatively free and less competitive. That said, I wish there had been a greater admission of this reality and deeper answers on how to navigate it.
What makes a successful art school/MFA program is the creation of a space that is uncensored, safe and inspiring alongside a curriculum that encourages diversity, rigor, and endless questioning. ⊗
