MFA in Interdisciplinary ArtsMFA in Interdisciplinary ArtsThe low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts is a five semester, 60 credit terminal degree program designed to facilitate students in articulating an original vision, refining expressive and technical skills, and experimenting in new directions. The low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts welcome all art practices, especially those that advance a collective understanding of what art is and what art can be. The program also welcomes practices that are not traditionally part of the Western art tradition. Students and faculty in the low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts Program form a vibrant community of artists in an egalitarian, cooperative, and inquiring learning environment.
The focus of the low residency MFA program is holistic, encouraging students to become the kind of artist they want to be, without trying to socialize them into any preconception of what an artist should be or should do. Students design their individual program of study based on their own interests and professional goals, with one-on-one mentoring from faculty advisors who are also working artists. The low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts Program is one of the few interdisciplinary arts programs in the world committed to reaching across the visual, conceptual and performing arts. Studies in the low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program take into equal consideration all aspects related to art practices, including emotional, procedural, cultural, political, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions, as well as questions of the artist’s role in community and society.
Work of the Program The low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program combines the energizing and enriching potential of intense community and peer learning, with the freedom and flexibility of distance education through an eight day residency and a fifteen week semester of independent study. This format is ideal for artists who wish to attend graduate school without suspending their professional and personal commitments.
The focus of the low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program is on providing the conditions for each individual artist to clarify their intentions and develop their own unique voice. Each student works one-on-one with faculty advisors to design their individual program of studies based on their own interests, their personal learning style, and their aspirations as professional artists. Students begin by designing an individualized study plan tailored to their specific goals for the program. At the beginning of each of the five semesters, students meet with their faculty advisor during the week-long residency to define the work they will pursue during the semester.
Each semester’s combination of creative and critical work is carried out in the student’s home community and supported by one-on-one mentoring by a faculty advisor. In addition to the goals of their individual study plans, low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts students complete a community-based practicum and produce a final portfolio synthesizing and articulating their work in the program and their art practice.
The Faculty Faculty advisors in the low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program work one-on-one with their students to facilitate personal learning goals and the deepening of creative and critical skills. Through open and extended written dialogue, faculty advisors offer feedback, suggestions, affirmation and challenge. The on-going dialogue between student and faculty advisor supports and sustains students throughout their work in the program.
The low residency
MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts faculty are active in their fields,
working as artists, community-builders, educators, writers, and
thinkers. They bring a rich diversity of experience and philosophy to
their role as advisors, mentors, and colleagues.
The Residency Each semester in the low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program begins with an eight-day residency for students and faculty. Students spend intensive time with their advisors, one-on-one and in small groups, discussing their creative practice and planning their semester’s work. A wide-ranging program of workshops and presentations is offered, exploring contemporary issues and fostering cross-fertilization between mediums and practices. Students of all disciplines have a variety of opportunities to present their current projects, works in progress, and hands-on experimentation. Residencies are a rich opportunity to develop a strong sense of community and establish lasting friendships and creative collaborations.
Students entering the low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts Program choose one of two low residency site options for the duration of their studies:
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