gRAPHICaNATOMY

There is no guarantee that pursuing a Master's Degree in Art will make anyone a better artist.
If fact there is no demonstrable proof that MFA's get more art shows, have better artwork, or sell more art.
But you can be pretty sure you will go deeper into debt trying to pay for it.

Why get an MFA? Is it because you want to be a better artist?

Step 1. Make Art. 
To be a better artist just practice your skills, constantly, consistently, and seriously.
AND
use those skills to communicate more authentic & original subject matter.
Do this by consciously deciding what to focus on. (very similar to meditation skills)  Either going deeper into your own experiences &  subconscious; or by what you observe in the outside world.
Get rid of the cliche's, the obvious, and anything that isn't really YOU.
Do not submit your art to current fashion,  trendy theory, art historian narrative, preconceived ideas, or anything that has a structure someone else controls.

Take a fraction of the $75,000 you would have spent on tuition and buy art supplies.
Work comes out of work.

Apprenticeships aren't much better. 9 times out of 10 the "Master" isn't a Master and an even worse teacher. The Master is not concerned about helping the Apprentice reach his/her full potential, they want to copy themselves onto the Apprentice.
(note to self: future topic- workshops that teach a particular method by an artist with some degree of fame. Similar to apprenticeships.) 

The apprentice or student pays way too much money, wasted too much time, puts up with unnecessary abuse  and still ends up having  to teach themselves or learn on the go anyway.

I think the real problem is ... education done badly is just cloning. The problem IS a closed system that doesn't breath and doesn't adapt to a constantly changing environment. The system or the tradition becomes more important than the individual. IT's not actually teaching it's duplicating.... like a virus.

Labels: art school, education, mfa, schooling

think they deserve a museum show right out the gate.
NO matter how much god-given talent, or fancy-ass degree you may have, you have to do your time in the shithouses, the coffee shops, and the dives to earn your way to the "big time".
You need to practice or the "big time". These "little shows" give you the chance to hone your skill, and test your mettle.
To learn how to make art on a schedule, to hang a show, to promote yourself, to price yourself, to build a following, and interact with the crowd.
It gives you experience. The one thing you don't have.
So when that big time comes... you will truly be ready.
Because you have paid your dues and did your time.
So shut up and make some art.

Labels: art, experience, openings, schooling

So… some little number crunchers took a look at the average earnings  for certain degree holders in such areas as:
-Recent graduate employment
-Experienced graduate employment
-Recent graduate earnings
-Experienced graduate earnings
-Projected growth in total number of jobs, 2010–2020
…. and low and behold …. some areas make more money than others.
now this could mean many things but the article decided to interpret it to mean that some college majors are "worthless".
Source:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/04/23/the-13-most-useless-majors-from-philosophy-to-journalism.html#slide1

Of course you can also interpret the data in lots of other ways too:
Money does not equal happiness or all definitions of success.


or



Colleges have failed to prepare these students to fully succeed and reach their potential.

College may be one of the worst places to learn how to be an artist. It doesn't mean that Art is not worth learning about.... or it's not worth it to make art. It's kinda like the desert is the worst place to learn how to swim. College is an intellectual, creative desert to the potential artist. And better yet, this desert will set you back $30,000 to $50,000 in debt. You know how many art supplies you could buy with that?


I've addressed my thoughts in colleges and art schools here:
http://samthor.blogspot.com/2011/12/so-i-wanna-go-to-art-school.html

There is serious concerns over the current cost of higher education.
And i have to agree that with technology, the price should be coming down… not going up.
Is it really worth it to spend that much money, go into that much debt, and only get so much in return?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQpodOX4-7Q&feature=related

Labels: art education, art schools, mfa, schooling

The last kid who told me she wanted to go to college for art, i told her “don’t”.

I told her to go to the local art center and take studio classes for a hundred dollars instead of the university classes that cost thousands.
I told her to go to art shows and meet artists. To ask to visit their studio and watch them work for a day for free.
I told her to get a library and check out every book on art and anything else that caught her interest for free.
I told her to go on you tube and watch “how to” videos for free.

Sure this way requires a bit more hustle and self discipline…. but isn’t that the secret to succes ? Hustle and self discipline ensures success, not a piece of paper with a diploma printed on it. And if that piece of paper was important to her… she can print her own when she graduates.

Labels: art, art schools, education, mfa, schooling