Application deadline: November 1, 2015
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
Established as the first low-residency program in visual art in the country, the MFA in Visual Art at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is now accepting applications to begin the program with the January 2016 residency. The deadline is November 1, 2015.
The MFA in Visual Art program is based on the principle of individualized learning, with both on-campus and off-campus experiences. Each semester consists of an intensive ten-day residency in Vermont comprised of student exhibitions, individual and group critiques, faculty and guest lectures, workshops, and a thematic symposium. Off-campus, students continue their studies by completing a series of interdisciplinary Visual Culture research and writing projects with guidance from a faculty member, and by pursuing their studio work with formalized mentorship by a local artist selected in collaboration with the program.
25 years of experience providing low-residency graduate-level education sets apart the MFA in Visual Art program at VCFA.
What makes us unique
– During their time in the program, students in the MFA in Visual Art program at VCFA have the opportunity to connect with a roster of 12–15 faculty members, four Artist-Teachers (each one guiding one semester of studio work), five artists-in-residence, over 50 guest artists, a student body of more than 70 fellow students, and a wide network of over 1,000 alumni located across the country and internationally.
– MFA in Visual Art students at VCFA work in their own studio and have monthly studio visits with their Artist-Teacher each semester, building a network of professional contacts that prepares students for a sustainable practice after they graduate. We have over 1,500 Artist-Teachers approved to work with our graduate students wherever they are located across the country. Graduates leave the MFA program with an established studio practice grounded in their own locales.
– Our expertise at VCFA supports all studio practices—from painting, photography and new media to performance, community arts and social practice. Our curriculum is not specific to any medium; its foundation on individualized learning supports the possibility of experimentation throughout a student’s time in the program.
Our faculty
As internationally renowned artists, intellectuals, and educators, the faculty members of the MFA in Visual Art program bring a wide array of interdisciplinary perspectives to every residency—with specific interests in the discourses of feminism, race, ethnicity, difference, identity, inequality, radical pedagogy, art and politics, and regionalism/locality. This diversity of expertise supports every student’s field of inquiry. Faculty members work with MFA students each semester, both on-campus at every residency and off-campus on the Visual Culture research and writing projects.
Current core and visiting faculty include:
Dalida María Benfield / Mike Cloud / Michelle Dizon / Ashley Hunt / Luis Jacob / Sowon Kwon / Viet Le / Lana Lin / Michael Minelli / Humberto Ramirez / Dont Rhine / Marie Shurkus / Cauleen Smith / Faith Wilding
For more information on the background and professional work of our faculty, visit: vcfa.edu
Applicants must have completed a BFA, BA, or BS degree from an accredited college or university, or hold a diploma from a recognized professional art school, and must have substantial experience in making art. Applicants must also have a working knowledge of art history and/or visual culture, which may include such courses as theory or history of film, television, video, theater, design history, communications, aesthetics, popular culture, etc. The program occasionally considers accepting a student without a Bachelor’s degree. Such candidates must show evidence to the MFA Admissions Committee of exceptional artistic work and strong writing and research abilities.
Visit the admissions page or click here to contact an admissions counselor directly.
