Call for graduate applications and open house

Want to learn more about the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ (PAFA) vibrant graduate programs? Join us for the graduate programs fall open house on Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 12–4 pm and get an inside look into our Master of Fine Arts, Low-Residency MFA, and Post-Baccalaureate programs. Come to explore our campus and interact with current students and faculty. 

PAFA’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program provides an intense and transformative immersion in contemporary art-making practice in a large and supportive community of artists, critics, visiting speakers, seminar leaders, and fellow students.

The MFA program at PAFA is an intensive, two-year experience that focuses on studio practice and individual artistic development. The program is interdisciplinary in nature and welcomes students working in a variety of media with a wide range of interests. Through seminars, studio classes, critiques, and visiting artist lectures, students are exposed to diverse viewpoints and approaches to art-making.

The core of the program is students’ individual studio practice. Through experimentation, one on one discussion with critics, and group critiques, students develop their work and ideas into a sustainable, thoughtful artistic practice. Students have a private studio with 24-hour access and access to the print and sculpture shops, the Cast Hall and the tremendous museum collection.

During the second year of the program, students begin to focus towards a body of work that constitutes their thesis. The program of study culminates in an exhibition of thesis work within the museum galleries of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building.

All MFA and Post-Baccalaureate students are provided a private studio in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building and have access to the galleries of PAFA’s renowned collection of historic and contemporary American art. Studios have 24-hour access and are maintained within a facility that meets meet all safety and access requirements.

The Low-Residency MFA program is the ideal program for students who desire the community, support and rigor of a traditional MFA, but with a more flexible structure to fit their lives and schedules. Similar to PAFA’s traditional MFA, the Low-Residency program focuses on independent studio work and is interdisciplinary in nature, welcoming a wide range of approaches to art-making.

The Low-Res MFA consists of both on-site and off-site learning. The core of the program is three summer terms completed on the PAFA campus. For these intensive, eight-week sessions, students have their own private studio and are engaged in independent work. Individual studio research is complemented by seminar courses, regular visits with faculty, group critiques, and an outstanding roster of visiting artists. During the fall and spring terms, students are off-site, and supported by a vital online community with virtual studios, critic meetings and courses in art history, contemporary art, theory, writing and professional practices.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program is a one-year, studio-based curriculum of graduate-level study in studio art. It is ideal for artists working independently who wish to experiment and bring new focus to their work, as well as for artists seeking further development before pursuing an MFA. Each student is assigned a private studio, a program advisor and a team of faculty critics. Students and faculty meet regularly to assess each student’s artistic needs.

About PAFA
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America’s first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and a world-class collection of American art. PAFA’s esteemed alumni include Mary Cassatt, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Thomas Eakins, William Glackens, Barkley Hendricks, Violet Oakley, Louis Kahn, David Lynch, and Henry Ossawa Tanner.