Low-Residency MFA program

The Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts (Low-Res MFA) program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is designed for the 21st century artist whose work and life demand both a rigorous engagement with an artistic community as well as flexibility, fluidity, and a self-directed approach. SAIC’s Low-Res MFA program is open to artists, writers, educators, curators, and historians. The application deadline for fall 2022 is January 10, 2022.

An individualized three-year plan of study integrates studio work with art history, theory, and poetics. The program is organized into three topic-driven themes to investigate the philosophy of art: attention, sensation, and perception.

Supported by faculty based at SAIC and a roster of renowned visiting artists, students spend spring and fall semesters taking classes online and working remotely from a home studio. While off campus, each student is paired an SAIC alumni advisor located within their geographical area.

During the summer, students and faculty participate in weekly colloquia, seminars, studio visits, critiques, and professional practice courses. Study culminates in a major thesis project with both exhibited and written components.

Core faculty
Gregg Bordowitz, Lee Blalock, Giovanni Aloi, Christian Campbell, Tyler Coburn, D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem, Corrine Fitzpatrick, Kelly Kaczynski, Terri Kapsalis, Judd Morrisey, Nathanaël, John Neff, Andrea Ray, Pamela Sneed, and Hamza Walker, with new faculty to be added.

Summer 2022 visiting artists and scholars: Lynne Cooke, Nancy Shaver, Pamela Sneed, Wu Tsang, with more visitors to be announced. Theorist-in-Residence: Susanne DesRoches (invited).

About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, Jeff Koons, and LeRoy Neiman. For more information, please visit our website.