16 November 2005

MFA Programs in Chicago

This is the time for some to look into/or apply to graduate schools in the Fine Arts(MFA). If any of you are interested in aplying to schools within the city of Chicago, I will list general overview of the school/some opportunities to view current graduate student work and critiques. You can get a chance to see what type of work/artists the schools accept.

Schools:
  • The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

  • Columbia College Chicago

  • The University of Chicago (COVA)

  • University of Illinois at Chicago (School of Art and Design)


  • The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
    -deadline for MFA program January 10
    -one of the top graduate program in the country (in fact it's tied for #1 spot with Yale School of Art)
    -it accepts around 500 students to all of its graduate programs
    -since it's one of the top schools in the country it is quiet selective, and receives lots of applications
    -very important emphasis on one's portfolio, hence make sure your slides are professional
    -it's an art school, hence the environment is very relaxed among the student body, and high emphasis placed upon creativity, and socialisation among the students
    -there are numerous exhibition venues: Gallery 2, Betty Rymer Gallery, 1928 Exhibition space and multpiple student run galleries
    -most of the popular Chicago artists such as Ed Paschke, Carl Wirsum, have attended the school
    -private institution, hence the tuition is expensive

    There were gradaute open studios last week, Friday November 11 5-9PM where you could have had a chance to see current students' works. (sorry i did not post this earlier).However, here are some exhibits featuring student works:
  • November 4 - December 3, 2005
    Course-driven projects, led by SAIC faculty Mary Patten, Ellen Rothenberg and Shawnee Barton
    Opening reception: Friday, November 4 / 6-9 pm

    The Exhibition Studies Space and G2 will host a series of projects derived from current classes led by SAIC faculty Mary Patten (Film Video and New Media’s Video Installation I), Ellen Rothenberg (the Writing Program’s Text off the Page), and Shawnee Barton (the Photo Department’s Humor in Art). In addition to the exhibitions and installations, there will be readings and performances, including Growing Up Mid, a “Dark Night” event presented by current Writing Program grads Manda Aufochs Gillespie and Allison Gruber.

  • December 16, 2005 - January 14, 2006
    Gallery 2
    Mash-Up
    Opening reception: Friday, December 16
    6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

    Work in installation, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, and video by current and recent SAIC students Luke Aleckson, Elizabeth Axtman, Irina Botea, Adam Ekberg, Brad Farwell, Jonathan Gillette, Young Sun Han, Erin Jones, Jenny Kendler, Scott Kildall, and Lilly McElroy.

  • December 16, 2005 - January 14, 2006
    Project Space
    Veiled
    Opening reception: Friday, December 16
    6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

    Work in installation, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, and video by current SAIC graduate students Alessandro Keegan, Andrea Myers, and Sharon Younger.

    Gallery 2
    847 West Jackson Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60607
    Telephone: 312.563-5162
    FAX: 312.563-0510
    Email: saic847@artic.edu

  • Columbia College Chicago
    -deadline for an MFA program March 1
    -another great art school in Chicago
    -lots of emphasis on creativity and a pretty relaxed atmosphere
    -great photogrpahy program
    -located in downtown Chicago
    -has numerous exhbition venues as in the SAIC
    -it offers around 18 masters programs
    -it's a private institution, hence the tuition is not that cheap but less then SAIC

  • The University of Chicago
    -deadline for MFA program December 28
    -a small program that accepts usually only 11 candidates(22 candidates total in the COVA graduate department)
    -part of the U of C, hence, not a mere art school and you will be required to take courses in the college
    -it's a simple MFA interdisciplinary program, it does not have seperate departments for painting, sculpture, etc.
    -it has about 5-6 faculty members
    -there is around 80 applications submitted to this program as it is not very famous
    -private university located in the south side neighborhood -Hyde Park
    -although, the tuition is quiet expensive the university provides a lot of financial aid to its students
    -located in the Midway Studios
    -not very many exhibition venues run by the school (Midway Studios exhibition space is the main space) but students have a chance to exhibit their work in a yearly Festival of the Arts (FOTA) in May, and around campus in coffee shops

    If you are interested in applyng to The Univeristy of Chicago go check out the current work by the MFA students during the critique week.

    MFA critiques
    Monday, December 5th 9:00-3:15
    Tuesday, December 6th 9:00-3:15
    Midway Studios
    6016 S. Ingleside Ave.
    Chicago, IL 60637
    ph: 773-753-4821

    A Website of some of the work by the grad students

  • MFA 2005


  • Univerity of Illinois at Chicago (School of Art and Design)
    -deadline for MFA program:December 15 to be considered for a fellowship, otherwise February 1
    -public university located around Greek town/Tri-Taylor area
    -tuition not very expensive as the school is public
    -the school over the years has improved its MFA program, which is quiet good now
    -it has several exhibition venues, mainly gallery 400
    -located close by the West Loop gallery district

    I will try to update this info as I find more information about these programs.
  • ALISON KNOWLES!!! Today Wednesday, Nov. 16

    WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 at 6:00 p.m.
    SAIC Auditorium, 280 S. Columbus Drive

    She is a visual artist known for her soundworks, installations, performances, publications and association with Fluxus, the experimental avant-garde group formally founded in 1962.

    15 November 2005

    Dia de los Muertos: The Journey Home @ Mexican Fine Arts Museum (Pilsen)

    September 23 - December 11

    If you haven't had a chance to see this show, you should go before it closes.

    1852 West 19th Street
    Chicago, IL 60608
    312.738.1503

    Museum Hours:
    Tuesday - Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM
    Admission is free

    See more at
  • Dia de los Muertos
  • Current Exhibits @ Block Museum (Northwestern University)

    40 Arts Circle Drive
    Evanston, IL 60208-2410
    Phone: 847-491-4000
    Admission is Free

    Monday Closed
    Tuesday 10 AM - 5 PM
    Wednesday - Friday 10 AM - 8 PM
    Saturday 12 PM - 5 PM
    Sunday 12 PM - 5 PM

    Marion Mahony Griffin: Drawing the Form of Nature
    September 23–December 4, 2005
    Alsdorf Gallery

    Paths to the Press: Printmaking and American Women Artists, 1910-1960
    September 23–December 11, 2005
    Main Gallery

    Maybelle Stamper: Works on Paper
    September 23–December 11, 2005
    Print, Drawing, and Photography Study Center

    Steina Vasulka: Orbital Obsessions
    September 23–December 11, 2005
    Ellen Philips Katz and Howard C. Katz Gallery

    Theo Leffmann: Weaving a Life into Art
    Ongoing, on display September 23–December 11, 2005
    Theo Leffmann Gallery

    See more at
  • Block Museum
  • Current exhibits @ Museum of Contemporary Photography

    Stages of Memory: The War in Vietnam
    October 13 — December 17, 2005

    Jeffrey A. Wolin: Inconvenient Stories
    October 13 — December 17, 2005

    600 S. Michigan Ave
    Chicago, IL 60605
    General Information: 312.663.5554

    The Museum is free and open to the public
    Mon–Fri: 10am to 5pm
    Thu: until 8pm
    Sat: 12pm to 5pm

    See more about events and lectures
  • MoCP
  • Caravaggio @ Loyola University Museum of Art until February 11, 2006

    820 North Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60611
    312-915-7600

    Hours:
    Monday: closed
    Tuesday: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (free admission)
    Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

    Events related to the exhibit:

    Thursday, Nov. 17
    5:30 p.m. Caravaggio Speaker's Series
    Artemisia Gentileschi and Caravaggio: The Evolution of Artemisia's Expressive Language
    Guest Speaker: Judy Mann, Ph.D., St. Louis Art Museum

    Sunday, Nov. 20
    2 p.m. Caravaggio Film Series
    Artemisia: The story of Caravaggio's female contemporary, Artemisia Gentileschi
    Director, Agnes Merlot (1994)
    Free admission

    Sunday, Dec. 4
    3:30 p.m. Caravaggio Speaker's Series
    In the Painter's Studio: Caravaggio's Painting Technique
    Guest Speaker: Phoebe Weil, Conservator, St. Louis
    Co-sponsor: Loyola University Chicago Department of Chemistry
    By reservation only (312-915-7600); space is limited.

    January 2006
    Tuesday, Jan. 28
    6-8 p.m. Caravaggio's Judith: Art and Literature Series
    Tour of exhibition and discussion on the Book of Judith with Dr. Daniel Born and Ann Meehan
    Co-sponsor: The Great Books Foundation
    Members $15; Non-members $25
    Reservations: 312-915-7604

    See more info at Caravaggio

    14 November 2005

    Various Talk/Lectures at the Art Institute of Chicago

    Gallery Talk
    Focus: Michael Asher
    Tuesday 11/15, 12-12:45 p.m.
    Gallery 100
    Free
    Call (312) 443-3680

    Illustrating Social Justice: Leftist Artists, New Masses, and Politicized Visual Culture in the 1930s
    Thursday 11/17, 6-7 p.m.
    Fullerton Hall @ Art Institute of Chicago
    Free
    Call (312) 443-3680
    Lecture by Helen Langa, American University.

    These are some interesting listings this week. You can find more listings at Art Institute of Chicago

    Various gallery openings - Friday, November 18

  • West Loop
    _Andrew Bae Gallery-presents Sandra Lee


  • River North/River East
    _Mary Bell Galleries -Deborah Ebbers: Landscape Impressions, oil on board
    _Thomas Gathman Gallery
    _Gruen Galleries -Tom Parish, "Venice" ; Michael Douglas, Erin Parish and Bruce Riley
    _Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery-"VISTA: Directions in Contemporary Landscape Painting," including work by Ron Clayton, Dag Hol, Douglas Johnson, Margaret Keller, Susan Kraut, Thomas Monaghan,
    _Inspire Fine Art-group show
    _Stephen Kelly Gallery, Inc.-group show
    _Ogilvie/Pertl Gallery-Group Exhibit: Hilario Gutierrez, Valentina DuBasky, David Kessler and other gallery artists
    _Perimeter Gallery-Sculpture: Neil Goodman
  • The Fluidity of Time @ MCA

    November 25, 2005 – February 25, 2006

    Title of the exhibit is taken from Yves Tanguy painting, and it will feature work by artists that have made important contributions/influences to the formation of contemporary art.

    Artists in the exhibit include: Tanguy, Roberto Matta, Rene Magritte, Leon Golub, Andy Warhol, Lee Bontecou, George Segal, Christo, Robert Smithson, Donald Judd, Robert Irwin, Bruce Nauman, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, and Chuck Close, Andreas Gursky, Alfredo Jaar, Jim Hodges, Lari Pittman, Ellen Gallagher, Donald Moffett, Kerry James Marshall, Damien Ortega, and Luisa Lambri.

    More Info:

  • Fluidity of Time
  • Tropicália: A Revolution in Brazilian Culture @ MCA

    October 22, 2005 – January 8, 2006

    It consists of major works from the 1967 re-creation of the original New Brazilian Objectivity exhibition, and includes works by various artist i.e. Lygia Clark, Lygia Pape, and Antônio Dias; a survey of films; excerpts from concerts by the tropicalist musicians; and examples of advertising, fashion, television clips, and artist-designed theater sets.

    Monday Closed
    Tuesday 10 am to 8 pm
    Wednesday - Sunday 10 am to 5 pm

    More Info:
  • Tropicália
  • Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art @ SMART

    The exhibition includes works by Allora & Calzadilla; Nils Norman; Dan Peterman; Michael Rakowitz; and Andrea Zittel.

    Location:
    5550 S. Greenwood Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60637
    Tu, W, F: 10 am–4 pm
    Th : 10 am–8 pm
    Sa–Su: 11 am–5 pm

    More Info:
  • Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art

  • Related Event:
    Chicago Green Drinks: ''Art and Sustainability''
    Date: 11/15/2005
    Time: 6:30 PM - 9:15 PM
    Location: Extra Virgin, 741 West Randolph St
    Contact Name: Christine Carrino
    Phone: 773-702-0200
    Email: ccarrino@uchicago.edu
    Categories: Lectures and Symposia
    Description:
    The Smart Museum joins with Chicago Green Drinks, a monthly opportunity for those interested in sustainability and environmental issues to gather, network, learn what others are doing, and discuss issues important to them. The November gathering will feature an artist discussion with exhibiting artist Nils Norman; Tiffany Holmes, a multimedia installation artist and assistant professor of Art and Technology at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Sabrina Raaf, a Chicago-based sculptor and photographer and a professor of Photography at Columbia College. Chicago Green Drinks is produced by the Foresight Design Initiative.

    $4 donation/$2 for students, Age 21 or older

    All the Pretty Corpses @ The Renaissance Society

    November 13 – December 23, 2005

    A group exhibition curated by Hamza Walker, including works by Jeremy Blake, Ellen Cantor, John Espinosa, Jay Heikes, Kacy Maddux, Sterling Ruby, Steven Shearer, and Tony Tasset.
    See more info:
  • All the Pretty Corpses

  • 5811 S. Ellis Avenue
    Cobb Hall 418
    Chicago, Illinois 60637
    phone (773) 702-8670
    Hours:
    Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Saturday, Sunday: 12:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Closed Mondays