44 planet of the arts / spring 1998" THE INSTITUTE Searching For A By Paul Williams ortfolio Day: This annual event is an excellent start to a day of searching and portfolio reviews. Twelve schools from North America came to Emily Carr to look at potential students and young artists’ portfo- lios. They gave critiques of work and discussed the possibility of being accepted. It was like the “Home Show” of art schools: a touring event pitched to a wide range of students looking for a bachelor’s degree in visual art at a school somewhere in North America. National Portfolio Day was geared towards new art students, and not towards those of us who are interested in a master of fine arts degree. Out of the twelve representatives from North American Art schools gathered at Emily Carr, only six of them offered Master’s Degrees, and they were all in the USA: Art Center College of Design (Pasedena), Otis College of Art and Design (Los Angeles), Parsons School of Design (New York), Pratt Institute (New York), School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. This was a good start to find a graduate school to attend, espe- cially since these were representatives who should know more about their respective schools than anybody in Student Services. I did some first hand research. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to talk to Parsons or the School of the Museum of Fine Arts personally, so their information is only what was available in their catalogues. Here’s what I found: Art Center College of Design (Pasedena, California) The Art Center offers three master’s degrees: fine arts, science, and general arts. They have about 2000 students enrolled at the school, and 200 of them are masters students. They definitely had the most awkward catalogue to look through because of the wide, skinny pages, but the work coming out of there seems to be really sharp. They offer a variety of majors — nine in all — and their representative was helpful. Their degrees and majors are: * master of fine arts degree: advertising, film, fine art, communication and new media design, and illustration. NMiaster’s Craig Lepan, Cesar, 1998. Black and white photograph, 8” x 10”. * master of science degree: environmental design, product design, and transportation design. * master of arts degree: art theory and criticism. Full-time tuition cost is usp $8,740 per semester, and their graduate programs are normally six semesters long, adding up to an overall cost to Canadians of about CAD. $76,038. They maintain about 80% of their students with financial support. That’s good to know. Otis College of Art and Design (Los Angeles, California) The representative they sent was excited and energetic, and although he was not as critical of students’ portfolios as some of the other schools, he did know a lot about his school. They are a small institution: 735 students, with a graduate program of 20 stu- dents. The competition to get in is strong. Their information package also boasts: “Otis attracts students from all fifty states and 32 countries. A student to faculty ratio of approximately five to one makes the Otis experience one of the most personal and intimate of any college or university in America.” They have an interesting new program called “Sculpture/New Genres’, which “gives focus to time- dependent art forms, such as performance art, multi media, film, slide, theatre, broadcast and even the World Wide Web.” Otis offers a master of fine art degree with majors in: environ- mental arts, digital media, fashion design, illustration, liberal arts and sciences, painting, photography, sculpture and new genres, surface design and toy design. I could not find the cost of tuition in their information package, but apparently Otis provides about 63% of their students with finan- cial support. Parsons School of Design (New York City, New York) Located in New York City, Parsons boasts about the availability of galleries (over 800) and museums (over 100), and the insurmount- able access to international artists and designers. They also have an extensive list of guest artists talks. Parsons concentrates on design and offers master of fine arts and master of arts degrees with majors in architecture, lighting design, design and technology, history of deco- rative arts, painting, sculpture, and art education. Tuition costs about usp $9,325 per semester, over a two year pro- gram that will cost a total of usp $37,300 (CAD $54,085). Pratt Institute (New York City, New York) The Pratt representative was giving long thorough reviews of peo- ple’s work, and he was still reviewing people more than half an hour after everybody else was packed up (Parsons was first out the door, bang on at 3:00 p.M.). Out of their 3,500 students, about 1,000 are in the master’s of fine arts program. I was told they offer the most majors of any institute, but I have yet to see the catalogue. School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, Massachusetts) I missed talking with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, but here’s some basic information. They offer a master of fine arts and a master of arts in teaching. The master’s programs are two years long, costing USD $22,867 per year, which totals Usp $45,734 (CAD $64,276). School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) This Chicago school came to National Portfolio Day with the most bonus information. They had brochures on careers in the arts, co-operatives, off-campus trips, living spaces, and financial aid for international students. Along with the other schools present, they had no available information on graduate programs and all the informa- tion here is from the catalogue. There are three masters degrees available: * master of fine arts with majors in: studio, writing, \\ j Portfolio Day Review 2 * master of arts with majors in: modern art history, theory and criticism; art therapy; arts administration; and art education * master of science in: historic preservation. National Portfolio Day is an excellent resource for researching a given group of top art schools. Unfortunately it is geared almost exclusively towards the prospective undergrad student. For young students looking for a bachelor’s degree in an art field, this is an event that should not be missed. Apparently one student was even accept- ed on the spot to the Pratt Institute. Anyone interested in finding out more about the right school to attend to acquire a master’s degree should access the catalogues and the counsellors in Student Services. ©! The Good & The Not-So-Good Most interesting selection of courses Otis (Toy design...) Most bonus information School of the Art Institute of Chicago Most expensive Art Center College of Design Most awkward catalogue to look through Art Center College of Design Most energetic by appearance Pratt Institute Best imagery in a catalogue Art Center College of Design Least exciting school by appearance School of the Museum of Fine Arts (they didn’t even have any images of student’s work in the catalogue) Least interested rep Parsons 44 plonet of the arts / spring 1998 THE INSTITUTE Portfolio Day Review Searching For A Master's Program By Paul Wiliams ‘ortfoio Day This annual event is an excellem start toa day of searching and portfolio reviews Twelve school from North America came to Emily Cat to k lis. They gave ertques of work and discussed the potential students and young artists porto possibilty of being accepted tw ike the" Home Show" of art schools: a touring event pitched toa wide range of students looking fra bachelor’s degre in visual rt at school somewhere in North America, not towards those of us who ae intrested in 4 master of fin ats schools gathered at Emily Cath only six of them offered M Degrees, and they were li the USA: Art Center Collegeof of Design (New York), Patt Insitute (New York), Sc the Muscum of Fine Arts (Boston), and the School of the Art Insitute of Chicags This was a good sar to find graduate sho ially since these were representatives who should know more about their respective schools than anybody in Student Services. did some talk to ally so thei Parsons or the School of the Muscum of Fine Arts pe information is only what was available in ther catalogues. Heres what found: Art Center College of Design (Pasedena, California) The Art Center offers three master’s degrecs: in arts cence and general arts, They have about 2000 students enrolled at the schoo, and 200 of them are masters students They definitly had the most awkward catalogue to Took t h because of the wide, skinny pages but the work coming out of there seems to be really sharp They offer a variety of majors — nine in all ~ and thee representative va lpi. Their degrees and majors ar: + master of fin arts degree advertising, li, fine at, communication and new media design, and ‘station ‘rag Lepan, Cesar, 1998 Black and white photograph, 10. design. p duet detign, and transportation design Falktime tu A» s76a3K. They maintain about 80% of ther students wt Financial support. That’ good to know Otis College of Art and Design (Los Angeles, California) the other school, he did know a Tot about his chow They any college oF university i America” They have an interesting new rogram called “SculptuteNew Gentes’ which "gives focus to time dependnt art slide, theatre, broadcast and even the World Wide Web (Otis offers a master of fine art degre with maior in: environ in their information package but apparently Otis provides about 63% of their students with nan al sopport Parsons School of Design (Mew York City, New York) cated in Nev York City Parsons boasts about the availability of alleres (over S00) and muscums (over 190), andthe insurmount able aces o international artists and designers. They also have an extensive lis of guest artists talks. Parsons concentrates on design and architecture lighting dsign, design and technology, isiory of dec ative arts painting sculpture, and art education Tuition costs about usp $9.25 per semester, era two yar pro Pratt Institute (New York City, New York) The Pratt representative was giving lng thorough reviews of peo ples work, and he was sil eviewing people more than half an hour alter everybody cle was packed up (Parsons was fist out the door the master’s of fine ats program, I was tok! they offer the most School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, Massachusetts) {missed talking withthe School ofthe Museum of Fine Ars but here's some basic information. They offer a master of fine ats and a master of arts in teaching School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, titinois) This Chicago school came to National Por io Day with the ‘most bonus information, They had brochures on carers in the as peatves, off-campus trips, living spaces, and Financial ad fo no available information on graduate programs and ll thei sion eres from the atalogue Ter are thre masters deyres avaible: theory and critics, at therapy: arts administration: and ated National Portfolio Day is an excellent resource fr rescarcing 3 ti geared almost caclusvely towards the prospective undergrad student. For young students efor a bachelors degree in an art field this san event ud Anyone interested in finding out more about the right school to atend to acquire a master’s degree should acces the catalogues and ‘he counsllrs in Student Services. © The Good & The Not-So-Good ‘Most interesting selection of courses Otis Toy design.) ‘Most bonus information School ofthe Art Institute of Chicago ‘Most expensive Art Center Collegeof Design Most awkward catalogue to look through Art Center Collegeof Design Most energetic by appearance Pratt site Best imagery in a catalogue Act Center Cale of Design Least exciting school by appearance School ofthe Museum of Fine Arts (they dat even students work inthe catalogue) Least interested rep