I've been a bit absent for several reasons mostly aren't excusable but I thought I would tell you anyways. My older brother for some reason thought it was a smart idea to take my 4 years old netbook instead of his snazzy new macbook with him on a business trip to Korea so my photo uploads have been bunk. Usually I would upload photos as I watch dramafever and knit on the couch (it's still multitasking even if they are all fun things). My wonderful husband has also updated my computer which is amazing! More memory updated programs for my Macmini but it also put my scanner out of commission because it is so out of date it won't install the drivers so once again none of my snazzy fun fuiji instax (polaroids) have been scanned or uploaded (major fail). Lastly these video submissions I have been working on have been gobbling up more time then I had expected. It's tough to film something and then try to edit or even upload some 2 hours of footage.
The image at the beginning is a new piece part of my "delicacies" series that I photographed for my current portfolio.
Aside from giving you all this amusing excuses that isn't what I really wanted to talk about here. I've been working on another Graduate School Application and this time it was for CCAD where I teach Continuing Education. I had a long talk with the current President of Enrollment Johnathan Lindsay about the state of the school and it's goals and a lot about that fashion department which is my end game goal here. This application is slightly different then other MFA's. Instead of asking for a letter of intent they want a project proposal. This sounded like a fun idea until I read more into the details. They wanted examples cited and pictures, materials etc etc. It sounded just like making a proposal that you would make as a working artist for a grant or gallery submission. This got my wheels turning a bit faster then normal and then to a halt. As I began my outline of different projects I could possibly propose I thought to myself I don't really know what I am doing and this is kinda what I wanted to go back to school for, to learn how to write a proper proposal as an artist.
Taking a break for a few days I met up with a friend at a coffee shop who has been helpful in my grad school applications and just shooting the shit artist to artist. He formerly worked at CCAD which is how I knew him. We discussed the CCAD program which is very exciting and conceptual. Basically every semester you work on a project for which you proposed, it is an interdisciplinary program so you are free to take classes in any medium. This also allows you to choose a different mentor/professor to work with each semester as well. From what I've heard, a majority of these students are also teaching undergrad fine art classes, which I think is excellent. I agreed with my friend that I think this is a great MFA program for someone who is aspiring to be a fine Artist full time. For majority of artists if they are going straight from undergrad into a grad program this would be useful before they are flung into the real world as it seems they are always able to show their work at the end of the semester. As my friend pointed out it will enforce people to make their own schedule and deadlines, teach them how to source and network as well as gallery presentation. As useful as these things are I have been out of school for about 9 years, these are things I have already mostly learned and would rather not learn by trial and error at my stage in life. After this conversation I found more that it isn't the fit for me in terms of grad school. As fantastic and open and it is I feel like I would not be getting enough of out it for myself.
On the flipside is OSU who I am still praying that I get accepted. If not this year I will try again next year. I look through the coursebook online and I see the potential of things I could take to make my education a cut above other artist and fashion instructors I know. I see learning about practical business skills because let's be honest a fine artist is still a business, you have taxes to pay and deduct you advertise yourself and your work. You are a merchant for your art. There are possibilities in getting to critique and discuss with a wider audience of people as majority of the campus are not fine artists but their insight is still critical. I was discussing with another friend how silly it is sometimes when artists don't branch out to get critiqued by others. How can you compare yourself to yourself? I know how to write a proposal but still to take a class to help me make a more powerful or concise artist proposal and statement is what I need. Perhaps OSU won't have the same close mentorship program that CCAD does but my education does not just stop on what is available on campus.
Outside of Grad school there are also a plethora of opportunities that I can take advantage of. I am a committee member now of the Ohio Art League and they continual have Art Informal, which is a meeting of members and free talking/critiquing of the arts in our community. Through Ohio Art League I know that I could find someone willing to be a mentor for me in my work and it would be just as personal as someone assigned or chosen from school. There is also no harm is asking a fellow teacher at CCAD to look at my work as a friend and give me a little guidance here and there. My education is certainly not limited to going to a school but in the end for what I want it is necessary.
End game I want to be a fashion instructor/full time faculty as my JOB.
