DS MFA Second Year Exhibition and Reflection

The second year exhibition and reflection are required milestones.

Exhibition

MFA students will present a formal exhibition during the spring semester of their second year. This exhibition is an opportunity for MFA students to formally present their creative research in a professional setting. It is an opportunity to receive feedback from their committee, and others in the community to the work they have completed to-date in the program. It is an opportunity to consider the challenges of exhibition design as it relates to their particular creative practice.

• Students are required to identify and secure a venue, on or off campus; venue could be shared with other MFA cohort members
• Students are responsible for the installation of this exhibition and should work with their faculty advisor and members of their committee as they design the presentation of their work
• This exhibition will be supported by a written Artist Statement, under a page typescript
• Students will organize a meeting of their full committee during the exhibition
• Students will prepare a document: the second year reflection

Due at the end of finals week of the spring semester

The second year reflection will be due at the end of finals week at the end of the spring semester of the second year. The second year reflection will support the writing of the third year and final MFA thesis and will support a thoughtful consideration of what the student has accomplished to date as well as what they hope to accomplish in the third and final year in the MFA program.

Reflection

The second year reflection and thesis proposal should include the following items:

• The artist statement from the second-year exhibition
• An expanded consideration of the work exhibited in the second-year exhibition addressing materials, process, and content (this can include a review of what was the most successful as well as questions posed by the work; less resolved aspects of the work, additional avenues of research that are suggested by these finished pieces, etc.; and address ideas that were discussed in the meeting with your committee during the second year exhibition (1250 words)
• Image reference collection, of at least seven artists whose work is aligned with the candidate’s creative research; include a paragraph about the concepts, processes and materials of significance to your practice (250 words)
• Up to date bibliography (includes books, journal articles, films, videos, websites, exhibition catalogs, exhibitions, and any other documented materials that have informed the research)