First Semester Residency: Summer
Eight weeks: late June to mid-August
STUDIO PRACTICE
Summer residency convenes in late June and is eight weeks
in duration. Based on the student’s admissions proposal,
student and advisor collaborate on the design of an individualized
studio curriculum. Each student will select a private studio
space. Students exhibit work produced in residency, participate
in open critiques and attend presentations by visiting artists.
Parallel to these engagements, a studio seminar course covers
current issues across the arts and in related fields of
concern. Students also present the work of other artists
and issues of cultural, theoretic and social concern in
the studio seminar. Toward the end of the residency, student
and resident faculty discuss and agree upon a fall proposal
to develop work initiated during the
summer residency. A non-resident faculty advisor is assigned
to supervise and assist in the fall program. Each student’s
program is considered on a highly specific and individualized
level and to serve this end our non-resident faculty changes,
relative to the needs of our students.
INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY
Resident faculty teach the residency segment of the first
semester course in interdisciplinary theory and cultural
studies. The course is designed to survey a broad range
of both historical and contemporary conceptual, theoretical
and social issues. The lectures and discussions cover a
broad terrain from classical to formalist aesthetics, post
structuralism, psychoanalytic theory, feminist discourse,
media studies, and critical theory – with the goal
of giving students a strong grounding in issues that are
central to a critically engaged, informed, and integrated
studio practice. Each student participates through formal
presentations of critical work. At the end of the summer,
students will be prepared to engage in a two semester research
paper – this research paper allows students to explore
independent and specific interdisciplinary theory issues.
This research paper is in preparation for the second year
thesis writing.
First Semester Non-Residency: Fall
14 weeks: early September to early December
STUDIO PRACTICE
In the non-residency studio, the student works under the
guidance and direct supervision of a nonresident studio
instructor. The goals and objectives of the non-resident
studio component will be specific to each individual student.
In the beginning, the student and non-resident studio instructor
will, in consultation with the Director and Coordinator
of Studio Practice, outline a clearly delineated course
of study. Each semester’s non-residency studio syllabus
serves as a contract and includes a clear description of
the kind and quantity of work to be produced within a sequential
though flexible time frame. Non-residency performance is
evaluated in one-on-one studio critiques and in reviews.
The body of work developed over the fall is directed towards
a comprehensive and grounded development of the student’s
work. Alongside the non-resident studio instructor meetings
is an ongoing dialogue with the resident studio faculty
in the form of written cultural logs. These cultural logs
are an opportunity to synthesize interdisciplinary theory,
research of artists and art/culture issues in relation to
the student’s work. The Director or the Coordinator
of Studio Practice visits students after the fall mid-term
in their home studio.
The student meets with her/his non-resident studio instructor
a minimum of six times each semester, for a minimum of two
hours per session. Although visits to the nonresident studio
instructor’s studio are encouraged, at least four
sessions should take place in the student’s studio.
These meetings are spaced at intervals that insure sequential
developmental progress. Significant modification to the
schedule as represented in the studio contract requires
participation and approval by the Director.
At mid-semester the student and
the non-resident studio instructor exchange written critiques
of the work in progress, copies of which are submitted to
the resident faculty for consultation and approval. At the
end of each semester, student and non-resident studio instructor
exchange a progress critique, also submitted to the Director
and Coordinator of Studio Practice for consultation and
approval. The Director in conjunction with the Coordinator
of Studio Practice oversees the relationship between the
student and the non-resident studio instructor. Work completed
during non-resident sessions is presented during the January
residency intensive.
INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY
During the fall semester, students write short response
papers based upon readings from the interdisciplinary reader.
This reader, assembled collaboratively by the resident faculty,
covers issues from a broad range of fields. The research
paper project, which was first
introduced during the summer residency, is begun in earnest
during the non-residency segment of the first semester.
This 25 page paper is a two-semester undertaking and students
are expected to complete the research component during the
fall semester. This research will be presented during the
January intensive as part of the student’s presentation
of their fall studio practice. The College librarian will
facilitate research requests from graduate students and,
when requested, provide materials through priority mail.
Second Semester Residency: Winter
10 days: The January Intensive
The first year intensive begins with all students in Portland.
Students present their studio and research work in progress.
At the end of the Portland component of the residency, the
students travel to New York. This segment of the residency
gives students first-hand exposure to a wide range of artistic
activity within a graduate studies context. Visits are made
to artist studios where artists give an insider view of
their working practices. Other visits are made to key cultural
institutions, centers and events. Gallery and museum exhibitions,
seminars, guest lectures, and group discussions are also
included in the program.
Second Semester Non-Residency: Spring
16 weeks: end of January to early May
STUDIO PRACTICE
As with the first semester, the second semester non-residency
studio program is contracted in the form of a written studio
proposal. Progress is evaluated in non-residency studio
critiques and in consultation with the Director and the
Coordinator of Studio Practice.
INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY
The interdisciplinary theory component of the second semester
of the first year follows the course begun in the fall semester.
The research paper develops and at mid-term a rough draft
is turned in for evaluation. The final version of this 25
page paper is turned in at the end of the semester.
Permission to Proceed
At the end of the first year, the Director of the Program
must grant the
student permission in order to proceed to the second year.
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