Master of Fine Arts Program Format

Vermont Sudio Center Residency Sessions

During the months of May through November, we run concurrent M.F.A. programs during the Studio Center's seven 4-week sessions. In each session a different group of prominent visiting artists offers individual critiques and group sessions. As part of the M.F.A. program, it is important to see the resident critics once a week to get varied feedback. The Studio Center will provide an annual listing of their visiting artists.

Typically, students complete two sessions per year for three years. These residencies need not be taken consecutively. While some students prefer the eight-week continuity, others like
separating their residencies with anywhere from one to five months back home in their studios. Factors influencing a student's choice of residencies include convenience for their home life, job flexibility, the schedule of critics, and scheduled plans of other students.

Space at the Studio Center is limited for each session. Students are encouraged to contact the Sudio Center as soon as possible to reserve available space. Upon request, students may enroll in
more than two program sessions a year if space is available at the Studio Center, and if such a plan is approved by the student's advisors and the academic dean of Johnson State College.


Taking fewer than two program sessions a year also requires special permission.

During these program sessions, Johnson State College art faculty, Professor Susan Calza and Professor Ken Leslie, will visit to confer with students and facilitate M.F.A critiques. Please check the Vermont Studio Center Web site  for further details and a roster of visiting artists.

M.F.A Components During VSC Residencies

Each month M.F.A students in residence at the Vermont Studio Center participate fully in the scheduled offerings. This is a time for full immersion in that intensive studio experience. Students benefit most from making strong connections to the visiting artists that are special to each program session at the Studio Center.

While Johnson State College faculty save their strongest voice for the out-of-residency independent studio component, they do come
to Johnson each week to meet with M.F.A. students. Typically faculty visit on Wednesdays, with a version of the following schedule tailored to each month's residency group:


Week #1 - Meet at 1 p.m. Lounge Area of Studio Center Dining Hall. Introduce new students, share news, concerns, special notices, events in the region, etc. Generally there are no studio visits this week, but visits for the following weeks are scheduled. Meet with returning students to complete out-of-residency requirements either week one or week four.


Week #2 - Optional. Students must do at least one of the two optional studio visits, in addition to the final critique each program session.

Week #3 - Optional. Sign-up during week #1 for half-hour visits.

Week #4 - Group critique at the Visual Arts Center, JSC campus. This critique is not optional, and students bring three to five pieces. Guests may be invited to these critiques ONLY with the permission of faculty and participating students. Occasionally it is necessary for the group critique to move to see a student's

installation elsewhere, but for the most part, all students need to take their work out of their studios and install it at the Visual Arts Center.

We do not encourage two-week residencies. We do strongly encourage students to follow the four-week format (i.e. arrive for week one, leave on week four; any deviation requires
permission from JSC faculty.)

Up to two residencies can be completed at places other than the Vermont Studio Center, to meet the particular needs of the student's work. The first three residencies must be completed in Johnson, chosen from the May through November sessions. Thereafter, with approval of the student's advisors and the academic dean, students can select programs from around the world that are equivalent in nature or students can select sessions at the Studio Center from the December through April sessions. To receive credit from non-VSC residencies, or December through April residencies, students need to document work done during the alternative month with 20 images, a one-page narrative, and the name and phone number of a contact reference at the alternative
program.

Independent Studio Work

Students will complete two independent out-of-residency terms. All students will be expected to set up a working studio while away from Johnson in their community of residence. Students will mail documentation of new work to the Johnson State College faculty serving as M.F.A. program advisors.

The Independent Studio Work term is designed to accomplish two primary outcomes a professional, active studio and an articulate, sophisticated skill at documenting the work. Both outcomes are of paramount importance to future career success in the arts. Students are responsible for documenting their work to fulfill the requirements of each of the six two-credit out-of-residency components. No partial credit for partial fulfillment is possible. As a general rule, there will be no extensions allowed. Under certain circumstances we will assign an "Incomplete."

Before the start of each out-of-residency term, students "contract" with faculty advisors for deadlines to submit documentation packets. These deadlines are chosen to be well distributed around the year, leaving at least two months after the last VSC session and at least two months between each deadline. It has been our experience that people juggling full-time jobs with M.F.A. requirements quite likely will need more time between deadlines and more than three years to complete the program. A contract is filled out which obligates the student to meet these deadlines. We must receive a contract a minimum of two months before the first chosen deadline. If personal circumstances require a student to change a contracted date, then such change must be requested at least two months prior to the original deadline.

For specific documentation packet requirements, see page 34 of the Graduate Catalogue.

Seminar in Contemporary Art Issues

Students are required to enroll in two art history seminars (each worth 3 credits) during the M.F.A. program. Seminars at Johnson State College include at least one out-of-residency research project, for which students will investigate aspects of contemporary art in consultation with the faculty art historian. For more details about this requirement, see page 35 of the Graduate Catalogue.


M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition

At the completion of 36 credits of residency sessions, 12 credits of out-of-residency packets, and 6 credits of contemporary art independent study, students will present an exhibition of new work in Johnson at the Julian Scott Memorial Gallery at JSC or the Red Mill Gallery at VSC. The student will produce an announcement and install a comprehensive, professional exhibition. The gallery director will give each M.F.A. candidate
advice and guidelines to help in this process. For more information about the thesis exhibition, see page 35 of the Graduate Catalogue.

Fine and Performing Arts