Reasons to go to graduate school

I've been asked so frequently why artists should go to grad school that I decided to post a little bullet point list of what I believe are fundamental reasons to attend. Following that are a few thoughts on what you can bring to grad school.

1.) Its fundamentally different than undergrad. Undergrad teaches you the general history/exposure to materials, techniques, process. Grad school takes all this as a given and pushes you forward to more focused explorations. You need this. It's important that your work move beyond undergrad school to something even better. You can do it on your own, but it's quicker, I think, when grad school is a part of that equation.

2.) You get to be exposed to new people and ideas that may be contradictory to what you've already learned.

3.) It's a two year experience (except for Concordia) that allows you to live in a different place.

4.) There's a good deal of debate whether you should go directly into grad school or wait a few years. I think waiting is not a bad thing since you get more life experience and your work changes. Then once you do get accepted you're really rarin' to get in there to work and learn.

5.) You'll meet other serious artists who are like you, your community will be a smaller pool and you'll often be friends with these other people for life.

6.) Grad school usually have deeper theoretical components and instructors ask you to somehow relate theory to your visual art. You'll be reading anything from Marxism to Homi Bhabha to Greenberg and you'll be having some pretty high level discussions.

7.) Critiques are at a tough level too. The artists are intent on engaging an international dialogue and everyone expects the art to be at that level.

8.) You cannot teach without an MFA. If teaching is on your radar, you'll need it. Anyone teaching now without an MFA has basically been grandfathered into the institution, meaning they were there already and they got a free pass. Nearly every school's search policy has the MFA as a bottom line requirement to go to the next level of consideration.

9.) The MFA gives you credibility. It's generally recognized as the terminal degree in painting. (There are some PhD programs out there, but the idea is not widely accepted as of yet.) When you go for galleries, or residencies, or visiting artist positions, etc., it shows you're really serious about your practice and career. It lets committees know you've put in the extra work and really honed your art. Also, it really does show when an artist goes to grad school. See item 10.

10.) It helps you to really center in on your voice. Voice is your individuality coming through loud and clear in your art. It's the thing that makes your work unlike anyone elses. This is often a strong theme in grad schools, and it should be. Again, you can find this on your own, I just think it's faster with grad school playing a role.

11.) Because you're challenged in all new areas and directions, you'll grow as an artist who really understands the context of your art and the reasons you do it.

12.) Don't flinch, but art IS a scholarly pursuit. You'll be exposed to new teaching methodologies and learning experiences that may transform you in ways you didn't expect.

We touch on many of these themes in undergraduate school but the design of the program does not allow some of these to be explored as deeply as they are in grad school.


What you will want to bring to graduate school:

1.) A serious attitude about your art. The competition is high. School don't accept those who just want to paint once in a while.

2.) A strong work ethic. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Often those who have had a bad experience in grad school admit they didn't give much.

3.) Liberal studies will be a component, get ready to read some pretty dense stuff.

4.) A strong will and opinion. You will (or should in the best schools) be challenged. Often, everything you've learned will be put up for reevaluation. You'll change because of this, or if you really believe in it, you'll figure out how to strongly defend your beliefs.

5.) An openness to taking risks and to changing. Just decide you want to grow. See it as your first or second year undergrad and be open to anything.

Finally, I do not particularly recommend taking a grad program at the same school, even though it's sort of in vogue to offer a split BFA/MFA 5 year program. It's too easy to study with the same instructors for all those years. You deserve to be tested and challenged in new ways with instructors who have entirely different world views. I also think, if you can, that it's beneficial to attend at a city different from your undergrad's. Same reason. If you can't do this, think seriously about some form of exchange or mobility component.

I'm sure there's more and I may update this after I reread it in a few weeks or so.