MFA Studio Art Graduate Program Advice from an Art Professor

Hear tips on how to prepare an art portfolio to apply to MFA (Master's of Fine Arts) graduate school programs in studio art. Discussion led by RISD Adjunct Professor Clara Lieu.

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Clara Lieu was an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design from 2007-2020. Her artwork has been exhibited at the International Print Center NY, the Currier Museum, Childs Gallery, the Davis Museum, and more. Lieu received an artist fellowship from the MA Cultural Council, has written for the NY Times, and lectured at Brown University, the NAEA conference, and in Vancouver & China. She has been profiled in Artsy, Hyperallergic, KPCC, & WBUR.

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[xinhea]

Oh my God!! I am so lucky to see this video!! and know your channel, I was about to pay thousands for prep classes, you save me !!

[jkona]

This looks like a really great service! Clara helped me a lot at RISD pre-college as my drawing teacher back in 2014. Now I'm applying for MFA programs and I stumbled across this video. Nice to see a familiar face. I would definitely recommend Clara as a teacher, she has some really valuable advice and is an outstanding artist. All the best!

[lizzylizardo]

I am so glad to have discovered Art Prof! I found your channel while researching getting my MFA to Teach.
I feel like I'm in a disadvantaged position in preparing an MFA application. I graduated 10 years ago now, and art career plans took a back-seat due to family reasons. I am finally in a great position to get my art career back on track, but I have almost no professional works and no professional connections. I am hopeful with all of these amazing online resources that I didn't have "back in my day" ;) I just have to keep telling myself there's "no such thing as Too Late"!

[anawieder]

Artists who are applying or thinking about applying to MFA Program should know that there is no guarantee your MFA degree is going to launch your career. There is no guarantee that galleries flock to your open studios. There is no guarantee you’re going to be picked up by a gallery. You will have more teaching opportunities and you will be taken more seriously by the art world but it took me 10 years after my MFA program to get where I am in my career and I’m still nowhere close to where I want to be. The truth is if you had asked me 10 years ago and I just graduated with an MFA from Pratt where I would be. 10 years from now I would say a lot farther than I am at the moment. The right reason to get an MFA is to become a better stronger artist and to dive into your practice in the way you cannot do an undergraduate degree. You have to know that being an artist is hard and it takes a lot more than just an MFA to keep going after years of failure and nothing happening. The degree itself is incredibly rigorous and you have to have enough of a fixed skin to withstand pretty intense critiques. You have to be willing to work long hours and you have to be incredibly self motivated. An MFA professor will not give you an assignment the same way that a undergraduate professor will they will give you the tools to make your own work but you are expected to make your own work with a Vision that is clearly yours. What are you do you getting it from an MFA is an incredible sense of community, a deeper understanding of your own artistic exploration, a chance to install and then show your work, You will become a better stronger artist but you may not become a successful artist.

[andersreadssometimes]

I’m English, and so a lot of things differ In the university aspect, I think. But this channel has helped me so much on expanding and working on my portfolio. As well as my practice in general.

[pattyfriedmann]

Thank you very much for your honest and very helpful video.

[snowf]

I'm working on my BFA in Pictorial Art (Painting) at San Jose State...I'm a non-traditional, older student at 32. I saved a lot of money by staying home and transferring from a community college while working restaurants on the weekends (15 hours a week max). I'm leaning towards finishing my Bachelor's and that's it. I'm studying painting because I like and it's still a degree so I can apply for jobs that aren't in the art field which I'm okay with.

I'm already taking a risk with the art degree so I just don't think an MFA is in the cards. I don't know if I would even like teaching anyway! I chose art because that was the major I knew I had the motivation to finish. This was a very helpful series thank you Professor.

[johndamartist]

Hi Art prof, to say this video was enlightening would be an understatement. I stumbled across this video by accident, but from what you said at the start I relate heavily to the gap of time one needs to think. I am a Games Design student who graduated just before lock down in 2019 but I always knew I didn't want to pursue a career in the games industry.

Before and after my degree, I have continued making art (which has always more aligned with the fine arts - I have kept sketchbooks and studied the fundamentals of drawing like lighting, form and values (which were required in Concept Art). In the last year, I have been actively applying to exhibit work and been trying to create an online presence, but to little or no avail. It feels a little hopeless at times as it is by no means enough to sustain myself. I work 35 hours a week and try to create in my spare time.

I have few to no links; references from; or connections to Fine Art - would it be impossible to pursue a MFA in Fine Art/a career in Fine Art?

[GalyaCosmopolit]

Hi, thank you guys for making this content! I have discovered your channel by chance and I now watching all your videos one after another non stop.

I am self-taught artist with solid fashion styling background applying for Fine Art master degree in different Universities. I am a bit worried my application might look less impressive or might lack some academic type of works and skills. Is there any tips for people like me, who applies a portfolio with no art education background?

[radhikarohatgi]

Hi Professor Lieu,
Thank you so much for these super insightful video sessions. They have been of huge help. I was actually preparing to apply for MFA Graphic Design programme and have some doubts about the same. I would be really grateful if you could clarify them for me.

While I did my bachelors in sociology, having seen your videos I am at least now confident about the fact that having a different Bachelors degree is okay. But completing my Bachelors, I leapt into the world of Advertising where my role was of client services and marketing. It was during these two years of my work ex that I realised that I want do my Masters in Graphic design and turn to the creative side in advertising. I have drawn and designed since a kid and liked it but never really considered taking it up. It was rather during these two years that I realised, as I got more exposure of the graphic design process working with my creative teams.

So, all in all what I want to ask is if my job ex( which is primarily of non- design experience) clash if I am applying for a Graphic design masters programme. Further, while I did get to work on projects like website design, digital advertisements and product design, I am still not sure if I can actually include them as work. Can I?
It would be really great if you could tell me if there are particularly digital works that are required or sketches and typography is something I can include too as part of my portfolio. Since, MFA is particularly about graphic design not sure if I can include these things.
Thank you so much!

[lizzylizardo]

So 12:40 - Oh no, it's me! I don't have any connections with my undergrad as it was also 10 years ago. I suppose I can take the plunge and reach out anyways and hope for the best? But considering 22:43 it's a catch 22.
No professors, and can't use current managers.
I looked into Post Bacc and couldn't find anything, probably looking in the wrong places? lol But maybe taking some community college courses? One semester seems pretty weak, but I can't see many options.

[nicoleconcepcion]

Hi! I’m a self taught artist and I recently graduated from a business degree. I’m interested in applying to an MFA but I don’t think I have any appropriate reference letter writers. Do you have any tips for this?

[eshaahsan]

It's really nice that you guide students both for BFA and MFA programs. I am also planning to apply in masters program next year but I have some questions first one is I already have a master's degree in graphic design but I want to do my second masters in print making as I developed great interest in print making lately so can you please tell me if I can do my second masters and one more question is it necessary to put different mediums works in our portfolio or its better to stick on something which we are good at?

[sabrinaflipse]

thank you! I just heard you answer my question! :) I will take a year off! :)

[medhapragnafitness]

Hi, I have an undergrad degree in computer science but I really love art and want to change career paths now. I've been painting for 15 years and I know some graphic design. I was wondering what my chances are at getting into the MFA for graphic design at RISD without an art degree and how should my portfolio look? I was wondering if I should include interdisciplinary projects like AI art and creative coding experiments in addition to my art and graphic design work.

[cjwolfetingey]

I'm attempting to get into the Art Therapy Masters program at Herron School of Art, in Indianapolis, IN. I had been a high school teacher for 10 years out of Art Ed school. Then I had my 3rd child with Cystic Fibrosis, and had to quit teaching to take care of him for 10 more years. With medical miracles and him being more independent, I am able to go back to school. However, they've said my references can't date back to College, or Teaching. All I've done since is Mom-ing, and working in a movie theater. I have done portrait commissions... but I have to have professional references. What do I do?

[emygstlaurent]

Hello, and thanks for all this info!
I'd like to know, besides previous teachers, if artist colleagues/friends can be asked to write cover letters/private reports, or would they be considered too biased?
Also, should those cover letters revolve around the topic of a candidate's thesis proposition? Or should they be more global about the canditate?

[JosueWithContext]

I’m about to graduate with a BA degree in studio arts and not a BFA, is this something I should be worried about when applying to an MFA?

[LindsayAnnChilcott]

Thank you for the informative video! This will be my third time applying for my MFA in September, and I've done extensive research this time around. (Not sure why I didn't before?).. Your videos are very helpful, thank you for making them!

Just a quick question: In my portfolio, I'm stuck between expiremental variety vs a theme. Do you believe it is okay to have most of your portfolio from the same series to represent the conceptual side? For example, I'm thinking of having 10-11 images from my most recent series, Cyborg Series, (Interdisciplinary series based on Donna Haraway's essay, consisting of oil paintings, Acrylic paintings, mixed media, sculpture, and ink sketches). And then the last 8 images would be from past work showing my exploration in materials. (Peanut butter + oil paint, etc).

I think what I'm trying to say is, do you believe majority of the MFA application portfolio should consist of the same series? (I explained this series a bit in my statement of intent).. or should only a little part of the portfolio be from the same series and applicants should show more variety in different concepts?

Thanks again! 😊

-Lindsay 🇨🇦

[nupa]

you so so much for all this!! I’ve been looking around for some advice on this! I do have one question, what do you think should go into a good portfolio for communication design?? I do understand concepts are important but do I also include my flexibility in different mediums like oil painting, charcoal etc? I don’t know if that is still necessary for a graduate program and focus more on software techniques.