Art schools

[Anonymous]

I went to RISD in the late 90s.

Liberal arts classes are required. Not sure how it works now, but liberal arts had several subcategories with credits requirements in each area.

I have a BFA. Actual degree is major dependent. Undergrad some majors were BFA, other BA and there is a BArch.

I cross registered one semester and took a class at Brown. The dual degree program was not available when I was in school.

I ended up pursuing something outside of art. Going to RISD was an advantage over a lesser known art school. A fair amount of people, obviously not everyone, outside of the arts think of RISD as the Harvard of art schools. This "brand name" mentality is an asset outside of the art world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is interested. Any feedback on what this is like as a college experience?

MICA?
RISD?
UsC?

USC is not an art school.

MICA - I’ve heard they are having financial problems
RISD - traditional, intense, competitive, stingy with aid and has like a 17% admit rate so you’d better be damn good with a portfolio to match. Has a partnership with Brown.
Pratt - highly regarded, also competitive, have heard that some programs are pretty cutthroat
SAIC - very conceptual/experimental, great for a student who is self motivated and wants to be able to experiment between disciplines.
Cleveland Institute of Art - Tiny, hut could be great for a student who wants more individual attention. Has a partnership with Case Western so students have access to both schools. Also, undergraduates get their own studio space.
Ringling - pipeline to Disney/Pixar if your kid is interested in digital art/animation/illustration, also a tiny school but the student work we saw on our visit blew us away.

Those are the only art schools I have experience with. CalArts is another highly regarded one, but I don’t know much about it except that it’s very good, very competitive, expensive and hard to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I studied studio art at a large university and ultimately switched to an art-adjacent major (though continued to study related art courses). This gave me a more typical university experience - I just spent more time in a studio and had extra expenses in terms of supplies (art school is not cheap).

Pure art schools will have a more concentrated experience with fellow student (wonderful if you love art) but may not have typical campus gathering areas, limited eating options because smaller, etc. RISD is an exception and it is near Brown with cross-classes offered.

Some amazing schools like School of the Art Institute in Chicago do not really have a "campus" - but the school is attached to the museum, which is great. Housing is scattered nearby. I suspect in this scenario students would need to work to build relationships in class.

I agree with the above poster with the husband artist that the thing to do is figure where you want to go AFTER school and then find the right fit. Some schools funnel to fashion, some to design/corporate, some to NYC gallery world.

There was a post about this which listed which art schools focused on which outcomes...you'll need to search tho.

Art school/classes are NOT easy, btw. Your child already probably knows this tho. You need to have a tough skin as classes involve the most brutal critiques of your work that you'll ever receive - all in class, all in front of everyone. You need to be mentally tough. It's part of the system but it is helpful in the end. I learned so much in studio art and it was a great experience.

I went to SAIC and the lack of campus wasn’t a problem at all as far as making connections with people. I had a great experience and my closest friends are ones I met as a freshman. We are still friends some 20 years later. The museum is an amazing resource.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I studied studio art at a large university and ultimately switched to an art-adjacent major (though continued to study related art courses). This gave me a more typical university experience - I just spent more time in a studio and had extra expenses in terms of supplies (art school is not cheap).

Pure art schools will have a more concentrated experience with fellow student (wonderful if you love art) but may not have typical campus gathering areas, limited eating options because smaller, etc. RISD is an exception and it is near Brown with cross-classes offered.

Some amazing schools like School of the Art Institute in Chicago do not really have a "campus" - but the school is attached to the museum, which is great. Housing is scattered nearby. I suspect in this scenario students would need to work to build relationships in class.

I agree with the above poster with the husband artist that the thing to do is figure where you want to go AFTER school and then find the right fit. Some schools funnel to fashion, some to design/corporate, some to NYC gallery world.

There was a post about this which listed which art schools focused on which outcomes...you'll need to search tho.

Art school/classes are NOT easy, btw. Your child already probably knows this tho. You need to have a tough skin as classes involve the most brutal critiques of your work that you'll ever receive - all in class, all in front of everyone. You need to be mentally tough. It's part of the system but it is helpful in the end. I learned so much in studio art and it was a great experience.

I went to SAIC and the lack of campus wasn’t a problem at all as far as making connections with people. I had a great experience and my closest friends are ones I met as a freshman. We are still friends some 20 years later. The museum is an amazing resource.

If you don't mind sharing, what do you do for work now?

[Anonymous]

RISD is easily the best, SCAD is terrible.

No one has mentioned Cooper Union or CalArts, two obvious places to consider if one is serious about this. The Art Institute is Chicago is a tier down but a good school.

MICA is circling the drain. Parsons in NYC is attached to the New School, which is experiencing serious financial difficulties.

VCU is only mentioned because of USN rankings, which are completely irrelevant. Those rankings are for graduate fine arts programs and do not reflect the actual perceived order for MFA programs (which is, of course, not what we are discussing here).

- professor at an AICAD school in an MFA program

[Anonymous]

You're essentially looking at what most would consider to be vocational training rather than an academic education. To that extent, what you're able to do when you graduate would seem to be more important than where you learned to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're essentially looking at what most would consider to be vocational training rather than an academic education. To that extent, what you're able to do when you graduate would seem to be more important than where you learned to do it.

WTF.
No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I studied studio art at a large university and ultimately switched to an art-adjacent major (though continued to study related art courses). This gave me a more typical university experience - I just spent more time in a studio and had extra expenses in terms of supplies (art school is not cheap).

Pure art schools will have a more concentrated experience with fellow student (wonderful if you love art) but may not have typical campus gathering areas, limited eating options because smaller, etc. RISD is an exception and it is near Brown with cross-classes offered.

Some amazing schools like School of the Art Institute in Chicago do not really have a "campus" - but the school is attached to the museum, which is great. Housing is scattered nearby. I suspect in this scenario students would need to work to build relationships in class.

I agree with the above poster with the husband artist that the thing to do is figure where you want to go AFTER school and then find the right fit. Some schools funnel to fashion, some to design/corporate, some to NYC gallery world.

There was a post about this which listed which art schools focused on which outcomes...you'll need to search tho.

Art school/classes are NOT easy, btw. Your child already probably knows this tho. You need to have a tough skin as classes involve the most brutal critiques of your work that you'll ever receive - all in class, all in front of everyone. You need to be mentally tough. It's part of the system but it is helpful in the end. I learned so much in studio art and it was a great experience.

I went to SAIC and the lack of campus wasn’t a problem at all as far as making connections with people. I had a great experience and my closest friends are ones I met as a freshman. We are still friends some 20 years later. The museum is an amazing resource.

If you don't mind sharing, what do you do for work now?

I don’t want to say because it’s pretty specific and I would totally out myself. But I can tell you that among my friends who went to SAIC, a couple are college professors, one works at an art museum, a few are in graphic design, UX design, film/video/sound design and a few are k-12 art teachers. One friend was a very successful fashion designer, with boutiques all over, but the industry is not family friendly and she really wanted a family. So she gave it all up and is now a stylist for a well known home goods company. Oh, and a former roommate is a set painter for movies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I studied studio art at a large university and ultimately switched to an art-adjacent major (though continued to study related art courses). This gave me a more typical university experience - I just spent more time in a studio and had extra expenses in terms of supplies (art school is not cheap).

Pure art schools will have a more concentrated experience with fellow student (wonderful if you love art) but may not have typical campus gathering areas, limited eating options because smaller, etc. RISD is an exception and it is near Brown with cross-classes offered.

Some amazing schools like School of the Art Institute in Chicago do not really have a "campus" - but the school is attached to the museum, which is great. Housing is scattered nearby. I suspect in this scenario students would need to work to build relationships in class.

I agree with the above poster with the husband artist that the thing to do is figure where you want to go AFTER school and then find the right fit. Some schools funnel to fashion, some to design/corporate, some to NYC gallery world.

There was a post about this which listed which art schools focused on which outcomes...you'll need to search tho.

Art school/classes are NOT easy, btw. Your child already probably knows this tho. You need to have a tough skin as classes involve the most brutal critiques of your work that you'll ever receive - all in class, all in front of everyone. You need to be mentally tough. It's part of the system but it is helpful in the end. I learned so much in studio art and it was a great experience.

I went to SAIC and the lack of campus wasn’t a problem at all as far as making connections with people. I had a great experience and my closest friends are ones I met as a freshman. We are still friends some 20 years later. The museum is an amazing resource.

If you don't mind sharing, what do you do for work now?

I don’t want to say because it’s pretty specific and I would totally out myself. But I can tell you that among my friends who went to SAIC, a couple are college professors, one works at an art museum, a few are in graphic design, UX design, film/video/sound design and a few are k-12 art teachers. One friend was a very successful fashion designer, with boutiques all over, but the industry is not family friendly and she really wanted a family. So she gave it all up and is now a stylist for a well known home goods company. Oh, and a former roommate is a set painter for movies.

Pp here. The college professors went on the get MFAs. One friend did a BFA in painting and then went on to do a PhD in psychology and is now at a prestigious LAC. So even if you start at art school, you might end up someplace completely different. I work in lightly related field, but I also have an MFA and spent many years teaching before landing my current job.

[Anonymous]

SAIC is having a "See SAIC Day" on February 16 fyi including tours of the facilities and residence halls (my DC was interested in art so we received a mailer).

Also, SAIC (school of the art institute of chicago btw), has virtual classes, too, including How to Create a Portfolio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
VCU is only mentioned because of USN rankings, which are completely irrelevant. Those rankings are for graduate fine arts programs and do not reflect the actual perceived order for MFA programs (which is, of course, not what we are discussing here).

Why would VCU be "only mentioned . . . " For many kids it's going to be the least expensive option.

[Anonymous]

I know art schools look at your portfolios. But are grades nearly as important as in other academic majors? We have a relative interested in Wisc-Madison. Is it more or less competitive to get into this school’s art major compared to a conventional major? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid who is more of a crafter than an artist/. He is a woodworker, and creates some really beautiful things, but the impressive part is how he uses techniques, many of them centuries old. He'd love a woodworking or furniture design degree, but when he looks at what students at RISD or other schools create it's all very modern and unconventional, and that's not his personal style.

Are there schools that would work with a student like that?

He's also in a theater degree with an emphasis on technical direction/scenic carpentry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid who is more of a crafter than an artist/. He is a woodworker, and creates some really beautiful things, but the impressive part is how he uses techniques, many of them centuries old. He'd love a woodworking or furniture design degree, but when he looks at what students at RISD or other schools create it's all very modern and unconventional, and that's not his personal style.

Are there schools that would work with a student like that?

He's also in a theater degree with an emphasis on technical direction/scenic carpentry.

RISD has a lot of furniture makers etc. Look in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid who is more of a crafter than an artist/. He is a woodworker, and creates some really beautiful things, but the impressive part is how he uses techniques, many of them centuries old. He'd love a woodworking or furniture design degree, but when he looks at what students at RISD or other schools create it's all very modern and unconventional, and that's not his personal style.

Are there schools that would work with a student like that?

He's also in a theater degree with an emphasis on technical direction/scenic carpentry.

RISD has a lot of furniture makers etc. Look in person.

We've visited, and the furniture we saw was definitely "invent something new" rather than "master traditional crafts". Maybe that was just who was working that day, and of course inventing new things is a wonderful thing, it's just not my kid.

He might apply. There's a lot of like about RISD. But he's not at all confident that his portfolio is what they're looking for.