Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art

The Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts allows students to earn a 60-credit MFA degree over a period of two years through a combination of ten-day, on-campus residencies followed by six-month semesters of self-designed studio practice. Students work from their home studios in the context of the communities in which they live, work, and make art. The program encourages an interdisciplinary approach to studio practices, helping emerging artists to integrate contemporary cultural theory with the practical concerns of their own media, method, and place in the world. Since its inception in 1991, the program has based its educational success on the principle of individualized learning. While in the program, students complete a series of interdisciplinary writing projects with a core faculty member and pursue their studio work with an artist from their home locale, chosen in collaboration with the program. This system encourages students to develop their own mentor system and determine educational values and expectations according to self-initiated ideas of progress and professionalism. As internationally known artists and intellectuals, faculty members bring an array of issues and ideas to every residency and every student's field of study. Direct involvement with students' ongoing practical challenges, both during the residencies and via contact throughout each semester, allows the faculty to integrate each student's specific situation and experience into the educational process. Because of the individualized structure, faculty members are able to pay close attention to each student’s progress.