As such, the program supplements the emphasis on making with studio visits, group critiques and final reviews, and weekly seminars. In their final semester, all graduate painting students write a thesis paper and exhibit their work in a thesis exhibition. Elective courses, workshops, and occasional field trips round out a graduate painting student’s education, while physical proximity in the studios and weekly all-program meetings strengthens a sense of community and belonging.

Program of Study

Studio activity is considered the core of the two-year graduate program. All students are expected to demonstrate a deep commitment to their practice by maintaining regular studio habits. The weekly seminar class comprises reading, writing, and discussion, helping students cultivate the language and context that surrounds their work and practice.

The Tuesday Night MFA Lecture Series brings guest speakers to the studios on a regular basis. Guests deliver a lecture on their work, visit studios or give a workshop, and are invited to socialize afterwards with the graduate students in a more informal context. The Contemporary Perspectives Lecture Series brings established artists per year to campus to deliver lectures on their work and interact with the graduate students.

Postwar and Contemporary Art History courses are required to contextualize the graduate students’ ideas and practices. In order to take full advantage of the benefits offered by a large university, graduate students may also take elective courses in programs across the BU community.

The hallmarks of our program are intimacy and intensity.  In addition to regular studio visits with SVA’s core graduate faculty, students have extensive one-on-one contact with numerous internationally renowned visiting artists, curators, writers, and critics.  Weekly group critiques, thematic seminar courses, professional symposia, technical workshops, and field trips add to the wide-ranging and immersive conversation that forms the basis of the department’s studio culture.

Facilities and Resources

Graduate students have 24-hour access to individual studios on the third floor of the 808 Building, approximately 250-350 square feet each. Most have natural light with views of Boston and Brookline.

Additional facilities available to graduate students include printmaking facilities, a fully equipped woodshop, welding shop, ceramics facilities, black-and-white darkrooms, digital media studios including vinyl cutters and a Risograph printer. Check out more!

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Visiting Artists

The Tuesday Night Lecture Series in the MFA program in Painting takes place nearly every week in the graduate studios. Visiting artists deliver a lecture on their work, visit studios and/or give a workshop, and are invited to socialize afterwards with the graduate students in a more informal context.

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Visiting Artists

Previous Visiting Artists

 

Galleries and Exhibitions

The galleries at the School of Visual Arts comprise both professional and student-run exhibition spaces. Regular exhibitions compliment graduate education. The Boston University Art Galleries present professionally organized exhibitions by contemporary artists in all disciplines.

Second year graduate students each have a weeklong solo exhibition of their work in the public space of the Commonwealth Gallery.

In the spring semester of their second year, every MFA Painting and Sculpture graduate student exhibits their work in a thesis exhibition in the professional quality exhibition spaces of Boston University Art Galleries.

Following the thesis exhibition, graduated students often debut their work in New York City in a group exhibition organized by the program in partnership with Manhattan galleries.

The graduate program takes regular trips to New York City to visit artists’ studios and tour exhibitions.

Awards and Opportunities

The MFA Painting and Sculpture Alumni Award in Honor of John Walker is awarded each year at the close of the spring semester. Recipients are selected by a group of MFA program alumni. The award was created by alumni to recognize the achievements of MFA students and to honor Professor Emeritus John Walker.

The Joseph Ablow Memorial Painting Prize is awarded to a promising rising second year MFA Painting major. Joseph Ablow was a Painting faculty member at the School of Visual Arts for more than four decades. He served in the roles of Professor and Director, and was a Professor Emeritus prior to his passing away in 2012. He studied painting at Harvard University, Bennington College, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He pursued additional study with the renowned artists, Oskar Kokoschka and Ben Shahn. His personal attention to and care for his students are remembered by all who were fortunate to have known and studied with him. This memorial prize, supported by Joseph Ablow’s family and friends, will continue to bestow honor on his memory.

MFA Painting students are typically awarded graduate and or teaching assistantships, providing valuable professional teaching experience before graduation.

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Important Dates

Program Faculty

• 

  Josephine Halvorson

  Professor of Art, Painting; Chair of Graduate Studies in Painting

• 

  JM Howey

  Assistant Professor of Art, Painting

• 

  Lucy Kim

  Associate Professor of Art, Painting

• 

  Richard Ryan

  Associate Professor of Art, Painting

• 

  Marc Schepens

  Director, School of Visual Arts; Senior Lecturer in Art, Painting