Art, Studio
- Program Overview
Studio Art
As a research and practice-based terminal degree program, the Department of Art’s Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art occupies a unique position among graduate programs in art studies. The M.F.A. in Studio Art graduate students pursue studio research and practice, academic scholarship, teaching, and professional practice, towards their degree. We offer a dynamic, interdisciplinary curriculum along with individual mentoring from faculty whose work has won national and international recognition. The curriculum is designed to provide courses in Studio Art practice, seminar, and critique, as well as utilize the facilities and individual art studios, and the on-campus galleries and art exhibition venues as teaching and learning spaces. Students benefit from engagement with the liberal arts through our department's Art History and Criticism graduate programs, as well as programs in Cultural Analysis and Theory, Philosophy, Writing, History, Music, an Anthropology, and are able to pursue Graduate Certificates in Media, Art, Culture and Technology; Art and Philosophy; Creative Writing and Literature; Women’s and Gender Studies, and Writing and Rhetoric, among others. Our graduates also make use of external resources such as the museums, galleries and libraries in the New York City metropolitan region, and regularly participate in internship and apprenticeship programs with artists, galleries, museums, institutions and and cultural organizations. As a small and selective program in a large, public institution we are able to offer graduate study with low tuition costs, opportunities for teaching experience with a highly diverse undergraduate population, and the full resources of a major research university. Our graduates have been successful in their careers as artists, earning fellowships, residencies, and recognition through exhibitions, as well as found roles in teaching and academic positions at colleges and universities.
M.F.A. in Studio Art
The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art at Stony Brook University is a three-year, 60-credit terminal degree program in creative art practice, and critical inquiry in the field of Studio Art, supported by production facilities, individual art studios, and a research university environment. The M.F.A. in Studio Art degree requirements are concentrated primarily on studio art courses, teaching practicum, liberal arts courses, and participation in presentations and critiques, as well as exhibitions. The program culminates in a one-person thesis exhibition accompanied by a written thesis paper, a thesis defense, as well as participation in the M.F.A. group thesis exhibition at the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery. Normally, the M.F.A. in Studio Art program requires three years of full-time residency. Students are not accepted into the program on a part-time basis. The degree is especially suitable for students who plan on pursuing professional work as artists, and may also be the degree of choice for those preparing for careers in art production, art education, art administration, or gallery and museum work.
Studio Art
Chairperson
Linda O'Keefe, Staller Center #2221, linda.okeefe@stonybrook.edu
M.F.A. Graduate Program Director
Isak Berbic, Staller Center #4281, isak.berbic@stonybrook.edu
Graduate Program Coordinator
TBD, Staller Center #2224, tel. +1 (631) 632-7270
Degrees Awarded
M.F.A. in Studio Art
Website
Application
- Admissions
Admission to the M.F.A. Program in Studio Art
Admission into the M.F.A. Program in Studio Art is at the discretion of the Studio Art Graduate Faculty with the final approval of the Graduate School. Admission is for the Fall semester. Admission to the program assumes a minimum of a B average in undergraduate work and meeting the standards of admission to the Graduate School (including English Proficiency Requirements).
All candidates for the M.F.A. program must enter with a minimum of 40 semester hours of credit or the equivalent of undergraduate work in Studio Art in a B.A., B.S., B.F.A., or similar program. Applicants should also have a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit in art history, theory, or criticism. At the discretion of the Graduate Faculty, those without sufficient background may be advised to complete further undergraduate coursework prior to admission to the program.
Following should be submitted directly to the Art Department:
Artist Portfolio Application Instructions:
In addition to completing the official Graduate School application using the SBU application portal (https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply), the below listed application materials for the MFA in Studio Art should be emailed directly to the Department of Art graduate program admissions email: GradArt@stonybrook.edu Please include your full name and MFA in Studio Art Application in the email subject line. You can send up to 25 MB in attachments. Please ensure that your file sizes are adequately set for this inbox limitation.
- Artist Portfolio:
20 visual images, slides or pages, that represent your best and recent artwork in a presentation format, packaged as a PDF document (Max 25 MB). The Artist Portfolio should include image captions stating the artwork title, media/materials, and date of production (no artwork older than 3 years please). Short project descriptions (max 100 words each) can be included within the Artist Portfolio document, or a separate image captions text document may be attached. Video and durational media should be hyperlinked and playable online within a web browser (Website, Google Drive, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).
- Statement of Purpose / Artist Statement:
A statement between 500 and 1000 words on your artwork and creative research, current directions, aims and objectives in pursuing graduate study.
- Resume / CV:
Curriculum vitae including contact information, education, academic achievements, art exhibitions, professional experience, awards or recognitions.
- Degree Requirements
Degree Requirements
Requirements for the M.F.A. in Studio Art
The Department of Art accepts only full-time students into the M.F.A. in Studio Art program.
A. Course Offerings
Courses regularly offered in graduate Studio Art are ARS 550: In Process Critique, and ARS 580: Visual Arts Seminar, as well as ARS 531: Graduate Teaching Practicum and ARS 532: Thesis Project, along with various rotating Studio Art topics and Project courses.
Graduate Studio Art Courses:
ARS 520: Special Projects for M.F.A. Candidates
ARS 525: Electronic Media
ARS 530: Professional Experience Internship
ARS 531: Graduate Teaching Practicum
ARS 532: Thesis Project
ARS 535: Projects in Studio Art
ARS 540: Graduate Photo Studio
ARS 550: In Process Critique
ARS 551: Graduate Painting Studio
ARS 560: Graduate Sculpture Studio
ARS 561: Graduate Ceramics / Ceramic Sculpture Studio
ARS 570: Graduate Printmaking Studio
ARS 580: Visual Arts Seminar
ARS 800: Summer Research
In addition, graduate courses offered through other programs may satisfy requirements, subject to approval by the Graduate Faculty and the Graduate Program Director.
B. Course Requirements
The student will be required to successfully complete 60 credits of graduate work, as outlined in the list of categories and courses below. No graduate studio course may be taken for more than three credits per semester.
- ARS 550: In Process Critique (3 credits) to be taken in the first semester and throughout the graduate program. This course is repeated and counted towards graduate Studio Art credits.
- At least nine graduate Studio Art courses (27 credits).
- At least two ARS 580: Visual Arts Seminar courses (6 credits). Additional ARS 580: Visual Arts Seminar courses are recommended.
- Three courses in graduate Liberal Arts, e.g., Art History and Criticism, Philosophy, Literature, etc. (9 credits).
- ARS 531: Graduate Teaching Practicum (3-6 credits), (see item E).
- ARS 532: Thesis Project (up to 6 credits).
Students are required to take three graduate Liberal Arts courses (9 credits) in Art History and Criticism, Cultural Analysis and Theory, Philosophy, Writing, History, Music, or Anthropology, among others.
D. Demonstrations of Studio ProficiencyAll M.F.A. candidates should demonstrate proficiency through the development of a comprehensive body of studio art work. Proficiency is determined by their Faculty Advisor, the Graduate Faculty and Program Director through periodic evaluation of the work, including mid-term and final critiques each semester, and the thesis project review by the student’s Faculty Advisor and the thesis committee in the third year.
E. Teaching RequirementAll graduate students are required to observe a faculty member and assist in teaching for a minimum of one semester; this course offers three credits toward the M.F.A. degree under ARS 531. After the observation, a graduate student will teach a class as an instructor of record which offers an additional three credits toward the MFA degree. Beyond these six credits applied toward the MFA degree, all other teaching by students with stipends will be part of their obligation without earning additional academic credit.
F. Final Year and the Thesis Project
During the final year, in addition to regular coursework, the M.F.A. candidates prepare a one-person thesis exhibition at the Lawrence Alloway Gallery. They also participate in the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery’s annual M.F.A. group thesis exhibition. They complete a written thesis paper and defense to complement the body of work as a scholarly articulation of thoughts and ideas in relation to the body of work and the field of Studio Art.
- Facilities
Art Department Facilities
Since 1976, the Department of Art has enjoyed the resources of the Staller Center for the Arts. This 226,026-square-foot building includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Theatre and is a vibrant hub of lectures, concerts, performances, and other cultural activities. The complex includes faculty and staff offices, art history classrooms, and a graduate lounge. The first floor of the Art wing features the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, a major Stony Brook University art gallery space devoted primarily to exhibitions of contemporary art, including the annual M.F.A. thesis show.
The department has substantial graduate art studio space available at an off-campus location (Innovation and Discovery Center or IDC). Each M.F.A. in Studio Art graduate student is provided their own individual art studio space at IDC. Accompanying large common spaces are regularly used for seminars, discussions, temporary exhibitions, presentations, and documentation of work. The Lawrence Alloway Gallery provides exhibition space with media exhibition equipment, and there are several other on-campus locations where students have opportunities to exhibit their artwork.
Production facilities in the Staller Center include full foundry, metals, and wood shops; a ceramics and ceramic sculpture studio; spacious painting, drawing, and studio classrooms; printmaking studios with etching, stone lithography and photo plate making and screen printing facilities; extensive digital facilities and computer labs; a photography lighting studio, group and individual darkrooms, maker space, print space, sound recording space, among others. Art history classrooms are equipped with media technology. The main library houses extensive collections of scholarship on the arts, including recent exhibition catalogs and the most important art history and criticism journals. Proximity to New York City makes available the numerous libraries, museums, galleries, studios, and publishing institutions of the greater metropolitan area.
Finally, the Pollock-Krasner House and the Pollock-Krasner Study Center, in East Hampton and Southampton, Long Island, are affiliated with the University. Once the home and studio of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, the Pollock-Krasner House is now both a landmark museum and a forum for lectures, seminars, and other academic activities. The Study Center comprises extensive reference materials and archives, including books, photographs, oral histories, and journals available for research.
- Faculty
Faculty of Studio Art Department
Faculty of Studio Art Department
Graduate Faculty of Studio Art
Professors
Buonagurio, Toby. M.A., 1971, City College of New York: Ceramics, Ceramic Sculpture, Drawing and Conceptual Drawing.
Dinkins, Stephanie. M.F.A., 1997, Maryland Institute College of Art. Artificial Intelligence and Socially Engaged Practice, Video, Photography, Interactive and Installation Art.
Levine, Martin. M.F.A., 1972, California College of Arts and Crafts. Printmaking.
Nagasawa, Nobuho. M.F.A., 1985, Hochschule der Kunste Berlin, Germany: Sculpture, Social Sculpture, Installation, Socially Engaged Art, and Public Art.
Pindell, Howardena. M.F.A., 1967, Yale University: Painting, Drawing and Conceptual Drawing.
Associate Professors
Berbic, Isak. M.F.A., 2007, University of Illinois at Chicago. Photography, Interdisciplinary Art Studio, Documentary Media Art.
Ashizawa, Izumi. M.F.A., 2002, Yale University. Devising Theatre and Performance Art.Lecturers
Paradis, Jason. Lecturer, M.F.A., 1998, Stony Brook University; Drawing and Painting.
Salcedo-Watson, Lorena. M.F.A., 2008, Stony Brook University; Drawing, Printmaking, Lithography, Experimental Printmaking.
Arts Administration
Ward, Matthew. Director, Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center.
Levitov, Karen. Director and Curator, Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, Staller Center for the Arts.
Walsh, Lorraine. Art Director and Curator, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics.
Technicians and Professional Staff
Ide, Takafumi. M.F.A., 2007, Stony Brook University. Lecturer, Instructional Support Technician, Photography and Digital Technician and Studios Manager.
Richholt, Dan. M.F.A., 1994, Stony Brook University. Lecturer, Instructional Support Technician, Sculpture Technician and Studios Manager.
Affiliated Faculty
Schedel, Margaret. D.M.A., 2007, University of Cincinnati. Associate Professor of Composition and Computer Music in the Stony Brook University Department of Music.
See The Department Of Art, Art History & Criticism Faculty: https://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/graduatebulletin/current/academicprograms/arh/faculty.php
- Contact
Studio Art
Chairperson
Linda O'Keefe, Staller Center #2221, linda.okeefe@stonybrook.edu
M.F.A. Graduate Program Director
Isak Berbic, Staller Center #4281, isak.berbic@stonybrook.edu
Graduate Program Coordinator
TBD, Staller Center #2224, tel. +1 (631) 632-7270
Degrees Awarded
M.F.A. in Studio Art
Website
Application