Accepting Applications for the MFA in Studio Art with Concentration in Printmaking

Current MFA Candidates (clockwise from top left): Jon Vogt, Kayla Seedig, David Villegas, 
Luke Ball, Preston Bradley, Melody Vaughan, and Jessie Barnes

The MFA program at the University of North Texas is accepting applications to begin course work in Fall 2015.  The printmaking area is made up of seven MFA printmaking candidates and thirty-five BFA undergraduates from a variety of artistic and geographic backgrounds.

The MFA in Printmaking at the University of North Texas offers a broad and intensive experience for serious artists engaging printmaking processes and concepts.  As artists, we are drawn to printmaking as a primary form of expression with many facets.  MFA Printmaking candidates come from a range of conceptual, technical, and formal interests.  The program aims to expand and focus these while increasing the individual’s professional experience through exhibitions, exposure to visiting artists, print media conferences, portfolio exchanges, printmaking workshops and other professional activities.  The UNT campus offers exceptional professional research resources, and the Dallas/ Fort Worth area offers additional resources such as world-class art museums, contemporary art galleries, and other cultural activities.

We have an inclusive and expansive focus on printmaking in our MFA program.  We are focused on creating the opportunity for artists to learn traditional media and processes while experimenting and expanding beyond media conventions.  Each graduate student will determine the scope of creative his/her creative research.   We currently have students who work in screenprint, various forms of intaglio, various forms of lithography, digital prints, various forms of relief prints, sculptural prints, artist’s books, installation, performance, and conceptual extensions of print processes in other media.  Graduate print courses focus on idea/concept-building, contextual awareness, and professional development.

*Deadline for Priority Consideration is January 5, 2015*  (for enrolling in Fall 2015).
Late applications will be reviewed for acceptance until mid February, but with fewer opportunities for Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships.

Printmaking Faculty:
Andrew DeCaen, Associate Professor of Art & Printmaking Area Coordinator
www.andrewdecaen.com/

Lari Gibbons, Professor of Art & Director of P.R.I.N.T Press
www.lrgibbons.net/

Printmaking Studios and Equipment:
Printmaking Graduate students have 24/7 access to the main printmaking studios plus exclusive access to two studios shared among the printmaking graduate students.

Two shared MFA Printmaking Studios (550 square feet each) including:
Individual work spaces, tables, storage cabinets, and flat file space.
26" x 50" Charles Brand etching press
Century AL Series M&M Research automatic screenprint press
Apple desktop computer and darkroom

Critique/Presentation/Archive Studio (1,000 square feet)

Intaglio/Relief/Screenprint Studio 

Intaglio/Relief/Screenprint Studio (2,900 square feet) including:

38" x 72" Takach etching press

36" x 60" Charles Brand etching press

30" x 50" Charles Brand etching press

26" x 50" Charles Brand etching press

16" x 30" Charles Brand etching press

18" x 36" Takach etching press

G.P. Gordon clamshell letterpress

22" x 32" hotplate

Several large rollers and small brayers

A dark room with Nuarc MRS 3140 exposure unit for screen, intaglio, and relief

Acid room with enclosed Gene Scientific ventilated acid hood

Lithography Studio

Lithography Studio (1,200 square feet) including:
32" x 56" Takach lithography press
30" x 50" Charles Brand lithography press
30" x 44" Graphic lithography press
A large selection of  litho stones (up to 30" x 24" in size)
A dark room with a 40-1KS Nuarc exposure unit for lithography

Sculpture Shop for various traditional and technology driven equipment such as:
CNC router (can cut materials up to 4’ x 8’)
Laser cutter (can cut or engrave materials up to 18” x 24”)
3d printer (build objects up to 6.75” x 9” x 8”)

Visiting Artists:
The Printmaking Area hosts at least two Visiting Artist in Printmaking annually. Recent Visiting Artists include: Charles Beneke, James Ehlers, Nicole Hand, Tom Huck, Beauvais Lyons, Phyllis McGibbon, Lloyd Menard, Ashley Nason, Dennis Olsen, Ryan O'Malley, Brandon Sanderson, Juergen Strunck, Jason Urban, and Joseph Velasquez. The College of Visual Art and Design and the Institute for the Advancement in the Arts also host many artists from a variety of disciplines including recent artists: Kiki Smith and Nick Cave.

P.R.I.N.T Press:
P.R.I.N.T Press hosts professional publishing of visiting artists’ work and provides educational opportunities and professional training for current UNT students through collaborations, internships and jobs. Recent collaborations between visiting master printers and artists include Catherine Chauvin/Kiki Smith, Ryan Burkhart/Scott Ingram, Erika Adams/Michelle Samour, Jon Lee/Albert Paley, David Jones/Jeff Elrod, Ryan Burkhart/Jiha Moon, and Jon Lee/Robyn O'Neil. Exhibitions, performances, and other engaging projects are led by visiting artists such as Beauvais Lyons, Leslie Mutchler, John Risseeuw and Jason Urban. Distinguished printmakers such as Charles Beneke, Lynwood Kreneck, Michelle Martin, Nancy Palmeri and Gretchen Schermerhorn teach workshops in specialized techniques. (http://art.unt.edu/print/, http://untprintpress.blogspot.com)

Museums and Galleries:
The College of Visual Arts and Design has three student galleries. (http://gallery.unt.edu/)  Exhibitions in non-traditional art venues are also common in Denton.  Just 40 miles away in the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth there is an excellent contemporary art gallery scene and a world class selection of museums such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and the Kimbell Art Museum,

Rare Books and Texana Collection:
UNT Library’s Rare Books department collects and preserves rare and unique materials including rare books, oral histories, university archives, historical manuscripts, maps, microfilm, photographs, art and artifacts. Students, faculty and the public are welcome to access collections and view special exhibits in our Fourth floor Reading Room.  http://www.library.unt.edu/rarebooks/exhibits/

The Elm Fork Natural Heritage Museum and Collections
An extensive collection of flora and fauna preserved specimens are available for research studies.  http://efnhmuseum.unt.edu/

Study Abroad:
CVAD faculty lead study abroad programs in Italy, France, and England.  http://international.unt.edu/

P.A.N. T. S: Printmaking Association of North Texas Students:
Our student print club energetically organizes exhibitions, fundraisers, and many public events.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/75645964808/

Graduate Student Work:
Luke Ball, http://lukeballart.blogspot.com/
Preston Bradley, http://prestonbradleyartist.tumblr.com/
Jon Vogt, www.jonvogt.com
Melody Vaughan, http://melodyvaughan.com/

Jessie Barnes:  http://jessiekbarnes.tumblr.com/

Kayla Seedig: http://kaylaseedigart.tumblr.com/

David Villegas:

Recent MFA Alumni
Laura Drapac, http://www.laurahdrapac.com/
Adam Palmer, http://adampalmerart.com/home.html
Adam Rowlett, http://adamrowlett.tumblr.com/

Linda Santana, http://lindaluciasantana.blogspot.com/
Cat Snapp, http://catsnapp.com/home.html
Chris Wallace, http://southpawprintmaking.blogspot.com/

Application Process:
The process of applying to the MFA program at the College of Visual Arts and Design has Three Parts:  an application to the Toulouse Graduate School of the University of North Texas, an application to the College of Visual Arts and Design, Department of Studio Art, and applications for Assistantships and/or Scholarships.

PART 1:  Apply and read application requirements at http://www.tsgs.unt.edu by January 5.

The applicant is evaluated by the Toulouse Graduate School of the University of North Texas to verify that minimum standards required for all graduate students at UNT are met.  Graduate Admissions generally takes two to four weeks to process application materials including transcripts from all coursework applied to your undergraduate degree.  Note that the GRE test is no longer a requirement for the MFA application.  *Transcripts of all College Education will be required to insure that minimum requirements are met.  Once the graduate school’s review is complete, they will forward the application to the printmaking faculty so that they may make the final decision from the application materials sent to the Department of Studio Art in second part of the process.

PART 2:  Apply at https://unt.slideroom.com/ by January 5.

Applications are evaluated by a series of required application materials:
*Portfolio of Artworks: a CD with 15-20 high quality jpg images of artworks including at least 10 prints.   Images could be up to 5MB each.   Include a PDF image identification sheet indicating the corresponding image number, title, media, size, and year with thumbnails of each image.
*Artist’s Statement:  A description of your creative interests, context, and process.

*Statement of Intent:  A brief statement describing your educational and professional background, your motivations for attending graduate school, and your professional aspirations for after graduate school.

*Artist’s Resume:  A professional resume showing all educational and professional experience including a complete exhibition record.
*Two Letters of Recommendation:  Two letters of recommendation (recommenders should email these directly to studio@unt.edu)
*Please label all application materials/documents with “Your Name and UNT Printmaking MFA Application.”

PART 3:  Apply for Graduate Area Assistantships and Scholarships by January 5.
A variety of scholarships and assistantships are available through the College of Visual Arts and Design and Toulouse Graduate School.  Applicants should be sure to apply for an area assistantship at the time of application for the MFA program. More information at http://tsgs.unt.edu/graduatelife/teaching-assistantships and https://art.unt.edu/financial-aid.html

*Academic Achievement Scholarship (AAS):  The scholarships are available to many new doctoral and Master of Fine Arts students for the first year of study with a possible one-year renewal. Recipients of these competitive scholarships receive $1000 and may be eligible for in-state tuition rates.  See at http://www.tsgs.unt.edu keyword search “AAS” for details.

*Graduate Area Assistantship Application:  Download an application at the CVAD Website and submit with your application materials to the Department of Studio Art before the deadline on the form.  See https://art.unt.edu/fellowships-assistantships.html to download the application.  Area Assistantships are working appointments available to first year graduate students. New graduate students may apply for an area assistant position in the Printmaking Area, P.R.I.N.T. Press, Drawing Core, Design Core, or the Art Gallery. Area Assistants work 10 hours per week and are a paid a stipend.

Robert B. Toulouse Fellowship:  This new award is for truly exceptional applicants whose undergraduate creative research demonstrates a track record poised to make a national or international impact.  Faculty reviewing applicants may nominate the applicant to compete among nominations from the whole university.  The award provides a substantial research stipend, tuition, and health insurance benefits See at http://www.tsgs.unt.edu keyword search “Robert B. Toulouse Fellowship” for details.

Teaching opportunities and Funding Opportunities for Continuing Graduate Students

Various opportunities for teaching experience may be available after the first semester of graduate school and various funding opportunities are available to graduate students as soon as they are enrolled in classes.

Teaching Assistantships may be available after the first semester of studies.  Second semester graduate students who are taking the Seminar on University Teaching may apply for Teaching Assistantships in Core Drawing or Core Design with a stipend. After the first semester, graduate students can be awarded up to two of these assistantships per semester when available.  Teaching Assistants attend a weekly lecture by the Core faculty, then lead a class section in Drawing or Design Core.  They also attend weekly guideance meetings with Core faculty and other Core Teaching Assistants.  Teaching Assistants receive a stipend corresponding to their assignment and academic progress.

Teaching Fellowships in Printmaking may be available to second and third year graduate students on a limited basis. This Teaching fellowship is an opportunity to teach a printmaking class as an Instructor of Record and be paid a stipend corresponding to their assignment and academic progress.

Stipends are attached to all Assistantship and Fellowships.  The amount of the stipends depends on the number of appointments a graduate student holds and the number of academic hours s/he has completed.  Current amounts of stipends can be obtained by contacting the Printmaking Area Coordinator.

Graduate Student Travel Grants
Graduate students may apply for funds to travel to present at professional conferences to present research.  The grants are offered by the Toulouse Graduate School, the Office of Research & Development and the Graduate Student Council.  See at http://www.tsgs.unt.edu keyword search “Graduate Student Travel Grants” for details.  

Raupe Travel Grants
Raupe Travel Grant is a scholarship to UNT students attending a conference that will benefit the university. Students can receive up to $750 a semester towards their conferences.  https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/raupe-travel-grant

CVAD Project Awards
CVAD students may prepare a proposal to be funded for one of the following categories:

*Creative Projector Research

*Travel for Creative Conference (for presenting research, presenting an exhibition)

*Creative Internship

*Study Abroad relating to creative research

The awards are offered by the generous support of private donors through the College of Visual Arts and Design.  See at https://art.unt.edu/current-students/funding-awards-projects

The Nicholas + Ann Ricco Ethics Award

This $1,000 award will be given annually to the leading CVAD student proponent of ethical behavior and concepts.  https://art.unt.edu/current-students/funding-awards-projects

Other UNT Scholarships are also available and graduate students are encouraged to apply to support their research. More information at http://tsgs.unt.edu/graduatelife/toulouse_fellowships_scholarships

Visit the following links below for more info:
UNT Printmaking Blog:  http://untprintmakingblog.blogspot.com/
UNT Printmaking:  http://www.art.unt.edu/printmaking.html
UNT Studio Art: http://www.art.unt.edu/studio-art.html
UNT College of Visual Art and Design:  http://www.art.unt.edu
UNT Toulouse Graduate School: http://www.tsgs.unt.edu
Current Tuition and Fees: http://www.tsgs.unt.edu/admissions/all-about-money
Application for an Area Assistantship  (PDF download) https://art.unt.edu/fellowships-assistantships

Please Email Andy DeCaen if you have any questions about the program, about the application process, or if you plan to visit our campus.