Situated within our interdisciplinary MFA structure, students employing drawing and painting are recognized for their excellence and openness to diverse approaches. Our graduates have access to a wide range of mentors with expertise in contemporary expanded practices, as well as traditional methods. 

Students have the ability to audit undergraduate courses, and the opportunity to work with nationally recognized faculty as teaching assistants, and access the MFA program’s teaching preparation courses. 

Mentors/Faculty

Students can select mentors from the MCAD faculty and/or the professional community of the Twin Cities. Mentorship is regarded as the core of the MCAD graduate curriculum. Students can expect to spend approximately one hour per week with their mentor (or equivalent). Each semester the student and mentor determine its content based on the student’s goals.

See the Recent Mentors to get a sense of who our students are working with.

Students can work with the same mentor for two years, or switch as frequently as every semester.

 

Selected Regional Resources

• Walker Art Center — internationally recognized multidisciplinary contemporary art center
• Minneapolis Institute of Art — comprehensive art museum showcasing the world’s diverse cultures
• Minnesota Museum of American Art — showcases American artists from the 19th century to the present
• Weisman Art Museum — designed by Frank Gehry; offers wide-ranging exhibitions, talks, and symposia
• Midway Contemporary Art — presents exhibitions and maintains a research library

Visiting Artists

Visiting artists, designers, and critics are a central element of Graduate Critique Seminar. Each week a visitor is invited to present their work and critique two students’ work during class. By the time a student has completed the MFA Program, they will have seen approximately 25-30 different in-class visitors. Additionally, the MFA Program regularly invites artists for clusters of studio visits. 

Further, MCAD brings in a roster of artists and designers to speak to the entire school. Some recent speakers include: Kenny Scharf, Do Ho Suh, Martha Rosler, Sharon Louden, Sheila Pepe, Claudia Hart, Luisa Rivera, Heather Davis, Stephanie Sherman, Juana Berrio, Aliza Nisenbaum, Patrick Miller, Mark Tribe, Carolina Borja, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr, Hrag Vartanian, Ellen Driscoll, Sonnenzimmer, Juan Sanchez, Domenic Cretara, Manav Gupta, Sam Alden

Facilities

Resources include private studios in the MFA Building with natural light, as well as free access to weekly figure drawing sessions in the Morrison Building. You can check out the Main Building facilities on our virtual building tour.

 

Recent Alumni Achievements

You can view an on-going list of MFA alumni highlights here.

You can also watch

A few drawing-painting call outs include:

• Yuta Uchida ’19 – Vermont Studio Center artist-in-residence, 2019
• Heather Lamanno ’19 – Second Shift Studio artist-in-residence 2019-2020
• Anika Schneider ’19 – Arrowmont University Fellows Scholarship, 2019
• Jonathan Aller ’18 – Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant 2019
• Leslie Barlow ‘16 – McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, 2019 – also see MN Originals video
• Hend Al-Mansour ’02 – MN Artist Initiative Grant 2021, 2019, McKnight Fellowship in 2018, Jerome Fellowship of Printmaking in 2013/14; MN Originals Feature Video
• Megan Vossler ’02, MN Artist Initiative Grant 2019
• Kelli Nelson ’13 – MN Artist Initiative Grant, 2019
• Shannon Estlund ’13, MN Artist Initiative Grant 2019
• Joe Sinness ‘05 – McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, 2019
• Ann Magnusson ’98, MN Artist Initiative Grant 2018
• Hend Al-Mansour ’02 – McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, 2018
• Joe Siness ’05, MN Artists Exhibition Program at Mia, 2017
• Tara Sweeney ’97 – MN Artist Initiative Grant 2017
• Gregory Euclide ’08 – McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, 2015; MN Originals video

Professional Practices and Career Development

Each semester, we host a series of talks/workshops focused on professional practices (alumni are invited to attend, and we feature alumni as speakers when possible). Topics range widely and are selected based on current student interests and suggestions.

The Twin Cities is one of the most vibrant and diverse arts communities in the US. Current students can take an MCAD van to visit studies/agencies, and are encouraged to explore alumni spaces. Alumni are also invited to join in on these trips.

Travel

Each year, the MFA program takes a trip to either New York City or Los Angeles where we visit MCAD alumni studios and offices, in addition to all the rich art and design resources these cities offer.

MCAD MFA students are also invited to apply for summer abroad experiences via the WorkArt Fellowship Program (Germany), Burren College of Art’s Summer School (Ireland), DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia (Copenhagen or Stockholm),or USF’s Paris/Venice/London program (alternating locations depending on year). International travel is an optional added cost for MFA students (not required).

Regional Funding

Additionally, MCAD’s MFA program can help you apply to Minnesota’s outstanding regional sources of funding. For some awards, you can apply during the summer between your first and second year to receive funding in the months after graduating.

• Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants (can apply as a student, but project cannot be associated with your degree program)
• Jerome Foundation Grants
• Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program
• Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grants
• McKnight Foundation Grants
• Midway Contemporary Art Visual Arts Fund
• Red Eye’s Works-In-Progress Program
• and more (the funding environment in MN is ever-evolving and growing)

Andrew Allison ’13

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