Written by Kay Heino

Recently two of the MFA second-year students had the pleasure of having a studio visit with Christopheraaron Deanes. Both Jordyn Brennan and Dan McAvey were given this opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. Sometimes studio visits can be scary and sometimes they can be awkward, that’s why I reached out to Jordyn Brennan to see for myself how a meeting like this could go. I received a lot of great answers I’d like to share about how un-scary a studio visit can be. I’m hoping that this will help future students be more willing to meet with visiting artists, and know that this can be not only an intellectual meeting, but also an inspiring meeting of the creatives. 

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Kay:

I know it’s super generic, but how did it go?

Jordyn:

I really enjoyed my studio visit with Christopheraaron and it was probably one of my favorite visits. He was very present and invested in our time together.

Kay:

Was there anything you got out of this studio visit that you feel you may use in the future (tips, tricks, etc. )?

Jordyn:

There was a few things about experimentation he suggested that I never thought of and ended up using in the future. 

Kay:

I know you probably got asked a bunch of questions, was there anything you got asked that stuck out to you?

Jordyn:

I can’t think of any specific questions he asked me, but his kindness and passion for art and the community really stuck with me. I almost picked him from my thesis committee but ended up going another route.

Kay:

Final question, studio visits for some reason can feel awkward. Do you have advice about studio visits as a second year MFA student?

Jordyn:

I agree 100%, studio visits can be very awkward. I’ve noticed that some artist you just end up vibing with more than others. I think one thing that I always do is have a list of questions that I can always reference if it gets quiet. I usually have a couple about the formal or material aspects and a couple about the conceptual aspects.

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Christopheraaron Deanes: www.christopheraarond.com