Carrie or Peter Jacobson on mon 11 dec 00
Here's a question. What is the value of an MFA in clay?
This is a serious question on my part, not to be read here as snide or
ironic. I can understand the value of the course of study itself - the
thought of having time, that amount of time, to spend on clay, with help and
instruction - away from the noise and chaos of real life, daily work,
profits and needs and oil bills - good heavens, that sounds like heaven. I
can see the value of that and I long for it. Wish I'd found clay when I was
in college, frittering away my time on other pursuits.
And so there is one area, the time and the space to work and experiment and
learn. I get that. I understand its worth. And obviously, if this is the
value of the degree, then I see it. But out there in the world, does the MFA
degree itself have any value? If so, what?
Best wishes,
Carrie Jacobson
Bolster's Mills, Maine
Mike Gordon on mon 11 dec 00
Hi Carrie,
It all depends on what you want to do in "Clay", Teach or be a full
time potter. If teaching is your goal then I advize getting a Masters.
If you want to be a potter full time then spend your money on workshops,
visiting other potters, travel to kiln sites, visit, talk see all you
can, and then take some marketing classes. Mike Gordon
L. P. Skeen on mon 11 dec 00
As far as I can tell, having an MFA in any medium only serves a couple of
purposes in the real world:
1. To get you (a tiny bit) more money if you are teaching art.
2. To make you LOOK better (on paper) if being considered as a workshop
presenter. After all, if you have an MFA, you MUST be 'better' than the
next guy without one, right?
3. To enable one to teach at the college/university level, if that is what
is preferred.
L
> Here's a question. What is the value of an MFA in clay?
But out there in the world, does the MFA
> degree itself have any value? If so, what?
| |
|
