This is a research/creation studio arts program that centers on the study and use of new technologies in relation to traditional visual art, cultural studies and contemporary philosophy. Students conduct their own intensive research into, and production of, electronic, digital, new and/or hybridized art forms; they receive continuous guidance and feedback on their trajectories of study and art-making from graduate faculty; and they take courses along with all other MFA students across "older" media and materials, so as to practice speaking with and back to the various discourses of art, culture, and new domains. They receive intimate instruction through small classes, guided independent research and, eventually, a committee of three or more professors working with them on their thesis exhibition and writing.
Art and Technology is not a discipline, as it does not ask us to be disciplined. It is an approach, a set of strategies that frame and amplify who and how we are, and more importantly how we could be.
Given the collaborative and dialogical nature of digital communities, all graduate students are assigned either solo or shared studio spaces for their work in the same building, and they have access to multimedia, computer vision, electronics, and 3d printing and rapid prototyping labs and instructors to work with. They may also use other facilities in the department, including ceramics studios, darks rooms, a foundry, wood and metal shops, and printmaking and fibers labs, among others. Most of our MFA students receive some form of financial support, and many of the top applications are fully supported through Project Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships (often with individual studio lecturing in the digital arts major), or Fellowships at the school. The Art and Technology concentration is for students who work across concepts and materials, new and traditional media, and thinking and making, while understanding that all are integral to our larger cultural practices.
The application deadline for Fall 2014 admission is February 1, 2014. Fellowship applications are due January 7, 2014
(Please note that there are several sources of funding other than the fellowships. Apply even if you miss that deadline!)
There are two sites that you should visit for information on applying to the Graduate Program in the Department of Art and Design:
UWM Graduate School:
http://www.graduateschool.uwm.edu/students/prospective/areas-of-study/art/
UWM Department of Art and Design:
http://www4.uwm.edu/psoa/artdesign/ma-mfa/
The application is a two-part process that includes the following components:
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Applications for Teaching Assistantships, Project Assistantships are also on the department website above. The university also offers the Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship (DGSF) for students with exhibition or publication records, and the Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) Fellowship for applicants who are a members of groups underrepresented in graduate study or are otherwise disadvantaged. For more information, go to: http://graduateschool.uwm.edu/students/financial-support/fellowships/.
Finally, for international students, I recommend you also visit the UW-Milwaukee Center for International Education website:
Center for International Education: http://www4.uwm.edu/cie/futurestudents/69/
Here, you will find information about the international graduate student application process, including information on degree documentation, English proficiency exams, and tuition.
Do not hesitate to contact Nathaniel Stern at [email protected] and/or the Art and Design graduate office at [email protected] if you have any questions! Warmly,
Dr. Nathaniel Stern
Associate Professor of Art and Design
Head of Digital Studio Practice
Peck School of the Arts
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
http://nathanielstern.com