15 Reasons Why An MFA In Applied Craft + Design Is WORTH IT

Deciding on a Graduate program is difficult. Here are 15 reasons why an MFA in Applied Craft + Design is worth it!

1. AWESOME STUDIO

The studio is in a 13,500 sq/ft transformed warehouse, centrally located in Portland, OR. For two years you will have 24 hour access to the facilities which include an individual studio space, wood shop, metal shop, ceramics studio, fibers studio, gallery space, flex space, classrooms and kitchen.

2. MENTORS + FACULTY

MFA AC+D students work one-on-one with a different mentor each semester, meeting every week for 90 minutes to discuss their work and process. Mentors include OCAC and PNCA faculty; Portland designers, architects, artists, and makers; curators and critics; entrepreneurs; as well as faculty from other academic institutions.

MFA AC+D faculty demonstrate a cross-disciplinary approach to making and understanding the work they are involved in, share an interest in collaboration, and like the students in the program, the faculty represent a wide range of creative practice.

3. PORTLAND, OR

best. city. ever.

4. COMMUNITY

AC+D creates tons of opportunities for you to meet makers/artists/designers and like minded people. We host Friday Happy Hours, alumni talks / BBQs / field trips / Exhibitions / Receptions...you name it.

5. VISITING ARTISTS

MFA AC+D students have the opportunity to directly engage with prominent Visiting Artists, designers, and critics through the Program's robust lecture series, typically complemented by studio visits, workshops and a post-lecture dinner in the studio.

6. OCAC + PNCA

2 colleges, 2 campuses, 2 sets of faculty. The MFA in Applied Craft + Design Program is a joint program offered through the Oregon College of Art and Craft and the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

7. DESIGN BUILD !

Everyone brings something to the table. The MFA AC+D Program begins with a 10 day, collaborative Design Build Intensive. Projects are selected based on their potential to benefit an organization or population that generally does not have access to and/or cannot afford to pay for the services of designers and makers.

8. GUEST CRITICS + STUDIO VISITS

If you want your work to be seen and talked about, from Visiting Artists to Critique Seminar guests, to one-on-one studio visits, we bring in a lot of people.

9. INTERNSHIPS / TA / INDEPENDENT STUDY

pendleton-usa.com

Get what you need. Students can TA, create an Independent Study, or Intern nationally. Past internships include: Starn Brothers, Butch Anthony, Anthropologie, ADX, Siteworks, Mudshark, Em Space, Bent Image, Pendleton, Museum of Contemporary Craft.

10. ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES

Entrepreneurial Studies courses provide students with strategies for starting and sustaining a small, independent creative practice. Students are challenged to approach the business of their practice with the same creativity and individual expression with which they approach their work.

11. EXHIBITIONS

Apply for a solo show, or curate an exhibition. OCAC and PNCA have galleries specifically for their students. Or, dip into the Portland Art Scene and show at a First Thursday / First Friday Gallery.

12. TIME

2 FULL YEARS...in your studio.

13. TRAVEL

Join on some of our annual Program Specific Trips to places like Marfa, TX, Andrea Zittel in Joshua Tree , Asheville, North Carolina, or L.A.

14. SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI

That's always a good sign! Read more about their successes here.

15. PURSUE YOUR DREAM

The emphasis on hands-on making, mentor-based studio practice, entrepreneurship, and social/environmental engagement make the MFA AC+D program one of a kind.

Check out the program HERE

Questions? Email the Program Manager HERE