Which Fine Arts College or University?
I am a student with a previous degree (GPA was 3.97, BSc in Nursing) who is now working on a degree in a BFA - Painting at NSCAD (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design). Though I love the school, it's fairly conceptual. I am doing well, my GPA is again around the same low 4 range, which is alright. Mostly As, some Bs. That being said, I may be moving from Canada and though I love my current school - I wondered where I could apply to continue my degree. I'm looking for a school with a focus on painting, drawing (figure drawing and still life are my forte), traditional focus if at all possible, and illustration if I can. I know being a bit older, I'm not a typical student. I have talent, I've heard it from all my profs - and am very ambitious and dedicated. But what I find I most want is a traditional school rather than one which is conceptual and more interested in exploring the odd rather than the real. Don't get me wrong, I see the use in both - but I feel I'm grounded enough with the conceptual now to move on to what I'm stronger in and pursue a bit more in the way of classical painting and drawing. I doubt I could get a scholarship for a school overseas but are there any top schools in the US or perhaps Europe (if I sound like I might be good enough, grades wise that is) that I could realistically apply to? I have a varied portfolio with a wide range of work and have a very strong background in design. With no art training at all I was able to throw one together and get into my current school so I feel with 3 years in classes I have a much better grasp of art and design and have a considerably stronger portfolio of good work (in comparison). Any ideas or suggestions?
Higher Education (University +) - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
no
2 :
CCA!! California College of the Arts!! its the best school ever! and its in sf
3 :
How long have you been working on your BFA? Three years? So you're just one year short of the full BFA. If you transfer to a new art school, it'll set you back. You'll likely have at least two more years to go, rather than the one you have now. And with three years of a BFA under you, I wonder... what are your plans for after you graduate? Do you plan to get an MFA? How strong is your portfolio? Are you ready for grad level work? Because it's possible you could apply to an MFA program. Another idea is to speak to your current uni and discuss your situation with them. What classes are you missing in order to graduate? Can you do your thesis, for example, via distance? Can you take the last few actual classes you need at another school, and have them transfer back to Nova Scotia? Just some ideas. But to your exact question - some schools in the US that are really strong in illustration/painting include: Yale, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Rhode Island School of Design, Maryland Institute College of Art, Columbia U, UCLA, Temple U, San Francisco Art Institute, U Texas Austin, Indiana U Bloomington, Cranbrook Academy of Art, and Virginia Commonwealth U. Some of those are pure art schools, and others are strong art programs within broader universities. In the UK, I'd have you look at Central Saint Martins and Slade (which is part of University College London). As for which are less conceptual - that, you'll need to investigate.
4 :
I would suggest looking around in New York City, as they have quite a few art colleges... I would also suggest looking at Denver, CO, as they have a good arts college there. There are the arts colleges in San Francisco, California. I would also suggest colleges such as whitman and whitworth both up in washington state. I wish you luck with your college search! :) A good site to get information on all of the colleges would be www.collegeboard.com they also have a "college matchmaker" tool so that you can input your needs and it'll feed back what is best for you :)
Read more discussion :
