MFA- End of Year One, Semester One (Fall)

Note: These "Throw Back Thursday" entries are meant to be useful to prospective students wanting to take a closer look into the graduate program in Studio Arts in Emerging Media at UCF, as I found no such resources available (from a student's point of view) when I was in the same position, back in 2021-2022. I entered the program in the fall of 2022 and graduated in the spring of 2025. Feel free to drop me a line in the post's comments section if you have any questions. ; )

May 16, 2023

I have just finished the last assignment of my last class of my second semester. This brings my first year (out of three) of my MFA in Studio Arts in Emerging Media at UCF to an end. Yay!

It has been a challenging and frustrating year, mainly because I felt I had to prove myself and my skills, as this year I am the "outsider" and only student who is not a recent graduate of UCF. My classmates in the incoming cohort are about half my age, giving me a new appreciation for the trials and tribulations that I have lived, while inspiring me with their lust for life, optimism and focus. Everyday, I tried my best while kicking myself for being so rusty, seeing only a shadow of what I could be, if only I had not been distracted and had not distanced myself from my personal artistic practice for so long. It was a painful experience and one that I had to face and move through regardless of how I felt about it. 

First Semester

A view of my studio space as I first encountered it. 

The other side of my studio space as I first encountered it and began to deep-clean it. 

Besides from the required Studio Concentration class, I did not take a studio elective in my first semester. Instead, my time was occupied with an Advanced Art History class and Design Principles class (both theory), academic research, reading and writing. Knowing fully well where I stood in relation to where I once was, I both dreaded and looked forward to the spring semester. But first, I had to take a few days after school had started to deep clean and set up my chosen studio space, which had been well loved the year before. Generally speaking, it was clean enough for a working studio, but apparently not for me. I had to get on my hands and knees, scrub baseboards, fill holes, sand walls and repaint with a favorite wall color to truly make it my space. 

At this time I was also still working as a full time substitute teacher in my (former) classroom at the middle school located an hour + away from UCF, so time was (and contiues to be) my most precious commodity. At the benginning of this semester I also decided to get tested for ADHD, which turned out to be a very real thing for me. Finally, after 53 years of  torturous self deprication and confusion at my inability to be "normal", I was forced to show myself some compassion and to look for resources to help me suceed on this new endeavor. For this, I am grateful. 

Midterm came extraordinarily quick! Midterm at the graduate level at UCF consists of each student setting up their work in their studio and inviting professors to view and give feedback on it. Although it is an informal review, I found it to be extremely helpful and a great opportunity to talk to professors whose expertise was new to me due to scheduling. Attending professors are there by inviation only and drop by anytime from 9:00am to 4:00 pm, while the event takes place. As this was the first time I encountered the large majority of professors, I incorporated some of my previous work into my set up, to familiarize my visitors with my ideas and aproach. Food is provided throughout the day. 

Here is the video of my first midterm review (fall). 

There are two special events every fall semester at the School of Visual Arts and Design: The annual Faculty Show and Art Knight! Here are my impressions of the 2022 Faculty Art Show, from posts found in my personal Facebook page: Part I and Part II. I will elaborate on my first Art Knight! experience in a future post. 

The final critique came equally fast eight weeks later. Final critique is a formal event, attended by invited professors, program administrators, prospective students from SVAD or/and family members. Students choose specific times and locations in which to hang their chosen works in the studio's common area walls and are given a 20 minute time frame in which to present their work and respond to audience questions. The audience moves from one location to another, asking questions and/or providing feedback as they see fit. This is also an all-day event and food is provided for all attendees. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous when I saw the number of people who showed up. It was well attended by many new faces, including former professors and notorious allumni from out of state. Students support each other by taking notes during their presentations. Midterm and final critique days are exciting and exhausting but also, key to a student's development. 

Here is a quick video tour of my first final set up (fall).

Stay tuned to learn about my first Art Knight! and read about semester two!