Apply here. The Art Studio MFA in the Department of Art & Art History at UC Davis is a two-year, generously funded, critically engaged graduate program that provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary study in the visual arts. Drawing on the vast resources of a research one university, the program offers MFA students the opportunity to engage in an intense period of creative activities supported by individual, spacious 24-hour access studios, while interacting with other artists, scholars and STEM professionals across campus. The UC Davis Art Studio program is committed to delivering an innovative educational curriculum in preparation for professional public engagement in the arts including arts education, exhibition and curatorial practices, and community-based work. The culmination of two years of study is presented in the cross-campus, cross-disciplinary thesis exhibition in the beautiful Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art.
The program offers three, vibrant visiting artists & speakers programs including, the Wayne and Betty Jean Thiebaud Endowed Lecture series, the Maria & Jan Shrem California Studio Artists in Residence program, and the Art Studio Visiting Artist Lecture Series. These ambitious programs are integral to our MFA program, creating opportunities for our students to engage with leading contemporary artists in their extensive stay on campus through teaching, workshops, on-site projects, and individual studio visits, as well as public lectures. Recent visiting artists include Wangechi Mutu, Christina Quarles, Shimon Attie, Jessica Segall, Raúl de Nieves, Ann Hamilton, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Leonardo Drew, Peter Schjeldahl, Jennifer Packer, Latoya Ruby Frazier, Tamar Ettun, Yvgenia Baras, Diana Al-Hadid, David Salle, Aliza Nizenbaum, Anne Ellegood, Rico Gatson, Edgar Arcenaux, and Alec Soth, among other innovative artists.
The Art Studio MFA program offers substantial financial support through paid teaching assistant positions and Art Studio and Graduate Studies awards and fellowships. UC Davis is an academic partner of many professional programs and granting agencies including the Headlands Center for the Arts, Dedalus Foundation, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, among others.
Our educational and creative community is committed to empowering diverse perspectives and varied research interests contributing to conversations in social justice, sustainability, public interest and public-engaged scholarship.
For more information on UC Davis MFA program, visit here.