Today I am missing the print department's BBQ and outdoor fiesta/party thing in favor of hanging my show for tomorrow.
As graduation looms closer, I've been doing a bit of reflecting on how I managed to get into the print department in the first place and what it means to be a BFA in printmaking.
I've heard several people say that our department is rapidly dying. At our school, there are typically only 10-14 printmaking BFAs at any given time, several of which I believe are graduating in a week. People graduate every semester and typically the number of new people that apply and are accepted into the program balances out the number of BFAs in the department.
This semester was different. Enrollment is down in classes and there were no printmakers that applied to the BFA program this semester. Words like "cuts" and "troubled" are being thrown around in a school that used to have a good reputation for our department. I'm hoping this is just some weird after effect of having our original building destroyed by the flood. I would hate to be one of the last few people to graduate from the department.
As graduation looms closer, I've been doing a bit of reflecting on how I managed to get into the print department in the first place and what it means to be a BFA in printmaking.
I've heard several people say that our department is rapidly dying. At our school, there are typically only 10-14 printmaking BFAs at any given time, several of which I believe are graduating in a week. People graduate every semester and typically the number of new people that apply and are accepted into the program balances out the number of BFAs in the department.
This semester was different. Enrollment is down in classes and there were no printmakers that applied to the BFA program this semester. Words like "cuts" and "troubled" are being thrown around in a school that used to have a good reputation for our department. I'm hoping this is just some weird after effect of having our original building destroyed by the flood. I would hate to be one of the last few people to graduate from the department.
Good luck for your show and graduation.