Overview
Memphis College of Art Benefits from the Culture and Creativity of its Memphis, Tennessee, Location
Situated on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the southwest corner of the state, Memphis, Tennessee, is home to the distinguished Memphis College of Art. By choice a small, private college, it is the only not-for-profit independent art college between Atlanta and Kansas City. MCA's graduate programs in studio practice and art education are highly respected and known for their diverse and talented faculty of practicing professionals, their expansive, interdisciplinary approach to art training, and the high degree of faculty-student interaction.
MCA's interdisciplinary philosophy exposes students to a wide variety of creative approaches and experiences and a diverse spectrum of traditional and new media. Comprehensive exposure challenges each student's artistic approach and encourages them to expand their creativity beyond their comfort zone. MCA's ultimate objective is to develop and prepare graduate students for careers in art or teaching that will be both creatively and financially rewarding. MCA reports that 75 percent of alumni work in art-related fields.
Throughout history, the riverfront city of Memphis, Tennessee, has served as a fertile center of creativity in all the arts -- music, entertainment, and writing as well as art. Nicknamed the "King" of Country, Rock n' Roll, and Blues, respectively, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and B.B. King all got their start in Memphis in the 1950s. In this legendary city, MCA graduate students have the unique opportunity to study and expand their talents in a nurturing atmosphere of creativity.
Graduate Students Prosper from Dedicated Faculty, Art Facilities, and Unique Art Experiences
When MCA graduate students explore their art, they go to museums. Memphis College of Art is conveniently located in Memphis' Overton Park, next door to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the oldest and largest art museum in Tennessee.
The museum's collections are priceless research facilities for graduate students. Touring the museum's diverse collections, students can research and enjoy over 7,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, period furniture, and other decorative arts. Under the guidance of MCA faculty and on their own, graduate students can research the defining techniques of world-class masters and artists that span hundreds of years from the Renaissance through modern and contemporary art.
MFA graduate students can pursue their studies in traditional and non-traditional studio practice, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, book arts, photography, printmaking, fibers, ceramics, installation, animation, public interventions, performance, video, other digital media, or an individually tailored program of interdisciplinary study.
MCA faculty encourages students to venture out and explore the art communities of major, global art centers. Museum seminar trips to Paris, Rome, London, Berlin, Moscow, and New York give students the chance to whet their experiential palettes. MCA also participates in the competitive New York Studio Program. Qualified students are selected to study for a semester in New York City with their own studio, regular critiques, and the dynamic art world that stretches out all around them.
Tennessee's Memphis College of Art Offers Graduate Degrees in Art Education and Studio Practice
There are three degree paths available to Memphis College of Art graduate students: Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) in Studio Practice, Master of Art in Teaching degree (MAT), and Master of Art in Art Education degree (MAArtEd).
Focusing on the professional artist's tradition, the Master of Fine Arts degree curriculum helps students master the skills, tools, and techniques of the visual artist. MFA graduate students can choose to focus on traditional studio practices (studio art), or an interdisciplinary course of study. Their final year culminates in a MFA thesis exhibition and written thesis document.
The two art education degrees focus on the liberal arts tradition which requires education in the truest sense by not only conveying facts and ideas, but also fostering critical appraisal of them. The Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) is designed for students with a strong undergraduate studio concentration who want to become licensed art teachers. The Master of Art in Art Education (MAArtEd) is for licensed teachers who want to further their professional development.
