The Massachusetts College of Art and Design

I was an illustration major who is now working in a field related to my degree (surface pattern design). Previous comments about those fresh out of high school aimlessly floating without direction are pretty accurate: there is a lot of busy work freshman year and unfortunately MassArt doesn't expose its students to the vast potential of the assorted majors as much as it could. Instead you find yourself stuck doing basic form study projects and figure drawing. I wish I could have been exposed to the fibers program and sculpture (among other things) instead of crafting geometric shapes out of cardboard. That being said, the faculty is outstanding and even freshman year i had some really interesting electives (a mythology/drawing course, for example) These are practicing artists and designers and I truly enjoyed the interaction I had with them.

Art school in general is very sink or swim - either you "get it" and you develop your talent/skill level/aesthetics or you remain stuck at what is essentially a high school skill level. Sadly, a lot of people don't realize this until after they graduate and they venture out into the world with a mediocre portfolio. That would be my one complaint about MassArt - in its efforts to foster diversity and equal opportunity quite a few less than stellar artists make it through four years of school and then are basically screwed. There is a lot of talent though. The illustration program definitely neglected computer skills and website development/promotion while I was there (which is vital post-grad) but they appear to have stepped up their game a little since I was there. If I could change anything about my time there it would be this: I would have taken advantage of programs outside MassArt like Haystack School of Crafts, cross-registration with Consortium Colleges, travel abroad, and gained more exposure to faculty outside my major. Also, unless you have a very strong artistic/aesthetic style that is clearly very good, you may get pulled in a lot of different directions by various faculty members and their assignments and opinions. And the illustration assignments are, for the most part, not particularly innovative or inspiring - but it's all about what you put into them. Degree project senior year was pretty daunting - dedicating a whole year to the exploration of one theme was very difficult. The one most important piece of advice I can give is FOSTER AS MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH FACULTY AS POSSIBLE! Don't take them for granted, and definitely don't suck up... but figure out who the strongest teachers are and who can help you learn the most, and cultivate these relationships. By the time your degree project rolls around senior year, you will be very glad you have those teachers for input. Boston is a small city but it has a lot of charm. And collegiate parties. It can be a bit insular but if you make an effort you can have a wide array of friends. I loved security (the night shift consisted of super friendly people whom we saw pretty often in the wee hours of the night while working in the studios) I loved the grungy studio space (especially when it was 24 hour access) the library is very small but decent and you have access to a billion other college's libraries as well. I have no complaints about the faculty - I just wish I had pushed myself harder, sooner. And it is a great value. Looking back, I have no regrets about pursuing a design degree rather than something more "fine art". But it definitely doesn't work out for everyone. You have to become really motivated by junior year at the latest (ideally much, much sooner) and pour a lot of effort into developing yourself as an artist, because the faculty can only take you so far.

4th Year Female -- Class 2005

Faculty Accessibility: A, Useful Schoolwork: C+

For the most part, my time at MassArt was enjoyable and educational. The studio space was expansive, albeit slightly decrepit. I'd say about 80% of the professors I had were effective. However, I agree with the fact that it is more geared towards those who are more self motivated. I saw many students fall by the wayside when they were weened off assignment based work and forced to come up with their own ideas. Another big issue is MassArt's lack of focus on the business end of the arts. Although there were workshops and lectures readily available regarding this, they were not requirements. Also, internships were not required for every major. It would be a huge advantage for the student and the university if MassArt would have required courses in business. In order to be able to support oneself after school, one needs to know more than how to make a pretty picture and display it in a gallery.

4th Year Female -- Class 2004

Surrounding City: A+, Campus Maintenance: C