All second years must take both Thesis and Exhibitions 1 & 2 in the Fall and Spring of their final year in the program (second year of three for Dual Degree VCS/FA students). Taken together, the exhibition and written thesis form the capstone academic experience of the MFA Program in Fine Art. With Thesis, students complete a written thesis––a piece of writing that brings together the myriad facets of each artist’s practice, critical inquiry, personal exploration, and commitment. Students deeply engage in the nature of their creative work and produce a substantial and sustained piece of writing, whose backbone is research and an inquisitive methodology.

The Exhibitions class engages the student in exhibition making and other important aspects of an art practice in a contemporary art context. The primary element of the course is to help students develop effective exhibition strategies and to prepare them for working, in tandem with the Exhibitions Coordinator, on the planning and installation of their final MFA exhibition. The course is designed to give students experience with the professional presentation of their work and to benefit from assessments and critiques of their thesis work within the framework of a semester. The Final Review will take place in the space of the MFA exhibition.

The course also integrates professional development, including critiques and conversations with artists, curators, gallerists, and educators who provide behind-the-scenes insights into this new artistic landscape. The objective is to provide strategies for a sustainable artistic practice after graduate school.