Studio Art Master’s with a Concentration in Metalsmithing & Jewelry
Program Overview
The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry focuses on fostering intellectual and creative growth. Led by renowned artists and educators, the program emphasizes a balance of conceptual, aesthetic, and technical development. Graduates are well-prepared for diverse career pathways in education, museum work, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and the arts.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Studio Art with a concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry is a terminal degree program that focuses on individual intellectual and creative growth. It aims to foster students' professional practices and prepare them for a lifetime of accomplishment. Graduates are well-prepared to make meaningful contributions as culture creators. The program integrates creative research, contemporary theory, and studio practice, culminating in a solo exhibition. It frames the individual needs of each student through the development of conceptual, aesthetic, and technical skills. Students engage with ideas and methodologies across disciplines while engaging in the critical practice of the fine arts. Their work ranges from jewelry, vessels, and sculptural forms to large-scale multi-media installations. Cross-disciplinary research is supported through a network of available resources in other studio areas. The program emphasizes refining a personal creative voice within a balance of conceptual, aesthetic, and technical development achieved through independent, in-depth, studio-focused research and exploration. The program is housed in a world-class Tier 1 research institution, CVAD, which is a short drive from the vibrant cultural capitals of Dallas and Fort Worth. Students are led by engaged artists and educators who are recognized nationally and internationally for their intellectual and creative research. The studio art faculty are passionate and work to ensure that students realize their potential. The program boasts diverse research modes and art-making processes, and its M.F.A. graduates make their impact through creative inquiry, scholarship, and innovation. New facilities provide access to comprehensive tools and processes in support of individual interests, including digital fabrication, jewelry production, blacksmithing, silversmithing, metal spinning, micro & Tungsten Inert Gas, TIG, welding, electroforming, die-forming, powder coating, and more.
Teaching:
The program emphasizes a balance of conceptual, aesthetic, and technical development achieved through independent, in-depth, studio-focused research and exploration. Students are led by engaged artists and educators who are recognized nationally and internationally for their intellectual and creative research. The studio art faculty are passionate and work to ensure that students realize their potential. Visiting artists, scholars, and critics are an integral part of the program's pedagogy, giving students direct exposure to national and internationally known artists and scholars through lectures, private studio visits, critiques, and seminars.
Careers:
The Studio Art M.F.A. degree prepares graduates for diverse career pathways in:
- Education
- Museum work
- Manufacturing
- Entrepreneurship
- The arts Employment opportunities include being hired as a:
- Faculty member or visual arts technician at a college or university
- General art teacher in elementary/high schools
- Workshop leader
- Entrepreneur/self-employed
- A member of a manufacturing team or a large-scale studio Artists may produce one-of-a-kind pieces or production work to exhibit and sell in museums, galleries, art fairs, and specialty shops. In manufacturing, businesses may focus on stone setting polishing/finishing, CAD designing, model making, and wax techniques. Additional employment opportunities include working in the areas of:
- Art handling
- Research consulting
- Gallery managing
- Curating
- Blacksmithing
- Costume/prop working
- Tool making
- 3D printing Overall employment of fine artists is projected to grow 14% from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Other:
- Our students regularly show their work in professional galleries and win awards at regional and national competitions.
- Studio Art faculty members are productive, accomplished, and dedicated to quality teaching and service.
- One of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools and one of the best in the Southwest, the College of Visual Arts and Design is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, which means the college meets or exceeds high standards of academic excellence. degree program among the nation's best.
