Priority application deadline: January 15, 2016
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI)
800 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
Master of Arts (MA) Programs
SFAI’s Master of Arts (MA) Programs challenge emerging scholars to think critically about contemporary art and provide a strong foundation for future practice as scholars, curators, and arts administrators. Now with only six units required per semester in the second and final year (36 units total), students can take advantage of boundless opportunities to deepen their individual practice and create networks in the broader art world. MA scholars work alongside and in collaboration with artists in SFAI’s renowned MFA program.
The program’s new structure is more cost-effective and enables students to:
–Focus on thesis research and writing
–Seek outside employment or internships in the vibrant Bay Area arts community
–Pursue independent scholarly or curatorial projects
MA in Exhibition and Museum Studies
More expansive than a curatorial program, Exhibition and Museum Studies considers how socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts affect the production and presentation of visual phenomena. Crucial to this program is inquiry into how exhibitions serve as sites for artistic experimentation in the public sphere, and become formations of contemporary art.
MA in History and Theory of Contemporary Art
This program challenges students to situate artistic practice both historically and in relation to contemporary discourse and politics. By doing so, students continually reexamine the discipline of art history through new research, methodologies, and interpretations.
Dual Degree (MA/MFA) Programs
SFAI’s three-year Dual Degree MA/MFA Programs offer a unique chance to combine academic investigation with studio practice. Now with only six units required per semester in the third year (72 units total), the Dual Degree is a rigorous yet flexible platform for experimentation and original research. As in the MA Programs, this new structure is more cost effective and enables deep engagement with both individual research/writing projects and the dynamic Bay Area arts landscape.
Dual Degree in Exhibition and Museum Studies/Studio Art
New offering for 2016
Dual Degree in History and Theory of Contemporary Art/Studio Art
MA fellowship opportunities
SFAI is proud to offer exceptional fellowships that amplify the graduate experience through opportunities for professional practice.
Exhibitions and Public Programs Fellowship
Applications open now
The Exhibitions and Public Programs Fellowship is a full-tuition award available to an entering MA or Dual Degree student-scholar. It offers in-depth experience working alongside SFAI’s Exhibitions and Public Programs staff to deliver exhibitions, artist commissions, public events, publications, and educational initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess demonstrated research interests that intersect with SFAI’s history and mission.
Applicants to the MA Programs for fall 2016 will be automatically considered for the fellowship.
SFAI + Kadist Fellowship
Nine-month postgraduate fellowship. 25,000 USD stipend
In partnership with Kadist Art Foundation, SFAI annually awards a nine-month curatorial fellowship to a graduating MA, MFA, or Dual Degree student. Inaugural fellow Christopher Squier (MFA, 2014) will provide integral support to artist-in-residence Mariana Castillo Deball and both organizations, leading to a Spring 2016 commission of new work and a group exhibition curated by Deball. The annual award is a pivotal platform for ambitious young curators in the crucial transition between graduation and the launch of a curatorial career.
About San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), founded in 1871, is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious institutions in the practice and study of contemporary art. As a diverse community of working artists and scholars, SFAI provides students with a rigorous education in the arts and preparation for a life in the arts through an immersive studio environment, an integrated liberal arts and art history curriculum, and critical engagement with the world. Committed to educating artists who will shape the future of art, culture, and society, SFAI fosters creativity and original thinking in an open, experimental, and interdisciplinary environment.
Notable past faculty and alumni include Lance Acord, Ansel Adams, Kathryn Bigelow, Enrique Chagoya, Angela Davis, Richard Diebenkorn, Paul Kos, George Kuchar, Annie Leibovitz, Barry McGee, Catherine Opie, Peter Pau, Laura Poitras, and Kehinde Wiley.
