(revised February 24, 2004)
Download the description and forms in a printer-friendly PDF format
2004 deadline: Thursday, April 1st, at 5:00 p.m.
Dean Dass, Director
924-6127
dad@virginia.edu
(revised February 2004)
This Fellowship enables a University of Virginia student who has an undergraduate degree, although not necessarily an art degree, to spend a year of intensive effort in a studio area within the McIntire Department of Art. This program, in its sixteenth year, is funded from an endowment generously provided by the Aunspaugh family.
Many Studio Art majors are just beginning to do their best work at the time of their graduation. Other students near the end of their studies often discover the Studio Art Program, when a shift in majors is not possible.
As the Studio Art major consists of 30 credit hours leading to the BA degree, it is often difficult for even our best students to compete for admission into quality MFA programs. They will often be competing against students from BFA programs consisting of 60 credit hours in studio art. Yet at Virginia we do have many very talented art students with professional aspirations. Experience has shown that a 5 th year program of intensive studio production and service to the Art Department helps these students gain admission into good graduate programs. The Studio Faculty sees the primary purpose of the Fifth Year Program to help, in every way possible, those select students develop their portfolios toward graduate school admission.
Eligibility Considerations
- Potential for and desire to pursue graduate study in a quality MFA program
- Ability to work independently on a self directed studio project.
- Ability to accept and use criticism
- Leadership potential (as mentor and peer advisor for undergraduates) - Abilities as shop or studio assistant in one or more of the following:
-Digital Art
-Painting
-Performance, installation, and film making
-Photography
-Printmaking
-Sculpture
-Abilities as a gallery assistant
The 5 th Year Program is a rigorous and demanding year of study, studio production, and service to the art department. Past students have considered this program to be breathtaking in its demands and exhilaratingly engaging. The program consists of various combinations of financial support in the form of a fellowship, and employment by the department. Advanced students may also participate
Fellowship students are offered employment as Classified Staff in the department. The students usually informally attend studio courses, with the permission of the professor, in order to advance their portfolio. Each student will develop a written studio proposal setting out the goals and methods of their studio project. This proposal will be more fully developed into an Artist's Statement throughout the fifth year and will be reviewed and updated with the help of the advisor. One of the important goals of this post baccalaureate year is to develop an increasing self-awareness of one's work and practice. A core set of issues can be identified and described that can unite what may be a wide range of media and approaches to art making. It is important to be able to put one's practice in writing.
As part of this fifth year Fellowship students will work as employees for the Studio Art Program. These hours usually divide between acting as the assistant in the student's studio specialty, assisting in the operation of the Fayerweather Gallery, as well as assisting in other areas of the Studio Art Department. As part of the fifth years' role as a
mentor and peer advisor for the younger students in the department, they are expected to lead tours of the program for potential and incoming students and their families. The exact terms of the fifth years' assistantship varies a great deal depending on the special abilities of the student and the needs of the Art Department; on average, the students work twelve hours per week. Fifth year students are required to keep a record of their service to the Art Department.
To the best of the department's ability, adequate studio space will be provided.
In close study and cooperation with faculty advisor(s) the student will continue to develop her work, leading toward an exhibition in the Fayerweather Gallery in the spring of the fifth year. Throughout the year, there will be periodic critiques with groups of studio faculty and visiting artists. These usually will fall at mid-term and at the end of the semester, but may be scheduled at any time. The student will also be asked to contribute to the department in various other ways. These include attending and actively participating in Distinguished Majors reviews, organizing studio demonstrations in 200-level studio classes, assisting with ARTS 161 and 162 drawing courses, assisting with the Visiting Artists Program and being an active participant in the student art society and related tasks.for forms see download link at the top of this page