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School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts

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School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
File:Smfa logo2.jpg
TypePrivate
Established1876
DeanDeborah H. Dluhy
Academic staff
50 full-time
Undergraduates700
Postgraduates100
Location
Boston
,
USA
CampusUrban
AffiliationsTufts University
Websitewww.smfa.edu

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (also known as the Museum School or SMFA) is an undergraduate and graduate college located in Boston, Massachusetts and is dedicated to the visual arts. It is affiliated with both the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University. As of 2007 the association with Tufts has been cast into doubt with the announcement that both undergraduate and postgraduate students associated with near-by Northeastern will be admitted. It reports a student-faculty ratio of 10:1. SMFA is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States.

Overview

The school boasts a very tight knit community of artists who work together both in school and well after school is done. One of the unique attributes of SMFA are there are no grades in studio classes; credit is awarded through a "review board" which is a review of all of the art work that a student has done during the semester. Review Boards are led by two faculty members of the students' choice and two fellow students. Another is that the school has an open curriculum, with no specific majors. Most students have a concentration or two but everyone is free to take classes in any department; and most of the academic courses required for BFA and MFA students are taken at Tufts University. There are many opportunities for students to exhibit their artwork at both the main building and the Mission Hill Annex; there is the annual December Sale, the Juried Student Annual Exhibition as well as various galleries and spaces that are available for students around the school buildings and in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The school's main campus is adjacent to and just to the west of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Most classroom space is located there, as well as the Cafe des Arts, the library, the school's store and the Grossman Gallery. The Mission Hill building, located about a mile from the main building, recently has been renovated and includes studio spaces for Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate students as well as classrooms, workshops, the Writing Center, and the Registrar's office. The SMFA intends to further expand the Mission Hill building vertically to accommodate its growing student body. The school shares on-campus housing at The Artist’s Residence Hall, located just down the street at Massachusetts College of Art.

History

The Weems Center, part of Graham Gund's expansion, looking down from the third floor.

From 1876 to 1909, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, was housed in the basement of the Copley Square building. When the Museum moved to Huntington Avenue in 1909, the School moved into a separate, temporary structure to the west of the main building. The permanent building, designed by Guy Lowell, was completed in 1927. The 45,000 square-foot red brick building provided improved classroom, studio and library facilities.

In 1987, a newly renovated and expanded school building, designed by architect Graham Gund, more than doubled the size of the existing structure and provided an auditorium, enlarged library, expanded studios and classrooms, a spacious new entrance, cafeteria, and increased gallery and exhibition spaces. Gund's expansion included the central atrium, known as the Weems Center, that connects the two buildings.

Academics

Degree programs available at the Museum School include:

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts: A 4-year BFA in Studio Art, with a self-designed curriculum, offered through Tufts University.
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts: A 4-year BFA in Studio Art, with a self-designed curriculum, offered through Northeastern University.
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Education: A 4-year BFE in Art Education, offered through Tufts University.
  • Combined Degrees: A dual degree program in which you major in Studio Art at SMFA and another major of your choice at Tufts University.
  • Master of Fine Arts: A 3-year MFA in Studio Art, with a self-designed curriculum.
  • Master of Arts in Teaching (Art Education): A 2-year MAT in Art Education, offered through Tufts University.
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate: A 34-credit graduate certificate program, this is an opportunity for those who wish to obtain an MFA to strengthen their portfolio. Many people in this program have undergraduate degrees in non-art related fields, others are changing careers, and many are recent art school graduates looking to further their education.
  • Diploma: A four-year, all-studio undergraduate program.
  • Fifth Year Certificate: A program only open to graduates of the Diploma Program that provides one year of access to the school's resources and equipment while working as a professional artist.

Starting in fall 2007, the SMFA is also offering joint Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees in Studio Art in partnership with Northeastern University.

Noted artists affiliated with the school

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