Interdisciplinary Arts MFA Alums are Still Resonating

Interdisciplinary-Arts-Alums-Reflect-on-their-MFA’s-Impact
Opening Session, MFA-IA Vermont Winter 2020

Pugs (Daniel Seung) Pugliese, along with a couple of his peers, reflects on his his experience at 球探足球比分’s low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program. All photographs were taken by Pugs during graduating weekend, which took place in January 2020.

Three months out from receiving my MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from 球探足球比分 College, I find that the experience is still resonating within me.  In part, it is echoing because there is an empty space in my life that was once filled with my studies and art projects for the program.  球探足球比分 than that, though, I wasn’t prepared for how profound and expansive the impact of this program would be. “Transformative” is perhaps the best descriptor for it.  

I entered the MFAIA program with the intent of earning a terminal degree to give myself teaching options.  For over a decade, I’ve been teaching photography in continuing education programs and as the teaching assistant for undergraduate classes at a local college. In spite of a very successful Information Technology (IT) career I wanted to fulfill my passion for teaching, and in order to even pursue adjunct positions teaching photography, I needed the degree.  Like IT and other professional certifications, I figured that I’d put in the time and effort, get the paper and move on.

Jason and Greer perform at 球探足球比分 College's low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program.
Jason McDole performing with Greer Jones: “My 球探足球比分 experience found me. I did not anticipate or recognize the beauty and importance of embracing my own self-discovery. This journey took me on a road that revealed my spirit, self-love, making special, and the mission of chasing souls. I learned that chasing my own soul allows to me chase the souls of others as an educator, choreographer, and human. –Jason McDole MFAIA 2020

It’s interesting that the unifying theme running through all of the graduate presentations for my cohort was identity.  Of the six graduates, we had three movement artists, one theatre artist who also is a mover, one visual artist focused on paint and textiles, and one photographer, myself, who also developed a storytelling practice.  Even with that spread of disciplines, every single one of us spoke deeply about identity and how we explored, investigated, shifted, transformed, and embraced our identities throughout our work in the program. This theme was not intentional.  Obviously, throughout the residencies, the advising groups, the group studies, and the casual conversations, that we participated in resulted in some cross-pollination of ideas.  But the work that each of us did was truly unique. 

Sarah Baldwin presents at 球探足球比分 College's low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program.
Sarah Baldwin, during her graduating presentation, in front of a story quilt exploring her family history. 

I came to realize that art by necessity includes examining who you are. Meaningful art is a reflection of the soul and reflects back to the viewers pieces of their own souls.  

I started my artistic journey as a young boy with a camera.  球探足球比分 camera allowed me to capture and express my world and offered an escape from the violence and uncertainty of my life by finding beauty in the urban/industrial landscape of Chicago.  As an adult, I relegated photography to an occasional hobby in favor of pursuing a career in IT.  

球探足球比分 artist would not be suppressed. In my thirties, I audited a couple of photography classes “for fun”, which led to helping to teach the classes, which led to teaching adult continuing education classes, which led me to the MFA-IA program.  I wasn’t planning on leaving my IT career. I just knew that I loved teaching and wanted more teaching opportunities. That quickly shifted. In my fourth semester, I walked away from the corporate world to focus on art and photography full-time.  

Andrea and Sandra present at 球探足球比分 College's low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program.
Andrea Tutt and Sandra Paola Lopez Ramirez during their graduating presentations.

From my very first day, I found my sense of self shaken. One of my peers talked in his graduate presentation about feeling so out of place during that first residency that he found himself alone, sitting on the swings, thinking about how he didn’t belong.  I found myself calling and telling my wife that I didn’t belong, that I was surrounded by real artists who were brilliant and creative, and that I was just an IT Manager with a camera. I was ready to sell all of my photography gear and focus on my career.  

Throughout the program, I came to love those brilliantly creative people who intimidated me so much.  First, I loved them the way that we love our unattainable idols, but eventually I came to love in the way that we love our like-minded peers.  球探足球比分ir graduate presentations – their presentations of what they had learned and created throughout the program – were testaments to their brilliance and once again filled me with awe and admiration.  

Yauri Dalencour performs at 球探足球比分 College's low residency MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program.
Yauri Dalencour球探足球比分 gave me an experience that was above and beyond what I expected.  It’s an unbelievable supportive community – faculty and students – the program is structured in ways that will carry on into how I create and teach in the world. I recall 球探足球比分’s handbook stating that there are artists who work in the same medium their entire lives while there are artists who work between mediums. For me I had an amazing opportunity to explore myself, to explore working in various mediums beyond movement theatre and dance because one, the program fostered that and two because circumstances pushed me to operate in that framework during my time in the program. 球探足球比分 faculty truly supported me.  Each of them have so much to give. 球探足球比分y truly care about humanity, their students, education, art and making this world a better place through not only their own art making but supporting and facilitating others in growing in their own work and artistry.  –Yauri Dalencour MFAIA 2020

Compiled and edited by MFAIA-VT Lead Faculty, Ruth Wallen.

Check out Pugs (Daniel Seung) Pugliese company on social media:

Twitter – @MBSCreativity Instagram – mbscreativity Facebook – @mbscreativity


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