Application deadline: January 15th
Columbia College Chicago
Interdisciplinary Arts Department
916 S. Wabash Avenue Suite 203
Chicago, Illinois 60625
The Interdisciplinary Book & Paper Arts MFA program within the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago promotes understanding of hand papermaking, printmaking and the book arts as artistic media with application in cultural discourse, community building and collaborative practice. The coursework integrates both technical and conceptual considerations and encourages experimentation with new media, performance, and installation.
Professional practice
This program encourages students to create a body of work that reflects the complexity of their world. They are asked to consider the context for that work—who is the audience, where will it be seen, how will it be presented? The emphasis on both creative practice and professional practice gives students an advantage—to become innovative practitioners and sophisticated professionals who understand how to position themselves in the contemporary art landscape.
World-Class facilities
Our graduate program is taught within the internationally recognized Center for Book & Paper Arts that hosts numerous events, exhibitions, workshops, artist residencies and the publication of the Journal of Artist Books (JAB). Most recently, Columbia College transformed a 20,000 square-foot lot in downtown Chicago into the Papermaker’s Garden—an innovative space for creative research where our students can learn how to nurture their own plants for hand papermaking.
Hybrid practice
The Interdisciplinary Arts Department has three graduate degrees; we encourage students to embrace the permeable nature of our programs to investigate a vast array of department offerings including studio courses in video, electronics, sound, interaction, performance, installation, and creative writing, and theory/practice courses addressing topics such as autobiographical art, the body, visual narratives, and art+science collaborations.
Visiting artists
The classroom and studio experience for Book & Paper Arts MFA students is enriched by a Visiting Artist program that allows for meaningful interaction through seminars, workshops, lectures, and individual critiques with internationally renowned practitioners. Recent visiting artists include: Laura Anderson Barbata, Timothy Barrett, Zoe Beloff, Tania Brughera, Julie Chen, Guillermo Gomez-Pena, Eungie Joo, Daniel Kelm, Amos Kennedy, Alison Knowles, Ligorano/Reese, Lucy Lippard, Mary Lucier, Christina McPhee, Bill Viola, Paul Wong, Trevor Paglen, Triple Canopy, Andrea Polli, Bob Stein, Chris Salter, and Pamela Z.
Learn more
Visit the Interdisciplinary Arts website, or visit the college admissions website.
Contact
Interdisciplinary Book & Paper Arts MFA Program Director
Mel Potter: [email protected]
Application deadline
January 15th
