CalArts’ MA Aesthetics and Politics Program—a uniquely structured two year graduate experience for students seeking to engage in an intensive critique of the relations between culture, politics and society—is seeking applicants for fall 2020. Whether you’re a working artist looking to sharpen your theoretical acumen, an aspiring academic looking for a crash-course in contemporary critical discourse, or a cultural commentator seeking to better understand the vast and shifting aesthetic and political underpinnings of our historical moment, CalArts MA Aesthetics and Politics Program can offer you the time, mentorship, and professional development opportunities you need to reach the next level in your academic, or artistic life.
Centered in the storied creative laboratory that is CalArts—an electric community of boundary pushing visual and performing artists—the program’s rigorous core courses are supplemented by enriching electives, and a stimulating arts focused environment. Our incredible faculty, stellar lecture series, and diverse visiting specialists afford students the chance to work closely with some of the most exciting figures in contemporary thought on projects and research of their own devising. This academic year, we’re delighted to host anthropologist and critical theorist Elizabeth Povinelli as our 2020 Theorist in Residence, while students enrolling next year can look forward to working with literary scholar and cultural historian Saidiya Hartman.
In addition to the exciting presence of these world-class scholars, the program has recently expanded its opportunities for international exchanges. Continuing students may now choose to apply to one of two study abroad options, available during the first semester of their second year; an experience in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmith’s College, London; or a semester in the Program in Document and Contemporary Art through The European School of Visual Arts based in Paris.
We’re also pleased to announce a new opportunity for our MA students in the newly launched CalArts Hauser & Wirth Residency. Eligible to four Critical Studies students coming to the end of their first year, the Hauser & Wirth Residency will run each summer from May–August and is geared toward students with an interest in curation and contemporary art. In addition to a 1,000 USD individual stipend and 2,000 USD shared materials budget, residents will have access to the Book & Printed Matter Lab at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, one of nine worldwide locations of Hauser & Wirth, the international gallery devoted to contemporary art and modern masters. Occupying a former flour mill, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles is a vibrant communal space that links art and architecture with a dynamic events program.
Institute scholarships, teaching opportunities, and post-graduate teaching and artistic fellowships are available to qualified domestic and international applicants. For more information on how to apply, or to schedule a class visit, contact Seth Blake at sblake [at] calarts.edu.
