Chicago Illinois 60603
United States
The Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts (Low-Res MFA) program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a rigorous, full-time course of study designed for artists, teachers, and cultural workers across disciplines who seek deep academic inquiry without interrupting their established professional lives. Combining residential summer intensives with a flexible asynchronous online format, the seven semester program offers a conceptual, discourse-based framework that emphasizes theory, research, and critical analysis.
Students attend three consecutive six-week summer sessions in-person in Chicago structured around weekly seminars, colloquia, and studio visits with SAIC faculty and visiting artists. During the spring and fall semesters between summer residencies, students work remotely from their home studios, and participate in asynchronous online courses and one-on-one advising with SAIC faculty. The degree culminates in a written thesis, as well as an exhibition, lecture, or performance presented to the public in the final summer.
The Low-Res MFA prepares makers of all kinds to chart their own unique professional trajectories. Low-Res students and alumni receive prestigious awards such as Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships; exhibit and perform at major international exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale; found residencies, galleries, and collectives; publish across genres; and are tenured at art schools and universities across the country.
The application deadline for summer 2027 is January 10. Visit here for more information and to apply.
Faculty
The Low-Res MFA provides students the opportunity to work with world-renowned practitioners committed to interdisciplinary arts research and practice. Drawn from different departments across SAIC, the core Low-Res MFA faculty represent a broad range of practices, experiences, and areas of expertise.
Current faculty include: Aliza Shvarts (Director), Kelly Kaczynski (Assistant Director), John Neff (Graduate Coordinator), Giovanni Aloi, Daniel Atkinson, Maura Brewer, Romi Crawford, Julietta Cheung, Tyler Coburn, Assaf Evron, Corrine Fitzpatrick, Nicole Hall, Mark Jeffery, Terri Kapsalis, Jennifer Dorothy Lee, Vanessa Damilola Macaulay, Judd Morrissey, Nathanaël, Jess Atieno Ounga, Dushko Petrovich, Daniel Ricardo Quiles, Sara Reisman, Roberto Sifuentes, Andrea Ray, Pamela Sneed, Asha Iman Veal, and Andrew Yang.
Low-Res Visiting Artists & Scholars Lecture Series:
A hallmark of the Low-Res Program, the Visiting Artists & Scholars (VA&S) lecture series brings world-renowned artists and scholars from all disciplines to Chicago during the six-week summer residency period. Invited speakers deliver a lecture open to the entire SAIC community and the general public. Speakers then hold studio visits and participate in a colloquium exclusively for Low-Res MFA students. Past lecturers include:
A.L. Steiner, Addie Wagenknecht, Adrienne Edwards, Alejandro Cesarco, Amina Ross, Andrea Fraser, Andrea Ray, Aram Han Sifuentes, Arnold Kemp, Aruna D'Souza, avery r. young, Brittany Nelson, Carmelita Tropicana and Ela Troyano, Caroline Kent, Cassils, Cauleen Smith, Christina Quarles, Claire Pentecost, Corrine Fitzpatrick, Damon Locks, Darby English, David Antonio Cruz, Dodie Bellamy, Eileen Myles, Elaine Byrne, Eugenia Cheng, Emily Apter, Fred Moten, Germane Barnes, Glenn Ligon, Gregg Bordowitz, Guadalupe Rosales, Hamza Walker, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Helen Molesworth, Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds, Holly Hughes, indira allegra, Jacqueline Terrassa, Jamillah James, Jason Simon, Jennie C. Jones, Jennie Goldstein, Jennifer Doyle, Jes Fan, Joseph Grigely, Joshua Takano Chambers-Letson, Josiah McElheny, Judy Ledgerwood, K.ari.n Schneider, Kahlil Irving, Kamau Patton, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Karen Finley, Kimberly Drew, Kira Lynn Harris, Laura Harris, Lyle Ashton Harris, Lynne Cooke, Lynne Tillman, Marina Rosenfeld, Mark Diaz (Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education), Mark Dion, Matthew Buckingham, Maura Brewer, Mendi & Keith Obadike, Meredith Talusan, Michael Rakowitz, Miguel Gutierrez, Molly Zuckerman-Hartung, Morgan Bassichis, Moyra Davey, Nancy Shaver, Pamela Sneed, Patric McCoy, Patty Chang and David Kelley, Pradeep Dalal, R Luke Dubois, Rachel Faller, Riva Lehrer, Rizvana Bradley, Rodney McMillian, Rosalyn Deutsche, Sara Reisman, Shadi Harouni, Shahryar Nashat, Shinique Smith, Sondra Perry, Sowon Kwon, Steffani Jemison, Stephen Andrews, Susanne DesRoches, Tom Burr, Tourmaline, Trevor Paglen, Troy Michie, Tyler Coburn, Wafaa Bilal, Wanuri Kahiu, Wu Tsang, Xandra Ibarra, Yvonne Rainer, Yxta Murray, Zach Blas, Zoe Leonard.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For more than 160 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, Jeff Koons, and LeRoy Neiman. Learn more at saic.edu.
