Graduate programs in History of Photography/arts entrepreneurship

**Scott Davis** · 5-Mar-2007, 14:05

Kirk- thanks for the feedback. I see eventually ending up with the PhD, but I think I want to do some other things in the meantime, and not spend the next ten years of my life as a poor student. I'm continuing my research on various programs, but will keep this in mind as I go.

A big thanks to everyone who has contributed. I really appreciate the feedback.

**Kirk Gittings** · 5-Mar-2007, 14:45

Good Luck. It is a noble quest, one I considered thoroughly before and during my MFA program. A studio degree, with all its uncertainties, was the right path for me.

**Mark Sawyer** · 5-Mar-2007, 17:36

Originally Posted by Walter Calahan

Oh, just remembered, University of Arizona has Eugene Smith's stuff, perhaps they have some graduate program you can fit into.

Yes, the Center for Creative Photography at the UA houses the archives of W. Eugene Smith, along with the archives of Ansel Adams, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Richard Avedon, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Edward Weston...

I'd consider looking into the University of Arizona, if I were thinking of a graduate program in photo-history...

**Robert Hughes** · 9-Mar-2007, 10:31

How odd a pursuit. I suppose you could land an academic position by spending all that time getting a PhD, but in photography? Did Atget or Steiglitz earn PhD's before they were qualified to shoot? Sounds like a serious case of guilding the lily.

Imagine, in future years they'll be offering PhD programs in heavy metal and hip-hop appreciation. You could become the world authority on drug addled bad boys with no education and bad attitudes.

**Scott Davis** · 9-Mar-2007, 10:39

Robert - this for me has nothing to do with my personal work - it has to do with finding a job that pays better than my personal work does

. A regular paycheck and health insurance that won't bankrupt me are things provided by employment in either the gallery or academic worlds.

Oh, and...

Ozzy Rules!!!!

j/k

**tim atherton** · 9-Mar-2007, 10:39

Originally Posted by Robert Hughes

How odd a pursuit. I suppose you could land an academic position by spending all that time getting a PhD, but in photography? Did Atget or Steiglitz earn PhD's before they were qualified to shoot? Sounds like a serious case of guilding the lily.

Imagine, in future years they'll be offering PhD programs in heavy metal and hip-hop appreciation. You could become the world authority on drug addled bad boys with no education and bad attitudes.

I know - I can't believe people actually want to think seriously about this stuff - kinda weird huh...

**Robert Hughes** · 9-Mar-2007, 10:52

Originally Posted by Scott Davis

Robert - this for me has nothing to do with my personal work - it has to do with finding a job that pays better than my personal work does

. A regular paycheck and health insurance that won't bankrupt me are things provided by employment in either the gallery or academic worlds.

j/k

It's a point, but no guarantees of a cushy job are made. My wife has an MFA from a prestigious Ivy League school, but has never landed a tenure-track position. If you aren't a certified Golden Boy(TM) you are relegated to the 2nd class seats of Associate Professordom, hired part-time, quarter to quarter, with no benefits.

Of course, she's teaching in Italy! this semester while I toil away in an office here, so it's not a total waste...

**Scott Davis** · 9-Mar-2007, 12:13

Robert- this is why I'm leaning toward something like the Sotheby's program, which would help me get a place in the gallery/auction industry. If I were to go down the academia path, it would have to be for a full-on PhD, otherwise you can't get jack. I know an MFA even from a prestige institution is no guarantee of a job. I might still do that anyway, because that's where my heart belongs - making images. If I ended up teaching highschool art that wouldn't be the end of the world.

**David Karp** · 9-Mar-2007, 12:34

Don't forget Community College. An MFA is probably the minimum requirement. You can teach, which will be your primary function. You don't have to get tied up in some of the weird stuff that happens at other types of schools were teaching may not be your primary function, and you can make a difference. Benefits are usually good.

**Ed Richards** · 9-Mar-2007, 13:07

> I know an MFA even from a prestige institution is no guarantee of a job. I might still do that anyway, because that's where my heart belongs - making images.

You can make images without regard to your degree. You can make them with a PhD. A number of us make them with law, engineering, and even no degrees.:-) But you may not be able to make images if you cannot make a living. The trick is finding the right balance. For some, like Kirk, it is to make images as your job. That takes hard work and real business skill. For most of us, our day job is not related to our photograpy. There are pros and cons to either position - some find that by the time they have finished their commerical work as a photographer for the day, they do not want to look at a camera. For the part-time photographers, it is always a battle for enough time.