/That/ one certainly is - though I wouldn't want to extrapolate to 'art school' in general. Another branch of my family are all artists, in some medium or other, and some have taught formally, so I may have some bias.
The most famous artist in Chicago has preached for at least 3 decades
don't go to art school, not me
I obtained MFA, about the same time, as old man, I knew the oracle from bar life, Tony, big man, big drinker, loud
I had a lot of fun with all students even some instructors...in 3 ART colleges
All colleges and Student Loans are dying dinosaurs
I made my MFA Thesis Performance Art in the street with old camper as prop, in front of the college, downtown Chicago
I made short video of anybody I could get in my camper
My only question, "How will you pay those huge loans?" They had 3 minutes, timed by photo timer
no worries...LOL
Student Loans Masters Thesis 2001 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr
Tin Can
One of my first jobs was working at Samy's Camera, in Pasadena. I worked behind the film counter, and still go in from time to time, mostly to visit with former coworkers who still work there.
Either way, while there(this was the former location, on Walnut near the Parsons building), I served countless Art Center, ELAC and PCC students(amongst other schools in the LA area). Man, those Art Center students sure ran up credit card bills.
This one girl, I'll never forget this. (6) different cards, none of them would approve a purchase for a 5 roll pro-pack of Kodak Portra. She was nearly in tears, as she needed to shoot part of her final project. Either way, as I had prior experience dealing with her, and liked her work, I asked "If I buy the film, can you give me an open selection of choosing two prints from your portfolio". Her eyes immediately dried, and she stuck her hand out to shake mine "you've got a deal sir!". So, we made a deal. A few weeks later, as the semester was ending. she came in with her finished portfolio and offered it to me to make my choices. Not sure where I have those prints, will have to search for them.
Turns out she never became a photographer. Some years later I bumped into her at Samy's again, after I had left working there, and was there getting some things. She was now attending culinary school! Well, I figured she either had loaded parents, a sugar daddy or some loan officer was very trusting. She was still driving a smoking tailpipe beater of an old corolla, so I guessed she didn't have a lot of resources...
Art school is not what it used to be back in the day. YouTube offers an endless selection of places and people to learn from, basically for free. I prefer this method, compared to the classroom.
Times change, but people still buy the marketing schtick I guess...
Stone Photo Gear
https://www.stonephotogear.com/
i would like to have had the Usa Art school options. Schools like Yale, Bard College or Icp programs in my country.
I suppose they are extremely expensive but you have the opportunity to study with real photographers and educators of highest level.
People whom i admire and whose work is in Photography History.
Robert Adams, Barbara Bosworth , Baldwin Lee, Lynn whitney, Todd Hido, Gergory Halpern , Jim Goldberg and so many others who teach in USA.
SAIC had an impossible overload 1998 Photo MFA, Darkroom ran 24/7
But I really wanted IN to SAIC, long story
SAIC also open to ANY MFA concentration in any field of ART
I found my way into the cloister by careful study of ALL departments as once IN we could concentrate on anything
I did use SAIC https://sites.saic.edu/servicebureau/ for years after
Huge DIGI Printers cheap and perfect decades ago, Pro operators
Lots of radical fun
Tin Can
Randy: We missed each other at SAIC. I left in 1996. Worked in the photo lab the whole time I was a student. Interesting times for sure.
I did a tour in the Marine Corps to save money for art school and get my middle class parents off my financial aid application. I ended up doing the first year of visual studies which has been helpful to me all my life, but the year long Humanities/Western civ required course changed my mind and career path. I ended up getting a MDiv.
I sometimes ponder going back to art school and completing a MFA but wisdom says, “You used to argue with your teachers back then, today it will only be worse and you are very prepared for debate, the teachers will never let you pass.”
...Dilettante! Who you calling a Dilettante?
I am very sorry to hear that San Francisco Institute of Art has closed. It would have been have been very meaningful to attend - it was a top art school in the 1970's on the West Coast. At that time there were instructors at SFIA that I very much admired. I studied photography at a local 2 year college and worked at the Seattle Art Museum as a guard. I freelanced a little with weddings photography and a start-up newspaper photography - but I did not break into a photographic career. There wasn't a clear financial path that I could see to attend further photographic education - and I didn't see an income after it. I had studied art as well - so I pursed architecture as a profession. Still it was a path not taken.
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