The "Art" School is Dead

[Robert Opheim]

College have become very expensive - private colleges and universities even more expensive. I feel fortunate that when I went to college I was able to work and not borrow for my education. College I now see was cheap then. One of my cousins went through a MFA program at San Francisco Art Institute. His abilities were greatly sharpened with the education. He is a talented painter. Education is becoming a thing of the past.

[profvandegraf]

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.

[alan_b]

By the government providing unlimited loan funds to broke youngsters, colleges have raised tuition beyond the troposphere. Some have placed their cost out of range for most.

College have become very expensive - private colleges and universities even more expensive.

My second year at a state university, in-state tuition doubled. By the time I was done, it had tripled again, to a total of 6X my first year. The initial jump was due to a state measure that cut property taxes from the education budget. It kicked off what become known as the "Nikefication" of education, with corporations gleefully jumping in with their funding and interests.

[Pieter]

By the government providing unlimited loan funds to broke youngsters, colleges have raised tuition beyond the troposphere. Some have placed their cost out of range for most. Who's going to go into debt for a quarter of a million to learn how to shoot a camera? Better get an apprentice job with a photographer company and learn the trade on the job. You'll be in a better position to advance as you meet different people and companies and learn the business end at the same time to start your own business if you wish. Then you can use the quarter of a million to buy a business.

That is why most community colleges basically teach photography as a trade. None of that art stuff for them.

[Leszek Vogt]

Different schools had similar approaches. Look at Brooks, they sold youngins on various delusions, such as they could work for Life Magazine...when they graduate. Perhaps, but that was back in the 60's or 70's and way before they closed their doors. Similar techniques were used at Art Center and Cal Arts (Calif. Institute of the Arts). I've rubbed elbows with many of these folks, including SFAI, since I was at SFSU and seen these people often on various shoots...I was well aware that the institute was expensive, tho I never known how in real $'s behind that education.

My own start was full of delusions of getting into Cal Arts with cinema emphasis or as they called those days: "Live Film". The competition to enter was fierce. Apparently someone liked few of my images (portfolio submitted). Soon afterwards I found out that all the entry spots were filled and I was on a maybe-maybe (or nada) list. With wicked luck someone changed their mind and I had to get off he pot and make a quick determination. My girlfriend wanted to put me through this school....with a marriage hook on the horizon....hmmm I felt the vice grip tightening. Sooo, due to ultra nutty costs I decided to walk away from it - it was a sobering decision....and never regretted.

Not long after that I read really nice reportage (in LA Times ?) on USC Film School, that it produced more insurance brokers and slew of other job title holders than the proverbial Spielbergs. Granted, the school has access to myriad of pro's from Hollywood (much like UCLA) and few ended up sticking their foot in the barely cracked door. Sadly tho, their approach was very much like SF Art Institute.

Many years later I've worked with a fella (sound mixer) on a film who finished the program that I was after at Cal Arts. He was quick to tell me that I did the right thing by walking away. The school was pretty much preparing animators to work for Disney....and I think Disney had some financial ties with the school. So more than likely I'd be manipulated to go THAT route. He was disappointed. Yet, Cal Arts was like entering a museum....fabulous visuals on the wall....spotless wooden floors....a quad theatre where 4 various things could happen on different stage - v. strong theatre program and to a young unlooker, one wanted to be part of all that.

Since those days, the tuition has risen 1725% or around $65K/yr (today)...not counting those pesky incidentals. Granted, filming era ended and video surfaced and those incidentals may not be so evil-ish, but the tuition itself will certainly question one's sanity.

My overall take is, that unless one is already a half-artist and has passion in that direction, the curriculum itself may expand one's mind, but likely will not provide miracles on a silver platter.

[Tin Can]

I have many friends who graduated Movie Making 25 years ago

They kept trying to AFFORD 16 mm film

I argued, Shoot DIGI

Took years

[Graham Patterson]

My uncle, who taught at various levels, once said that he could teach anyone to paint, but he couldn't teach them to see.

[Robert Opheim]

That is why most community colleges basically teach photography as a trade. None of that art stuff for them.

I was fortunate. My first school experience was community college - Everett Community College. It had a photo program at that time - within an art/ design program that was run by a amazing designer/instructor Russell Day. Russell had amazing knowledge and background and had instructed artists such as Chuck Close at his start. Our photo program at that time was run by John Witter - another amazing instructor. He brought knowledge from his degrees and experiences at: RIT, Visual Studies Workshop. He also had history and museum experience at the Eastman House. Other instructors were more technically oriented - having worked as photographers in a variety of capacities: WW2 field photographer, industrial product photography, etc.

[Corran]

I have 3 "Arts" degrees, and while I don't regret them at all (and worked hard to pay for college with scholarships and full-time work rather than loans) I'm also brutally honest about the uselessness of them. What I got was my foot in the door though, and in academia the grad degree puts you on the board.

That said I don't see how fabulously expensive art schools fit in today's society. I toured one of them when looking at MFA programs and when I asked about scholarship opportunities the professor just chuckled. They did not offer scholarships. But they did suggest I speak to a loan officer! I declined to attend that institution.

[Robert Opheim]

I have 3 "Arts" degrees, and while I don't regret them at all (and worked hard to pay for college with scholarships and full-time work rather than loans) I'm also brutally honest about the uselessness of them. What I got was my foot in the door though, and in academia the grad degree puts you on the board.

That said I don't see how fabulously expensive art schools fit in today's society. I toured one of them when looking at MFA programs and when I asked about scholarship opportunities the professor just chuckled. They did not offer scholarships. But they did suggest I speak to a loan officer! I declined to attend that institution.

Art graduate degrees, I would think would be required is certain career paths: museums, art focused periodicals - writing and editing, teaching at various levels of universities, colleges, art schools, etc. As far as the elite and expensive art school education and how that fits in to society - I don't know. I do know a number of people with PHD degrees and all-but-dissertation PHD's it seems like at some point the more education you have, the more difficult it is to get work. You have to create your situation. I am on the West Coast, I have heard that some of the East Coast Ivy League schools have a certain amount of family endowment - those with history at the schools returning to get degrees from where their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents went to school.