The Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University offers graduate assistantships to candidates for the Master of Fine Arts program. The MFA is a 60-hour program that emphasizes both theory and practice in the production, history, and teaching of the visual arts. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate artistic proficiency in at least one of the following disciplines: painting and drawing, sculpture and expanded media, printmaking, video, ceramics, photography, or glass. The Wonsook Kim School of Art offers students an excellent faculty, extensive facilities, and individual graduate studio spaces. Just two hours south of Chicago, the Wonsook Kim School of Art offers easy access to the vibrant museum and gallery environment of the city. In addition, the on-campus University Galleries' active exhibition schedule and a full schedule of visiting artist residencies and lectures provide students with a vital critical survey of contemporary art. Each MFA student mounts a solo exhibition in the student gallery, Transpace, in partial fulfillment of their MFA requirement and can participate in multiple group exhibitions in the University Galleries during their time in the program. The school provides a supportive atmosphere fostering an active studio practice, rigorous intellectual inquiry, and the development of a mature body of work.
With a dynamic combination of faculty and staff, a broad array of equipment and facilities, and exciting collaborative opportunities, the printmaking area at Illinois State University offers an exceptional artistic environment. The program is made up of three parts: intaglio, lithography, and Normal Editions Workshop, each with its own faculty/staff and space. Additionally the printmaking area has a digital and photo resource room and a small letterpress facility. Students work in a variety of traditional printmaking media, such as intaglio, lithography, monotype/monoprint, relief, and collagraph, as well as digital and photomechanical processes. The program emphasizes both theory and practice and the faculty are committed to individual artistic development, directing teaching methodology toward nurturing artists as they develop their creative body of work. Normal Editions Workshop is an exciting component of the program, allowing students the possibility of interacting with visiting artists and participating in the operation of a professional printshop.
