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.
Classes in video emphasize creative thinking in a time based medium. The curriculum places primary importance on aesthetic and personal development and emphasize a critical and historical understanding of the medium's place within our culture. Technical instruction is provided for both analog and digital video. The Video Program serves a maximum of 25 students per semester. Students receive substantial personal attention at the undergraduate level. Each student is encouraged through a supportive environment to develop video and electronic media with curiosity, experimentation, and hard work. Video classes in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts are offered by the Wonsook Kim School of Art and are also included in the Arts Technology and Cinema Studies curriculae. Students from throughout the College are encouraged to work in an interdisciplinary manner using video to synthesize the moving image, with digital photography, text, graphics, sound, sculpture, writing, performance, and installation.
