low-residency mfa program

Over the course of 2.5 years, the low-residency format combines intensive ten-day residency periods each winter and summer in beautiful Lake Tahoe with full-time work in the student’s home studio throughout the following semesters. A dynamic group of faculty, renowned visiting artists, professional mentors and peers guide you through the process of developing an active and professional practice.

Using all available channels, students engage, critique and explore unfamiliar ideas and cross-disciplinary questions. Personalized mentorship and extensive studio time help students develop the expressive, professional skills necessary to realize their personal visions.

The low-res MFA-IA program offers an alternative to a traditional MFA program, in both structure and philosophy. While we are a full-time program, we consciously designed the ten-day residencies knowing not everyone can take off for an entire summer or multiple weeks at a time. We know that dedicated, talented, driven artists, and thinkers have children, jobs, or other responsibilities that make it difficult for them to commit to a conventional on-ground MFA program.

The academic and artistic ecosystem is defined by a shared environment, both physical and virtual. The program prioritizes the cultivation of safer spaces for gathering and learning.