Tufts Blogs

In my last blog HERE, I gave you a little low down on the history of the SMFA at Tufts and the Museum of Fine Arts. Now I’m back to talk a little more in-depth about what it means to be a student at a Museum School, specifically, at the SMFA.

One of the greatest things about being on the SMFA campus is our proximity to the MFA. We are right next door, so you’re able to take a studio break for a quick, or not so quick, inspirational stroll through the MFA galleries. During your visit, you’ll see many SMFA alumni from over the years throughout the collection. You’ll be able to look at the object labels on the wall, which will denote if they are an SMFA alumni, and see what year they graduated. Students have the opportunity to attend visiting artist lectures and presentations in the museum, and often, those artists will join you in some of your studio classrooms and critique courses.

If you want a more intimate experience with the collection, then you can reach out to the Research Fellow of the Morse Study Room for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs to make an appointment to see works from the MFA collection that aren’t currently on view. Students can also pursue research in the MFA library, which is comprised of the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library and eight curatorial department libraries. The non-circulating collection totals more than 320,000 items and the stacks are closed to the public.

There are several opportunities for students to exhibit their work within the museum. Students Curate Students is an annual exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Courtyard Gallery. The exhibition showcases work curated and created by only current SMFA students. The 2016 show, titled Drawing Connections, featured works that specifically explored and responded to objects in the MFA collections and the architecture of the museum through varied drawing practices. The William Morris Hunt Memorial Library in the museum’s horticultural hall provides current SMFA students an opportunity to show their work through their program of exhibitions. The 33rd exhibition Topo•graphic, organized by Isabel Beavers and closing on November 18th, explored contemporary relationships between humans and their environments, both natural and built.

Students will have the opportunity to take part in special exhibition opportunities at the museum’s events and participate in the robust program of performance art. Just this month, BFA students Flore Eckmann, Sarah Goldsmith, Alicia Rodriguez, and Clayton Woolery presented performances at the museum’s #mfaNOW overnight event; an all-night party taking place in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art. Semester-long internship opportunities through the MFA are available for students who are interested in museum education, conservation, research, and curatorial work.

The relationship to the museum doesn’t end once you’ve graduated. The Traveling Fellows program was established in 1899. The program chooses ten alumni artists and awards them each $10,000 in funds for post-graduate work and travel. The ten recipients will have approximately one year to complete their travels. At the conclusion of those travels, their works will be reviewed again and one artist from this distinguished group will be selected for a solo exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Worried about the odds of receiving a fellowship? Don’t fret, as you can apply every year if you have not been awarded in the past. How’s that for a career opportunity?

This was just a brief snapshot of some of the history behind the MFA and the opportunities available to our students through our partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. So, can I touch the art? All answers point to yes.