The MFA program organizes the Professional Practice Seminar to help students answer questions related to being a professional artist. The presentation topics cater to a wide variety of professional interests ranging from starting and managing a gallery space to building your Instagram identity, among others. Here, the program invites professionals from the field to give us some behind-the-scenes knowledge of their industries and then answer questions from students and faculty. This semester the Professional Practice Seminar included the following topics: Building a Roadmap for a Sustainable Career: Our Director Ellen Mueller helped the audience brainstorm and identify specific goals they would like to achieve in the near and far future. She then provided the audience with concrete steps and outlines in the form of questions and reflections to develop a realistic and sustainable roadmap to achieve their intended goals. Studio Visits and Networking: Alumni Yijia Li '17, Katie Lupton '16, and Anika Schneider '19 spoke to the audience about the importance of studio visits and how to network in the art world, especially after you graduate. They shed light on the trickiest part post-graduation which is not having a studio, and how an artist can work around it. Working with Commercial Galleries: How frequently do artists have exhibitions? Do artists have exclusivity agreements with galleries? What are the challenges that gallerists face today? Rosalux Gallery founder Terrence Payne, Groveland Gallery director Sally Johnson, Bockley Gallery director Todd Bockley gave the audience an in-depth look into the functioning of a gallery, by presenting to them personal experiences about founding and running a gallery. MCAD Online Learning: MCAD Online Learning Director James Johnson and Instructor Alex Mitchell '16 spoke about some methodologies and technologies used in online learning today. They addressed some crucial questions in digital learning such as, 'What are employers looking for?', 'How can you get your foot in the door?', 'If you're interested in teaching online, where should you look?'. The duo also spoke about the future of online learning which they said has a big stake in the education field. Building an Audience Through Instagram: Niky Motekallem '16 (freelance illustrator) and Kelsey King (children's book illustrator) shed light on the do's and don't's on Instagram to garner a healthy following. With social media being one of the key platforms where creative directors look for talent, they said that it is important to invest some time in building a social media brand identity for oneself. Highly relevant to commercial and fine artists alike, this talk answered multiple questions about authenticity, copyrights and creative capital. The planning is currently on for the Professional Practice Seminar for the next semester. The students are frequently consulted to understand the current needs of the program and the artists are invited accordingly. Photography by Emma Shen and Roshan Ganu For more information visit: Building a Roadmap for a Sustainable Career Working With Commercial Galleries Building an Audience Through Instagram Online Learning Categories Professional Practices