Jacob Aaron Schroeder

Why did you choose your major and what were your major classes like?

Like most incoming students, I chose to follow my interests in drawing and painting because it was the medium I was most familiar with and skilled in. My studio classes and their curriculums ranged from understanding the techniques and approaches of traditional oil painting to questioning the possibility of form, function, and limitations that paintings can have in a contemporary context.

Did MCAD prepare you for life after graduation?

MCAD most prepared me for life after school by learning to adapt and change as quickly as possible. As an art student, I found myself being thrown curve balls by every teacher, in every class, and every semester. I was always asked to question every aspect of my work from the way I wrote about it, to the overall construction, to its meaning.

What was your experience with MCAD's facilities? Did you have a personal studio?

Even though I was a drawing and painting major, I found myself immersed in various classes that used different facilities around the school. My illustration classes effectively taught me how to understand the scanners and printers of the Service Bureau. My multiple photography classes made me familiar with how to develop, process, and print film photography. I also became extremely familiar with the Media Center and all of its accessible equipment for various photoshoots and documentation purposes. My studio literally became my home away from home. When I wasn't in my apartment, in class, or with my friends, I was probably in my studio. What made it even better was that all of my surrounding studio mates were also classmates of mine, so it was a very supportive environment. I consider myself very blessed to have had that space to work.

What advice do you have for art and design students?

Stay true to yourself and your own interests. If you put all of your energy and love into what you make, the end product will show that. Give more than you take.

Has your work evolved since leaving MCAD? How so?

My work has drastically evolved since leaving MCAD, primarily so because I now have no restrictions on time which allows me to create the time-intensive work that I've always known I was supposed to make.

Where did you intern and can you briefly describe the experience?

Throughout my time at MCAD I interned with three different artists and galleries. Immediately after I graduated, I was one of eleven people chosen from multiple local universities to be a part of the University of Minnesota's WorkART Fellowship Program. Through the program, I was connected with a Kunstverein (community based nonprofit arts association) located in Germany. I lived and worked inside the giant, two-story contemporary arts gallery and assisted them for a summer with upcoming publications, exhibitions, and local events.

What did you get out of your fellowship?

The ability to see contemporary art on an international scale. I was able to see what art was being created by working professionals within the contemporary art scene and understand how important art is on a grander scale. Additionally, I spent a lot of time visiting the local art university in my Kunstverein's city, so I got to see what undergraduate work looked like halfway around the world. I was able to make many visual connections between that university and MCAD!

Name your one biggest takeaway from MCAD?

My biggest takeaway from MCAD is two-fold; the family I created, and discovering myself. When I came into MCAD right out of high school, I didn't know a soul in the school. By the time I left, though, I found myself leaving with a family, a support system that I knew would last me the rest of my life. It was also because of these people that I was able to find myself and discover what I was truly passionate about along the way—that namely being my artistic practice.