Graduate Students Find Inspiration and Community in New York City

MCAD graduate students and alumni traveled to New York City during fall 2019 to connect with NYC-based alumni and gain a better sense of their industries and how to envision themselves in the field. For students in the fully online master of arts in graphic and web design and master of arts in sustainable design, the trip was also an opportunity to connect with peers they hadn’t yet met in person.

Mike Perry chats with MFA director Ellen Mueller and graduate students.

Highlights included a casual gathering at alum Mike Perry’s studio and a private tour of the Whitney. Studio visits around the city gave students new perspectives on where they might fit in the creative industry.

For MA in graphic and web design student Jane Campbell, “the Paperless Post visit was most valuable and relevant to me. It was similar to the type of industry and workplace I'd like to eventually work in, so it was awesome to learn how they operate day-to-day and learn about different roles and what their responsibilities are.” Many students cited the visit to Red Paper Heart as a highlight: their work was “mind blowing” in the words of master of fine arts student Roshan Ganu.

Trip attendees at Red Paper Heart.

According to Sigrid Stensvold, MA in graphic and web design, “Getting to see inside artists' studios and places of work is something that couldn't happen on campus by definition and that was immensely helpful for me in thinking about where I see myself at the end of my program.”

An shot from alum Lisa Martin's studio

The opportunity to visit alumni in their studios and envision future working situations also led students to consider the bigger picture of their art practice. Ganu shared that “meeting alumni who are working in the industry put my practice into perspective. As an illustrator, what are the things I need to focus on in my education, while keeping the bigger picture in mind? [...] How can I sharpen my ability to talk about my work, because I feel like that seems equally important as the work itself. [...] Questions like these got answered on this trip.”

Fall 2019 NYC Trip Itinerary

• Thursday, October 3: McCall Associates; Regensia; Paperless Post
• Friday, October 4: Red Paper Heart Studios; Eddie Perrote; Communal Objects with Levi Murphy; Lisa Martin Studio; Rob Fischer; MCAD Alumni Reception at Mike Perry's Studio
• Saturday, October 5: Pace Print/Editions; Private Tour at the Whitney Museum of Art