Inter-Arts

College of Creative Arts
Dean: Keith Morrison

Inter-Arts Center
CA 354
415-338-1478
E-mail: iac@sfsu.edu
http://www.sfsu.edu/~iac/
Director: Jim Davis

Graduate Adviser: Jim Davis

Faculty

Professors—Davis, Ferrero, Hunter, Kovacs, Lunine, Phillips, Schneider, Whipp

Associate Professors—Ellis, Holmes, Suzuki

Assistant Professors—Johnson, Marshall

Lecturers—Bowen, Drew, Swenson

Programs

M.A. in Creative Arts: Concentration in Interdisciplinary Arts
M.A. in Creative Arts: Concentration in Creativity and Arts Education

Program Scope

For those interested in crossing the traditional and formal boundaries of programs in the arts, SFSU offers students a choice of two interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Creative Arts degrees: (1) Concentration in Interdisciplinary Arts and (2) Concentration in Creativity and Arts Education. Both programs prepare students for emerging fields in the arts and arts education by laying foundations for real world experience or further study.

As the oldest interdisciplinary arts program in the United States (1954), IAC has a long tradition of successful creative and academic studies in the areas of interdisciplinary arts, cultural criticism, and facilitation of the arts in various public sites.

The elements IAC perceives as essential to interdisciplinary arts practice are: collaboration, mastery of new media, cultural criticism, integration of creative practice and theory, crossing academic boundaries, social responsibility, artists' survival strategies, and development of individualized creative work and critical perspectives. IAC students produce innovative works that integrate sound, text, images, movement, and temporal/spatial elements. The program challenges the prevailing assumption that creative practice must be insulated from cultural realities. Artists, culture critics, and teachers are encouraged to investigate new avenues of pedagogy, creativity, and social action in their professional pursuits.

The Concentration in Creativity and Arts Education program trains teachers and facilitators in alternative modes of education and public/community arts opportunities. Both traditional and non-traditional learning environments are examined, and arts learning issues pertaining to a range of ages and cultural backgrounds are considered. The program inquires into ways in which interdisciplinary arts learning provides unique and fundamental forms of knowledge and insight essential in today's world, and also how such learning enhances traditional forms of study in arts and non-arts areas through integrative creative production and critical thinking processes. Also stressed is serious research on creativity, multicultural arts education, and ways that new media are changing the creative process and the arts in contemporary life and learning. The program encourages openness to pedagogical experimentation and prides itself on participation in the development of substantive new instructional methodologies and curricula.

Present faculty expertise encompasses digital art, videography, photography, sound art, painting, documentary art, critical writing, cultural and arts criticism, performance art, theater of the oppressed, improvisation, multicultural arts, installation art, arts education, and public arts facilitation.

The student population comes from all of the arts, and also represents a range of cultural perspectives. This diversity contributes to a rich dialogue about the arts and their potential roles in a variety of communities.

Inter-Arts encourages all people from diverse backgrounds with interest in the emergent discourses on, and practices in, contemporary arts and/or education to apply.

Facilities and Program Support

The IAC Intermedia Laboratory provides on-site equipment and checkout opportunities for digital and video creative work. On-site laboratory access includes a Media 100 digital editing workstation, an Amiga 2000 computer with Toaster 3.0 and DPS color correction, 3/4" control track editing, digital sound workstation, graphic and multimedia workstations, and the IAC server. Video and audio production checkout equipment includes camcorders (VHS and SVHS), lighting equipment, and professional quality portable recorders and microphones.

The IAC website (http://www.sfsu.edu/~iac/) features Pluriaxial, an electronic scholarly journal on the arts and culture, and the IAC Electronic Gallery, a digital showcase for recent IAC student work. The journal and electronic gallery are edited, curated, and maintained by IAC graduate students, and most of the work presented in both sites are by IAC students. Additional information posted on the general website includes IAC program information, creative/scholarly opportunities, and events related to the program goals.

Students have access to College of Creative Arts performance spaces for collaboration and performance-based classes and for student projects.

IAC annual symposia stress significant social, creative, media, and education related topics, and present leading artists, scholars, culture critics, educators, and community workers in engaging critical dialogues.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of IAC's strong ties to the larger Bay Area arts community by registering for at least one internship during their course of study. Most IAC courses feature significant visiting artists and scholars, and also maintain strong interactions with Bay Area cultural communities.

Career Outlook

Graduates from both IAC degree programs are unusually successful in a broad range of professional pursuits. There are many reasons for this. As interdisciplinary programs, they stress studies that develop one's skills at adapting and meaningfully contributing to a variety of new fields and cultural changes. Graduates have been able to participate in highly visionary ways and to serve as influential members of many emerging arts opportunities. Additionally, the programs are based upon cutting edge directions in creative applications, stress regular interactions with real-world arts environments and professionals, develop expertise with current cultural issues, and contribute to the students' facilitative skills applicable in many environments. A course is even offered on development of artists' survival skills.

IAC graduates are among the leading interdisciplinary performing, visual, and media artists in the Bay Area and nationally. Many are innovators in video and digital fields, and others are now teaching in leading colleges and at a variety of other learning sites. Others have continued their studies at leading doctoral programs in arts-related fields. Several graduates have served as executive directors, program directors, or curators at many of the major experimental arts and media organizations in the Bay Area.

MASTER OF ARTS IN CREATIVE ARTS: CONCENTRATION IN INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS

Admission to Program

Students interested in this program may apply during either the Fall or Spring semesters. To be admitted, a student must separately apply to the Graduate Division at SFSU (1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132) and the Inter-Arts Center Graduate Program Adviser (CA 353, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132), and meet all university requirements, as well as the specific IAC program requirements listed below.

Applicants must also:

1. Have an undergraduate degree in an arts or interdisciplinary arts related discipline, or be able to exhibit a comparable level of achievement. Within this study, or equivalent experience, there must be at least one course in twentieth century ideas in the arts and culture and one in cultural diversity in the arts.
2. Submit to the IAC graduate program adviser the following:
1. Letter of intent stating which IAC degree and semester of entry;
2. Statement on background, interdisciplinary interests, current and future plans, particular program emphasis;
3. Portfolio documenting creative work (slides, video tape, computer disk-Macintosh only, audio tape, etc.);
4. Resume;
5. All college transcripts;
6. Three letters of recommendation (sent directly to the program adviser).

Program applications for Fall admission must be received by April 1, and for Spring admission by November 1. Consult the graduate admissions office or this Bulletin for the university admission deadline and procedures.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Each graduate student must demonstrate the ability to write standard American English correctly and effectively. Level One: successful completion of IAC 700 with a B or better. Level Two: successful completion of IAC 710 with a B or better. Both IAC 700 and 710 stress research methods that will be used for the thesis or creative work project, with emphasis on critical thinking and writing skills.

An SP grade in IAC 894 or 898 requires enrollment through Extended Learning in three units of IAC 899 each subsequent semester until the SP grade is resolved.

MASTER OF ARTS IN CREATIVE ARTS: CONCENTRATION IN CREATIVITY AND ARTS EDUCATION

Admission to Program

Students interested in this program may apply during either the Fall or Spring semesters. To be admitted, a student must separately apply to the Graduate Division at SFSU (1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132) and the Inter-Arts Center Graduate Program Adviser (CA 353, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132), and meet all university requirements, as well as the specific IAC program requirements listed below.

Applicants must also:

1. Have an undergraduate degree in an arts or an interdisciplinary arts related discipline, or be able to exhibit a comparable level of achievement. Within this study, or equivalent experience, there must be at least one course in twentieth century ideas in the arts and culture and one in cultural diversity in the arts.
2. Submit to the IAC graduate program adviser the following:
1. Letter of intent stating which IAC degree and semester of entry;
2. Statement on background, interdisciplinary interests, current and future plans, particular program emphasis;
3. Writing sample;
4. Resume;
5. All college transcripts;
6. Three letters of recommendation (sent directly to the program adviser).

Program applications for Fall admission must be received by April 1, and for Spring admission by November 1. Consult the graduate admissions office or this Bulletin for the university admission deadline and procedures.

Written English Proficiency Requirements

Each graduate student must demonstrate the ability to write standard American English correctly and effectively. Level One: successful completion of IAC 800 with a grade of B or better. Level Two: successful completion of IAC 801 with a grade of B or better. Both IAC 800 and 801 stress research methods that will be used for the thesis or creative work project, with emphasis on critical thinking and writing skills.

An SP grade in IAC 894 or 898 requires enrollment through Extended Learning in three units of IAC 899 each subsequent semester until the SP grade is resolved.