News

Graduation

The program in Art Criticism and Writing graduated its second group of MFAs on May 19, 2008 on the stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, before a crowd of 4000. New York Times columnist Frank Rich delivered the commencement speech, pointing out that these graduates have an "opportunity to reinvent contemporary culture for an ever more diverse and international audience, and to use that culture not just for delight and provocation, but for the greater good." 5/19/08

Seminars With Artists

As part of the Whitney Museum's "Seminars with Artists" series connected with the Whitney Biennial, David Levi Strauss and Daniel J. Martinez had a public conversation at the museum on May 7, 2008, on "Imagining a Future of Art." 5/7/08

Phong Bui, Ann Lauterbach, and Nancy Princenthal

Three guests will visit our Thesis Seminar this Spring. Phong Bui, artist, curator, and publisher of The Brooklyn Rail, came in on February 6, to talk about his mentor, the great art historian Meyer Shapiro, and the philosophy behind the Rail. Poet and essayist Ann Lauterbach will join us on February 27 to speak about "the whole fragment," and the importance of knowing about more than one discipline. And critic and Senior Editor of Art in America, Nancy Princenthal will be here on March 26. 2/19/08

Martin Puryear Panel at MoMA (Titus Theater 2, 11 West 53rd St.)

On Tuesday, January 8, David Levi Strauss spoke about the work of sculptor Martin Puryear at the Museum of Modern Art, and participated in a panel discussing Puryear's retrospective with artists Terry Winters and Josiah McElheny and art historian Judith Russi Kirshner. The panel was convened and moderated by John Elderfield, Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the museum, and organizer of the Puryear exhibition. 1/15/08

Art Criticism and Writing Hosts Performa 07's Writing Live

The Art Criticism & Writing program has been pleased to host Writing Live:Writers Hub, a critical writing initiative running throughout Performa 07, the visual arts performance biennial in New York City from October 27th to November 20th, 2007. The first day-long writing workshop was held at our facilities on West 21st Street (two blocks away from the Performa offices), on Tuesday, October 30th from 10am to 4pm, and will conclude with a "Peer Critique" on Tuesday, November 20th, from 12 to 4pm. The resulting writing will be posted on the Performa 07 Live blog and linked to our site here. 11/19/07

Michael Brenson Sits In on "Bases of Criticism I" Seminar

Writer and critic Michael Brenson gave the AICA (Association Internationale de Critiques d'Art) Distinguished Critic Lecture at the New School on Monday, November 12, 2007, and then came in to our seminar to discuss isses brought up in his lecture, titled "The View from Here." Students also read four of Michael's essays from his book Acts of Engagement: Writings on Art, Criticism, and Institutions, 1993-2002 (New York and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004), and asked questions arising from their reading. 11/19/07

Graduate Information Session and Open House

The Graduate Information Session and Open House for the Art Criticism and Writing program was held on Saturday, November 10th, 2007 at our facilities at 132 West 21st Street, 7th floor. In addition to prospective students, current and past students in the MFA program were on hand to speak about their experiences and answer questions, and Chair David Levi Strauss, faculty member Thyrza Nichols Goodeve and Assistant to the Chair Melissa Ragsly were also there to answer questions. Brooklyn Rail publisher Phong Bui and Artist Daniel J. Martinez came to show their support. 11/12/07