SAIC

So, I’ve been meaning to summarize my SAIC admissions experience so far.  At first I was concerned about jumping the gun as well as publicly posting some sensitive items.
I met with the head of undergrad admissions (Scott) on Feb. 21.  Ed went along with me to the meeting.  We were in for around an hour.  It really felt like we both “clicked” with Scott.  I rarely get that feeling.  I certainly didn’t expect to click in this situation.  I’ve read that it’s important to walk into this kind of meeting ready for criticism.  It’s stressed that the best impression you can leave is to take it well.  Not only did he not criticize my work, he complimented it.  He said it’s once of the better transfer portfolios he’d seen in his time at the school.  He told me that he was approving my portfolio on the spot, he’d expect me to see merit money of some kind, and I belong there.  After talking about art, conversation moved on to the chans, viral marketing, and Cloverfield.

I had until March 3rd to be accepted into the school (with all of my requirements in, etc) in order to be tossed into the merit pool.  Somehow I made it.  I tried to get as much to the school in electronic form as I could.  I promised that hard copies would follow by mail.  I’ve been assured that I’m in the merit pool.

I’ve gotten my official acceptance letter.  To seal the deal of attending the school, I need to make a non-refundable tuition down payment of $300 by May 1.  Since the amount of money offered to me is the final key to my decision, I am waiting this out as long as I can.  Novy called once of his contacts at the school who assured him that award letters would go out by the end of March.  So, until then, I wait.

Ed has given me permission to feel excited about this.  Really, I’m still pretty apprehensive.  The more I look at the school, the more I think about our meeting with Scott, the more I really want to go.  I like what the school is doing.  It’s still an admired school.  SAIC is trying to keep up with the changing world by embracing technology.  The school isn’t afraid of pissing people off.  I won’t be forced to decide if I’m a painter or a print-maker.  I can make my own path.  I will be trusted to make the appropriate connections between genres and enhance my portfolio.  Ed and I have been following some of the west coast art movement, and I can get an education in Chicago that won’t be afraid of that.

What will I do with all of this (supposing I can make money and school work out)?
I keep thinking about my old dream of illustrating.  My goal was never to be a gallery artist, but I think at this point, with this education, I should be able to expect a few things of myself (shallow, practical, & impractical):

• I will work in series (like a musician working in CDs).
• I will find the amount of commercialism that I feel comfortable with
• I will show my work in galleries, but won’t rely on that (I think that galleries as we know them are a dying idea and there won’t be enough bang for my buck.  I’m more interested in shooting for coverage in High Fructose or Juxtapose magazines)
• I will teach at the university level (This is a very important part of my plan.  I want to work with you both on this.)
• I will work on projects with other people (you guys and other contemporaries)
• I will stay involved with other contemporaries across fields
• I will find a physical home that I feel comfortable with and contribute to the community (even if home is an idea and I’m physically moving often)

This list is only what I can think of now and mostly about career stuff.  More to come.  I would like goals for all of us to touch, overlap, intertwine.  I understand that things change.  It is, however, kind of important that Ed’s goals, my goals, and our goals can coexist.