Related Information
Contact:
800.345.SFAI
Contact:
800.345.SFAI
New Genres
San Francisco Art Institute was at the forefront of recognizing the shift that occurred in the field of contemporary art in the late 1960s and ‘70s involving conceptual art, land-art, performance, installation art, and video. This shift marked an expanded vocabulary of artmaking that was no longer based on mediums, but was a hybrid of many practices. The New Genres Department was founded to address this expansion in contemporary art. Just as Ansel Adams and Minor White established fine art photography at SFAI in the 1940s, pioneer video/conceptual/performance artist Howard Fried, then a faculty member in the Sculpture Department, was instrumental in the establishment of the New Genres Department. In the early years of the department, the pedagogical foundation and language for teaching these new forms were laid. Teaching was rooted in the belief and philosophy that social dialogue and rigorous critiques were the best route to engage in meaning, execution, and intentions in the making of a work.
Sociopolitical and cultural shifts, in addition to technological breakthroughs, bring new tools and add to the constant evolution of the program. Through the politics of the 1980s and the multicultural issues of the ‘90s, to the present dialogue on globalism, the New Genres Department continues with its commitment to the ever-shifting issues of the times that affect artists and their production output. Introductory-level studio courses are designed as laboratories for intense experimentation and analysis. The purpose is reflected throughout the curriculum by providing an historical context for the student’s own studio work.
Today, the New Genres Department contributes and builds bridges to the newly established Centers for Interdisciplinary Study at the Institute and remains a key venue for experimentations in cross-media and cross-cultural practices.
Facilities
The New Genres Department supports two studio/classrooms with Internet connection; video and slide projectors; VHS, miniDV, and U-matic video formats; four enclosed editing rooms; two AVID video editing stations; two dedicated Final Cut Pro stations; an audio editing room; and a dub room; as well as a computer lab with the latest digital technologies and software. DVD authoring is also available.
Other Resources
The Bay Area has an active alternative art scene, with clubs and private homes often serving as venues for performances, video installations, and screenings. New Langton Arts, Southern Exposure, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, The LAB, and Adobe Books are a few of the alternative venues that provide space for emerging artists to exhibit their work. Bay Area Video Coalition, a partner of SFAI, and Artists’ Television Access are excellent resources for your video production.
San Francisco Art Institute was at the forefront of recognizing the shift that occurred in the field of contemporary art in the late 1960s and ‘70s involving conceptual art, land-art, performance, installation art, and video. This shift marked an expanded vocabulary of artmaking that was no longer based on mediums, but was a hybrid of many practices. The New Genres Department was founded to address this expansion in contemporary art. Just as Ansel Adams and Minor White established fine art photography at SFAI in the 1940s, pioneer video/conceptual/performance artist Howard Fried, then a faculty member in the Sculpture Department, was instrumental in the establishment of the New Genres Department. In the early years of the department, the pedagogical foundation and language for teaching these new forms were laid. Teaching was rooted in the belief and philosophy that social dialogue and rigorous critiques were the best route to engage in meaning, execution, and intentions in the making of a work.
Sociopolitical and cultural shifts, in addition to technological breakthroughs, bring new tools and add to the constant evolution of the program. Through the politics of the 1980s and the multicultural issues of the ‘90s, to the present dialogue on globalism, the New Genres Department continues with its commitment to the ever-shifting issues of the times that affect artists and their production output. Introductory-level studio courses are designed as laboratories for intense experimentation and analysis. The purpose is reflected throughout the curriculum by providing an historical context for the student’s own studio work.
Today, the New Genres Department contributes and builds bridges to the newly established Centers for Interdisciplinary Study at the Institute and remains a key venue for experimentations in cross-media and cross-cultural practices.
Facilities
The New Genres Department supports two studio/classrooms with Internet connection; video and slide projectors; VHS, miniDV, and U-matic video formats; four enclosed editing rooms; two AVID video editing stations; two dedicated Final Cut Pro stations; an audio editing room; and a dub room; as well as a computer lab with the latest digital technologies and software. DVD authoring is also available.
Other Resources
The Bay Area has an active alternative art scene, with clubs and private homes often serving as venues for performances, video installations, and screenings. New Langton Arts, Southern Exposure, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, The LAB, and Adobe Books are a few of the alternative venues that provide space for emerging artists to exhibit their work. Bay Area Video Coalition, a partner of SFAI, and Artists’ Television Access are excellent resources for your video production.
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