Opportunities @ SFAI Newsletter:
Career Resources at SFAI creates and supports programs and services targeted at providing students with skills and knowledge to grow their artist practice and build a successful career.
Both on and off campus "Opportunities @ SFAI" are emailed to students, faculty, staff, and alumni every week. The email content, which include jobs, internships, open calls, etc., is viewable above. To get started, set up an appointment with a Career Resources staff member by emailing career@sfai.edu.
Career Resources can further assist students in their search through engagements such as:
On Campus
Work-Study
Some students will notice a work-study award on their financial aid statement. A work-study award does not affect a student’s ability to work on campus; the majority of positions offered at SFAI are available to both work-study and non-work-study qualified students.
International Students
F-1 and J-1 student visa holders are eligible to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during the regular academic year, and full-time during winter, spring, and summer breaks. For more information on eligibility and securing a Social Security number, see the Study in the States Website.
Off-Campus
For off-campus work, refer to the Opportunities @ SFAI Job board, and regularly check out the links to Bay Area arts institutions listed below. For more assistance, set up an appointment with your career advisor by emailing career@sfai.edu. Make sure to bring a copy of your resume, and a few questions you have to talk through.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Fine Art Museums of San Francisco (de Young and Legion of Honor)
UC Berkely Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Bay Area Video Coalition Job Board
2019–2020 Professional Development Classes
These classes offer students experience within professional environments for class credits
IN-396T-01 Internship
The Internship course enables students to gain field experience within an arts or cultural organization over the course of a single semester, while engaging with a faculty advisor and their peers in classroom discussions about their experience. Students are expected to complete their internship while enrolled in the internship class, and perform a minimum of 85 hours of work with the host organization (approximately 7 hours per week). Class discussions, readings, and site visits to Bay Area arts organizations are designed to familiarize students with the arts ecosystem, principles and functions of visual arts organizations, including organizational structure, nonprofit status, governance, cultural policy, and support for the arts, and resources for visual artists.
IN-308-01 Beyond the Studio
This course provides knowledge and tools for a life in the arts. Designed for upper level students, the focus is on real world strategies to support lifelong practice in alignment with personal values and choices. Weekly readings, lectures and discussions build awareness of options and the complex arts ecosystem, and introduce approaches to planning, marketing, fundraising, and financial management. We'll also cover how to document work; prepare a resume/CV; write proposals for exhibitions, grants, residencies, and other opportunities. By the end of the course, students will have initiated a personal plan and completed elements of their professional portfolio or website, in preparation for navigating and securing opportunities beyond SFAI.
PH-220D-01 Let's Get Practical
This hands-on professional practices class prepares students for life as artists after school. Through in-depth critique, frequent field trips, and class discussions about how to manage a budding art career, how to produce and finish work/projects in the real world, and how to engage other practitioners in the field students will feel better equipped in their future endeavors. The class will apply theoretical and conceptual approaches to practical techniques deployed by artists. Topics covered include: advanced photographic printing and archival processing, presentational strategies such as framing and matting and book/catalog design with a focus on image sequencing; portfolio development; exhibition design; and installation strategies. The class will visit current exhibitions, working artists' studios, fabrication facilities, and photographic service bureaus.
IN-390-01 Senior Review Seminar
This course in the context of an interdisciplinary seminar format is a capstone review of studio work that takes place in the senior year of the BFA program. The strength of this seminar is the development of an ongoing critical dialogue with members of the seminar from all undergraduate majors and areas of study. Critical discourses during the review seminar foster intersdisciplinarity and further prepare students for continued development of their studio practice after graduation. A final summary statement is required in addition to meeting learning standards for successful completion of the BFA degree.
GR-502-01 Graduate Lecture Series
The Graduate Lecture Series works in conjunction with the Visiting Artists and Scholars Lecture Series in support of the MFA, MA, Dual Degree, and Post-Baccalaureate programs. The lecture series provides exposure to, and engagement with, diverse trajectories, styles, approaches, and career paths offered by emerging and established artists, curators, critics, theorists, and historians working in a wide variety of disciplines in both local and global contemporary art communities. As an investigation of the contemporary issues relevant to the development of graduate students' full education and experience at SFAI, the lecture series provides the entire graduate body with a common interdisciplinary foundation and plays a crucial role in defining individual praxis and the meanings of "success" within the current and future landscape of contemporary art. These lectures will occur in the Lecture Hall at the 800 Chestnut Street campus on Friday afternoons from 4:30-6:00 pm. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with some of the guests for individual critiques, small group colloquia, and informal gatherings after the lectures. Presentations by SFAI graduate faculty will comprise an additional component of the series to be held in the regular time block during weeks when visitors are not scheduled.
Professional Development Workshops for Students + Alumni
The Professional Development Workshop series delivers valuable information for starting one's artistic career. Previous sessions avaliable to watch
SPRING 2019
Date | Session (click link for video) **Contact studentaffairs@sfai.edu for access | Presenter (click link for presenter bio) |
01/31/2019 | Faculty Speaks | Maria Elena Gonzalez and Amy Berk |
02/07/2019 | Tips for Pricing Artwork: In conversation with Maria Elena Gonzales | Maria Elena Gonzalez |
02/21/2019 | Art + Taxes | Sarah Lockhart |
02/28/2019 | Faculty Speaks | John Priola, Liz Bernstein, and Genine Lentine |
03/07/2019 | What to Consider in a Residency** | Aay Preson-Myint of Headlands and Oxbow Residencies |
03/14/2019 | Grant Writing | Elisa Isacson, SFAI Grant Writer |
03/26/2019 | Editioning Work | John Priola |
03/28/2019 | Faculty Speaks | Tim Berry and Jeremy Morgan |
04/16/2019 | Installing and Hanging Art | Robin Beard |
04/17/2019 | How to Photograph and Document Your Work | Alex Peterson |
04/23/2019 | Packing and Shipping Art | Ben Peters (SFMOMA) |
4/24/2019 | How to Format your CV, Bio, Captions, and Statements | Kat Trataris |
4/25/2019 | Instagram, Event Marketing, and Websites | Maggie Norby-Adams, SFAI Marketing Manager |
4/31/2019 | Recording and Presenting Performance Work | Chani Bockwinkel |
5/1/2019 | Applying to Residencies and Art Jobs | Samantha Reynolds and Michelle Mansour |
5/2/2019 | Art Installations with Tech | Christopher Paddock, SFAI Film Studio Manager |
FALL 2018
Date | Session (click on session link for video!) | Presenter (Click on presenter link for more information about them) |
10/18/2018 | Merchandising | Carissa Potter (MFA 2010) |
10/28/2018 | Artist as Personal Brand | Rebecca Williams, Creative Consultant |
11/2/2018 | Art + Law | MJ Bogatin, California Lawyers for the Arts |
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
Date | Session (click link for video) | Presenter (click link for presenter bio) |
7/25/2018 | Grants and Residencies | Kathryn Reasoner, Visiting Faculty |
4/12/2018 | Non Commercial and Commerical Art | Conrad Meyers, Aggregate Space Gallery |
3/29/2018 | Grants and Residencies | Kathryn Reasoner, Visiting Faculty |
3/27/2018 | Borders and Crossing Borders with Art | Hans Winkler, Artist |
3/26/2018 | Public Art Commissions | Bobby Zokaites, Artist |
3/22/2018 | Packing and Shipping 2D and 3D Artwork | Ben Vilmain, Minnesota Street Projects Art Services |
3/19/2018 | Public Art & The SF Arts Comission | JD Beltran, President of San Francisco's Art Commission |
3/5/2018 | Exhibition as Collaboration | Clea Massiani, Bass and Reiner & Katie Hood Morgan, Curator |
3/1/2018 | Websites and Marketing for Artists | Danielle Lawrence, Artist and Visiting Faculty |
4/25/2017 | Not-for-profit Galleries | Amy Cancelmo, Root Division & S. Willis Meyers, Aggregate Space Gallery |
4/11/2017 | Practicing Artist Entrepreneur | Clea Massiani, Carissa Potter, Aaron Harbour, Artist |
3/28/2017 | Exhibition Preparation Workshop | Robin Beard, SFAI Chief Preparator |
2/14/2017 | Artwork Documentation Workshop | Amelia Konow, Artist and SFAI Photography Studio Manager |
1/31/2017 | How to Approach Galleries | Danielle Lawrence, Clea Massiani, Katie Hood |
Studio Visits + Speed Mentoring // Graduate Students
Date | Session | Presenter / Institution |
March & April2018 | Studio Visits and Speed Mentoring | Marie Martraire, KADIST |
Studio Visits and Speed Mentoring | Emmanuelle Namont Kouznetsov + Kathrine Worel, OFFSpace | |
Studio Visits and Speed Mentoring | Willis and Corad Meyers, Aggregate Space | |
Heidi Rabben, Contemporary Jewish Museum | ||
Studio Visits and Speed Mentoring | Hans Winkler | |
Speed Mentoring | Gwenda Joyce | |
Studio Visits and Speed Mentoring | Christopher Squier + Julian Wong - Nelson, Dissolve | |
Studio Visits and Speed Mentoring | JD Beltran |