You might look at University of Oregon. They have a very active
metals program. There's also SUNY New Paltz.
Thanks! I’ve been going back and forth on U of Oregon. It was on the
list. Then it wasn’t. Then it was. Then it wasn’t. And I’m not really
sure why. I’ll probably end up at least visiting, since I have heard
nothing but good things about it. As for New Paltz, I thought about
it, but decided I want something a little further from home (it’s
only an hour and a half away from where I am now).
They are hooked into a consortium of other colleges, so you can
attend one and take classes at another. If you are a Mass Art
student you can take classes at RISD, Simmons, Tufts and others.
Hm, I didn’t know that. Do you know if you can earn a separate
degree from those colleges as well, or just take classes? While
jewelry is my priority, I am also passionate about Japanese culture
and language. I’ve been debating on whether or not I want an actual
degree, or if I just want to study the language.
I opted, under extreme pressure, for a purely liberal arts
college. Big mistake. They had some studio art courses there, so of
course I took all I could. In my first class the instructor (a guy
named Alton Pickens) said bluntly, "If you're serious about art,
you shouldn't be here." Ahem. He was, of course, dead right.
That’s what I’ve been trying to avoid. The trouble is finding a
balance. So far, Tyler appears to be the best choice. It’s still part
of Temple so I could double major if I wanted to, but it is still by
itself as an art school. Kind of the best of both worlds if you know
what I mean.
Remember to consider where you want to live as well. You have some
very rural places on your list. Are you in a city now? Would you
miss it?
This is one thing that I’ve been kind of going back and forth about.
I’m more of a city girl, though I do enjoy a rural setting. I’ve been
trying to focus more on the programs for now and then getting a feel
for what the atmosphere is like when I visit. There are a few that
have been knocked off the list because there was no way I could
picture myself living there, but I’m generally trying to keep an open
mind about it.
My first project, the head of the department (not the teacher)
happened by during our first critique and made time to MAKE FUN of
my project.
Hm…that doesn’t sound like a place I’d want to go…thanks for the
I might still end up visiting, but it’s never been at
the top of my list anyway. The pig smell you mentioned is also a tad
disheartening.
Thank you all so much for your advice and suggestions! It’s really
nice to hear from people that are actually living in the jewelry
world. Usually when I tell people what I want to major in, I get a
weird look and a response something like this: “Oh…well, good luck
with that…” so it’s helpful to get some real advice. Thanks again,
and if anyone else wants to chime in, please do so.