Contact

Laura Heyman, Program Coordinator
102 Shaffer Art Building, 315-443-1033, lheyman@syr.edu

Faculty

Yasser Aggour, Doug DuBois, Laura Heyman, John Wesley Mannion, Victor Rivera, Susannah Sayler

Description

The M.F.A. program in art photography is dedicated to experimentation and exploration within a wide range of photographic and conceptual practices. This pluralistic approach to the medium gives graduate students a nuanced understanding of photography as it relates to contemporary art practices. The department does not proscribe a specific arena of investigation; students are encouraged to establish their own conceptual and visual research.  Through critiques, individual meetings, and an extensive visiting artist program, students are immersed in a challenging and dynamic learning environment.  And because the art world is increasingly professional and global, our program has created several opportunities to study overseas, including a semester-long residency in Berlin.  Within the department of Transmedia, there are several summer courses abroad, including faculty-led visits to the Venice Biennale and Moscow art-scene. 

Graduate students also benefit from the department’s close association with Light Work, a nonprofit organization on campus that sponsors an internationally renowned visiting artist program and exhibitions in the Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery. In addition, the Department of Transmedia maintains its own gallery space for exhibitions and events organized by graduate students.  Students have access to production facilities both at Light Work and department labs, enabling students easy access to world-class digital facilities. The program also has professional lighting and camera equipment available for student use.