The publication of this Master of Fine Arts catalogue is an excellent example of the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Art; Arts Administration, Education and Policy; Comparative Studies; History of Art; and Design in conjunction with the Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise and the Urban Arts Space. The production of an Master of Fine Arts catalogue serves myriad purposes for the College of Arts and Sciences, professors, staff, and graduate students engaged in collaborative inquiry. Perhaps most importantly, it provides an opportunity for visual art students to share their most recent work, visually and conceptually, with members of the broader Ohio State community and the extended art world that they are about to enter.
After nearly three years of study, exploration, and reflection, Master of Fine Arts candidates in the Department of Art engaged in interviews and presented their work to graduate students from related arts disciplines. They, in turn, crafted essays that introduce an Master of Fine Arts candidate’s work to a wider audience, combining elements of their graduate studies into a form of documentary praxis via digital and printed catalogues. The process of talking about their work to peers, in addition to working with photographers, designers, and professors on an exhibition and catalogue, is a form of professional preparation that will enable these students to deftly navigate similar professional opportunities in the future.
