The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is a dedicated

art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on practice and related theory in the visual arts and design. This includes fine art – especially illustration, painting, contemporary art, sculpture, and graphic design. T ...

within Tufts University, a private

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. SMFA is part of Tufts University's largest school, the School of Arts and Sciences, and offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees that combine studio arts training with

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...

liberal arts and

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

education. It is affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. SMFA is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a

consortium A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...

of several dozen leading art schools in the United States, and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

History

The School was founded in 1876 under the name School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA). From 1876 to 1909, the School was housed in the basement of the original

Museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

building in Copley Square. When the MFA Boston moved to Huntington Avenue in 1909, the School moved into a separate, temporary structure to the west of the museum's main building. The permanent building, designed by Guy Lowell, was completed in 1927. The red brick building provided improved classroom, studio and library facilities. In 1945, the Museum School and

Tufts College Tufts University is a Private university, private research university in Medford, Massachusetts, Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, Massachusetts, Grafton, as well as Talloire ...

first collaborated to develop a joint degree program focused on teacher training. The creation of additional programs in cooperation with the two institutions followed soon after. SMFA and Tufts established joint Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degree programs in 1956 and 1966, respectively. In 1987, a newly renovated and expanded school building, designed by architect Graham Gund, more than doubled the size of the existing structure; providing an auditorium, enlarged library, expanded studios and classrooms, a spacious new entrance, cafeteria, and increased gallery and exhibition spaces. Gund's expansion included the central atrium, known as the Katherine Lane Weems Atrium, that connects the two buildings. In December 2015, it was announced that the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston would become a part of Tufts University and on June 30, 2016, the integration was completed. With the late-2022 opening of the Green Line Extension of the MBTA Green Line E branch light rail transit route, there is a direct connection between the SMFA Campus and the main campus of Tufts University in Medford.

Academics

Encouraged to build an individual program of interdisciplinary study, students are not asked to declare a major, but by choosing among in-depth courses in a dozen disciplines and mediums, students are free to concentrate in the areas that best align with their interests. Courses are offered in the following areas:

animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

, ceramics,

digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, an ...

drawing Drawing is a Visual arts, visual art that uses an instrument to mark paper or another two-dimensional surface, or a digital representation of such. Traditionally, the instruments used to make a drawing include pencils, crayons, and ink pens, some ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

, graphic arts, installation, metals,

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

, print and

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

, and

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

, as well as visual and material studies (VMS), which consists of cross-disciplinary study of the related fields of art and architectural history,

, and the language arts. One of the unique attributes of SMFA is that students are required to participate in a "Review Board," which is a review of all of the artwork that a student has completed during a semester. Review Boards are led by two faculty members and two fellow students. There are many opportunities for students to exhibit their artwork at SMFA's main building on the Fenway, at the Mission Hill building, and on the Tufts Medford- Somerville campus. Opportunities to exhibit works include the annual SMFA Art Sale and the juried "Student Annual Exhibition." Various galleries and spaces that are available to students around the school buildings include Bag Gallery, Hallway Gallery, Bathroom Gallery, Underground Gallery, and spaces in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The school's main campus building, located at 230 the Fenway, is adjacent to and just to the west of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Most studio classroom space is located here, as well as the SMFA Cafe, the W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. Library, the School Art Store, and the Grossman Gallery, which is part of the Tufts University Art Galleries' exhibition space. The Mission Hill building, located about a quarter mile from the main building, includes studio spaces for graduate and post-baccalaureate students as well as classrooms, workshops, and The SMFA Writing Center.

W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. Library

The W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. Library at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) is the

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

branch of Tufts University's Tisch Library. The library's collections focus heavily on contemporary art and studio practice. Its circulating collection is primarily focused on

books A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, mo ...

, multimedia content, print periodicals, zines, and ephemera related to the areas of study at SMFA. Special Collections are non-circulating — for in-library use and viewable only by appointment — and devoted mainly to artists' books.

Notable faculty

Painting and drawing faculty

* David Aronson, painter and sculptor * Ture Bengtz (diploma 1933), Boston Expressionist school painter; later a teacher at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts * Ria Brodell, drawing and painting * Yanyun Chen, drawing, installation and animation practice * David Antonio Cruz, painter and interdisciplinary artist * Angelina Gualdoni, painter * Esther Geller (attended 1921), abstract expressionist painter, known for encaustic painting; taught with Karl Zerbe (1943–1944) * Philip Leslie Hale (attended 1883), painter; faculty (1893–1931) * Arnold Borisovich Lakhovsky, painter; taught painting starting in 1935 * William McGregor Paxton, painter and a co-founder of The Guild of Boston Artists; faculty (1906–1913) * Karl Zerbe, painter; head of Department of Painting (1937–1955)

Performance faculty

* Marilyn Arsem, performance artist * María Magdalena Campos-Pons, artist; works in photography, performance, audiovisual media, and sculpture * Neda Moridpour, performance artist and activist

Photography faculty

* Bill Burke, photographer * Zora J. Murff, photographer, curator and educator * Laurel Nakadate, photographer, filmmaker, video and performance artist * Rachelle Mozman Solano, photographer and video artist

Sculpture faculty

* Frederick Warren Allen, sculptor; taught for almost 50 years (1907–1954) and for 30 years was the head of the Sculpture Department;

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

* Frank Dengler, sculptor; faculty for a short time, until 1877 * Mags Harries, installation and sculpture * Charles Grafly, sculptor; served as the head of modeling (1917–1929)David B. Dearinger, ''Paintings and Sculpture at the National Academy of Design, Volume 1, 1826–1925'' (Hudson Hills Publishing, 2004), pp. 230-31. * Bela Lyon Pratt, sculptor; served as the head of modeling (1893–1917)

Other faculty

* Emil Otto Grundmann, first director of the school * Rick Moody, writer and graphic artist * Kurt Ralske, digital media and sound artist * Chantal Zakari, book artist and graphic designer

Notable alumni

* Marion Boyd Allen (attended 1896–1909), painter * David Armstrong (attended in the 1970s), photographer * Will Barnet (attended 1928–1930), painter and printmaker * Carol Beckwith, photographer, writer; known for

photojournalism Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

documenting the indigenous tribal cultures of Africa * Alon Bement (diploma 1898), painter, arts administrator, writer, and educator * Ture Bengtz (diploma 1933), Boston Expressionist school painter, teacher at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts * Frank Weston Benson (diploma 1883), American Impressionist painter, printmaker and watercolorist * Jan Brett (attended 1969–1970), illustrator * Margaret Fitzhugh Browne (attended 1909–1910), painter of portraits, indoor genre scenes, and still life * David Buckley (MFA 1977), painter and former musician (with the Barracudas) * Lisa Bufano (attended after 2003), interdisciplinary

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

ist whose work incorporated dance, props, elements of doll-making, fabric work, and

* Al Capp, cartoonist of Li'l Abner * Joseph Downs (attended 1921), curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Winterthur Museum * Marie Cosindas (attended 1947–1950, 1955–1956), photographer * Holly Coulis (MFA 1998), painter * Allan Rohan Crite (diploma 1936), painter * Eleanor de Laittre (attended 1930), early proponent of abstract, cubist-inspired painting * Adio diBiccari (attended 1932), sculptor * Philip-Lorca diCorcia (diploma 1975, fifth-year certificate 1976), photographer * Jim Dine (attended 1950–1953, 1955–1958), painter and printmaker * Omer Fast (BFA 1995), video artist * Zach Feuer (BFA 2000, attended 1996–2000), art dealer * Esther Geller (attended 1921), abstract expressionist painter, known for encaustic painting; taught with Karl Zerbe (1943–1944) * Kahlil George Gibran (attended 1940–1943) painter and sculptor * Nan Goldin (diploma 1977, fifth-year certificate 1978), photographer * Anita Glesta (MFA degree), installation artist * William Snelling Hadaway (attended in the 1890s), book illustrator, jewelry and metal designer * Philip Leslie Hale (attended 1883), painter; served as faculty (1893–1931) * Leslie Hall (attended 2000–2003), musician (front woman for Leslie and the Ly's) * William Melton Halsey (attended 1935–1939), recipient of William Paige Fellowship, muralist and painter * Juliana Hatfield (attended 2012), musician * Todd Hido (BFA 1991), photographer * Susan Howe (diploma 1961), poet, scholar, essayist and critic * Hazel Brill Jackson, sculptor, engraver * Joan Jonas (attended 1958–1961), performance artist * Tom Jung (attended in the 1930s), graphic designer and illustrator * Mira Lehr (attended in the 1950s), painter * Steven Lisberger (diploma 1974), film director, producer and writer (known for his work on '' Tron'' (1982)) * David Lynch (attended 1964–1965), filmmaker * Lois Mailou Jones (diploma 1927), painter * Ellsworth Kelly (diploma 1948), painter, associated with hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and minimalism * Ellen Levy (diploma 1981), multimedia artist and scholar; explores art, science, technology interrelationships and complex systems * May Hallowell Loud (attended 1879–1883), painter * F. Luis Mora (attended 1889), figural painter * Mark Morrisroe (attended in the 1970s), photographer * Laurel Nakadate (BFA 1998), photographer, film and video artist * Lawrence Park (attended 1896–1897), art historian, architect, and genealogist * Amelia Peabody * Sally Pierone (attended 1940–1942), art director and designer * Vanessa Platacis, contemporary painter and installation artist * Larry Poons (attended 1957–1958), abstract painter * Liz Prince (BFA 2007; attended 2002–2007), comic book artist, Ignatz Award winner * Sarah Gooll Putnam (attended 1877), painter *

Kelly Reichardt Kelly Reichardt (; born March 3, 1964) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for her minimalism, minimalist films closely associated with slow cinema, many of which deal with working class, working-class characters in small ...

(MFA), filmmaker and screenwriter (known for '' Certain Women'' and '' First Cow'') * Rebecca Richardson Joslin, writer, lecturer, benefactor, club-woman * Richard Scarry (diploma 1942), illustrator * Doug and Mike Starn (diploma 1984, fifth-year certificate 1985), twin brothers, photographers and performance artists * Frank Stout (attended 1949), figurative painter associated with post-abstract expressionist realism * Tom Sutton (attended 1960), illustrator and comic book artist * Edmund Tarbell (diploma 1882), painter * Malcolm Travis (attended 1974–1978), musician (drummer with Human Sexual Response) * Wallace Tripp (attended 1960–1964), illustrator * Cy Twombly (diploma 1949), abstract painter * Ricardo Viera (BFA 1973), Cuban-born American painter, printmaker, educator, museum director, art collector, and curator * Christian Walker (diploma 1984), photographer and critic * Katharine Lane Weems, sculptor * John A. Wilson (attended 1896–1905), sculptor * John Woodrow Wilson (attended 1939–1945), painter and printmaker * Peter Wolf (attended in the 1960s), musician (known as the lead vocalist of the J. Geils Band (1967–1983)) * Levni Yilmaz (attended in the 1990s), filmmaker, animator, cartoonist

Performance artists groups

* Art School Cheerleaders (attended 1996–1998), performance art troupe * Kaiju Big Battel (attended in the 1990s), performance art troupe featuring parodies of both

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

and ''

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...

'' '' kaiju''

References

External links

* {{authority control Tufts University Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1876 establishments in Massachusetts Art schools in Massachusetts Boston expressionism Cultural history of Boston Universities and colleges established in 1876 Universities and colleges in Boston