Snag your free tickets here before they’re all gone

Join us on July 21 for the closing reception for the And Then… thesis show. This year’s stories are amazing and run the gamut from comics to games to interactive stories to books.

Curated By Jonathon Rosen & Ed Valentine

RECEPTION

Friday July 21, 2017 / 6-8PM

SVA GRAMERCY GALLERY

209 E 23rd Street, NYC

OPEN GALLERY HOURS

July 8-24 2017

M-F 9-7PM, SA 10-6PM

The MFA Visual Narrative Department at the School of Visual Arts proudly presents EIGHT new spectacular multi-media storytellinginstallations featuring the work of the graduating class of 2017. The projects in this exhibition reflect the uniquely interdisciplinary nature of this program, where creative writing is taught alongside visual arts to harness the power of story.

In these wildly diverse MFA projects, we have a multimedia narrative about a jaded paramedic and a young gang member who discover a shared past with Hoodoo during a hurricane… an illustrated book about a young Jewish girl in 1960s Costa Rica, who, after being labeled a witch by her classmates, embraces being a bruja… a graphic novel about young Sprout with uncontrollable supernatural powers – whom neighboring trolls suspect is to blame for the theft of their lucky unicorn… and a sci-fi video game about experimental sonic technology run amok, in which a young scientist ponders whether human connections help or hinder him.

And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll encounter an interactive piece about an isolated workaholic architect whose imaginary friends reappear to steer her back to the cultural identity that defines and inspire her… a children’s book for all ages about the mis-adventures of a conjoined willow and oak tree… an illustrated journal about a young girl’s struggle growing up in Missouri with two mothers… and a video game about an optimistic robot who strives to become human, only to discover that no one is quite sure what being human truly means anymore.

We’re extremely proud of this collection of auteur narrative creations and we hope you enjoy your own total immersion in the stories and their respective installations. You are invited to witness these exciting projects and see what the next generation of storytellers has generated.

Theses of the MFA Visual Narrative, class of 2017:

Rosa Chang – “The Weeping Trees” | Mixed-Media Illustrated Picture Book

Christina Ebert – “Landfall” | Multimedia Graphic Novel

Liz Enright – ” The Sprout” | Graphic Novel

Mary Georgescu – “Spice of Life” | Narrative Arcade Game

Cady Juarez – “Cadence’s Castle” | Illustrated Journal

Michelle Nahmad – “Bruja” | Illustrated Book

Ella Romero – “There, Once” | Audio Blog & Multimedia Installation

Thomas Slattery – “Aura” | Video Game

Like most of the faculty, the curators of the thesis show, Jonathon Rosen and Ed Valentine, have active, separate careers—Rosen as an artist and animator, and Valentine as a writer and puppeteer. This supports students’ insight into real world industries where they can employ their new expertise, which has always been a core tenet of the program.

MFA Visual Narrative at School of Visual Arts is a low-residency interdisciplinary graduate program in visual storytelling. Students learn to tell stories through visual arts combined with creative writing, in a way that synergizes the two areas. The forward-thinking curriculum gives equal importance to developing students’ skills in both realms, while also encouraging students to engage with the latest technologies that serve as tools and platforms in their work. The rich and diverse faculty have collectively navigated the worlds of publishing, literature, filmmaking, screenwriting, theater, graphic design, gaming and a wide variety of other professions. The skills they teach make real world viability inherently integral to curriculum. The low-residency program, which is designed to accommodate working individuals, consists of three intensive studio summer sessions in New York City that are complemented with online sessions taught during the two intermediate academic years. mfavn.sva.edu

Snag your free tickets here before they’re all gone