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Sarah Shaw (’20) discusses life as a student and teacher at MFAVN

• 24 days ago

• by Ben

Sarah was able to teach and learn at MFA Visual Narrative because the program is structured to accommodate many schedules.

And Then… 2022 | ‘Magical Girl Leila’ by Oret Peña

• 4 months, 3 days ago

• by Ben

THE STORY: When Leila Rodriguez saves the life of a strange-looking creature, she gets more than she bargains for. The creature, Rom, reveals to Leila that she is descended from […]

And Then… 2022 exhibit is now open to the public

• 4 months, 29 days ago

• by Ben

School of Visual Arts presents “And Then . . . 2022,” a thesis exhibition of visual stories by five graduates of the MFA Visual Narrative class of 2022, curated by […]

Digital Short Story 2022 | Sean Mac’s ‘Thick as Thieves’

• 5 months, 11 days ago

• by Ben

The Digital Short Story ’22 exhibit includes 9 entertaining stories by the Class of ’23. Next up in our spotlight is Sean Mac’s ‘Thick as Thieves’. THE STORY: Two thieving […]

Storyteller Series presents Feifei Ruan | June 15

• 5 months, 25 days ago

• by Ben

Join us on 6/15 for a special Storyteller Series featuring Feifei Ruan (’15). ‘The Storyteller as Illustrator’ will delve into Feifei’s experience as an illustrator for some of the biggest […]

Join us in Gather for our interactive online DIGITAL SHORT STORY exhibit

• 6 months, 11 days ago

• by Ben

Please join us for our interactive online Digital Short Story Show that will be held in our exhibition space in Gather (link below). Presenting Artists: Basya Goldstein Erin Casey McNichol […]

ALUM UPDATE: Sarah Shaw (’20)

• 1 year, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Sarah Shaw (’20) is teaching visual arts at Woodward School in Massachusetts and will start teaching a Comics Journalism CE course at SVA in the spring. She’ll also teach a […]

Susannah Lohr (’21) talks to us about her thesis story, ‘Shadows Become You’

• 1 year, 4 months ago

• by Ben

We had an opportunity to speak with Susannah Lohr (’21) about her thesis story, ‘Shadows Become You.’ It sounds like it’s going to be an amazing experience. Enjoy the full […]

Elizabeth Gu (’21) tells us about her thesis story, ‘Water Memory’

• 1 year, 4 months ago

• by Ben

We had a chance to ask Elizabeth Gu (’21) about her thesis story, Water Memory. Water Memory is a web story about a young scientist who aims to create bioluminescent […]

Sarah Shaw talks about her new class, ‘Graphic Memoir: Crafting Life Stories’

• 1 year, 6 months ago

• by Ben

Tell us a little bit about your class ‘Graphic Memoir: Crafting Life Stories’ Graphic Memoir: Crafting Life Stories is a 10-12 week Continuing Education course in the Visual Narrative department. […]

Ian Gabriel (’20) presents his thesis story, ‘Supreme Beings’

• 1 year, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Alone in his jail cell awaiting his execution by guillotine in the final days of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre is a man lost in darkness after being haunted by […]

Pilar Newton-Katz (’20) talks about her thesis story, ‘Snozzlewinks!’

• 1 year, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Pilar Newton-Katz (’20) talks about her thesis story, ‘Snozzlewinks!’ Snozzlewinks! is about Stella, a 12-year-old girl who loves to draw her whimsical creature creations. She goes everywhere with her best […]

‘Guantanamo Voices’ made The New York Times Best Graphic Novels of 2020 list!

• 1 year, 11 months ago

• by Ben

Such wonderful news from Alexandra Beguez (’16) @bisforbeguez on Instagram   “The graphic novel I contributed to, ‘Guantanamo Voices’ (Abrams) made The New York Times Best Graphic Novels of 2020 […]

DECEMBER 11th: Join us for the MFA Visual Narrative Info Session

• 2 years, 4 days ago

• by Ben

Sign up here On December 11th, learn all about our low-residency visual storytelling MFA from Chair Nathan Fox, along with students, alums and guests. Get your questions ready! When words and […]

Get your portfolio reviewed by Nathan Fox on 10/31

• 2 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

MFAVN Chair, Nathan Fox is ready to review your work at this year’s National Graduate Portfolio Day events! MFA Visual Narrative is the first and only “Story First” low-residency MFA […]

‘Gemina Umbra’ by Amanda Sartor (’20)

• 2 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

‘Gemina Umbra’ by Amanda Sartor (’20) THE SPIRITS ARE WATCHING Zoe Thicket is a spiritualist medium that communes with the dead. From the perspective of her spirit guide, a taciturn […]

Ian Gabriel’s ‘Supreme Beings’

• 2 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Ian Gabriel (’20) has just released his thesis story! It’s a fantastic look at revolution through the eyes of Maximilien Robespierre. It’s Paris, France; 1791, the eve of the Champ […]

Susanne Reece’s ‘A City of Ladies’

• 2 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Follow Susanne Reece on Instagram to get updates on her fantastic thesis story. Here’s a peek to get you clicking!

Dani Lozada (’19) chosen for 2020’s American Illustration 39

• 2 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Dani Lozada (’19) informed us of their selection to the American Illustration’s online collection for 2020! The illustration shows how non-binary people have difficulties fitting in a society structured around […]

Welcome to the 2020 Digital Short Story show!

• 2 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Enjoy the stories! Curators’ Statement: From animation and interactive apps to comics and picture books, the digital short stories and their accompanying physical artwork are the culmination of the 2nd […]

Ian Gabriel (’20) shares his thesis story, ‘Supreme Beings’

• 2 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

‘Supreme Beings’ is a 72 page graphic novel by this emerging talent! The story: Alone in his cell, the mad Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre writes his last testament to the French […]

Vanessa Dolfinger (’20) takes over and shows us her thesis story, ‘Exhale’

• 2 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

  My project is a webcomic named Exhale about family, loss, and responsibility. My main character, Alex, has just lost her mother at the young age of 22. With that […]

Susanne Reece (’20) shows us peeks at her thesis story, ‘A City of Ladies’

• 2 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

It’s Takeover day! Susanne Reece is showing us the inspiration, process and reason for her thesis story, A City of Ladies’. Look for it this summer. In the meantime, enjoy […]

National Graduate Portfolio Day is here. Can we see your work?

• 3 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Graduate National Portfolio Day is upon us. We’ll be at the following events. Click on the link for an event near you and show us your work! We can’t wait […]

SVA’s “Art and Revelry” Debuts in Provence, with work by Feifei Ruan (Class of 2015)

• 3 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

Feifei Ruan (Class of 2015) had her work shown in Provence at SVA’s “Art and Revelry” show on September 20th. That’s a beautiful shot of the piece below.   “Art […]

Join us at SPX 2019!

• 3 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

We’ll be at Table N8 for SPX this year! Come say hi to students, alumni, and faculty anytime. We’ll have our work on display and would love to see what […]

Public-Eye Alumni: Louisa Bertman (Class of 2015)

• 3 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

Louisa Bertman is currently working on a game that will be part of a larger exhibition, “Rightfully Hers” for the National Archives in Washington DC, an interactive experience about Women’s […]

STORYTELLERS! Get your portfolio reviewed by Nathan Fox on November 3rd in Chicago!

• 4 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Chicago Graduate Portfolio Day Saturday, November 3, 2018 10:00am – 2:00pm School of the Art Institute of Chicago 280 South Columbus Drive, Chicago, IL 60603   Graduate National Portfolio Days […]

Interview with Ana Lozada, creator of ‘Failed State’

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

Ana Lozada (MFA Visual Narrative, Class of 2019) is a Venezuelan illustrator, designer and visual storyteller originally based in Osaka. Due to her diverse international experience, her influences range from […]

CLASS: RISO Printing: Zines and Small Publishing

• 4 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

The past few years have seen an explosion of zines and small publishing among artists, designers and photographers. Even the most digitally based creative professionals are embracing the zine as […]

WATCH: Analog to Digital: Dynamic Transformations explores the histories of our characters

• 4 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

Matt Rota had his students study the history of their characters and give them life. The Class of 2018 made some beautiful shorts with this assignment!  

PICTURE THIS! Illustrators from Paris and new York Talk Shop with MFA Visual Narrative’s Leonard Marcus.

• 4 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

MFA Visual Narrative Department faculty member Leonard S. Marcus moderates a lively discussion on the art of creating children’s books. Part of the Picture This! series presented by the Cultural […]

Join us for our Continuing Education Info Session on January 8th, 2018!

• 4 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

Let us know you’ll join us What is visual narrative? What is a Risograph? How do words manipulate images and vice versa? How do you self-publish comics, zines, photo and […]

These are the mentors of MFA Visual Narrative: Ross MacDonald

• 5 years, 13 days ago

• by Ben

Ross MacDonald is an illustrator, designer, author and movie prop designer. He lives in Connecticut amid a large pile of 19th century printing equipment, dogs and children. We’ve always been […]

WATCH Pepo Pérez present ‘Lose Yourself to Story’ to MFA Visual Narrative

• 5 years, 20 days ago

• by Ben

We were honored to host cartoonist, illustrator and MFA Visual Narrative International Scholar Pepo Perez! He spoke to us about his work and process and discusses the making of his […]

2017 Thesis Presentations: Liz Enright’s ‘The Sprout’

• 5 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

We are extremely proud to present the Third Annual MFA Visual Narrative Thesis Exhibition, “And Then. . .” These driven, hardworking students have devised exciting and wildly diverse bodies of […]

Bruja, by Michelle Nahmad

• 5 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Michelle’s Artist Talk, July 18th, 6pm at 209 E. 23rd St Come to the closing reception on July 21st, same time and place! Bruja is the thesis story by Michelle […]

Have a kids book ready to hit the world? Get some pointers from Leonard Marcus first!

• 5 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

We’re proud to have Leonard Marcus as a faculty member of MFAVN. His decades of experience in kids book publishing gives our students a long-term view of the market. If […]

Embracing the Mess by MFAVN’s Liz Enright

• 5 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

Last Fall, if asked about how my thesis project was going, my mouth would have landed somewhere between a grimace and a smile. The thesis committee had given my pitch […]

MFAVN alumna Alexandra Beguez’s ‘Famous Ladies’ is packed with inspiration

• 5 years, 9 months ago

• by Ben

Be sure to follow Alexandra Beguez’s series, Famous Ladies. The MFAVN alumna’s Tumblr series is beautiful and inspirational. What is Alexandra trying to accomplish with the site? “To celebrate the […]

We’re proud to announce that we’re accepting applications to the RisoLAB Artist in Residence!

• 5 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

RisoLAB Artist in Residence The RisoLAB Artist in Residence Program is a 6 or 8 week print residency that provides visual storytellers with workspace and full access to the RisoLAB. […]

Apply now to be an Artist in Residence for RisoLab!

• 6 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

We have very exciting news to share if you’re interested in Riso printing. All you ‘zine fans know who you are! Here are the details: RisoLAB Artist in Residence The […]

Warren Lin sketches The Boss (MFAVN boss, in this case)

• 6 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

MFAVN’s Chair, Nathan Fox, recently spoke at MICA, where illustrator Warren Lin took some sketch notes. Warren definitely captures something about Nathan. An energy, maybe. Hard to pinpoint it. But […]

Pepo Pérez talks to us about story

• 6 years, 9 months ago

• by Ben

We were delighted to discuss story with cartoonist, illustrator and MFA Visual Narrative International Scholar Pepo Pérez. He spoke about his work and process and discussed the making of his […]

Alison Paul and students mural up UConn

• 6 years, 10 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Alison Paul, Class of 2015, was a fantastic student who happens to also be an excellent teacher! Here’s a video showing off one of her class projects at UConn. From […]

Louisa Bertman on ‘Permission to Fail’

• 7 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

We were delighted to hear that some MFAVN family have work included in the Mount Ida College gallery show titled Permission to Fail. “Permission to fail” is a refrain that […]

Jenny Goldstick’s ‘Sketch Notes’ capture the events you missed

• 7 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

MFAVN alum, Jenny Goldstick, is a curious woman. She asks a lot of questions, jumps into new experiences like most of us dive into a dish of ice cream, and […]

Matt Rota’s editorial illustrations depict the Syrian Refugee experience in Germany

• 7 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

Matt Rota, MFAVN faculty member, has posted a series of editorial illustrations portraying the plight of refugees as they arrive in Germany. It’s a powerful series that shows the fear […]

Have fun being Spooked by Rachel Mersky’s new animated short

• 7 years, 5 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

MFAVN student, Rachel Mersky, has been working on an animated project title Spooked. It first caught our attention when we spotted this animated gif fly through one of our plethora […]

Interview with Matt Rota, New York Times editorial illustrator, Visual Narrative teacher and nice guy

• 8 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

When did you first get a picture in your head of the profession, “Artist”? How soon after that did you realize you are one? When I was seven or eight, […]