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The Summer 2023 schedule for MFAVN’s Storyteller Series

• 5 months, 20 days ago

• by Ben

MFAVN’s Storyteller Series is an annual lecture program that will appeal to storytellers across disciplines. This year’s selection includes discussions about visual storytelling, VR, and social justice in the context […]

And Then… 2022 | ‘Falling’ by Laura Brown (’22)

• 1 year, 4 months ago

• by Ben

‘Falling’ by Laura Brown (’22) is a graphic novel about friendship, loss, and redemption, revolving around Kelcee, a caustic, anxious woman in her 30s trying to be somebody in New […]

Storyteller Series | Stacy Renee Morrison’s ‘Sylvia: A 19th Century Life Unveiled’

• 1 year, 5 months ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to welcome Stacy Renee Morrison to the 2022 Storyteller Series. Stacy will discuss her enthralling project ‘Sylvia:  A 19th Century Life Unveiled’ on July 13th at 6PM at SVA Library […]

Storyteller Series presents Feifei Ruan | June 15

• 1 year, 5 months 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 […]

A big MFAVN welcome to our newest faculty member, Jonathan Gottschall

• 1 year, 7 months ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to announce that Jonathan Gottschall has joined our community! He’ll be teaching ‘Visual Narrative: The Power of Story‘ for second year students. Jonathan has published eight books including […]

Binhua Chen (’22) talks about her thesis story ‘Xu is coming’

• 1 year, 8 months ago

• by Ben

Binhua Chen ’22 is a graphic designer and an illustrator. Having graduated with a BFA from South China Normal University in Visual Communication Design, Binhua tends to use posters, paper-cuts, […]

Susanne Reece (’20) talks about her thesis story, ‘A City of Ladies’

• 2 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

Susanne Reece is a writer, illustrator, and visual essayist. She has always found the real world, its people and the other creatures in it, endlessly fascinating, stranger and more wonderful […]

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

• 2 years, 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 […]

Alana Corwin’s (’20) ‘Persephone’

• 3 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

In the early years of the 20th century, in a house that was once grand. Persephone returns to her childhood home after her mother’s funeral. As Demeter’s only heir, Persephone […]

Nada Mohammed (’20) takes over!

• 3 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

We’re proud to have Nada Mohammed (’20) kick off our Spring Takeovers! She’ll be showing us snippets of her thesis, ‘Becca Blooms’. The story: After years of dealing with bullies […]

Interview with Jenny Goldstick from the Story Of/ workshop

• 4 years, 23 days ago

• by Ben

We are excited to announce that applications for the 2019 Story Of/ workshop are now open! Story Of/ is created and produced by MFA Visual Narrative Chair, Nathan Fox, MFAVN […]

Nadia DeLane (’15) speaks at Parsons about visual narrative and inspiration!

• 4 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

On October 3, 2019 during The New School’s weeklong Centennial celebration, I spoke with Parsons design students about visual storytelling and strategies for generating inspiration. As a creative consultant, I’m […]

George Cathcart’s Misbelief is ‘Friends’

• 4 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

George Cathcart’s ‘Friends’ is part of the Class of 2021’s collection of misbeliefs.   “As a child, I had a misbelief in which I thought all animals were friends. After […]

Susannah Lohr’s Misbelief, ‘The Fairy House’

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

A young girl builds a house for fairies beneath a tree. The next day, she’s devastated to find no fairies have come to stay, though an unexpected visitor has decided […]

Elizabeth Gu’s Misbelief: Aquarium

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

See ‘Aquarium’ here Aquarium is a series of 3 animations with ordinary mundane occurrences that reimagine the outlines of people’s clothing as a window to unexpected otherworldly environments. It is based […]

Facebook announces Oculus Link and discusses their VR/AR strategy

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

A lot of us have been wondering what Facebook is up to when it comes to virtual reality and augmented reality. Their intent has been a bit of a moving target, […]

Misbeliefs: Watch Maggie Vicknair’s piece on 411

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

Matt Rota teaches the Analog to Digital class for MFA Visual Narrative. This year, the students told the story of a personal misbelief. Misbelief is a series of short narratives […]

WATCH: Handowin HE’s ‘Misbelief’

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

Once upon a time, there lived an unhappy boy, thinking of escaping from this sad world all the time. The other night, he had a dream that he became a […]

Step into autumn with a warm wind at your back. Take a class!

• 4 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

The heat of summer boils our spirits. The chill of autumn embraces our curiosity. If you want to step through the doorway to winter with knowledge and the inspiration to […]

The Story Behind the Story | Jellie Vayas presents ‘When Thavma Came for Nyx’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Nyx Ripley-Rowan has a few bones to pick with the universe. It seems to be throwing punches left and right, leaving Nyx to always be on guard (except around her […]

The Story Behind the Story | Kathryn Silver presents ‘Sole Seoul Soul’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

“Sole Seoul Soul” tells the story of Ileum, who becomes a reaper after committing suicide. Unable to remember his past life and purpose, Ileum must usher other lost souls to […]

The Story Behind the Story | ST Schwartz presents ‘Cautiously Pessimistic’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Choni Hart is a 25-year-old Orthodox Jew ready to get married, however finding a wife has been harder than he ever expected. By now he’s become jaded and started approaching […]

The Story Behind the Story | Abigael Puritz’s ‘Adri’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

In the near-distant future, the once-natural laws of human biology and planetary ecology no longer apply to those in the upper class, who find themselves isolated from the catastrophic effects […]

The Story Behind the Story | Freya von Mizener presents ‘Orchid Labyrinth’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Dahlia is a young knight who has known her role since birth. As a member of the royal knighthood, she protects the beautiful Princess Orchid as well as their glorious […]

The Story Behind the Story | Ana Lozada presents ‘Failed State’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

How does Venezuela, a country with vast amounts of wealth, end up in ruin? What does it feel like to watch it decay from the inside? Could you even do […]

The Story Behind the Story | Gabi Berkers presents ‘Ode to Orléans’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Gabi Berkers is a visual storyteller at heart. Born in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, she grew up surrounded by art, theater, music and architecture. After starting her own company as […]

The Story Behind the Story | Emily Hughston Hoffman presents ‘Dogmatic’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Emily Hughston Hoffman is a multimedia artist and writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Her preferred art centers around physical objects and interactivity. She is interested in exploring feelings of […]

The Story Behind the Story | Christine Alicia Di Pasquale presents ‘Obsolete No More’

• 4 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

  “Obsolete No More: Cursive Makes a Comeback” is an animated interactive website about a mature woman coming into her own power as she fights back against the patriarchal systems […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: “Night is Here” by Vanessa Dolfinger

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Project: “Night is Here” by Vanessa Dolfinger Dollface’s objective is simple: Survive the night and keep going. As the sun sets, Dollface, a small and lonely thing, must brace herself […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: “Ornithology for Artists” By Susanne Reece

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“Ornithology for Artists” Written and illustrated by Susanne Reece A chance encounter with a starling leads to a meditation in words and images on pushing past fear and self-doubt as […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: “Timya’s Glacier: Song of the Snoz Crabs” by Pilar Newton-Katz

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“Timya’s Glacier: Song of the Snoz Crabs” by Pilar Newton-Katz Timya lives in a small house surrounded by a glacier in the lands of the deep north. She fishes for […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: “Hope’s Brain Feels Sad” By Perri Greeley 

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“Hope’s Brain Feels Sad” Hope is a 7-year-old who misses her grandma and can’t figure out how to stop her brain from feeling sad. She goes on a journey through […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: Nada Mohammed’s “J.W. Does Art”

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“J.W. Does Art” Known only as “J.W.” to his readers, a young artist starts a blog to document his first semester of art school. Though he begins the semester with […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: Marissa Jones’ ‘Beneath the Eclipse’

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“Beneath the Eclipse” by Marissa Jones Ella feels responsible for her mother’s death and is given no comfort from her grieving father. When her village’s sun is eclipsed and thrown into […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: Luz Rodriguez Dager’s ‘Nora’

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

A little girl finds an antique necklace in the house where she and her mother recently moved. Inside the necklace lives the ghost of a young woman killed years ago. […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: “The Journals of T.I.M.E.” by Dan Streety

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Tom Masterson avoided anything to do with his family heritage because his family had nothing to do with him. Until a mysterious package arrives on his doorstep with his full […]

Digital Short Story 2019 spotlight: Carol Silverman’s ‘Bad Kitty’

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“Bad Kitty” by Carol Silverman is in the spotlight today! Join us at the reception on June 19th at 6:30pm at The SVA West Halls Project Space, located at 133/141 West […]

Andrew Taylor’s “With Mary Gone”

• 4 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

“With Mary Gone” is a true story about my family’s struggle to feel at home while dealing with the ever-present threat of a violent and unpredictable neighbor. Andrew is a […]

JOIN US ON JUNE 5th: Storyteller’s Lecture Series with director, Ben Snyder

• 4 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

Get your spot here MFA Visual Narrative and SVA Library West present “The Foundation of Narrative Storytelling,” a talk by screenwriter, filmmaker and playwright Ben Snyder, as part of their Storyteller’s Lecture Series. What […]

Jenny Goldstick joins the MFA Visual Narrative faculty

• 4 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to announce our newest faculty member, Jenny Goldstick! Jenny will be co-teaching ‘Shaping Your Story’ with Anna Eveslage. Jenny graduated from MFA Visual Narrative in 2015, so we’re […]

We’re delighted to announce that Anna Eveslage is joining our faculty!

• 4 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

Anna Eveslage will be teaching ‘Narrative Writing’ and ‘Shaping Your Story’ this summer! Anna is no stranger. She graduated from MFAVN in 2015, with her fantastic thesis story, ‘Eating Alone’. […]

Sarah Shaw (Class of 2020) discusses life as a student in NYC and a teacher in Nepal

• 4 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

Sarah Shaw (Class of 2020) discusses life as a student and teacher. Sarah manages to teach in Nepal while earning her MFA at MFA Visual Narrative in New York City! […]

WATCH: Pilar Newton-Katz (Class of 2020) talks about the life-work-work-work balance 

• 4 years, 9 months ago

• by Ben

Pilar manages to teach while earning her MFA at MFA Visual Narrative. How does she do it? Watch to find out… If you’re applying for Summer 2019, then be sure […]

WATCH: “I came in as a writer and I left as a visual storyteller.”

• 4 years, 9 months ago

• by Ben

Nadia DeLane talks about her experience at MFA Visual Narrative, her thesis project and life after graduation. Nadia DeLane (Class of 2015) talks about her time as a student at […]

WATCH: MFA Visual Narrative according to Anelisa Garfunkel (Class of 2016)

• 4 years, 9 months ago

• by Ben

Anelisa Garfunkel (Class of 2016) talks about her time as a student at MFA Visual Narrative. MFA Visual Narrative according to Anelisa Garfunkel (Class of 2016) from MFA Visual Narrative […]

Susanne Reece tells us about her work and storytelling life at MFA Visual Narrative

• 4 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Susanne Reece (Class of 2020) sat down to tell us about her process, her challenges and her perspective on storytelling. If you want to get a good sense of what […]

Public-Eye Alumni: Melissa Malzkuhn (Class of 2015)

• 4 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

The Latest On Melissa Malzkuhn Melissa was accepted into the inaugural Obama 2018 Fellows class!  Obama Foundation ran a story on their site about her work on literacy for deaf children Won NSF EAGER grant for […]

Grab a cuppa and join Dan Streety (Class of 2020) as he talks about MFA Visual Narrative

• 4 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

 Dan’s awesome studio and inspiring take on why he wants to tell stories for the rest of his life are on view in this short video. We all have […]

Perri Greeley has some delightful insight into her life as a student of MFA Visual Narrative

• 4 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Thinking of applying to MFA Visual Narrative at the School of Visual Arts? Watch Perri Greeley, student, tell you all about what to expect. From her biggest lesson to her […]

Anjelika (Jellie) Vayas tells us about her experience at MFA Visual Narrative

• 4 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

 

What’s MFA Visual Narrative mean to our students? Here’s what Pilar Newton-Katz thinks!

• 4 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Pilar Newton-Katz tells us what MFA Visual Narrative means to her from MFA Visual Narrative at SVA on Vimeo.

Interview with Jenny Goldstick, co-creator of the Story Of/ workshop

• 5 years, 18 days ago

• by Ben

We got a chance to ask Jenny Goldstick some questions about the workshop she’s running with MFA Visual Narrative Chair, Nathan Fox. The Story Of/ workshop is the perfect playground […]

Rich Tu of MTV talks to us about his story

• 5 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

MFA Visual Narrative and SVA Library present a talk by MTV’s Vice President of Design Rich Tu (MFA 2009 Illustration as Visual Essay), who discussed his work, process and the […]

Seance for Beginners – A tutorial by MFAVN student, Eva Hall (Class of 2020)

• 5 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Eva Hall (Class of 2020) took her assignment from faculty Jim Rugg and ran with it! Her short tutorial ‘Seance for Beginners’ is a clear, simple and compelling peek at something […]

Interview with Ana Lozada, creator of ‘Failed State’

• 5 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 […]

WATCH: The teaser trailer for Shannon O’Halloran’s “Untitled Intimacy Project”

• 5 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Teaser 1 from MFA Visual Narrative at SVA on Vimeo.   “Untitled Intimacy Project” is now showing as an 8 minute looped video experience set to original music. See a […]

Monster Sibling Rivalry by Anjelika Vayas

• 5 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Monster Sibling Rivalry by Anjelika Vayas is an epic tale that has to be read to be believed. The Digital Short Story premiered at DSS 2018. Monster Sibling Rivalry: The […]

Beloved Beatrice by Freya von Mizener

• 5 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Beloved Beatrice by Freya von Mizener is a Digital Short Story worth playing! The narrative game is a fascinating, creepy, sad experience. The story: To Beatrice, there’s no sign of […]

Obsolete: Letters From A Cursive Lover by Christine Alicia Di Pasquale

• 5 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

There’s still time to see ‘Obsolete: Letters From A Cursive Lover’ by Christine Alicia Di Pasquale at the Digital Short Story show at SVA. 133/141 W. 21st St. NYC The […]

Professional Help by ST Schwartz

• 5 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Professional Help by ST Schwartz Sophie, a self-appointed amateur therapist, inserts herself into everyone’s lives, giving them advice and compulsively correcting them. And while she may have insight into the […]

Abigael Puritz’s ‘Anastrophe’

• 5 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Abigael Puritz’s ‘Anastrophe’ Following a Digital Dark Age, where most of the data on the internet was lost, the society of 2063 has moved on to a world populated by […]

Mary Georgescu talks about her experience at MFA Visual Narrative

• 5 years, 9 months ago

• by Ben

 

Here’s a peek at Shannon O’Halloran’s thesis story

• 5 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

A note from Shannon: I’ve been playing around with a video component of my thesis. This is a work in progress where I tried to replicate the feel of a […]

Alex Barsky gives us an animated peek at her thesis story, Sun Cell

• 5 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

 

Jenny Bee gives us a peek at her thesis story and asks “What do people do on-camera?”

• 5 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Jenny Bee is setting the stage for her thesis story with a video that asks, “What do people do on-camera?” From Jenny: A teaser for my thesis project, “Negative Space”, […]

These are the mentors of MFA Visual Narrative: Ross MacDonald

• 6 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 […]

2017 Thesis Presentations: Mary Georgescu’s ‘Spice of Life’

• 6 years, 15 days ago

• by Ben

Spice of Life is a narrative arcade about Unit 25, a culinary line robot, who desires to become human and overcome his societal shackles in a post-tech war world, which […]

2017 Thesis Presentations: Thomas Slattery’s ‘Aura’

• 6 years, 19 days ago

• by Ben

What drives the human need to seek comfort from others? Can we escape the suffering that comes with love? Can technology save us from our destructive desires? Dr. Theo Aphasian […]

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

• 6 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: Ella Romero’s ‘There Once’

• 6 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

THERE, ONCE: Online blog, audio clips, multimedia installation As a child, Rena Santillo had an active imagination inspired by the colorful heritage of her Filipino immigrant family, shared with her […]

2017 Thesis Presentations: Christina Mattison Ebert’s ‘Landfall’

• 6 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 […]

A close look at Ella Romero’s thesis installation for her story, There Once

• 6 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

There Once follows an isolated, aloof young woman whose past comes back to help her redirect her future. Though Rena enjoyed a happy childhood filled by the Filipino folktales and […]

Mary Georgescu’s ‘Spice of Life’ story arcade game will make you rethink AI

• 6 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Welcome to the future, the very near future where robots are used in abundance but are still mistrusted and largely treated like we treat robots now. Unit 25 just wants […]

Browse our And Then… 2017 gallery guide and get a glimpse at our students’ eight stories

• 6 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Download the PDF of the brochure here This year’s beautiful gallery guide for the “And Then…” show was designed by Kelli Anderson. You can see the whole thing here, but also […]

Ella Romero discusses her thesis story, ‘There, Once’

• 6 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Ella’s Artist Talk, July 18th, 6pm at 209 E. 23rd St Come to the closing reception on July 21st, same time and place! We spoke with Ella Romero, Class of […]

Christina Mattison Ebert talks about her thesis story, Landfall

• 6 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

We speak with Christina about her touching and ambitious story, Landfall, a multimedia graphic novel on display at Gramercy Gallery on July 21, 2017 at 6pm (209 E 23rd St, […]

Bruja, by Michelle Nahmad

• 6 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 […]

Thomas Slattery talks about his interactive story, ‘Aura’

• 6 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

Thomas Slattery (Class of 2017) is an illustrator, cartoonist, storyboard artist and, as of his latest project, a VR game storyteller! We asked him a few questions about Aura, his […]

Roda Al-Thani’s ‘Clipperton Island’ from #DSS2017

• 6 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

Roda Al-Thani is a Qatari Graphic designer based in Doha, Qatar. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar with a BFA in Graphic Design and MFA in Visual Narrative […]

Shannon L. O’Halloran #DSS2017 story, ‘Poppy Was Here’

• 6 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

Get your free tickets to the Digital Short Story 2017 reception at SVA! Shannon L. O’Halloran’s ‘Poppy was Here’ will be on view at #DSS2017! Shannon is a visual artist […]

Ana Lozada’s ‘The Mountainpath’ #DSS2017

• 6 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

Get your free tickets to the Digital Short Story 2017 reception at SVA! Ana Lozada is a Venezuelan illustrator, designer and visual storyteller originally based in Osaka. Due to her […]

Storytellers! Continuing Education Info Session on May 11th

• 6 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

Snag a spot here. 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 artist’s books? […]

Badly-Drawn Shoes by Ella Romero (Class of 2017)

• 6 years, 7 months ago

• by Ben

All this thinking about memories made me take a look at something I do with mine: beat myself up. I love to dwell on things that make me sad or […]

Embracing the Mess by MFAVN’s Liz Enright

• 6 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 […]

Craig Coss talks about School of Visual Arts’ MFA in Visual Narrative

• 6 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

Thinking about applying to the MFA in Visual Narrative program? Applications are open now for summer 2017 entry. We look forward to seeing your work! A note from our Chair, […]

MFAVN faculty Bill Kartalopoulos hits the NYT bestseller list at #1

• 7 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Congrats to Bill Kartalopoulos (MFAVN faculty) for hitting #1 on The New York Times’ bestseller list with The Best American Comics 2016. The book is getting great reviews. Here’s a […]

Join us for ‘Wired for Story: What Readers Really Crave and How to Give it to Them’ with Lisa Cron

• 7 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Register for Wired for Story Imagine knowing what we’re hardwired to crave in every story we encounter, what fuels the success of any story, and keeps readers transfixed. The answer […]

Anelisa Garfunkel presents ‘A Conjuring in the Gyre’

• 7 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

A Conjuring In The Gyre is a futuristic folktale about Lehlia, a young outlier who lives on an isolated island in the middle of a depleted Pacific Ocean. Her people […]

Barbara Geoghegan presents ‘Rona’

• 7 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Rona is a selkie, a young woman who can turn into a seal. Lonely and isolated within her own selkie pod, Rona grows interested in a nearby island inhabited by […]

Jon Bero presents ‘Yuki’

• 7 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

There is beauty in the broken, but Yuki, a deer plagued by anxiety, isn’t able to see it. As a result of a misguided attempt by his closest companion Michi […]

Alexandra Beguez presents ‘The Offering’

• 7 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

The Offering is a cautionary tale about how relationships change over time, facing the consequences of your actions, and finding your place in the universe. Maite lives on Talus, the […]

Setting up the 2016 thesis show, ‘And Then…’

• 7 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

2016’s And Then… show was an excellent example of immersive storytelling. Each graduating student has been charged with showing their story in a way that engages the audience. You’ll have […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of Matt Murphy.

• 7 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Next up in our spotlight series on new students? Matt Murphy! Matt’s sense of design and world-building has us curious about what he’ll do at MFAVN. Here’s some of his […]

Class of 2016 thesis peek: Traci Zaretzka’s ‘Zory’s Portraits’

• 7 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

Here’s a preview of Traci Zaretzka’s, Zory’s Portraits. The book will be on display at the 2016 thesis show, And Then… Zory’s Portraits Medium: Children’s Picture book When Zory and her […]

Class of 2016 thesis peek: Andrea Schmitz’s ‘Door’

• 7 years, 4 months ago

• by Ben

See the full film on July 22! Here’s a peek at Andrea Schmitz’s animated short thesis, Door. See the full story at our thesis show, And Then… Also be sure […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of Shannon Oertle.

• 7 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

Shannon Oertle is the latest new MFAVN student under the spotlight. Shannon’s work struck us as whimsical, with a wonderful sense of childhood. Her application’s imagery and storytelling give us […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of John Baker

• 7 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

We’re welcoming our incoming class, the Class of 2018! We’re so fortunate to be working with such a group of talented storytellers. Next up is John Baker, whose work is eye-catching. […]

2016 MFA Thesis Exhibit

• 7 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

  RSVP for free tickets to the reception here Join us for the next showcase of our third year students. We’ll see work by Alexandra Beguez, Jon Bero, Anelisa Garfunkel, Barbara […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of Stephanie Hovden.

• 7 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to welcome into the fold our incoming class, the Class of 2018! They’re a group of talented storytellers. So let’s show off their work! Stephanie Hovden’s work is […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of Evanleigh Davis

• 7 years, 5 months ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to welcome into the fold our incoming class, the Class of 2018! They’re a group of talented storytellers. So let’s show off their work! Yet another example of […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of Bill Wehmann

• 7 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to welcome into the fold our incoming class, the Class of 2018! They’re a group of talented storytellers. So let’s show off their work! Next up is Bill […]

Welcome to our new students! Profile of Jennifer Brent

• 7 years, 6 months ago

• by Ben

We’re so delighted to welcome our incoming class, the Class of 2018! What a group of talented storytellers. We want to give them all a proper welcome, so let’s show […]

Lisa Cron discusses story on the latest MFAVN Podcast

• 7 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

We’re fortunate to have Lisa Cron as a faculty member of MFAVN. Lisa is a seasoned pro in the storytelling realm, with a resume that will make any writer sit […]

Anelisa Garfunkel’s ‘Melt’ made it into Boston International Film Festival

• 7 years, 8 months ago

• by Ben

We’re so proud of our student, Anelisa Garfunkel! Her film ‘Melt’ has been accepted into the Boston International Film Festival. Melt is a fantastic film that shows an incredible sense […]

Pepo Pérez talks to us about story

• 7 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 […]

The Visual Narrative Thesis Projects: Jenny Goldstick

• 7 years, 9 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Jenny Goldstick has impressed students and faculty alike with her perspective on the world, and her ability to visualize that perspective with her work. From her fantastic Sketchbook Notes, to […]

MFAVN talks to photographer (and alum) Anna Eveslage

• 7 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Anna Eveslage to talk about photography, constructed visual narrative and her thesis project, Eating Alone. In the podcast we discuss one piece […]

Artistpreneur? What does being an artist mean in the 21st century?

• 7 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

How are the changing times changing artists? It’s a fascinating question that we discuss in our program often. It can be hard to find your place in a world that […]

Alison Paul and students mural up UConn

• 7 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 […]

MFAVN Podcast: Ben Zackheim talks to Alison Paul and Nathan Fox

• 7 years, 10 months ago

• by Ben

Ben Zackheim of MFAVN had a chance to sit down with Alison Paul (MFAVN alum) and Nathan Fox (MFAVN Chair) to discuss her experience at the School of Visual Arts, […]

Check out our new animated ad for Juxtapoz and Colossal!

• 7 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

We’re kind of nuts for the animated ads that Lucea Spinelli made for us. They’ll be running in the Aperture newsletter, Hi Fructose and Daily Heller, plus Colossal and Juxtapoz […]

Thanks for coming to our Riso PRINT SLAM show!

• 7 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

We had a blast hanging out with you at the PRINT SLAM show! “It was really inspiring to see RisoLAB take shape over the past few months,” Nathan Fox, Chair […]

Take the class, RISO Printing: An Introduction, and make that ‘zine!

• 7 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

REGISTER HERE We’re happy to announce a new season of RISO Printing: An Introduction! This year’s class has done some amazing work and we hope you’ll join us for the […]

InFORMed by Story’s Ryan Weber will help you build your book from scratch

• 7 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

REGISTER HERE Do you have a book in you? Do you have a book that you’d like to craft with your own hands in you? We’re proud to offer a […]

Learn the art of comic book writing from pro Mark Sable!

• 7 years, 11 months ago

• by Ben

REGISTER HERE We’re delighted to announce a new Continuing Education course at MFAVN, the visual storytelling MFA program at SVA! Mark Sable is known for work like Graveyard of Empires, […]

Welcome Lisa Cron!

• 8 years, 2 days ago

• by Ben

We’re delighted to announce the newest member of the MFAVN family, Lisa Cron! Lisa has worked in publishing at W.W. Norton, as an agent at the Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency, […]

Craig Coss talks about The Goddess Coloring Book, an adult coloring book

• 8 years, 12 days ago

• by Ben

We talk to alumnus, Craig Coss, whose adult coloring book, The Goddess Coloring Book, is flying off the shelves. Listen to Craig and Ben Zackheim talk about how the idea […]

NO|ON 2013: Ann Coddou’s ‘The Source’

• 8 years, 16 days ago

• by Ben

NO|ON 2013: Ann Coddou’s “The Source” from MFA Visual Narrative at SVA on Vimeo.

MFAVN alum Alison Paul’s new book, The Plan, gets RAVES

• 8 years, 24 days ago

• by Ben

We’re always proud of our students when they go on to great things! Our recent graduate, Alison Paul, just released a new book titled The Plan and the critics are […]

Feifei Ruan’s “Wa” from the NO|ON Project

• 8 years, 25 days ago

• by Ben

Feifei Ruan’s “Wa” is another charming story by the talented MFAVN grad. Wa is the tale of Wa and Fi, the elemental children of Grandma. Can Wa find Fi and […]

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

• 8 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 […]

Join Nathan Fox at our next Info Session

• 8 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

Come one, come all! We’re running an Info Session for the 2016 registration period. Info Sessions are designed to give you a deep look at what MFAVN is all about. […]

We have one second to get your attention.

• 8 years, 1 month ago

• by Ben

As storytellers, one of our ongoing tasks is to stay aware of what our audiences are up to. Apparently, a lot of us multitask between 2+ screens so it can […]

Tell your story at the Uptown Social Justice Story Share

• 8 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

If you’re in NYC, be sure to go to the Uptown Social Justice Story Share! It’s on Tuesday, Sept 22nd, 7:00-9:30pm at the Museum of Impact at Raw Space, 2031 Adam Clayton Powell […]

High Fidelity virtual reality is coming

• 8 years, 2 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Right now you and I are sitting in three dimensional space, moving through the fourth dimension and interacting in…what? The digital dimension? Yes, don’t worry, this is going somewhere. The […]

SVA offers new Continuing Ed classes in Risograph printing!

• 8 years, 2 months ago

• by Ben

Pan Terzis talks to us about Riso, getting your hands dirty and the benefits of doing it yourself. We’re big fans of SVA’s Riso printers around here. Short for “Risograph”, […]

Our inaugural class! Looking back (Part 1)

• 8 years, 2 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

We’ll be doing some reflection in the coming weeks as our inaugural class, the class of 2015, finish their theses. I’m a sentimental guy, so I spent an hour browsing through […]

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

• 8 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 […]

NEW CLASSES ALERT! Workin’ on the Riso.

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

We have some exciting plans in store this Fall and they have a lot to do with RISO! Two, two-color Risograph (Riso) Duplicators to be exact! What’s a Risograph? Can you eat […]

World-building is gaining popularity. What does that mean?

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

We live in a world of world-building. More and more, we yearn for stories with fleshed-out worlds, where complete immersion is the goal. You see it on our games, our […]

Tell stories together

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

One of the lessons we live by every day at MFAVN is often overlooked by many…“Work on your stories with other people.”It’s risky. It can be painful. It can also […]

NO|ON 2014: Walter Tyler’s “Jonas and the White Bear”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

NO|ON 2015: Thomas Slattery’s “Appendage”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

NO|ON 2015: Ella Romero’s “Breach”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

NO|ON 2015: Jie Ren’s “Cocoon Rebirth”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the […]

NO|ON 2015: Michelle Nahmad’s “Adrift”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

NO|ON 2015: Cady Juarez’s “Intervention”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

NO|ON 2015: Mary Georgescu’s “Undercurrents”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

Mary GeorgescuWhat is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the […]

NO|ON 2015: Liz Enright’s “The Lonely Beatrice Baum”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

NO|ON 2015: Christina Mattison Ebert’s “Ginseng”

• 8 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

What is NO|ON? Short for “Narrative Object, Objective Narrative” it embodies the idea that every object contains its own narrative and every successful narrative strives for a unique objective. For the annual […]

Internal Matter: a thesis presentation by Ivory Nuñez-Medrano

• 8 years, 4 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Internal Matter By Ivory Nunez-Medrano Please join us for a special gallery presentation by Ivory Nuñez-Medrano, the creator of Internal Matter. The event takes place at 7pm on July 16th at the SVA […]

THIS IS MY MEMORY OF FIRST HEARTBREAK, WHICH I CAN’T QUITE PIECE BACK TOGETHER: A thesis presentation by Jenny Goldstick

• 8 years, 4 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

THIS IS MY MEMORY OF FIRST HEARTBREAK, WHICH I CAN’T QUITE PIECE BACK TOGETHER BY Jenny Goldstick Please join us for a special gallery presentation by Jenny Goldstick, the creator […]

Spilt Milk: a thesis presentation by Nadia DeLane

• 8 years, 4 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Spilt Milk BY Nadia DeLane Please join us for a special gallery presentation by Nadia DeLane, the creator of Spilt Milk . The event takes place at 7pm on July 21st at the […]

Eating Alone: A Thesis Presentation by Anna Eveslage

• 8 years, 4 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Eating Alone by Anna Eveslage Please join us for a special gallery presentation by Anna Eveslage, the creator of Eating Alone. The event takes place at 6pm on July 16th at […]

And Then: A Series of Gallery Presentations by MFAVN Thesis Students

• 8 years, 4 months ago

• by 1 Trick Pony

Join us for a series of presentations by thesis students of the Visual Narrative MFA at School of Visual Arts. From reconstructing memories to exploring the act of eating alone, […]

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

• 8 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 […]

MFAVN Podcast: Benjamin Marra

• 9 years, 3 months ago

• by Ben

“I’d like every panel of my comic books to change the story,” Benjamin Marra (Blades & Lazers) tells us. Reading Marra’s comics is like being swept down a water slide. […]