I almost can’t believe it’s finally time. In less than a month I’ll have a master’s degree. Surprisingly enough, that’s not really all that exciting to me. Honestly, the reason I decided to go back to school was so I could attain certain goals. If it was another bachelor’s degree that I needed, I would’ve done that.

However, getting an MFA has been one of the best decisions I think I’ve made as an artist. I won’t lie and say the school is the reason… hardly. I think it’s simply because a handful of the people I’ve known here have really opened my eyes to the creative possibilities in the world. (I’m avoiding any use of the phrase “the Art World”.) Maybe just looking at a ton of art would’ve had the same effect.

I’ve also had a few really stellar professors who have given me reasons to think more deeply about the kind of work I want to make. Thanks Steve Aishman, Suellen Parker and Robert Brown. In addition to giving good advice, the key is that they don’t constantly dispense worthless information, like some other professors who will go unnamed. And I think that’s one of my goals as a future professor myself: don’t be worthless to my students. There will just be too many people out there who will want my job, and it only makes sense to constantly work hard at it.

So the title of this post refers to the fact that my thesis show is now sitting on the wall in a gallery space in South Atlanta. That space is the Blue Tower Gallery, as a matter of fact, and the closing reception (we’re forgoing a traditional opening reception) will be from 7-10pm on Saturday, May 24, 2008. You should come—there will be hundreds of dollars worth of… refreshments. Adult beverages included.

And so after a long, hard day of framing (yes, I’m sad to say that my pieces were not ready for the wall already), hanging lights atop a rather tall ladder and then actually hanging the work, it feels good to have it on the wall, essentially out of my mind. Of course, now I have to finish writing my actual thesis paper. The joys of reaching the end.

Many many many thanks to Kyle and Jason for the most direct help I received all day, as well as Rebecca for working with to Jason hang my last small pieces, and Chowoon for helping me move the giant ladder.

This entry was posted Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 1:43 am and is filed under Text. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.