Photography/Digital Media Area Overview
Today's media artist has access to more processes, more means of presentation, and more methods of distribution for their art than ever before. The Photography / Digital Media program prepares artists to take full advantage of the traditional and contemporary modes of creating, manipulating, printing and/or publishing their photographs, lens-based artworks, and media art productions. Students are expected to develop their own identities as artists, as well as learn the technical, historical, and critical approaches to studio practices in their field. They also are encouraged to bring a strong sense of individualism and imagination to the program.
MFA in Photography/Digital Media
The MFA program in Photography/Digital Media is recognized for its comprehensive approach to creative lens, media and time-based artwork. With enrollment limited to nine, each student receives individual faculty mentoring. The program has a very strong traditional fine art photography component, but also is one of the first university photography programs in the country to have included digital media as an integral part of its curriculum. Aesthetic diversity and the development of individual artistic vision are emphasized and discussed in regular individual critiques and as a part of the group dialog in a small practicum offered each semester. Information on program events may be found on the UH Photo/Digital Blog.
Graduate students are provided with their own studio spaces within a studio complex equipped with shared G5/G4 workstations for scanning and printing to an Epson 9600 printer. In addition, students have broad access to medium and large format cameras, DV/HD video equipment, well-equipped lab and studio facilities, and also eligible to have individual black and white lab spaces of their own. The 286-sq ft exhibition space, Media Projects Gallery, is available as an exhibition space for individual students on a sign-up basis coordinated by faculty. A student/faculty coordinated Visiting Artists Program draws on the panoply of guest artists brought to Houston by FotoFest, the Houston Center for Photography, and other exhibition spaces in the city.
Houston is a great city for photography. The collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is world-class and the basis for regular exhibitions. In addition, every two years the entire city focuses on photography and media with exhibitions and installations taking place in most of the commercial and non-profit gallery spaces during the month when the Houston FotoFest stages their bi-annual conference, bringing exciting international exhibitions, artists, and curators to Houston. The Houston Center for Photography and numerous commercial galleries exhibit photography and media on a regular basis.
Internships
Internships with Houston-based exhibition spaces are encouraged. Advanced undergraduate students whose Studio Art GPA are 3.0 or better, and MFA students may submit proposals to the area coordinator to do internships with alternative spaces, non-profit arts organizations, or museums for 3 semester credit hours. FotoFest has been a major resource for student internships. Other organizations that have participated are the Houston Center for Photography, Southwest Media Project, DiverseWorks, and Blaffer Gallery.
Visiting Artists
A student/faculty coordinated Visiting Artists Program draws on the panoply of guest artists brought to Houston by FotoFest, the Houston Center for Photography, and other exhibition spaces in the city. Visiting Artists for fall 2006 and spring 2007 included: Mel Chin, Andrew Daneman, Maththew Deleget & Rossana Martinez, Hasan Elahi, Amy Jorgensen, Mads Ljundahl, Hans Manner-Jakobsen, Bill Morrison, Krista Steinke, and Tricia Moreau Sweeny.