MFA in PRINTMAKING at NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

FACULTY:

Michael Barnes, M.F.A. University of Iowa.

Ashley Nason, M.F.A. - University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.

An emphasis in printmaking allows students to pursue individual creativity and technical competency in all fine art printmaking media and encourages interdisciplinary exploration. General coursework in the Printmaking area includes Intaglio - etching, engraving, drypoint, collagraph, and photo etching; Lithography - stone, aluminum plate and photo-lithography; Screen-printing - hand drawn and photographic stencil techniques with water-based inks; and Relief printing - woodcut, linoleum, and wood-engraving. Unique media, monoprints and monotypes, are also an essential part of the curriculum.

Assistantships and Tuition Waivers: The NIU School of Art offers opportunities for graduate student assistantships and graduate teaching assistantships, which include full tuition and a monthly stipend. These include assistantships directly in the printmaking area. Tuition waivers are also available.

Facilities: The printmaking facilities include three large, well-ventilated studio spaces on the fourth floor of Jack Arends Hall and a printing area in the Arts Annex graduate studio building. The spaces are designed to accommodate large-scale work. They include a darkroom with an enlarger and a 30" x 40" flip top exposure unit for intaglio and lithography. Two computer stations and access to laser and ink jet printers are available within the printmaking studio for use with digital imagery. A separate fine arts computer lab is located in the building, which provides additional computer access as well as large-scale ink-jet printers.

Lithography studio includes five presses (36” x 70” Charles Brand; 36" x 68" Graphic Litho; 34" x 60" Takach; 30" x 60 Brand; 26" x 40" Fusch & Lang), and a selection of around 200 stones (up to 32" x 40" in size).
Intaglio/Relief studio includes five presses (4' x 8' Takach; 30" x 56" American French Tool; 20" x 40" Charles Brand; 27" x 48" Dickerson Combination), a separate well-ventilated acid room, an air powered rosin aquatint box, and large drying boards.
Screen-printing studio is equipped to work with water-based printing techniques. It includes a 30" x 48" vacuum florescent tube exposure unit, 30” x 40” vacuum table, washout sinks with a pressure washer, and several large drying racks.
Graduate studio spaces are provided studio spaces in a separate off-campus facility. The Arts Annex Studio Building contains a 27" x 48 Dickerson combination press, a 30" x 50" Meeker etching press, and a 30" x 40" vacuum exposure unit for graduate student use.

Additional Resources: The printmaking area maintains an extensive archive of original prints that is used for instructional support. These prints, as well as recent examples of student work, are continually on exhibit in secured showcases, affording maximum visibility for student creativity. The Northern Illinois University Art Museum also houses a large collection of old master and contemporary prints that are available for viewing.

Admissions: The deadline for application to the NIU Graduate School for the School of Art graduate program in studio arts is: February 1.

Application materials and additional information may be obtained from:

School of Art Graduate Programs .
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
(815) 753-0292 Fax (815) 753-7701