School of Visual Arts Announces a New Master of Fine Arts Degree in Visual Narrative

June 23, 2012, New York, NY—Beginning in the summer of 2013, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) will offer an MFA in Visual Narrative. The MFA is built on an innovative approach to storytelling: the education of the “artist as author,” which puts equal emphasis on creative writing and visual expression. This flexible, low-residency 60-credit program is designed for working professionals and recent graduates from all creative disciplines who are interested in incorporating visual narrative into their art practice.

The program will be chaired by editorial illustrator and comic book artist Nathan Fox, who graduated from SVA in 2002 with an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay. Fox announced the program’s launch during his presentation at this year’s Heroes Convention (HeroesCon 2012) in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Great visual storytellers challenge our notions of self and truth, engaging an audience to its core,” Fox said beforehand. “That level of visual narrative becomes an experience, a moment not soon forgotten, a memory forever cherished. These works have withstood the test of time, becoming part of our history and cultural identities.”

Students in the program will be on campus in Manhattan for three intensive eight-week summer residencies. During the fall and spring semesters, they will work online, synthesizing the skills and crafts presented in the summer sessions. During the summer, students will attend classes and seminars and work in the studios for eight to ten hours per day, six days a week. The summer sessions will concentrate on advanced writing, digital media and the process and craft of visual storytelling.

Courses include “History of Visual Storytelling: The Picture Book,” “Form, Empathy and Character Play” and “Web and Digital Media.” In the third year, each student will produce, curate and/or publish a narrative thesis in both analog and digital form that will be exhibited in a group show in one of the SVA galleries. “Since visual communication technologies are advancing rapidly in such areas as e-books, interactive websites, podcasts, social media outlets and mobile devices,” said Fox, “the program is geared toward preparing students for the challenges and opportunities in this digital marketplace.”

Applicants with a figurative art background in any medium are welcome. Fox said that there is a growing demand for talented and original content creators in all forms of advertising, fine arts, game design, picture books, graphic novels, film, illustration and animation. He continued, “The MFA Visual Narrative Department at SVA will enable students to become creative, responsible arbiters of visual storytelling, able to shape their own identities, artistic voices and narrative art, regardless of medium.”    

Faculty members include Jennifer Daniel, illustrator and graphics director; Edward Hemingway, feature reporter, comic writer and children’s book author; Ross MacDonald, author, illustrator and designer; Matt Madden, writer and artist; Leonard Marcus, children’s book illustration expert; Benjamin Marra, comic book writer and artist, founder and publisher of Traditional Comics; Dan Nadel, author and owner of PictureBox, Inc.; Matt Rota, illustrator; and Ben Zackheim, senior product manager and director for AOL Games. 

Additional information about the MFA Visual Narrative Department at SVA can be found at http://sva.edu/mfavisualnarrative.

Nathan Fox is an editorial illustrator and comic book artist. His work has appeared in the The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine, Interview, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Wired, ESPN The Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Mother Jones, Spin, Mad Magazine, Image Comics, Vertigo, Dark Horse Comics and Marvel. In addition, his art has been featured in projects for MTV, the Burton US Open 2009, the Nike House of Hoops, the 1800 Tequila 2012 Essential Artist Series Bottles, Instant Winner, REAL Skateboards and many others.

School of Visual Arts is a comprehensive college of art and design which has been authorized by the New York State Education Department to confer the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in advertising; animation; cartooning; computer art, animation and visual effects; film and video; fine arts; graphic design; illustration; interior design; photography; and visual and critical studies; and to confer the degree of Master of Fine Arts in art criticism and writing; art practice; computer art; design; design criticism; design for social innovation; fine arts; illustration as visual essay; interaction design; photography, video and related media; products of design; social documentary film; and visual narrative. SVA also offers the degree of Master of Arts in critical theory and the arts; and the degree of Master of Professional Studies in art therapy; branding; digital photography; fashion photography; and live action short film; and the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching in art education.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

Media Contact: For further information or to arrange interviews with Nathan Fox, please contact the Office of Communication at 212.592.2010 or proffice@sva.edu.