MFA Studios
We believe that great works are rarely created in isolation, and learning often occurs outside the classroom. We foster a communal studio environment accessible 24/7 that encourages students to create and learn together.
Our studio set-up reflects a communal model often seen in professional design practice and encourages conversations about your work with studio mates.
Overall view of the students working in the A102 studio's modular, open layout.
In the studios, you design, learn, print, research, critique, tile your posters, bind your books, get help with coding, share your research, and perhaps, make good friends with whom you may one day start a studio.
The CalArts MFA graphic design program has two studio rooms: A102 and A100. A102 has an open, modular layout that fosters interaction and collaboration among first-year students, creating an environment where people design and grow together.
A102
A100 is mostly populated by the second-year MFA cohort. It has more self-contained private desk spaces, allowing students to focus on creating their graduate thesis project during their final year.
A100
MFA students in A100 studio.
Visiting Designers
The Graphic Design program invites visiting designers to lecture both on campus and remotely during the academic year. Recent visitors have included Zak Kyes, Paula Scher, Mindy Seu, Brent David Freany, IN-FO.CO, Maya Man, Chris Burnett, Forest Young, Happening Studio, Moonsick Gang, Polymode, and FISK.
Visiting Designer Lecture Series, Masato Nakada and Karen To of Happening Studio.
Winter Workshops
Workshops for MFA graphic designers happen in January. These 4-day hands-on workshops cover specialized practical and technical topics and are taught by visiting designers. Recent workshops have included Creative (un)Coding and (de)Prototyping, Logotype Design, Augmented Reality, DIY: Making Music and Music Packaging, Digital Prototyping, The Brand Now, Digital Time Capsule, and Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest.
Students showcasing their work in DIY: Making Music and Music Packaging, taught by Dean Spunt.
Graduate Assistantship
MFA2s can apply for Graduate Assistant teaching position (GAship). GAs work closely with core BFA faculty twice a week throughout the year, gaining experience in the classroom and learning about pedagogy, curriculum and critique. This program is essentially a practical training for MFAs interested in a career in higher education.
Poster Culture
Design students produce publicity materials for exhibitions, events and performances across CalArts, often in the form of posters. These form a visual history of life and culture at CalArts, and give students the opportunity for collaboration and experimentation. An archive of CalArts posters can be viewed at posters.calarts.edu.
The Design Center
The Design Center is a peer-to-peer design tutoring and collaboration service center at CalArts. It offers students the opportunity to gain professional practice experience working with students, faculty and the institute as “clients” for design projects. More information can be found at designcenter.calarts.edu.
