Opportunities

There are numerous internal and external opportunities for students in the School of Art. Carnegie Mellon offers SURG grants for undergraduate research and GuSH grants and conference funding to further the professional development of graduate students. Students in the School of Art have an excellent record of obtaining such funding.

External opportunities range from scholarship summer programs and residencies to research and employment options, as well as calls for exhibitions. Guidelines for these opportunities are posted regularly on bulletin boards and d-listed to student email accounts.

University Libraries

Selected databases, web resources, books and periodicals available via the Carnegie Mellon Libraries and elsewhere to help artists get started in finding information on careers, jobs, funding, and other opportunities. Print resources cited, if held by the libraries are noted by call number and location.
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Arts/Art/art_opportunities.html

Artists’ Residencies

Consult Career Services for more residency opportunities, but here is one list of top ten residency opportunities for emerging artists. http://www.artinfo.com/News/Article.aspx?a=13832

CFA Career Center: Art

http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/cfa/cfacc/www/art/index.cfm This website serves as a comprehensive source of information for art students and alumni on all aspects of employment, both on and off campus and before and after graduation. It contains information on finding a campus job, preparing for internships or job searches, identifying summer and career opportunities and more.

GradUate Small project Help (GUSH)

http://www.cmu.edu/adm/apaa/gpo/graduates/gush.html

GUSH funding is engineered to help graduate students reach their full potential through the graduate work they do at CMU. These awards, for $500 each, are to be used against costs incurred in the completion of projects required for thesis and dissertation work. These funds are intended to be utilized by students whose personal or departmental resources have been exhausted. A recommendation letter from the applicant’s advisor will be required regarding the project and department-level options for alternative funding. They will allow students to continue or complete projects toward their degree. Approximately 25-30 awards will be given out each academic year.

G.S.A. Graduate Conference Funding Application

Apply on-line at: http://www.cmu.edu/adm/apaa/gpo/graduates/gsa.html

Graduate Student Association (GSA) Graduate Student Conference Funding has been developed and financed by the Graduate Student Organization, in collaboration with the Graduate Programs Office and the Provost’s Office. The goal of the funding is to enable more Carnegie Mellon graduate students, currently enrolled in their graduate programs, to either attend or make presentations at key conferences/exhibitions in their fields. This award will provide up to $500 per student. It is considered a partial source of support, and applicants are encouraged to seek funds from other sources, including funding from the conferences (if they are presenting), in addition to their own advisor, department and college. A recommendation letter from the applicant’s advisor will be required regarding the presentation and department-level options for alternative funding. Graduate students may not receive more than one Conference Funding award per academic year. Approximately 50-60 awards will be distributed each academic year.

Applications will be judged by a blend of faculty and post-doc readers. Grants will be awarded on a revolving basis throughout the year for as long as funding permits. We encourage people to apply as early as possible, since funds may become more limited at the end of the year. Electronic submissions via email are encouraged. Some materials, including signatures, will still need to be sent to the GPO on paper.

Applications are expected to be completed at least one month before the conference. Upon receipt of the award, the grant will be transferred to the student’s department for disbursement.

2002-03 examples of projects granted G.S.A. conference funding:

Carolyn Lambert, first year graduate student in art, for "Natural Building with the Mun Yuen." In late November, 2002, she traveled to Thailand "to help construct the countrys first earthen village for the "Mun Yuen". This village was built entirely from cob (a clay-straw composite) and adobe brick. The "Mun Yuen" have been displaced from their land because of a dam and are re-creating a self-reliant co-operative adjacent to National Forest land. Thailand, unlike this country, is poised to have natural techniques become mainstream building options. The efforts under this collaborative project will yield a prototype for other communities wishing to live in harmony with nature."

For more information on further opportities through the Fellowship Resource Advising Center, visit: http://osf.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/home/htm

Image: Shana Moulton’s 2002 project in Schwäbische Hall, Germany, fulfilling her girlhood career goal of becoming a unicorn, even after her teacher assured her that this was not feasible.  With research involving medieval manuscripts, Moulton proved that anything is possible when she ended up cheering on the towns American-style football team, The Unicorns, by donning the white fur and horn of its mascot uniform.  This manifestation was well received and sparked dialogue about the nature of site-specific artistic practices and working outside of a local context.  Partially funded by Graduate Student Conference Funding. in conjunction with a larger project at Fachhochschule Schwäbische Hall

 

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