Editor's Introduction
- This year’s M.F.A. competition drew over 650 entries from
Master’s of Fine Arts candidates throughout the United States. The quantity
of entrants was surpassed only by the quality of their work. We want to
extend our deepest gratitude to the artists who participated in this year’s
competition and to the individuals and institutions who made it possible.
I was very pleased to have Lisa Phillips serve as principal juror of this year’s M.F.A. Annual. Phillips, now the Director of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City, is perhaps best known for the multiple Biennials that she oversaw during her tenure at the Whitney Museum of American Art. She has two traits that make her particularly good at dealing with group exhibitions: a discerning eye and a willingness to consider a wide range of aesthetic viewpoints. Her selections demonstrate that the art of painting is very much alive in America’s art schools, and that it is being practiced at a high level.
Twenty-seven of the artists featured in this exhibition were selected by Phillips. Because there was so much work to consider, the decision was made to expand the content by adding a self-contained editor’s section. This section allowed for the inclusion of ten additional artists, each of whom is represented by one image. It also allowed for a second critical voice to speak, although by no means a dissenting one.
Periods of rapid expansion in the art world, such as the one we have witnessed in the past decade, seem to engender a rampant desire for the “new.” Eager collectors, curators and gallerists now descend upon annual M.F.A. thesis exhibitions in search of the next “hot” artist. The M.F.A. Annual arose out of the knowledge that attempting to visit more than a few such exhibitions each May is a logistical impossibility. Our book, while far from comprehensive, is the first attempt at presenting a nationally-focused “exhibition” of work produced by graduating M.F.A. students. It is meant to act as an exposure vehicle for the artists included on its pages, and to provide an overview of current trends in graduate art programs.
The individuals featured in The M.F.A. Annual 2001 are each at a critical point in their careers. Many of them will begin their lives as professional artists in the next twelve months. It is my sincere hope that our publication can help these individuals as they assimilate into the somewhat arcane, but always exciting art world. For more than seven years, The Open Studios Press has been dedicated to helping emerging and mid-career artists gain exposure for their work. To date, we have published the work of over 1,500 artists, many of whom have received substantial benefit as a direct result of appearing in New American Paintings.
Steven T. Zevitas
Editor & Publisher