Clark University’s Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts Program will examine the role of museums and other arts institutions in the community at a symposium this Saturday, June 22. “Civic Practice Symposium: Methods of Cultural Production” will feature three leaders in the art world who have bridged cultural production in a context of civic space and community engagement. The program will also sponsor four art talks on campus, June 25–28, which will be livestreamed.
The MFA in Visual Arts is a two-year, low-residency program that offers artists the opportunity to study at Clark and at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), the largest contemporary museum in the United States. The program is “critique-based instead of being studio-based,” which distinguishes it from other MFA degrees, said Ben Sloat, a visual artist and program director.
One of the symposium presenters is Nick Capasso ’81, director of the Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM). Capasso is spearheading an ambitious housing project that is turning buildings outside his institution into artist housing.
“Over the last decade, FAM has evolved from a 20th-century model of museum practice, focused on the primacy of the art object, to a 21st-century practice that places the community at the center of museum practice,” Capasso says. “I will present several concrete examples from our curatorial and education programs, and from our partnership work on community and economic development in Fitchburg.”
“Museums, particularly small and regional institutions, can significantly contribute to a community’s health and well-being,” he adds. “And Clark’s MFA provides enormous educational value in a region once devoid of advanced training in the visual arts.”
This is the Fitchburg Art Museum’s first collaboration with the new MFA program; Capasso says he hopes it will not be the last. “FAM has a strong track record with Clark. Our staff have lectured at Clark, participated in undergrad critiques, exhibited work by Clark students, and provided quality internships for Clark art history students.” Capasso serves as an alumni mentor for Clark students.
In 2022, the museum presented “American Roadsides: Frank Armstrong’s Photographic Legacy,” an exhibit of work by Clark emeritus faculty Frank Armstrong and several of his former Clark students, and in 2025 FAM will present a retrospective of Professor Stephen DiRado’s photography.
Also presenting at Saturday’s symposium are Jameson Johnson, a writer, curator, and community organizer based in Boston, and founder and executive director at Boston Art Review; and Mallory Ruymann, a curator, art advisor, and art historian who works with emerging artists in all media. A Q&A period will follow the presentations.
Next week, the MFA in Visual Arts will present a series of Art Talks with the theme “A Fresh Start.” Each talk will take place at 7 pm. in Razzo Hall and will be livestreamed at ClarkMFA.org. The presenters include:
