Artist
At JFK University, we have a new vision for art and artists. For us, an artist is someone who can transform inner truth into something that helps the world - someone who connects the inner and the outer. Some artists make beautiful objects; paintings, sculptures, films and photographs, or perform poetry and movement. Some artists create entire environments allowing us to understand our own relationship to nature and the environment. Today, many artists are working as teachers and healers - helping others learn the lessons of creativity and self-expression that they themselves have learned through years of intensive art practice. We call these ‘transformative artists’. Learning art is far more than drawing and art history. Becoming an artist means that your life is built around an on-going process of self-inquiry, expanded vision and spiritual development of a means of connecting self-discovery with the world around you.
We’re working hard to develop new ways for artists to help the world. With each new discovery - each new revelation about truth and beauty - we gain the insight we need to help the world. With hard work and training we gain the tools and awareness to share our insights in ways that others can love and appreciate. All artists are in the same business - transformation. We discover the truth and tell it, and then everything is a little brighter and more beautiful. Artists make a living by revealing truth. At JFKU, we’re interested in helping artists learn how to change the world. Graduates of the Department of Arts and Consciousness earn a living in many ways - often art-related but not necessarily directly related. For instance, several graduates have become financially successful by starting their own businesses based on the holistic creative principles they learned at JFK. Others have followed the traditional route and have done well by selling artworks in galleries throughout the world. A few have gained financial success by sales alone, but most augment their income as teachers, advisors, counselors or workers. Some work in the community as members of arts organizations - others work in the corporate world. Many graduates teach in colleges and universities. Most would agree that being an artist is a way of life rather than just a means of earning a living. Artists bring a valuable commodity to the world - creativity and meaning. In your development as an artist, part of the journey is discovering who your market is and how to get your artwork to them. It’s an integral part of the curriculum.
At JFK University, the Department of Arts and Consciousness (A&C) in the School of Holistic Studies (SHS) offers three degree programs for artists who want to explore the deepest personal, social, and spiritual dimensions of art.
- The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts (BFA) provides a strong foundation in studio art and emphasizes the development of art as a spiritual practice.
- The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) expands the connections among art, culture, and spirituality within the context of contemporary society, developing technical and conceptual achievement with critical assessment skills.
- The Master of Arts in Transformative Arts (MA) helps develop links between personal creative expression and social and cultural change that allow improved states of wellness and self-integration through art.