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About Me
- Visual Artists of Vermont College
- Visual Artists of Vermont College was created by MFA-V alumni as a collective comprised of visual artists and visual art scholars working to ensure that the founding pedagogy of the MFA in Visual Art program remains firmly in place, now and in the future, at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
This letter is the collective voice of MFA-V faculty. I reprint it here with permission, in the hopes that those who hadn't received it personally will realize the growing concern among the entire vcfa community about what is happening.
ReplyDeleteI have personally been waiting for more substantial information about what has gone down -rather than working on assumptions based on the lack thereof - before writing my letter to Tom and Gary....because this is what my education has taught me to do.
With this letter from the faculty, whom I trust, I feel my fears are founded in fact. I'm writing my letter now. I might become an activist after all!
Dear Alumni of the MFA Program in Visual Art,
We as a faculty want to offer a huge thank you to all of you who have been following the recent changes to our program, and to those who have voiced concerns for its stewardship, direction and future. While this has been a challenging time for us, it has been tremendously encouraging to see such an outpouring of support for the Program, and the many ways that it has remained important to your lives.
Although the faculty neither had prior knowledge of nor condoned Jessica’s dismissal, the administration has made a commitment to us that the pedagogy of our Program with its emphasis on process and a collaborative approach to governance will continue. The faculty has decided to use this event as an opportunity to reassert our belief and investment in the unique pedagogical structure of our MFA in Visual Art Program and to request that the College do the same. In this spirit, we want to acknowledge the clarity with which many of you have articulated the history, principles and processes that define the unique strength of our program. This has helped to draw the attention of the larger VCFA community to what it is that we do and why we do it, which has lent us a stronger voice in advocating for our model to be sustained and protected.
As we move forward, it is our firm priority that both current and future students continue to have access to the same quality of education that you had access to. Our immediate concern is to ensure that these principles are better translated into the structure of VCFA itself, so that our Visual Art Program can indeed be sustained within the larger structure of the college. Toward that end, we are working with the President and the Dean to develop better communication and vehicles for airing grievances and differences of opinion. In addition, the President and Dean have assured us that the Visual Art Faculty will play a prominent role in selecting the new Program Director. We will keep you posted on these and other developments in our Program. In the meantime, please know that the narratives you have sent — accounting for our program, its principles, its history and living memory — continue to be an invaluable source of energy and authority in this process.
Yours sincerely,
The Faculty of the Program in Visual Art
Here is my letter to the administration:
ReplyDeleteDear Gary and Tom,
I am deeply concerned.
About a month ago, I wrote a letter to you expressing my dismay and disappointment regarding Jessica's sudden absence, but also my plea for transparency and inclusion of student voice in future VCFA decisions. I offered my support and help in this effort, and at the time, I had faith and optimism in the college's intentions as well as respect for the privacy of the reasonings behind Jessica's departure.
I did not receive a reply from either of you.
I had also previously mentioned my role in sitting in on accreditation meetings, and I will remind you again that I have been a part of student recruitment and counseling (by request of Jessica, who's dedication to the continuation of the program was paramount).
As of now, and until I see evidence of otherwise, I cannot speak on behalf of VCFA. My undergraduate experience was at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and I have become a visiting artist and partner with the school as alumni in a variety of capacities. I mentor recent graduates and work with rising artists in my role as a museum educator at the Walters Art Museum, and I continually point to my experience at VCFA and promote the program. Since Jessica's departure and the silence of the college, I have not been able to speak with any conviction about what the school is and where it is heading.
Words are easy to lay out in a brochure, and in my position at the museum, I see every day how management can use pictures and language to paint a picture of a perfect institution. But I also work with the community on a daily basis, and I see how glossy pictures, marketing, etc. mean NOTHING without personal, meaningful relationships between the institution and its constituents. You are in dangerous territory the minute you start painting a picture before you know what that picture is about, or WHY you are doing it. VCFA taught me that.
Visual Art as a term itself is difficult. The VCFA I know and love is about social theory, justice, and constant examination and critique. Student-centered education is simple. It's student-centered. This means, we must understand the artist as one who wears many hats and manifests themselves in a variety of situations across the country. We are researchers, we are educators, we are curators, we are parents, we are children, we are scientists, writers, etc., etc., etc. But these roles need voices, they need to learn to communicate effectively, they need to understand their context, and they need to understand how to examine their own identities. In my undergraduate experience, I received very little of these tools. At VCFA I received all of them. I have seen first-hand the difference between an institution that knows what it is, and one who operates under the "expected" terms.
VCFA has a very serious responsibility. VCFA empowered me to be an artist who pushes the boundaries of the studio and who seeks to change the world through art. There is no time in this world to mess around with teaching otherwise. I still use traditional art materials, but my language, contextualization, and daily life has been forever transformed by VCFA. Because I was given the individual attention to understand these things about myself, I am now in the position to make a difference somewhere or in someone. Take a minute to think about the problems our society is up against. Recognize yourselves as those who hold the power to do something about it by allowing for art to be pedagogically driven, completely individual, yet dialogic with a greater whole.
My artwork is on your materials, my face is on your website. I have a right to hold you to these standards. Think about all the other faces and visuals you include in your materials. We will all hold you accountable.
Thank you for reading this, please show me that you have read it, and prove me wrong in anything that I have falsely implied.
Sincerely,
Michelle Hagewood
The administration’s condescending admonishment that everything is fine- without proof thereof- has only added insult to the injury of Jessica Lutz's devastating dismissal.
ReplyDeleteNow, I am in a quandary as to how to proceed regarding 2 issues, and I need to know your intentions so I know how to proceed.
First of all, I have brought a friend to the college who is due to start the program with the summer residency. She is at your door based on my recommendation and the experience I just described. Because we have been friends for 25 years, I am not willing to avoid the topic of what is at stake in the future of the college. I am not willing to tell her everything is fine, when I do not believe this, and have nothing to base it on. I am traveling to see her in the coming weeks and need to know what I am supposed to tell her. My integrity is at stake here, as well as her $40,000.00, which I will recommend she take elsewhere unless you can convince me otherwise.
Secondly, in my great enthusiasm for VCFA, I had my recent diploma issued from the new college. This was done because Jessica told us that there was no chance that the college would not receive accreditation. Now I am in possession of a diploma that seems to be leaking credibility at a rapid rate. There is no accreditation, no reassurance, no stake-holder at the helm, no mission statement, and no convincing narrative about what has happened to Jessica.
After 2 years of my time and my own $40,000.00 investment, it’s devastating to find myself in this compromised position. Please advise me on how to proceed with these important concerns.
And most of all, please hear the voices of the MFA-V alumni, current students, faculty and larger community. We are counting on you to understand and protect this program Please don’t “fix” what isn’t broken.
Sincerely,
Blair Vaughn-Gruler, MFA
I got an immediate response with some interesting information:
ReplyDeleteHi Blair,
It is absolutely NOT true that we are considering eliminating the research and critical writing component of the program or the artist-teacher relationships. In fact, there are no changes to the program being discussed. I can't say it any clearer than that.
I understand that many alums were concerned about Jessica no longer directing the program. I also understand that people want information as to why. I hope you can understand that we are bound by certain policies and confidentiality requirements that exist to protect and respect the individual, not the college. What I can say is that this was simply and narrowly a personnel issue. It had nothing to do with "dismantling the program." The program will continue to offer the same educational experience and pedagogy it has offered since its inception.
Yesterday I testified in front of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education at NEASC, our accrediting body. Official word will come out shortly, but the college has been granted full accreditation. It is retroactive to the time of the visit, so prior to your graduation. Jessica gave you good advice.
Please keep the faith and hang in there. I wish you the best of luck with your work.
All my best,
Tom
Thomas Christopher Greene
President
Dear Gary,
ReplyDeleteI am writing to address my great concern about the departure of Jessica Lutz and about the future of our MFA in Visual Art program. As many have been, I was stunned to learn that Jessica is no longer a part of the program she is partly responsible for having created. The reasons are not known to us, but no matter what those reasons are, this news is very alarming. VCFA means a great deal to alumnae.
I am asking that you please find out what the program's pedagogy really is and has been before attempting to move forward. I ask that you write a mission statement clearly articulating the goals of the program, the ideals these goals are built upon, and the means through which this mission will be realized.
Thank you.
Betsy Walsh
VCFA ALUM '09
This is the letter I am sending...
ReplyDeleteI am writing to voice both my confusion and concern over the departure of Jessica Lutz and the future of VCFA.
I first heard about VCFA from an alum of the program. This former student did not know who I was. She was a working mother who graciously took time out of her day to meet with me face-to-face. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I was so amazed with her openness, that I thought she must be an isolated case. She put me in touch with another former alum, who also met with me personally and had the same sort of enthusiasm.
Still apprehensive, partly because of the cost, I was not completely convinced to attend. I contacted Jessica and asked if she could provide e-mail contacts in that state I was living in at the time, Arizona. She was prompt with contacts. Four people responded to me immediately and in depth about how the program had a fundamental impact on them. Although I have still never met some of these alumni, I still hear from them from time to time. I should mention that I personally visited two other (more affordable) graduate programs during this time and found the faculty and students at both to be lukewarm and uninspired.
During my time at VCFA I took many photos of the artists and artwork as a natural extension of my art. I was coming to the program after more than ten years as a professional newspaper photographer. A majority of the photos on the VCFA website and in the brochures are my photos. These photos have been provided free of charge. The reason for is Jessica Lutz. I decided not to ask for monetary compensation because it was clear to me that what she was facilitating had a value beyond money.
A good friend of mine has been hearing me talk about VCFA for the past three years. She decided to apply and is scheduled to start school there this summer. It saddens me to say that I cannot assure her at this time that the integrity of the program is in place. I would like to hear more specifically about what exactly the administration feels needs to be different and what specifically will remain intact about the program.
Everything I have heard at this point seems to be vague, encoded and even patronizing. Please convince me otherwise with actions as well as words.
Sincerely,
Patricia McInroy
August 2007
Dear Concerned Alumni,
ReplyDeleteAs a graduate of the Program, one who feels as strongly as all of you who have commented do, I would like to add a voice to this dialogue. I have served on the Board of Trustees for the last 3 years, have gotten to know Tom and Gary well, have watched their unfailing efforts to insure the history of our program as well as the other programs and now am so alarmed that they are being held in contempt. At no point through the arduous process of putting together this extremely difficult package involved in the purchase of the MFA programs have they ever had anything but your very best interest at heart. There are those of us on the Board who are grads of the program who have stood for nothing less than this kind of commitment.
Someone advised me once that one cannot make a judgment of how far we have come from the side of the mountain. These administrators have worked hard to reach the summit. Give them some credit for their perspective. We are so fortunate to have come this far.
Sincerely,
Susan Newbold,
From Juliet Davis, MFA
ReplyDeleteAssociate Professor of Communication
Interactive Media
The University of Tampa
Dear President Greene,
My purpose for writing to you today is two-fold: first, to express my profound gratitude for the MFA-V program in Art, which has been a transformational experience in my life (and the lives of so many others); and second, to express my concerns about what seems to be a recent breach in the shared governance of the program, resulting in actions that could be critical to its integrity. I hope that these perceptions are unfounded. As a professor who recommends countless students to the VCF-A program every year, my main purpose is to discern whether the future of the program will be as fertile as the past.
The VC program, as you know, has been extraordinary—most vitally, it is a theory-based program (which is essential not only in my field, new media art, but also in any field of art today, as they are markers of postmodernist thought). Artists are not only people who create things; they are agents who deconstruct systems of thought and power—the very kind of power that is sometimes found in even our educational institutions. The VC faculty (and, until recently, the co-founder/director of the program) embody VC’s excellence as it is expressed in radical thought (of the best kind). It is a fragile ecology, as so many extraordinary things are—and one which extends internationally, through the students’ work with Artist-Teachers (I was fortunate to work with some of the most famous people in my field through that facet of the program). Before coming to Vermont, I had already earned degrees from good schools--Indiana University, Brown University--yet, Vermont would be the most challenging and transformational experience by far. It would lead me to a tenured position in a top-tiered university and international recognition as a new media artist and scholar. It is my great debt of gratitude to VC—and my hope for its future—that finds me writing to you today.
The main question I have is whether VC has a commitment to supporting its founding tenets and fostering the kind of environment in which its excellence can continue to thrive. I ask this question as someone who has served in higher-ed administration and is not naïve to the political landscape. I have seen great schools gutted (and even closed) after smiling bureaucrats came in saying “nothing will change”—when in reality their plans for exploiting the school in wider markets destroyed the very thing that made the school desirable from the beginning. I sincerely hope this is not your plan, but I have to say that the sudden inexplicable firing of the co-founder/director is a bleak sign. Anyone who knew Jessica Lutz knew that she was one of the most capable, talented administrators ever seated and that she kept your ecology rich and balanced, even in the most difficult times. If this is any reflection on how business will be conducted in the future, then we all have reason to fear the worst.
At the University of Tampa, which is relatively conservative compared with schools like VC and School of the Art Institute of Chicago, we nevertheless have a system of shared governance and follow AAUP’s recommendations that the faculty own the curriculum. A department founder (or co-founder) would be considered vital to maintaining the vision of the program. It’s understandable that the appearance of a breach in such shared governance might signal future breaches of the same sort.
I sincerely hope that this will not be the case and that the VC faculty, to whom I own my life (or at least a large part of my identity) are free to thrive and transform the lives of others as they have transformed mine. Even if they are able to continue their work, they will be short a vital member, without whom the program will undoubtedly suffer.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dear Tom and Gary,
ReplyDeleteIt is a relief to hear that “there are no changes to the program being discussed”. I think this was a logical conclusion to reach on hearing that Jessica had been removed from VCFA and its website. We alums, knowing Jessica’s deep commitment to the program and enthusiasm for its independence from UI&U and accreditation, were left to imagine that she was standing in the way of sweeping changes to the program itself and that that (and not her “other directions”) was the only possible reason for her dismissal.
I’ve heard places like Cranbrook Academy called prestigious or dreamy but other MFA programs do not have the same transformative power and their alums do not sing their praises or feel connected and committed to the continued integrity of the program.
As for myself, I heard of Vermont College in a chance conversation with a professor who knew little of its founding tenets and the profound changes manifest in the lives of its graduates. And without going into detail, my life has been completely transformed by the VCFA process.
My enthusiasm for the program was without reservation until this recent and incomprehensible change. I was a one-woman recruitment force. And opportunities for my efforts present themselves weekly. My new studio is in a very public space – the largest art center in the country, and in the fall I will begin teaching at a local college. I hope to continue to show my gratitude to Vermont College by promoting the same program that I experienced.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Fellows
Dear Mr. Green and Mr. Moore,
ReplyDeleteI am writing to express my distress at the loss of Jessica Lutz as Director of the Vermont College of Fine Arts Visual Arts Program as well as concern about what this actually means for the program that I hold with such high regard.
I did not respond at first mention because I wanted to take time to think and construct a letter that is thoughtful and not just reactionary. Your emails to students and alumni about Jessica’s exit after many rereads seem very divisive. Your ambiguous language seems ridden with guilt, transference and ultimately deceit. You cannot just put words on a piece of paper and feel like you have somehow righted the situation. In addition, the way you mention how the faculty is involved in all decisions and will be in the search for a new director was completely discredited once the students were alerted that the faculty had in no way been a part of the decision regarding Jessica position and in fact found out when we did.
I am upset the most at the fact that you both seem to not truly understand the importance of the unique “Vermont” pedagogy, otherwise Jessica would still be in her position and at the least the faculty would have been informed before the departure. I chose Vermont because of the unique program.
My undergraduate program, influenced heavily by an alumnus of Vermont, allowed me to direct my own artistic making and study. Similarly as Vermont, they encouraged research and personal investment. Unfortunately, my undergraduate program wanted to grow and attract more traditional students. They were scared that students could not rise to the challenge set before us by our professors and began changing how the fine art program was ran, the types of courses we were allowed, and even started to control how courses were taught. We constantly had to validate what we did, how we thought and what we made as art. My own personal validation was my portfolio and the confidence and voice, I found through this battle.
Once I found Vermont I knew it fit perfectly into how I create art. I chose Vermont over four other schools I was accepted to because I had knowledge of how a program like this would let me blossom. In all honesty I did not care about accreditation, how much you marketed or the shape of the facility because I knew that I would have access to what I needed with support from an amazing faculty. Of course there are changes and things that would be nice to have such as more scholarships and I fully understand that these are monetary issues. But at what point does the money and the marketing start to change the program?
Transparency is important and the administration at VCFA is just making this situation confusing which leads to all of us being worried about our investment as not only students but also people. I feel bad that you both are not more involved in what happens while we are there for residencies. It seems if you were at the lectures, critiques, research groups, etc. you would understand that we are not just students we are all peers of each other. The faculty, students, director!, and staff make up a family- a family that trusts, supports and most of all allows for growth.
Why do you not respond to the petition for a mission statement that declares and restates the founding pedagogy? Why do you send us corporate written letters that say nothing? Don’t you know that we were taught to question and ask why, to do our research and come up with our own conclusions. What would you conclude from what we truly know… that Jessica is gone, the faculty didn’t know and the administration responses are formulaic, and a feeling that the administration has not been vocal in their true intentions? We may not be on campus at all times but in our own cities, we still have to hold the administration accountable, accountable to what this program was founded on.
Please do not disappoint or devalue our program. We should all proudly be able to say we graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts!
Sincerely,
Amanda Dillingham
Class of 2008
Dear Gary and Tom,
ReplyDeleteI am writing today to express my deepest concern for the future of the MFA in Visual Art program, of which I graduated in February of this year and hold very dear. First, I think it is important to recount just how I learned of the program. Like so many of my fellow students, I am a working artist, teacher and am actively involved in my local arts community. In looking for an MFA program, I was completely unaware of VCFA. It just so happened that a close friend, Anna Tomczak, serves as an Artist-Teacher for VCFA in my area of Central Florida and spoke highly of the program. So, I checked into it. I was extremely skeptical of a low residency program in the beginning. First off, I had never heard of the school and secondly, upon asking colleagues who teach and advise students throughout the southeast about it at the annual Society for Photographic Educators conference, all were skeptical with some warning me that it was likely a “degree mill” and likely only concerned about the money. Still, I researched further. I learned of how the program was conducted and structured, I read about the vision of the founders and was specifically moved by the profound mission to create a student directed program where artist connect with their local community in order to communicate the meaning of their work successfully. In short, I learned that art exists in a specific social context, not in a vacuum. If art does not engage the community at large, it risks becoming irrelevant. My tenure at VCFA bore this out at every turn and I have witnessed the embodiment of this specific pedagogy and belief by past and present students, faculty and, of course, our co-founder Jessica Lutz. In fact, I would never have ended up at VCFA had it not been for Jessica’s passionate persuasive powers and obvious commitment to the ideals set forth above. I spoke with her many times before committing to the program and, through her, came away convinced of the programs legitimacy and high ideals. The reason I recount this is that I thinks it’s very important for you to see just how our program recruits new students as well as the hesitation potential students will likely have. Glossy advertising through any media will not convince anyone to attend VCFA. Only by direct word of mouth through the evangelizing efforts of alumni, artist-teachers and faculty will new student recruits come, which brings me to the heart-breaking part of my letter.
...continued below
Continuation of previous letter:
ReplyDeleteI currently have no confidence in the ability of those responsible for the recent firing of co-founder Jessica Lutz, the programs most vocal and passionate ambassador, to steward the MFA-VA program going forward. From my point of view, this event foreshadows devastating, negative changes to the high standards set by past and present students, faculty and artist-teachers. The extremely inept way her firing and subsequent communications with current and past students were handled has lead me to have serious doubts that those responsible are capable of managing the program in a way that keeps it’s legacy intact. I now fear the eventual demise of the program that has given so much to me and that I have given so much to…with blood, sweat and treasure. Because of this, I am currently no longer able to recommend this program in good faith to the many students and colleagues who routinely ask me about MFA programs through my role as teacher and mentor at the three main universities in Central Florida – University of Central Florida, Stetson University and Daytona State College. Nor am I able to recommend the program to the many art students from all disciplines, including writing, who I routinely come into contact with through my ten-year affiliation with Atlantic Center for the Arts, one of the countries most prestigious artist residencies. It is my greatest hope that quick, specific and convincing action be taken by those currently in charge - beyond vague pleasantries - to remedy my current lack of faith in the program I hold most dear, the Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Please do not devalue the hard-earned degrees that myself and countless other alumni have worked so hard for. Please make available to current and future students the exact same high level of education I have received.
Sincerely,
Tariq Gibran Hamid,
Class of February 2010
Tom and Gary,
ReplyDeleteI wrote you a few weeks ago. My request at that time was for you put yourself in a posture to listen. I still believe that is an important act for the current situation amidst the questions, fears, and uncertainty surrounding the dismissal of Jessica Lutz and the future of VCFA.
I am wondering what you are hearing… What are the main concerns that have been voiced? What do you think is driving the various thoughts and emotions?
There is definitely a concern that Jessica’s dismissal is a sign of something greater - changes that would not be welcomed by those who are invested in the program. The VCFA pedagogy and process is unique… not just unique in a way that is simply trying to be different. VCFA occupies an original voice saturated with deep values.
I have to say that the communication around Jessica was vague at best. Is Jessica’s departure a sign of something greater? Are there significant changes on the horizon? Are there conversations and plans growing behind the scenes that you avoid having out in the open?
Sincerely,
Jonathan Marrs
Dear Tom & Gary,
ReplyDeleteI am writing to you with the utmost importance, to convey my highest regard for the unique pedagogy which the Vermont College of Fine Arts has offered me during my MFA in Visual Arts studies. I am currently in my final semester of study and am planning to graduate this summer in August. Recently, I received a letter of notification stating that a new director would be sought, in place of Jessica Lutz. I
do not know what could have possibly caused this change to occur. For the past two years I have known Jessica to be an instrumental component in establishing and ensuring the continuance of the unique pedagogy set to this program by its founder, Roy Levine. Please let me describe to you the importance of continuing this unique pedagogy. From your online profiles, I notice that you are both writers, not visual artists. Please, understand that
visual art is a practice which has: a long global history, a social placement, an association to creative processes as well as academic practices, and it possesses the potential for monumental social change. I
imaging as writers you can relate to these layered aspects of your disciplinary voice as well.
The VCFA in Visual Arts program model is vital in establishing and maintaining all professional aspects of the visual arts practice I outlined in the paragraph above. The program model is broken down specifically into: residency, artist-teacher mentorships (studio work), and visual culture projects
(research and writing practices). All three of these parts of the model are crucial to the articulate development of professional visual artists (artists who study at the MFA level). Being an MFA candidate means more to me than simply manipulating material at my studio by myself. Being a VCFA MFA candidate means that I am engaged in various aspects of artistic practice with various contemporary artist-teachers. I am also engaged in fundamental aspects of philosophy, art history, and
writing which history has deemed as monumental within the evolution of modernity. Please excuse my use of all caps but, THESE ARE FORMS OF DISCOURSE WHICH CANNOT BE HYPOTHESIZED.
ARTIST-TEACHER MENTORSHIPS AND WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS ARE INTERACTIVE AND MANDATORY IN LEARNING TO ENGAGE IN DISCOURSE & DISCURSIVE PRACTICES.
...cont. on next post.....
...cont. from last post....
ReplyDeleteBefore enrolling into the VCFA program, I had other offers for graduate school, two with scholarships, one being a fellowship. I CHOOSE VCFA FOR ITS UNIQUE PROGRAM. I believe so strongly in its model that I have risked my marriage, my job, and my life on it. And, I'd do it again to ensure its continuance. When I entered into the program, I had a strong desire to break free from being an isolated
artist. I longed for interaction, knowledge, and experience which could lead my work to do something, to mean something... to be made out of a desire to engage in conversations... to change. If I wanted to learn how to make gallery art or coffee table works, I could have stayed in my studio and worked alone.
THE VCFA MODEL IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND AND OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE because IT ENCOURAGES THE INTERROGATION AND REFLECTION OF SOCIAL PRACTICES AND ACADEMIC DISCOURSES. It is a program which transforms artists from being vessels of knowledge and skill into artists who seek to engage individuals... to inspire new meanings through INFOMRED artistic decisions and forms.
As I am in my final semester of study, I am currently reflecting on the massive transformation I have gone through during my studies at VCFA. I am awestruck by this transformation. Words cannot fully
describe how grateful I am to Roy, Jessica, Danielle, the Faculty, my Artist-Teachers, my fellow students, Guest Artists, Guest Critters, and all others who have been a part of this transformation. The program and its pedagogy have given my work new direction and profound meaning. Cultivated within me is a great light, a phenomenal zeal for knowledge and engagement which I will forever work to pass on to all my own students. This light I am talking about is the light of engagement and social action.
This light has the passion and wisdom to interrogate and construct; to invite and invent. Without this light, we operate under the strict utilitarian conditions and drives of capitalism and all of its guises.
Sincerely,
Lisa Ulik
MFA in Visual Arts, August 2010
Having read the above comments I agree with the concerns and am deeply troubled by the recent administrative actions especially with respect to the dismissal of Jessica Lutz. She built the MFA-VA program and without her leadership the college would not be where it is today. I have never met a more dedicated professional in my 20 years of teaching at the college level. The president and board members need to convince all the Vermont College community that their actions are sound, honest and in the best interest of the school's continuance as a innovator in higher education with a unique pedagogical model and outstanding faculty . Being a college faculty member myself, I am aware of the necessity of an endowment and reliance on alumni support--the loss of which could remove a sitting president.
ReplyDeleteCooper Spivey
MFA-VA
VCFA 2009
Dear Fellow Alumni,
ReplyDeleteI share with all of you who have been posting comments a huge debt of gratitude and affection for the MFA VA program – for its spirit , its amazing faculty, its pedagogical approach. This program changed my life, in ways that far exceeded my wildest expectations. It is for this reason that I agreed to be on the board, where I’ve served from the very beginning of the formation of the college. So my particular perspective is that of a devoted alum and board member, who has witnessed and been part of the birth of the college and its evolution up through the recent accreditation.
Jessica’s departure has been wrenching and painful for all of us in the Visual Arts Community. I have been heartsick to witness the loss of confidence in the program. But in all the ensuing discussion, certain conclusions are being drawn about the meaning of this event, and about Tom himself as the face of authority at the college, which are misleading, and unfounded. And so I want to add to the exchange my own sense of Tom as I’ve gotten to know him.
First, it’s important to remember that the purpose of the purchase of the college was to save and preserve these incredibly successful programs - without that, our beautiful ”city on the hill” would have become upscale real estate, and the programs would have vanished.
And while the heroic work of many was critical to that spectacular feat of rescuing the programs, it would never have happened if Tom Greene had not led the effort to make it happen.
Tom has been a part of the Vermont College community for 20 years. He is not an outside bureaucrat coming in to shake things up. He started in admissions in 1993, eventually became director of public affairs, and got his MFA in Writing from Vermont College in 1996. He went on to join the Vermont College faculty, and then became the Director of the Writing for Children and Young Adults program. He is a novelist with his fourth book in the works. He is as devoted as the rest of us to the principles at the core of our tradition, and I know from experience that he understands the important differences between the programs. He recognizes the profound effect this education has had on so many, and he wants above all to preserve and nurture the core beliefs that lie at the heart of that education. My own personal sense of Tom is that he is open-minded, he listens well, and he is listening carefully to the unfolding expression of passionate advocacy for the Visual Arts Program.
I can easily see how the loss of Jessica from the program could be interpreted as the first step in an agenda to institute changes to the pedagogy. I cannot say more emphatically that this is not the case. As the trustee chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, I have had the privilege of focusing on the stewardship of the mission of the college, and the integrity of the individual programs. We all want to preserve the founding tenets of the VA pedagogy, guarantee that its faculty has governance over that pedagogy, and do everything we can to keep the program vital and growing.
It is my fervent wish that all of you who know and love and have been affected by this program can find a way to come back together in the belief that the spirit of Vermont College, and its student-centered philosophy that changes lives, will live on at VCFA.
Thanks for listening,
Joan Grubin, class of February, 2003
I have been watching all of this with some surprise, some pain, some anger, some astonishment. To an extent I feel that I don't know enough and therefore am not qualified to comment. On the other hand, it seems that many others have found themselves in a similar position and commented anyway. So I throw my observations into the mix:
ReplyDelete- I firmly believe that Jessica's dismissal and the circumstances surrounding it is none of my business, and I personally find it disturbing that there has been so much emphasis on "transparency" regarding this event. Perhaps it is being part of Big Education at MIT that has allowed me to notice when Administration is sending a subtle message: they are not going to talk about this, are not obligated to do so, and in fact may be compromising confidentiality by going into details.
Why did it happen? I don't know. But I do know this: Jessica was the consummate professional in her dealings with us when we were students - and don't get me wrong, I adore Jessica.
However, it is ludicrous to insist that any of us were aware of all the inner workings of VCFA at any one time. There is plenty going on at any institution that is kept out of students' line of sight lest it distract from the priority: their education. Was it something along these lines? I still don't know.
But I do know one thing: it is very rare for an employer to get away with simply dismissing someone as upper-level as the director of a program overnight simply because they didn't fit some mysterious New Model. Not in this litigious society.
- Conspiracy theories based on Jessica's removal from the VC website seem ill-advised at best. I can think of no institution that dismisses an administrator and then goes on to celebrate them via their website.
- I have not met Tom or Gary, but I have to laugh when I read characterizations of them being "suits" - and then go back and review their bios. Are we talking about the same people?
I can't say that I have taken the time to get to know them, but this characterization of them as soulless MBAs that were shipped in to crack the whip is... interesting. I can only base my flimsy conclusions on everything I've read so far, so: I dare suggest that they would not have spent so much time responding to all the comments and concerns were they truly the figureheads that they are being painted as.
I made it a point to ask what signs of trouble were emanating from this administration prior to Jessica's dismissal. I was told that there were not any. If anyone could itemize grievances prior to recent events, please feel free to let me know. I really do wish to understand.
- If the administration was truly clearing house, why did they ask Danielle to stay? Why would they reach out to an alumni assistant who is very passionate about the program and its history to sign on as interim assistant director?
If I wanted to really erase "the old way", Sabrina Fadial is not who I would have called to come help me carry it out.
- The Mission Statement. No one appears willing to believe the communications that have so far come out of the Administration. If and when a mission statement actually surfaces, will this solve everything? Will that be deemed believable? How does this distinction work? Or will it then lead to more letters asking them to prove that they really, truly mean it?
(continued...)
ReplyDeleteCraig stated in a letter to Tom: "suggesting that a new printed piece of marketing material could ever serve as evidence of a commitment to the program’s pedagogy is disturbing. As you know, pedagogy is more then just words in print."
Isn't a Mission Statement, at heart, marketing material? Isn't a manifesto actually advertising? Isn't the point to clearly express intentions, whether it is a holy grail of a document written in blood on fine parchment, or included in a catalog with the intention of (gasp) boosting enrollment and financially protecting the school's future?
Wouldn't it be wiser to wait and see this print piece before dismissing it entirely?
Or: what would actually satisfy this request for evidence of commitment?
If words in print don't cover it (as Craig mentioned), then don't we in fact have to wait and see how the next two or three residencies - at least - work out? Do we not have to wait and find out from, say, alumni assistants whether or not they feel that the train has jumped the tracks?
Those of you who remember me will likely find it relatively easy to dismiss my comments as being grotesquely naïve. That's cool; I wasn't exactly a model VC student. I also have not been on campus in the last 8 years and have therefore missed some of the more notable events.
However, at least one person that I trust - Sabrina - has asked for my patience and faith while they work their way through this time of transition.
I am still willing to give her - and VCFA - my trust at this time.
Best,
James M. Long
MFA-V Feb. '02
Thank you to the faculty, Susan Newbold and Joan Grubin for their contributions to this dialogue.
ReplyDeleteTo: Tom & Gary
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the accreditation of Vermont College Fine Art! I know that many hands have worked hard to achieve this, and that it is a very important piece in the puzzle for your success in moving forward as an independent college. I give you all a big hug.
I have enjoyed reading the posts here. The power of my own transformative MFA experience at VCFA is being re-lived all over again. I think I need a nap now. But before I go, I would like to touch on something I see being communicated here. Within all of these passionate letters are references to individual experiences which are/were life affirming and transformative. This is the ultimate testament to the quality of an MFA program. It is that quality of education that I (we) fear is in jeopardy in the near future of the MFA-V program. Why? I am naturally skeptical of change especially when it involves the removal of the co-founder from our established educational program. If precedent is an accurate signifier, we are in for a change in direction. Please hold the value of our concerns with reverence while you work through this transition.
We are a very motivated alumni body that cares deeply for this program, and unanimously share a vested interest in securing the future of the program.
Sincerely,
Rolf Hoeg MFA-V February 2010
A week ago, I stood in front of a room of 500 large employer human resource leaders and leadership from the Department of Labor, making the case to dramatically alter communication regulations for retirement plans and Social Security. I would never had stood up and advocated for the ‘little guy’ in such an intimidating room were it not for the education I received at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
ReplyDeleteAnd who am I? I am a career administrator at a university in Washington DC. I work in human resources, managing benefits and communications. Twelve years ago I began a path to become an artist. Initially hopeful that open enrollment courses, pursuing galleries and joining co-ops would suffice, I came to realize it wasn’t enough. I needed more. So I began to look at MFA in Visual Arts programs.
I was hampered by a number of real-life constraints:
• I had to continue working full-time as I had responsibilities, a mortgage, etc.;
• It is difficult to take more than a week off from work;
• I did not want to incur a lot of debt;
• I wanted to complete the program in two years; and
• Although I had a master’s in literature, I did not have a BFA in Fine Arts and at the time little formal study in art history.
Additionally, I had goals as an artist that I wanted to meet:
• I wanted a real-life integration of a regular art practice with my day-to-day life;
• I wanted to make strong connections in my art community; and
• I had research and writing skills in cultural theory and psychoanalysis gained through my masters in literature, however I wanted to speak about my art in a cultural context.
I looked at a number of MFA programs, residential and low-residency. The only program that met all these criteria was Vermont College of Fine Arts. The other low-residency programs either had long or poorly-timed residencies, and I was concerned they saw their low-residency programs as money-makers rather than a unique pedagogical model.
All that said, what ultimately sold me on VCFA’s MFA in visual art were two things: 1) the partnership with an Artist Teacher during the semester; and 2) the emphasis on writing and research. My Artist Teachers helped me identify and strengthen my studio practice and the writing and research gave me language essential to my art production and future promotion.
By the end of two years in this unique pedagogical model:
• I am able to place my art in a social-cultural context;
• I have added two more visual media to my self-expression cadre;
• I have enriched my understanding of contemporary and art history;
• I can speak intelligently about my art in a theoretical context;
• I wrote and produced three performance art videos;
• I gave five live performances;
• I have become an activist for sound health and social insurance systems in the U.S.;
• I wrote a full-length screenplay.
In any other visual art program I may have accomplished two or three of these outcomes, but it is only in the unique visual arts pedagogical model at VCFA through which I could achieve all these outcomes. The pedagogical model effectively operated as two-year independent study allowing me to self-direct my studio and research under the empowering, effective and caring guidance of the faculty, Artist Teachers and Jessica Lutz.
In the weeks since we received notice of the sudden departure of Jessica Lutz, I have given much thought to the program, what it’s meant in my life and my concern for its future. I share these thoughts out of concern for the program’s future now that it is missing its true leader. I don’t believe the administration fully understands what they have done by severing the relationship with Jessica so sharply. I have lost faith in the school’s leadership with regard to the visual arts program.
(continued)
(continued)
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I presume nothing can bring Jessica back and for that I grieve deeply. I wish the administration had done a better job of showing respect to this tremendous leader and her legacy. I will forever hold her in my heart for all that she contributed to me, to the program, and to art itself.
My immediate concern is that the faculty be fully empowered to continue the program with its current structure: that the Artist Teacher paradigm, the self-directed pedagogical model, and the research and writing requirements remain, with the same rigor they have had. Nice emails and phone conversations are not enough. The pedagogical structure must be confirmed for the visual arts program and through the empowerment of the faculty.
Before graduation, I had been looking forward to a partnership with the school and bringing my university administrative and human resources skills to move the school forward in its independence. I looked forward to fundraising for VCFA. I looked forward to hosting local recruiting events in Washington DC.
As things stand, I cannot in good conscience recommend this program and for that I am deeply saddened.
Sarah Canadine Bayne
MFA-VISUAL ARTS 2010
A few weeks ago I wrote a letter to Tom and Gary voicing my concerns that echo what many of my fellow alums have said here. I received a prompt and polite reply indicating that they had heard what I had to say and I said "thank you". I am saddened that we now are not able to celebrate the achievement of the accreditation status of VCFA as we still lack trust in the administration.
ReplyDeleteI cannot articulate how wonderful my experience at VCFA was. I believe that there were many factors that made it great. But Jessica was the glue that held everything together. I now regret saying "thank you" for the polite response. I feel it is disingenuous for me to act like everything is fine. I am heart broken that I also in good conscience cannot recommend the program that I so loved.
It is good to have this forum for discussion and participation. I am glad to see differing perspectives presented and I notice some distinction in responses loosely based on graduation time. The conversation is useful and I doubt that there is one particular outcome that will please all.
ReplyDeleteI share my letter to Gary and Tom with you. I hope to have a productive conversation with Tom later today.
Gary Moore, Academic Dean
ReplyDeleteVermont College of Fine Arts
Thomas Greene, President
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Dear Tom and Gary,
I am writing to you as an alumna of Vermont College’s MFA-V degree program. First, I want to acknowledge and appreciate VCFA receiving accreditation. This accomplishment was made possible by many, including you, but it was grounded in the ongoing work of the MFA programs. I especially want to call out the contribution of Jessica Lutz, co-founder and long time director of the MFA-V program, to the effort to create Vermont College of Fine Arts. The visual arts degree program is my particular concern at this time.
The MFA-V program at Vermont College has been held in other institutions prior to the formation of VCFA. In each of those associations there were undoubtedly issues that the program needed to resolve in order to continue and maintain its integrity. Through those times founders of the program were participating and visible to both current students and alumni. With the dismissal of Jessica Lutz, that line of continuity has been broken. You are no doubt aware that the communications employed to inform students and alumni of this event were less than optimal. The absence of Jessica Lutz, by involuntary removal, is reason enough to signal alarm as to the intention of VCFA administration in connection with the MFA-V program. In your communications to some alumni it seems that you think we should trust you and go away and be quiet. I don’t know you. When I had doubts and concerns about the transition to VCFA, it was Jessica who heard me out and reassured me. I am not interested in having a discussion about employment decisions and I certainly respect privacy and confidentiality issues in these matters. Nevertheless, the ungraceful manner in which this was handled and the subsequent lack of meaningful reassurance, among other things, leads me to question the future program.
A hallmark of this program has been independence in thought and action. At its core is community building, active inquiry, activism and involvement by its participants. We are participatory artists and yet you question our right to participate in matters involving the survival of the MFA-V program. We are not students who passively drink the Kool Aid of “don’t worry, everything going to be the same” and there will be some new brochure that proclaims this and therefore makes it so. The alumni of this school really care about the program. Having survived both Norwich and Union, when it seemed there would be a bonus in being an independent institution, the very foundation of the visual arts program is called into question.
Because this is personal, let me tell you my story – I never wanted to go to any program but the Vermont College MFA program. I knew there would be rigorous study and opportunity, actual demand to explore, stretch and become not just an artist with credentials but a more informed and committed person and artist. I found a community of deep thinkers who had the added dimensions of being visual artists. They research, write and make art. Hot damn! I didn’t choose Vermont because it was limited residency. It certainly wasn’t most convenient. I schlepped across the U.S. leaving my always moderate climate to confront the vagaries of New England weather (among other things) because there was a gem of a program in the MFA-V at Vermont College. I have gratefully spent time talking with prospective students and joyfully told them of the advantages of this program. Now, I’m wondering what I will tell artist friends and acquaintances who have been considering the program. I cannot give them my word
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ReplyDeleteI believe in the program founded by Roy Levin and continued forward by Jessica Lutz. I have no idea what you are planning for the program to become. You have written of the “student-centered” nature of the program, yet it seems to be just a buzz word for you. I urge you to involve the alumni as you go forward. A first step would be the development of a mission statement; certainly this is not an unreasonable proposition. Is the VCFA administration committed to a visual arts program that is about social, political and cultural action? That’s the program I want to support.
Until I have more information and can develop a sense of your true intent to maintain the roots of this extraordinary program and giving it meaningful and deserved resources and attention, I will hold back on my enthusiastic endorsement. I want to be able to stand behind my word about the MFA-V at Vermont College of Fine Arts. I and many of my fellow alumnae want to participate in continuing to make this a vibrant, exciting and valuable program. I sincerely hope you will make so we are able to do that.
Sincerely,
Olaitan V. Callender-Scott, MFA
Vermont College of Fine Arts, February 2009
Dear Gary,
ReplyDeleteI am writing to address my great concern about the departure of Jessica Lutz and about the future of our MFA in Visual Art program. As many have been, I was stunned to learn that Jessica is no longer a part of the program she is partly responsible for having created. The reasons are not known to us, but no matter what those reasons are, this news is very alarming. VCFA means a great deal to alumnae.
I am asking that you please find out what the program's pedagogy really is and has been before attempting to move forward. I ask that you write a mission statement clearly articulating the goals of the program, the ideals these goals are built upon, and the means through which this mission will be realized.
Thank you.
Elizabeth Walsh
VCFA ALUM '09
Dear Gary,
ReplyDeleteI am writing to address my great concern about the departure of Jessica Lutz and about the future of our MFA in Visual Art program. As many have been, I was stunned to learn that Jessica is no longer a part of the program she is partly responsible for having created. The reasons are not known to us, but no matter what those reasons are, this news is very alarming. VCFA means a great deal to alumnae.
I am asking that you please find out what the program's pedagogy really is and has been before attempting to move forward. I ask that you write a mission statement clearly articulating the goals of the program, the ideals these goals are built upon, and the means through which this mission will be realized.
Thank you.
Elizabeth Walsh
VCFA ALUM '09
Gary’s response:
Dear Elizabeth -- thanks for letting me know about your concern. I too am eager to have the program continue to do what it does so well, and to keep the changing of a key staff member, with all the shock and anger that such a change can entail, from harming that future. I'm confident that the faculty will maintain the philosophy and practices you advocate for, and will help us hire a new director who will help them advance the program.
Gary
Here is first half of the letter/email I sent to Tom and Gary.
ReplyDeleteI know that you have received numerous correspondences from alumni and my fellow students regarding the recent activities at VCFA-VA. Nevertheless, I feel it is my responsibility to this program and all those involved to share with you my thoughts and concerns as you contemplate the future of the program. I hope that this offering, in itself, can serve as a testament to what this community of artists and scholars has emboldened me to do in my pursuit to become a more engaged artist and citizen.
In anticipation of attending my first residency at VCFA-VA, I began to review the material I had received many months before as I was applying to the school. I hoped that in reviewing these materials, I would gain a better sense of just what I was about to get myself into (and, perhaps, calm my growing anxiety). To my delight, I came across G. Roy Levin’s essay “Art Education as Cultural Practice”. In the final section of this essay I read the following passage:
Hopefully, students learn that making art doesn’t have to focus on being better than, or isolated from, others. That it can be a cooperative, mutually beneficial venture and that being open and truthful doesn’t have to result in punishment, but, rather, can lead to greater understanding for all involved...perhaps most crucially, they recognize that art is not simply about art, and artists are not lone geniuses, but both exist and take on their significance through a relationship to the world. That art and artists are part of the social, cultural, political and economic context which they influence and help define, and which partially influence and define them. All artists have an obligation to understand and struggle with these extra-artistic issues.
It is difficult to express my excitement as I read these words. My involvement in numerous community and academic processes had inspired me to develop similar beliefs. But, this same involvement had also made me acutely aware of challenges in manifesting such beliefs and creating structures that allow others to engage in such processes. Was it possible that this school, my school, truly functioned as a cooperative, open, truthful and mutually beneficial venture? Could I really expect the necessary level of commitment and engagement from the faculty and administration required to create such an institution?
Here's the second half:
ReplyDeleteMy expectations were more than met as I worked my way through my first residency. During these ten days, I was eagerly welcomed into a process that demanded my participation in both my own education and the development and shaping of the school itself. I marveled at the commitment of the faculty, Jessica and all supporting staff as they worked tirelessly to support and understand the individual needs of each student and then integrate these needs into needs of the school as a whole. I marveled at my fellow students as we struggled to rise to the expectations set before us and to clarify our desires for our community and ourselves. There was an overwhelming sense that we were all working together to create this place.
During the past two years, I have developed an acute awareness of the intricacies and efforts that go into shaping a society like VCFA-VA. I have been in continual awe of the faculty and of Jessica as they work year-round to maintain this program as a conscious, active and evolving entity. In my opinion, to say ‘yes’ to this program—as a student, faculty member or administrator—is to commit oneself to the labor of continuously assessing one’s actions, humbling oneself to the input and ideas of others and discovering and developing ways to move forward, together. This is a truly laborious process, but one that, unfortunately, might be easily dismissed for a seeming lack of clarity or efficiency. Yet, in my humble opinion, it is the most unique and valuable aspect of the VCFA-VA program. It is this process, and the unwavering devotion of our faculty, staff and students to it, that offers me the greatest inspiration and pride. Without the structure and involvement that allows this process to function, VCFA-VA will cease to be the same institution I committed myself to two years ago.
Here's the third half (?):
ReplyDeleteThough I was certainly delighted to hear that VCFA has recently received accreditation, my excitement was tempered by the recent events in the Visual Arts program. For me, accreditation promised to serve as a validation of the very processes I have described above. It would affirm that our particular methods of education and our open structures for the creation of art and society are of great value and integrity. It strikes me as sickeningly ironic that the school receives this validation from outside the institution just as these very methods are being questioned and threatened within it. Please know that I have heard and am attempting to trust your assertions that the Visual Arts program remains unchanged. Yet, the means by which the recent changes were carried out make it difficult to trust these claims. Of particular concern is the fact that the faculty was in no way consulted on such a dramatic change to our program. While each of us spend most of our time working alone, we do so with a profound trust in all the others participating in the endeavor of this program. I may not know the specifics of the efforts of the faculty and staff, but I have profound faith that they are acting with great consciousness of and care for the students and the program. I depend on them to shape this program and trust that they, being the ones who have worked to develop and define this program, possess the unique knowledge, skills and perseverance to carry such a program forward. To feel that their expertise may be disregarded engenders great fear in me for the future of this program. It is from a place of both fear and hope that I ask that you, as clearly as I can, to include our faculty in all future discussions of the expansion and development of our program. Moreover, I hope that all involved in these processes can be open and humble to the expertise offered by our faculty and that a structure can be developed that offers space for the voices of all those committed to the continued evolution of our program.
I imagine you feel profound pressure to find ways to unify the multiple arts programs within the newly accredited institution of VCFA. In your efforts, I ask that you consider the idea that unity does not demand the negation of difference. Each of these programs offers particularly beneficial processes to their students—processes that are designed to serve and educate their students in unique ways. My experience in the Visual Arts program has been revolutionary. It has undoubtedly supported me in becoming a more articulate and precise artists. More importantly, it has inspired me to become a more engaged, responsible and generous citizen. I hold out a deep hope that all future students of VCFA-VA will be offered access to a similar process and experience.
Of course, I am more than willing to engage in further discussion regarding these issues with any members of the administration. Thank you for your time thus far.
May we each find the humility and strength to guide us forward, together.
Respectfully,
Kathy Couch
Class of Summer 2010