Prompt: Use your written statement as a way to better represent yourself and your work.
Writing is a very important component of being an artist. We will be looking closely at your ability to compose an essay, as well as the manner in which you utilize text as a tool. We are interested in finding out more about you, why you do what you do, and why you are a strong candidate for SAIC's undergraduate program. Please also include information about community service projects, exhibitions you have participated in, or any other activities that contribute to the making of your work.
If you are applying to the BFA with an Emphasis in Writing, your statement needs to also address how you imagine a studio arts environment will impact your writing practice.
Note: I am not applying to the BFA w/ writing emphasis.
Here's my essay (sorry if it sucks):
I can say a thousand words without opening my mouth or going through the inconvenience of embarrassing myself by stumbling over my own words. Art organises my thoughts and emotions. Paired with my capacity to synthesise disparate images, I am able to make sense and order out of confusion. Though I make my artwork with preconceived ideas, it is ultimately up to the viewer to see part of him or herself in my work and relate to it in the way people do with a musician's lyrics. If my paintings ever help another person or inspire them, then I deem that successful. I have struggled for years to create a voice, a message in my drawings, not just to render a drawing of an object or person realistically. Day and night I devote myself to this passion. Even in the midst of my sleep, my dreams and nightmares only add as inspiration.
Two years ago, I joined a fine arts programme called Ryman Arts. Every Saturday I dedicated nearly four hours of my time along with twenty-something other serious art geeks like me from my morning class to drawing and painting. Most kids would have been at the beach or out at the mall, but we gratefully took as much advantage as we could out of the professional guidance and free art supplies we received, the critiques and theories we shared, and the occasional trips we went on to museums such as the Norton Simon or the Museum of Contemporary Art. After three semesters, we graduated at the California African American Museum while all our artworks graced the exhibit's walls. Prior to going through that valuable experience, I was somewhat doubtful of my own talent, but afterward my hands, eyes and brain were sharpened. My sketches showed a more mature approach, and most importantly, Ryman confirmed my decision to pursue art as both a passion and a career.
From Ryman, I gained a newfound motivation to push myself harder by challenging myself with new forms of art and delving deeper into extracurricular activities. Upon discovering that Art Club had been discontinued at my regular school, I decided to start up a new one. This holiday, I was in charge of what I like to call the "Derelicte" Holiday Tree, a Christmas tree which Art Club and Green Club collaborated on. The project took about a month to create, with our first challenge having to do with collecting enough recycled bottles to assemble the piece. We put together several tiers of green bottles, which were connected to a six foot pole with wires. The piece is still displayed at the school's main quad, where people can enjoy our work while also being encouraged to recycle.
With all that said, I will endlessly continue to improve my technical skills this year in my last Studio Arts class; however, I know that I undoubtedly still have a lot more developing to do as an artist. With the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's fine arts program, while surrounded by other talented artists, I would be able to better grow as an artist myself; in search of my own style and technique, I have found this institution to have the best possible environment for that growth. I strive to use my mechanical skills in such a way that creates a distinguishing character in my artwork in order to stand out among all the other artists from our generation, whose art may lack meaning.
