California College of the Arts

Imagine if you could learn about literary form, research, and revision from masters of the craft. The chance to study with acclaimed writers and poets is one of the greatest benefits of an MFA in Creative Writing. From intimate writing workshops to incredible readings, their experiences and perspectives can help you fine-tune your craft as you work towards publication. Tracy K. Smith, U.S. Poet Laureate and winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, recently read from her forthcoming collection, Wade in the Water, and held a craft talk for our CCA MFA in Writing students and local community of writers and artists. She offered three fruitful tips to help jump-start your fall writing, and the first one might surprise you: 

Architectural design is a collective experiment. Designing Material Innovation, an outdoor exhibition at California College of the Arts (CCA), hypothesizes a future with radically different notions of material, fabrication, and design. Artifacts are interactive. Sculptures are upcycled. Prototypes are shelters and data machines at once.  

When you choose an art school, you’re not just choosing a school — faculty, curriculum, campus housing, and all the rest — you’re choosing a scene. More than almost any other discipline, the study of art requires immersing yourself in art, surrounding yourself with people who are making art, at every level and in every form, to cultivate inspiration and opportunity. For that, nothing beats a big city. And in the U.S., nothing beats San Francisco. San Francisco has been called, among other things, one of the most inspiring cities for young artists, one of the world’s top cities for designers, and the top North American city for an animation career. Now add this superlative to the list: America’s best city for art students. Here are three reasons why:

CCA alumnus Patrick Lin never thought he would have a career in animation. Growing up in Hong Kong, he was inspired by Hollywood titans George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and decided he would someday make films.¹ This dream led him to the CCA film program, where, unbeknownst to him, he began laying the groundwork for one of the most coveted Pixar jobs: Director of Photography.

Join us for an evening with David Lowery on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. A screenwriter and award-winning filmmaker, Lowery will be in conversation with Brook Hinton, CCA’s Film Program co-chair. Both MFA film and BFA film school students are encouraged to attend and ask any burning questions about Lowery’s three feature films: A Ghost Story, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, and Pete’s Dragon.