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Friday December 24, 2021 | by Sadia Tasnim

Tulane's unique funded MFA Glass program accepting applications until February 1st

Tulane University is now taking applications for its Masters in Fine Arts Program in Glass. Home to the largest collegiate glass blowing studio in the Southern U.S., Tulane is one of the few glass MFA programs that is fully funded, meaning that successful applicants have their full tuition covered and are offered a stipend for their work teaching undergraduate student courses.

The intensive two-year residency program offers a chance to work alongside Tulane's longtime glass program head Gene Koss. MFA students will assist in teaching glass courses in their first year, and then will teach their own undergraduate courses in the second year of the program. The MFA kicks off with an exploratory phase, encouraging incoming master's students to try out all areas and formats within the glass field. The second year of the program is when students are required to develop their own focused bodies of work that culminates in the creation of their MFA thesis. Based on art history, pedagogy, and practice-based research, the curriculum provides students with a well-rounded approach to both studying and teaching the art of glasswork. 

Students at work in the Pace-Wilson Glass Studio with visiting artist Hank Adams in 2019

Once admitted, students will have full access to Tulane’s Pace-Wilson Glass Studio, equipped with a hotshop, coldshop, and metalworking facilities as well as Newcomb Art Museum’s Carroll Gallery which is reserved for Tulane student and faculty art works. The Carroll Gallery is also the site of MFA thesis exhibitions and public receptions, able to house a wide range of installation designs. 

MFA artwork displayed in the spacious and versatile Carroll Gallery. Photo: Mark-Anthony Polizzi, MFA 2008

The New Orleans based university’s sculpture foundry, woodshop, ceramics facilities, printmaking facilities, digital media labs, and painting studios are all open to MFA students looking to delve into multimedia arts and branch out in their areas of expertise. The Dean’s Office of Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts also offers a summer grant of up to $5,000 for students to conduct research, travel, and perform in support of their journey to mastering glass. 

Tulane University will be accepting applications through the end of January 2022. The official deadline to apply is February 1. For more information on the program, visit the Tulane information page. If you are interested in applying, please visit Tulane’s online application portal

Glass: The UrbanGlass Quarterly, a glossy art magazine published four times a year by UrbanGlass has provided a critical context to the most important artwork being done in the medium of glass for more than 40 years.