Who are you/What do you do?
My name is Jason Hearst. I am an audio engineer/recording studio owner and a high school alpine ski coach.
What are your career aspirations/what motivates you?
My goal for this program is to help contextualize my lifelong pursuit of art. As I am moving into a new phase in my life, I want to bring being an artist into the forefront and formally learn about the process of critique, critical art theory, and writing, and learn the vernacular of the art word so I can bring that to my work and move into that space.
How does the MFA in Visual Arts help you reach your objectives?
I have always felt that the formalized system of education is the most direct path for me to learn. Having professors, classmates, and a structured system allows me to then just focus on the learning and let the process work.
Why did you choose the Clark MFA in Visual Arts over other possible options?
The Clark MFA in VA stood out as a program that balanced a low-residency model with an emphasis on critique. On top of that, having the winter residency opportunity at Mass MoCA presented as a very exciting environment. Finally, when I interviewed with program director Ben Sloat, the thoughtfulness and intentionality he brought to the conversation was amazing.
What would you tell a friend who is considering the program?
As a student in the program, I have seen firsthand how Ben’s vision and pedagogy have created an amazing environment that is both supportive to hold space for being vulnerable as a learning artist, but is coupled with the necessary academic rigor for education. On my first day of entering the program, I felt welcomed, and that feeling only grew throughout the whole residency. I really felt like I found a group of “my people” that I didn’t know I had been missing.