The Master of Fine Arts in Image Text is a low-residency program that brings together critically, culturally, and politically engaged practices in creative writing, visual media, and design for print and digital publication.
The Image Text M.F.A. is a unique 25-month program that prepares artists to make substantial contributions to the contemporary literary and visual arts. Three five-week summer sessions offer intensive in-person classes with faculty and visiting artists as well as access to Cornell AAP’s exceptional resources and facilities. During the fall and spring semesters, students participate in immersive international field courses and work closely with faculty advisors while pursuing independent study.
Partial tuition scholarships are available on a competitive basis.
Curriculum
The M.F.A. in Image Text integrates intensive creative practice with rigorous theoretical and conceptual study. Students enter a community that brings visual media and the literary arts into a shared arena of discussion and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The program encourages students to make, show, perform, and publish work that makes substantial contributions to their disciplines. Image Text students have the opportunity to work closely with the highly regarded ITI Press, which publishes innovative works by national and international writers and artists.
Faculty and Visiting Artists
The department’s Image Text faculty brings a wide variety of creative and critical practices to the program. Working contemporary artists who publish and exhibit their work in national and international contexts, our faculty and visiting artists are dedicated to innovative approaches to pedagogy and ways of making and knowing that value psychologically, culturally, and politically engaged work.
Program Directors
Visiting Critics
- Carolyn Drake, summer / fall 2025
- Laura Parnes, fall 2025
- Vanessa Roveto, summer / fall 2025
Visiting Artists
To be announced…
Former Visiting Faculty and Visiting Artists
Michael Ashkin, Stephanie Barber, Veronica Gerber Bicecci, Lucas Blalock, Nydia Blas, Dannielle Bowman, Melissa Catanese, Bruno Ceschel, Matthew Connors, Mónica De La Torre, Carolyn Drake, Shannon Ebner, Charlie Engman, Tonya Foster, Jason Fulford, Renee Gladman, Andres Gonzalez, David Hartt, Whitney Hubbs, Erica Hunt, Lucy Ives, John Keene, Dawn Kim, Wayne Koestenbaum, Laura Letinsky, Tan Lin, Lesley A. Martin, Mark Armijo McKnight, Shala Miller, Terence Nance, Mark Nowak, Ed Panar, Ahndraya Parlato, Kanthy Peng, Res, Claudia Rankine, Vanessa Roveto, Gabrielle Octavia Rucker, Mariela Sancari, Drew Sawyer, Keisha Scarville, Elana Schlenker, Paul Soulellis, Paul Swenbeck, Elvia Wilk, Carmen Winant, Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa and others.