Let me introduce myself, I am one of many I am sure, I am a jaded underemployed Painting/Drawing M.F.A. I remember
what my mentors in grad school had told me, “ Perseverance is the key”. Well it has been seven years now, am I a fool,
or am I just exhibiting a strong perseverance in thinking I can still find a tenure-track job in a market that is flooded with
sometimes over 200 applicants for a single position? I have promised myself a couple of years ago that I would keep
trying at least until I am forty, now I am thinking, well maybe forty-two. In the past seven years since receiving my M.F.A. I
have taught at six different universities and colleges, moved twice, been unemployed, held a visiting professor position,
been a full-time lecturer, an unpaid university “consultant”(I know…How? What? – Actually good story), a part-time
adjunct, been a finalist five times, straw-man once, been short-listed maybe fifteen times, been an artist-in-residence, art
center instructor, stay-at-home dad, and all of this with two kids, and a wife that still believes in me. Priceless.
Hopefully this will be funnier than it is sad, because I feel as though I may be of some help, perspective and value here
for others with terminal degrees and abysmal outlooks. There is something to be said for the motivation that comes with
the seemingly unyielding rejection of an artists’ life. This story will make most people feel good if only to know that they
could have it worse. My story is actually a positive one because I am alive, I have a studio space, make and show art,
and still teach a little, and my wife has financially supported me in the rough times (which has been most of the time). In
essence, I have found a way to keep going, moving forward…all right, seemingly forward. But few are willing to keep at
something like this for this long, that is, without making substantial compromises to their dreams. I will spare you, but I
could honestly write a novel about the places I’ve been and the things I have seen since grad school. Suffice it to say,
“aren't politics fun!”
In essence I am, more than anything a professional job applicant. I spend inordinate amounts of time and money, every
year, applying for positions around the US, anywhere from twenty to thirty positions per year. Colleagues and peers
have described the successful landing of a tenure-track job as “the stars will have to align”, or “it’s a complete crap-
shoot”, or “you just have to put yourself out there in a shot-gun effect and hope you hit something.” *-note, often said
while shrugging the shoulders.
Not exactly words of encouragement. I am pretty sure that other MFA’s in sculpture, metals, dance, and writing all have
similar employment outlooks. Most, I suppose end up either full-time teaching or changing careers. But after seven or
more years of continuing to pursue something this doggedly you start seeing signs of encouragement that maybe this
perseverance-thing really does work. I wish I could take a poll and find out. The poll would ask, dear MFA’s with tenure-
track positions, how long did it take land your job? And would ask all MFA graduates, how long would or did it take you to
quit pursuing a tenure-track job? Then I would crunch the numbers to find the averages, minimums and extremes. I am
really curious, not that it would help me in any way.
When I was a recent M.F.A. grad I suspected that it might take me two to three years to find a tenure-track job, I have
only just finally come to the conclusion that this thing may never happen (finding a tenure-track job), there’s no reason
why it has to, and there are no guarantees, I may never be “the right fit.” Besides there is simply no healthy way
(physically or psychologically) to harbor any expectations over this process whatsoever. Just keep moving forward, just
keep trying, and just keep growing, getting better, and maybe, or maybe not. But it’s so unimaginably hard to do when
each year seems to be the year, and with each year you seem to get closer and closer, but no…
This process can really play games with your mind. Recently I had one painting professor tell me that he bounced from
one-year position to one-year position for seven years until he landed a tenure-track job. The question I asked myself
was, was he telling me this because he suspects that his experience is unlikely to be trumped, was this supposed to
make me feel good? Apparently he did not realize that this year would be my eighth year of applications! Hooray, I have
outlasted the extreme!
The truth is that I don’t even know if I am the norm, the extreme or other. I do know of two people from graduate school
that landed jobs straight out of school but I also know that most have quit, switched professions, had to make severe
compromises, or have been unheard of ever since (been swallowed-up by the MFA vacuum). As a finalist at a recent
interview I was asked about my immediate career goals, to which I responded, “At some level, I just want to do whatever I
can to simply continue what I am doing.” I did expound on specifics that I am employing to advance my career, but at this
point my desperate psyche is hardly disguisable. And the truth is just that, that if I can find ways to continue being an
artist without my wife divorcing me, I feel pretty good. After all, it‘s not like this process hasn’t led to my own serious
questioning, and soul-searching.
The years of this process has given me some perspective though. I now know that on a level playing field (meaning in a
world without biases) some M.F.A grad, two or three years out, would have a very difficult time competing with my
artwork, experience, statements and vita. It’s a wonder that I was even looked at as an applicant early on. On the other
hand, two of the last three times as a finalist, younger candidates have been hired in preference to me. So when do you
get to that point when they look at you and they wonder, “why hasn’t he been hired yet? I wonder what could be wrong
with him; I hope his mediocrity isn’t contagious…”
I know, I know, you can really kill yourself thinking about all the variables, with all the second-guessing, and all the what-
ifs. But ultimately you do have to think about it, and maybe there is no figuring it out, or knowing for sure, but you have
to try to get better, there are things to learn, ways to grow, and adaptations to make.
What I do know is that I have three more years until I am forty and have already been through a lot, I am still making and
showing art, still teaching where I can, so I have been able to continue. So, here we go again… I hear the eight times’ a
charm, maybe I am fool maybe I am just exhibiting extreme perseverance. Some day I hope to find out, maybe it’s this
year.
Greg Fuqua
1322 Carroll Ave.
Ames, IA, 50010
(515) 232-0969
gfuqua70@msn.com