MFA Shows in the Bay during the Merry Month of May

It's May and while many are making vacation plans, graduates from the various art schools and departments in the Bay Area are frantically finishing up the work for their MFA. For the artists, it's an introduction to the crazy making world called "getting your art out there." For us, it's a chance to see what the next generation is working on and maybe pick out a few pieces that really speak to us. Most student work is experimental and still raw, which has it's own virtues. You may not be able to spot the next Picasso but no matter; it's fun to look, to talk to the artists who are almost always accessible, idealistic and eager to share. As always, support your local artists.

No Right Angles: The 40th Annual University of California, Berkeley Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition
May 21, 2010 through June 20, 2010
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibition/mfa2010
What really is worth checking out at Berkeley is the exhibit:  Assignment Shanghai: Photographs on the Eve of Revolution
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibition/AssignmentShanghai

California College of the Arts will host opening receptions for three major year-end exhibitions on Thursday, May 6, from 6–9 p.m. "We have as much time as it takes" is the thesis exhibition of CCA's Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice, being presented in the galleries of the CCA Wattis Institute for the first time in the program's seven-year history. There's a long, long list of MFA candidates but no usable images for the web so you are on your own here. 
http://www.cca.edu/news/2010/03/31/cca-presents-its-mfa-exhibition-curatorial-practice-thesis-exhibition-and-baccalaure
 

San Francisco Art Institute is the oldest art school around. Although the faculty have seen better days (Still, Park, Diebenkorn, Hatofsky to name a few of the past teachers), it's still hanging in there, so not to go would be so square (daddy-oh)! Their MFA Graduate Exhibition will feature work by nearly 100 artists, with a wide range of approaches. The student work is usually quirky, very experimental and not too accessible to the non-art public but I've always found the students (mostly) eager to respond to an honest question. I will refrain from a "I remember when" comment but if it's your thing, go and check it out
SVernissage: Friday, 14 May 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00pm
On view: 15–22 May 2010, daily from 12:00 to 6:00pm
Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason
http://www.sfai.edu/

Monica Lundy, MFA candidate, Mills College.

Mills College : I was particularly struck by the work of Monica Lundy which showed real emotional power and technical skill.
http://www.mills.edu/campus_life/art_museum/current.php
http://www.mills.edu/betweenyouandme/
http://monicalundy.com/