The Education of a Digital Fine Artist

Abstract

While early experiments in digital and technological art began in the 1960s, degree programs that focused on it did not emerge until the 1980s. Most digital art pioneers were self-taught and created their work at research centers and universities. Emerging digital artists were primarily fine art students who supplemented their education with courses in computer science, graphics and programming. The first MFA in Computer Arts was established at the School of Visual Arts in 1986. The goal of the program was to provide an academic and studio environment in which artists would learn about the theory, history and practice of digital art. Several MFA degree programs followed and continue to be established. While museums were resistant to this type of art early on, international organizations and a small group of galleries embraced it. Museum curators who had experience and an interest in digital art were few and far between. As digital artists began to redefine the contemporary art landscape, museums and galleries began to take an interest in exhibiting this creative work. The development of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s radically changed both the museum and contemporary art world, and as well the education of artists. This chapter explores the parallel developments of digital art education; changes in how art is created, experienced and exhibited; new forms of contemporary art and the approaches modern curators are using to showcase this art.