PAFA’s community of faculty, students and alumni came together this week to kick off a new school year at an assembly that served up encouragement, ideas, advice – and lunch, of course – to new and returning graduate and undergraduate students.

The first assembly of the 2015-2016 academic year was fittingly held in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building’s Fisher Brooks Gallery, current home of the Traction Company exhibition.

“PAFA has a great sense of community and Traction Company is a great example of that,” said Clint Jukkala, PAFA’s new Dean of the School of Fine Arts. “I see this exhibition as a lens to see and think about the PAFA student experience.”

He cited the vastly different types of work, from classic figurative work to abstract sculpture and video, as well as the atmosphere of collaboration and camaraderie, as hallmarks of the PAFA experience.

Jukkala and Curator of Contemporary Art Jodi Throckmorton were joined by members of the Traction Company artist collective, all PAFA alumni, who talked to students about how to get the most out of their time at the school.

John Greig Jr. (Cert. ‘02) and Billy Dufala (Cert. ‘03) advised students to develop self-discipline and keep to an art-making schedule, whether they are in an art-making state of mind or not.

“I hear artists say, ‘I work when the feeling strikes,’ but there will come a time when ‘the feeling’ won’t strike for weeks and weeks and weeks,” Greig said. “Get into a habit and set aside time every day to work.”

Lucia Thomé (Cert. ‘13) told the group to “say yes to everything” and offer to help out with teachers’ and colleagues’ projects because it’s an ideal way to expand knowledge and skills.

Many of the Traction alumni talked about the importance of establishing relationships with their fellow students because those connections can grow and be fruitful throughout an artist’s life.

“The single most important thing you’ll get from the academy is all around you – your peers,” said Miguel Horn (Cert. ‘06). “Invest in the people sitting next to you because you never know where it’ll go.”

“This school is a springboard for a great career, for doing something you love,” added Joshua Koffman (Cert. ‘04). “There’s so much opportunity here – just take it."

Written by JoAnn Loviglio

September 2, 2015

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