Silver Eye

Together with artist and educator Zora J Murff, course participants will think deeply about the purposes and functions of academia, gain insight on professional processes (e.g., grad school packets, job search processes, etc.). In addition to reflection-based writing assignments, participants will engage with various media to investigate how neocolonial and neoliberal culture influence academia. Feedback will be provided individually from the instructor and communally through discussion and critique.

This is best suited for first generation, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQIA+ individuals who are: undergraduate photography students interested in applying to MFA programs andMFAs interested in careers in academia.

Image credit: Zora J Murff, Metaspectacle (Race/Hustle), Detail, 2025. Courtesy of the artist

Who this course is for (please read before enrolling)

This course is intended for students whose social identities have shaped their relationship to higher education in ways that produce barriers to access, participation, and success. It is for those who have been historically excluded, as well as those inside institutions who experience confusion, isolation, or dissonance due to their position within existing social and institutional codes and structures.

If you do not identify with these experiences, we invite you to reflect thoughtfully on the focus of this course before submitting an enrollment form. We appreciate your care in helping ensure that this space remains centered on supporting students often underrepresented in academia. Please consider and explore our other creative and professional offerings at silvereye.org

Schedule

Week 1: Monday, June 22, 6.30-9pm ET
Introductions & History of the Ivory Tower
Focus: What is academia? Who does it serve?

Week 2: Monday, June 29, 6.30-9pm ET
Intention, Values & Goal-Mapping
Focus: What do you want from (or outside of) academia?

Week 3: Monday, July 6, 6.30-9pm ET
MFA Programs & Academic Pathways
Focus: Understanding structures, funding, and career trajectories

Week 4: Monday, July 13, 6.30-9pm ET
Applications & Professional Materials
Focus: Demystifying application processes

Week 5: Monday, July 20, 6.30-9pm ET
Neocolonialism, Neoliberalism, and Academia
Focus: How power operates through institutions

Week 6: Monday, July 27, 6.30-9pm ET
“Marginal” Experience, Self-Defense, and Exit Strategy
Focus: Strategy, survival tactics, and getting out

Register

The six week course registration fee is $150.

Register below by 5pm on Monday, June 15!

If you would like to take this workshop and need financial assistance please contact info@silvereye.org. A limited number of bursary seats are available.

Participating Artist

1. Zora J Murff is an Oregon-based artist and educator. He uses transgressive ideologies to promote critical self-reflection, visual literacy, and consciousness raising. Murff has published multiple books of his artwork including his most recent, True Colors (Or, Affirmations in a Crisis, published by Aperture Foundation. His work has been collected and shown internationally including the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. In 2023, Murff was named an ICP 2023 Infinity Award winner. His first museum solo show, RACE/HUSTLE is currently on display at MASS MoCA through November 2026.