2013 Commencement Speech by Ryan Hawk, BFA '13

Hello peers, family, friends and colleagues!

Firstly, I think we need to get something out of the way. I know what all of you are probably thinking, "I wonder if he's going to get naked?" Well, unfortunately for you all, they made me promise that I wouldn't. Even though it may be the only thing I could do that can take you out of that buzz you have going already. And yeah, I'm talking to all you moms out there. Just kidding!

To be honest, I don't feel that I'm in any position to offer accurate career advice or alternative philosophical ideals about how to continue into your future. However, since I was graced with this opportunity to speak to you all, for which I am incredibly honored, I hope that my words can reach you genuinely.

I couldn't allow myself to stand here and talk to you about failure, as we all know by now that it's detrimental to the artistic process—and besides, it's SOOO Chelsea 2010. Instead, I would like to spend some time thinking with you about things that are often neglected in moments like these.

1. As we're all at a point of determining our next step and throwing out some life lines, the rejections are rolling in from residencies, festivals, jobs, other schools and grants. These rejections can be painful, resulting in lack of confidence and spirit. I know this because I'm a victim of it as well. Unfortunately there's no way to get around rejection, as its part of what we do. But what we can do is adjust our perspective and remember the days like today, days when our accomplishments rule our entire beings, days when we know we're worth something great...and besides, f*^k those places for not wanting you anyways, right? Their loss.

2. I have no doubt that community is important to artmaking and any surrounding contexts. However, I feel just as strongly that the ability to be independent and self-sustaining is just as prominent. Our world is in desperate need of new leaders, people willing to step up and shake it up a bit. We are in a time where existing boundaries are collapsing and new soil is being exposed... so, I urge you, even when you stand alone, to be fearless, to be those people in times of need. As we're released into this life thing, yet again, I hope that you navigate it by standing alongside yourself firstly and by never losing sight of who you are. To quote one of my favorite superstars, "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?"

3. I know all of you have heard, through your years here and in the last 24 hours especially, things like: SO what are you going to do after school? What kind of jobs can you get? How will you make money? Are you going to be famous? What entails being a successful artist? Even when we deny it, the artist's fallacy dominates our existence. I mean, what geniuses we are...the ability to make something out of nothing, the ability to see into the future and make cutting-edge art? Super-star status! HAH! What few people realize is the hard work that goes into what we do. Sure, we have artistic talent, we can render things unimaginable by others, but we're not so special in any way other than that we were brave enough to follow our passions. By doing what we love to do we allow ourselves the insanity of 16-hour days in the studio without proper rest or nutrition so that we can pull things off like all of the fabulous thesis shows we've seen this spring—some of which are being referred to as the strongest Boston has ever seen. Art is no longer defined by material boundaries, it has exceeded into theoretical, cultural and social fields—reaching people like never before. And the world is hungry for it. So to all you out there in witness, your graduates are going to be fine! And plus, if this guy can do it [points to Dale Chihuly sculpture], your five year old can do it, which guess what, means your graduate can do it!

Being a student at the SMFA was complicated. And often twofold.

Firstly, we had the sweet stuff—you know, the reasons we all came here: access to the MFA, internationally acclaimed artist talks, the beautifully talented and successful faculty, the open-ended curriculum, the interdisciplinary nature of the programs and the accompanying freedom and rigor to push ourselves in a way that other art schools don't allow. These things were great. Am I right?

Secondly, there's the other stuff —things that made us all threaten to drop out or transfer every two weeks in our first year. And If you don't remember, let me name a few: leaking ceilings, moldy basements, busted stockroom equipment, sketchy administrative decisions, lack of studio space, annoying 25-person email threads regarding email threads, tuition bills, the business office, sometimes poor advising, Boston winters, Boston transit, Red Sox games and the lack of some essential necessities of any functional school such as reliable WiFi, carts, working water fountains and proper ventilation.

However, I hope you realize with me that those frustrations and complications were crucial to why our education was so special. You see, challenges are inherent to a quality of life that we strive for as artists—as in, determining growth and offering insights for change. And amidst the struggles that accompany a young and emerging artist's career, I'd say through the experiences we faced here at SMFA, whether good or bad, we're more prepared than any other. I am confident that each and every one of us has the strength and nerve to face any issue, whether locally or globally. We held on. We did it!

I hope you realize that you are all such beautiful beings containing the knowledge and power to shake the world. Despite previous comments, we all have a gift and I hope you never loose faith in it. Keep making good art; make complicated art. And if I can say anything today that speaks to truth, it's a simple warning: Watch out, we're coming.

Congratulations, Museum School classes of 2013, and thank you to all who made this experience so special!