IX. SMFA Policies

Animal Policy

The use or possession of dead animals is not permitted on School property under any circumstances, including personal art work. Students or other members of the community who are considering the use of dead animals in their work must do so off of School grounds.

Live animals are not allowed in the buildings without special permission from Student Life (ex. animals that assist persons with disabilities or animals used in the classroom as part of the curriculum). Requests for use of animals as part of the curriculum or for therapeutic purposes must be made in writing to the Assistant Dean of Students Life for the SMFA at Tufts. 

Storage of Art

Every student is responsible for the safety and storage of his or her own artwork. Availability of storage space varies within each of the studio areas and classrooms. The areas and/or faculty who teach in the space supervise all available storage. Any work left in any studio storage space or common area during the academic year must have permission to be stored there by Student Life, and must be clearly labeled with name, contact information, and end-dates for storage to prevent against loss, damage, and/or theft. Artwork may not be stored in corridors or other public areas and neither artwork or performance pieces should block stairways, public entrances, or fire exits. In addition, installations/paintings should not be placed or stored in the faculty/student mailbox area or in the administrative offices area. Consult with a faculty or staff member if you are uncertain about how and where to work on or to store projects.

End-of-Year Removal of Art

Students are expected to remove all artwork from the building by the last day of Review Boards of the spring semester, including from lockers. There is no summer or long-term storage for artwork in any SMFA at Tufts building, including all designated studio areas (except for continuing MFA students, who may maintain their studios). Any space used for an installation/painting must be returned to its original state immediately following removal. Artwork left in the building past the removal deadline will become the property of SMFA at Tufts and may be discarded or donated at the school’s discretion. 

Use of Found Objects and Materials in School Buildings

Found objects and materials (furniture, bicycles, equipment, fabrics, paper, plant, animal life, etc.) should not be brought into the building, regardless of intended use, if there is any possibility of fire, contamination, infestation, or other general health and safety concerns. Federal and state health and safety regulations forbid any furniture in the building that is not rated using the CAL-117-2013 method.

Permission to Work in Galleries and Copying Paintings and Images at MFA

• Drawing and sketching: Drawing with pencils and erasers is permitted. Drawing boards and sketchpads are permitted, but must be 18” x 24” or smaller. Copying in watercolors, crayons, pastels, or charcoal is not permitted.
• Painting: Only paintings owned by the MFA may be copied. A permit is required to use oils or acrylics, and/or to use an easel in the Museum. Permits may be obtained by appointment only by contacting the Museum at 617-369-3484 (Art of Europe) or 617-369-3507 (Art of the Americas).

Please check http://www.mfa.org/visit/plan-your-visit/tips-visitors for additional information, including an extensive policy on photography.

After-Hours Access

See our After-Hours Access page for information about After-hours Access.

Permission to Exhibit/Display Art in Common Spaces

Students who wish to make or exhibit artwork in common areas (atrium, hallways, catwalks, front and back courtyards, balconies, restrooms, elevators, and administrative offices) must complete and return the Approval for Use of Common Space Form (available at Student Life) to Student Life in advance of the work being done (excluding installations being scheduled by Exhibitions). Student Life will review the request and if necessary make recommendations for changes to address any concerns. Pending approval, completed forms are signed and returned to the student for posting on the site where the work is done. Please allow for adequate time for your request to process. It may take up to a week.

The health and safety of all community members are the first priority when considering approval for a project in common areas. City, State, and Federal regulations and codes must be followed in order to protect building occupants from harm and to protect the School from risk of fines and/or penalties.

Please follow these basic guidelines when considering artwork for common spaces:

• Artwork cannot block hallways, doorways, or other means of egress. Work done in hallways should be no more than 18” out from the wall. A 4’ path must be maintained in any hallway.
• In general, no artwork is permitted in any of the stairwells. These are designated fire egresses and are highly scrutinized by the city codes inspector. Some 2-dimensional works are possible, but they must present no threat of fire or create any impediment to exiting the space.
• Materials used on projects must be environmentally safe and must present no health risk to those in the vicinity.

The School reserves the right to impose conditions or require the student to adapt the artwork if it poses perceived potential danger to the artist or others. If conditions are imposed, they must be met; failure to do so will result in removal of the work.

Students may be asked to refine or revise their requests in cases where a more detailed outline is needed of installation methods and requirements.

Students are responsible for returning the space back to its original conditions. No permanent structural changes may be made to the space without prior permission. Painting materials for restoring areas are available from Facilities if needed.

Upon final approval from Student Life, you will be issued an official notice for your work. You must post the notice in close proximity of your artwork or we cannot guarantee that the work will not be removed. Artwork done in common areas that has not been approved will be removed. 

Audio Devices

The working environment needs to be a place in which all students can focus on their work without unnecessary interruptions or disruptions. Open-air audio devices and musical instruments in the studios infringe on the rights of students to work in an atmosphere conducive to critical thinking and art-making. Any student who wishes to use any audio devices that are not directly related to their studio work must use headphones or earphones and receive permission from the faculty member.

Studio and Space-Specific Policies

Studio and space-specific policies are accessible via this folder.