ABOUT “BEST MFA” Continuing Gretchen’s hack of major art world institutions, taking poetics from time in quarantine, and continuing her use of Sarah Thornton’s Seven Days in the Art World as her guide, this work is on its way to being a top image for the search “best MFA.” Instead of the “traditional path” of arts education, this work explores time, money, and life experience not spent on formal arts education, the artist considering life, love, loss, friends, travel, Russian novels, political engagement, drugs, disappointment, and mentors a great education. This works brings to life Gretchen’s vision of a career and artworld. In an interview with The Museum of Contemporary Digital Art Gretchen said: “I also realised that I needed to build my own team...I’ve thought a lot about the job description of everyone involved in my work; gallerists, curators, and even collectors. I tell everyone I work with or am considering working with that my career is a table, a rustic dining table that hosts 3-hour dinners with lots of wine. If you’re not going to thrive in that environment, you’re probably not the right person for me and my work. Having the confidence to say “no” is imperative. In my practice, I accrue and use power in a nontraditional way, and in my career I do the same thing. The vision I am working towards on my canvases is as firm as the one I am making for my market and community.