School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Digital Short Story: Small Bytes, Big Fiction,” an exhibition of stories by MFA Visual Narrative students. Curated by faculty members Jim Rugg and Mark Sable, the exhibition will be on view from Monday, June 8, through Friday, June 26, at galleries.sva.edu.

In MFA Visual Narrative’s Digital Short Story (DSS) show, each student channels their inner author and narrative designer to create, write and present an original, self-published digital short story in 15 weeks. Subject matter, style and digital format design are an integral part of the project development, creative process and decision-making. The only true parameters of the project are story length, the use of text and image and the challenge of telling a great story from concept to finish.

The goal of DSS is to foster ambitious and exciting new voices in visual storytelling through interaction with faculty and peers. The DSS project is designed to focus on specific story fundamentals and explorations in character development, setting, plot structure, narrative design and story composition to translate ideas and information into a digital format rooted in an information system as old as human culture—story.

This year’s DSS exhibition showcases video animation, comics, blogs and interactivity. It features stories about fairy tales, real life, health, sports, identity, ghosts, monsters, love and change.

Featured artists: G. Davis Cathcart, Tony Chao, Elizabeth Gu, Handowin He, Jacquelyn Kirby, Olivia Li, Susannah Lohr, Maria Schweitzer, Maggie G. Vicknair and Martin Xing.

The MFA Visual Narrative program at SVA responds to the needs of today’s evolving creative markets by merging the artist and author. It’s an evolutionary process that puts story first and gives you the tools you need to craft your own stories and to help others craft theirs. More than just a degree program, MFA Visual Narrative offers a school of thought that immerses you in story.