Last week, during an interview with a French media outlet, Kanye let it slip that he would be receiving an honorary doctorate from the School of Art Institute of Chicago in May. Well, those claims have (of course) been backed up by Lisa Wainwright, dean of faculty and vice president of academic administration at SAIC, who spoke with the Chicago Tribune regarding the doctorate, and how Yeezus came to earn such a distinguished title:
Lisa Wainwright, dean of faculty and vice president of academic administration at SAIC, said she read a recent interview with West in which he said he wished that he had attended the SAIC. “I read it and thought, ‘Wow, this is a fantastic moment.’ Here is this major figure in the cultural landscape promoting art school, this guy from Chicago saying art school is cool. So we thought, ‘This man deserves an honorary doctorate from us!’ He should have gone here. He would have been a perfect SAIC student — he likes to shake people out of complacency.”
Past SAIC honorary doctorates have gone to Patti Smith, Jeff Koons, David Sedaris and Chicago artist Theaster Gates.
West will share the graduation stage with three other honorary-degree recipients: Chicago gallery owner Rhona Hoffman; Art Institute of Chicago president and director Douglas Druick; and Janet Neiman of the LeRoy Neiman Foundation (an SAIC alum, and co-namesake of the school’s Neiman Center). German artist Albert Oehlen will be the commencement speaker.
They also discussed the backlash Kanye has received from those critical on SAIC:
After West let slip that he would be receiving an SAIC degree in an interview with a French media outlet earlier this week, reaction on Twitter ranged from “Is anyone else PISSED OFF…” to “Never felt more confident that leaving that school was a good plan” to the occasional “he is way more talented than 90% of painting graduates at SAIC…”
Corinna Kirsch, senior editor of the New York-based art magazine Art F City, wrote in the magazine’s daily newsletter Wednesday: “As an alum of SAIC, I am offended that the school’s exorbitant tuition and fees will help fund this nonsense.”
Speaking later by phone, she said that she had no problem with an honorary degree for West based on musical merit “but the school does not have a music program, it has a fashion program and I suppose you could honor Kanye West for his contributions to fashion, but … I don’t know if that make sense. I just think this seems like a gimmick, like it is being given to the most famous person that they could get to honor.”
A major douchebag with a whore for a wife … Kanye and Kim – the epitome of arrogance, ignorance and a total lack of any moral character – let alone talent!! He should be cancelled from all festivals and awards!!!! He is just a DOUCHEBAG plain and simple… If you wish to sign petition to stop him from performing that 90,000 people have already signed…., here you go:
https://www.change.org/p/glastonbury-festival-cancel-kanye-west-s-headline-slot-and-get-a-rock-band