Alumni - Media Arts Archives - ܽƵ /category/alumni/alumni-media-arts/ Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:35:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 /wp-content/uploads/2021/12/cropped-nscad-logo-dark-1-32x32.png Alumni - Media Arts Archives - ܽƵ /category/alumni/alumni-media-arts/ 32 32 ܽƵ student screens their film at Rencontres Internationales Traverse in France /nscad-student-screens-their-film-at-rencontres-internationales-traverse-france/ Tue, 12 Mar 2024 17:48:10 +0000 /?p=36445 The post ܽƵ student screens their film at Rencontres Internationales Traverse in France appeared first on ܽƵ.

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ܽƵ film student Kate Solar’s travelogue footage is an ode to her time in Greece

Stills from Kate Solar’s short film, Somewhere Real. Solar uses footage from her time in Greece that is superimposed with poetic narration that moves across the screen. Courtesy: Kate Solar

Animated text, poetic narration, and manipulated footage of the Aegean Sea comprise Kate Solar’s , a five-minute short film that takes her to Toulouse, France, this week. The experimental travelogue is screening in the , which has been celebrating and showcasing experimental cinema and video art for more than two decades.

Solar, who graduates from ܽƵ’s Film program in May, spent three weeks last summer on the Isle of Hydra in Greece as part of a ܽƵ cohort at .

“It was an opportunity to make work in response to this place”,” says Solar, who brought along a mirrorless digital camera, to record her time there. “It was very difficult to find a way to document or reflect upon the experience. It’s so straightforwardly beautiful there — almost like a desktop wallpaper. It’s hard to be faced with so much pure beauty when you’re trying to make something from it.”

Somewhere Real does incorporate some of that footage — transferred to 16mm film with an Oxberry animation camera, which distorts the ocean handsomely — but in making the film, Solar found herself leaning on writing instead of visuals.

“I was consistently keeping a journal while I was there,” she says. “I was thinking about some of the images and experiences that stuck out to me and could not be captured by a camera — going to the beach and swimming in the ocean at night would be unfilmable.

“The kind of surrealness of travel in general and being somewhere for a brief period of time and trying to capture that feeling. I decided I wasn’t going to make something driven by footage. But I had this text,” she continues.

Solar’s poetic narration about an evening at the beach and the thoughts it sparked, drives the short as select pieces of Courier text fall in and out of view, moving across the frame in waves of disordered, flipped-around letters, animated with the Oxberry.

“My initial plan was to do direct animation, scratching/painting on the film strip, to accompany the whole text,” says Solar. “Sol Nagler, my faculty advisor, suggested I pay attention to the resonance of the text itself, and the interaction between text and landscape. I printed all my text onto transparency and did stop-motion with the letters and words.”

Somewhere Real screens on March 14 at Traverse in a from Argentina, Italy, and Belgium. Though just five days long, it packs in installations, screenings, and performances from all over the world.

“I feel like I’ve not been so immersed in or seen as much experimental film as I will see there,” says Solar. “I’m excited.”

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]]> NOW.HERE.THIS., the improvisational music film that remixes itself each time you stream it /concert-lovers-will-enjoy-this-ever-changing-documentary-that-is-different-each-time-you-watch-it/ Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:27:33 +0000 /?p=36364 Using randomized algorithms, this performance documentary by a ܽƵ instructor showcases compositions from six local composers Aerial shot of the WATERSIDE set, as part of NOW.HERE.THIS. documentary. (Credit: Ryan Gray) An ambitious new music documentary by Christopher Spencer-Lowe, a part-time instructor in ܽƵ University’s Film program, features six new compositions by Nova Scotian composers – […]

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Using randomized algorithms, this performance documentary by a ܽƵ instructor showcases compositions from six local composers

Aerial shot of the WATERSIDE set, as part of NOW.HERE.THIS. documentary. (Credit: Ryan Gray)

An ambitious new music documentary by Christopher Spencer-Lowe, a part-time instructor in ܽƵ University’s Film program, features six new compositions by Nova Scotian composers – but viewers can never watch the same film twice.

Using chance and randomizing algorithms to create a unique cinematic experience each time it streams, presents musical performance through an aleatoric (or semi-randomized) process ܽƵ. Spencer-Lowe says it is a celebration of improvisational form and its philosophy.

“Cinema is literally built around the idea that you have an unchanging thing you can show at the end of all the work,” said Spencer-Lowe. “For NOW.HERE.THIS., I had to both imagine and plan for what image and sound could end up together, and yet surrender control over that to a greater degree than I was comfortable with. But that was the point of the whole idea: surrendering, listening, and approaching the work from an improvisational perspective.”

NOW.HERE.THIS.premiered at Halifax’s in January 2024, and was developed and funded primarily through the . The project also got additional funding from Arts Nova Scotia and The Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage.

NOW.HERE.THIS was created in collaboration with , a Halifax-based organization that produces new concerts, workshops, and symposia with local and international performers and ensembles. It was Upstream’s artistic director, Lukas Pearse, who suggested the initial idea to Spencer-Lowe and worked as the project’s producer.

A black and white photo of a man's head and shoulders.
Filmmaker and ܽƵ instructor, Christopher Spencer-Lowe is the producer and creator of NOW.HERE.THIS. (Credit: Ulysse del Drago)
Christopher Spencer-Lowe and his crew in front of monitor for AN shoot. (Credit: Tanya Preyde)
A group of technicians watch a screen monitor during the filming of a musical concert. The room is dark while the musicians are spotlighted with instruments in hand,
Christopher Spencer-Lowe monitoring the ALAYA session with New Hermitage. (Credit: Tanya Preyde)

A year in the making,NOW.HERE.THIS.features contributions from a diverse selection of musicians. Including composer and Dalhousie University composition teacher Amy Brandon; award-winning cellist India Gailey (with New Hermitage); guitarist and educator Geordie Haley; musicologist and researcher Mohammed Sahraei; multi-media artist and storyteller Alan Syliboy (with the Thundermakers); and guitarist/improviser Samantha Wilson.

“I had been trying out randomizing techniques in my filmmaking process ܽƵ for quite a while,” said Spencer-Lowe, who is familiar with music’s long history of aleatoric practices and explored similar methods in his 2017 short film, Aleatoria.

John Cage, the American avant-garde composer, brought this process ܽƵ into the concert hall; while the English pop and ambient composer Brian Eno would literally draw from a deck of “Oblique Strategies” cards to determine the music’s direction. The short and often absurdist instructions, drawn at random, would force the creative process ܽƵ onto unexpected paths.

Spencer-Lowe wanted to bring these techniques into a cinematic context and created NOW.HERE.THIS., using multiple angles and cameras in varying states of movement or stasis. The recorded performance footage was further randomized through a streaming-based algorithm, with all of it combining to allow each new viewer to experience what appears to be a completely unique space. Haley’s Beamswas the second and most ambitious of the six performances: three moving cameras, two static cameras, and an array of on-camera lighting tubes were used to achieve its effects.

Though the film has been submitted to a distributor, Spencer-Lowe acknowledges that the online-only nature of the project is uncharted territory for him.

“Normally, when I make a film, I’m at a screening and I get to see how it goes over, I get to talk to people afterward,” he said. “I’m still thinking about how to best deal with something that people will experience mostly in their home. I think we need to find ways to reiterate it—maybe do live stuff. Installations would work really well, depending on the venue.”

Despite the ephemeral nature of a web-based experience, it’s this same ephemerality that gives the project a feeling of community, as though the filmmakers, performers, and audience are in conversation.

“The thing about making work and doing it in a way that’s very community-oriented, from its conception through to its application and all the way through to its delivery, vis-à-vis having it up there for free, is that not only can people see it any time they want, but they can also see it in multiple different ways — which is the strength of the magic of the piece,” said Spencer-Lowe.

Lukas Pearse (left) and Christopher Spencer-Lowe during the shoot for CARIBOU. (Credit: Gay Hauser)
Christopher Spencer-Lowe and Misha Horacek setting up a shot for ALEATORIA. (Credit: Yalitsa Riden)
A white man in a white shirt operating a camera on the waterfront
Christopher Spencer-Lowe operating the camera for his 2017 short film, ALEATORIA. (Credit: Rob Tough)

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]]> Alumna Liz Cowie shifts gears, moving from Vice to the NFB /alumna-liz-cowie-moves-from-vice-to-nfb/ Wed, 17 May 2023 16:21:01 +0000 /?p=28782 Liz Cowie (BFA 2000) spent her teens taking photographs in Halifax, inevitably landing at ܽƵ. Her love of film led her to New York City and a successful career leading programming at VICE.

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Liz Cowie and Matty Matheson working at VICE TV
Liz Cowie (BFA 2000) with Matty Matheson

Liz Cowie (BFA 2000) spent her teens taking photographs in Halifax, inevitably landing at ܽƵ, where she also fell into film and video.

After a stint working as a photo assistant to numerous fashion photographers, as well as working on her own projects in Toronto, she began working as the women’s clothing buyer at VICE’s flagship store on Queen Street West, kicking off a relationship with the company that ultimately landed her in New York, where she’s been for the past 18 years.

Cowie was part of the inaugural VBT.tv team, which preceded vice.com, working closely with Vice founders Suroosh Alvi and Shane Smith, along with Director Spike Jonze and DP Lance Bangs (Jackass, Portlandia), producing various television and digital documentary series, music videos, advertising campaigns, commercials, and larger, feature length projects.

Ultimately, Cowie became Senior Manager of Development & Alternative Programming at VICE TV. She developed and oversaw a variety of original series for the network such as The Devil You Know, Betraying the Badge, Devoured, and the Emmy-nominated series, Fringe Nation. She left the company — reportedly facing bankruptcy now — in 2022 for freelance work, which has led to her working with the National Film Board as a producer.

What did your time at ܽƵ do for your approach to your own work?

It made me appreciate so much more and really gave me a different perspective on peoples work, and also opened up my world of what you could dp, what was possible. I went into photography not anticipating I’d be interested in film and video. ܽƵ was wonderful and creative. The classes were smaller, which gave me opportunity to have a voice, or experiment with things and see it where it took me.

When you work in fashion it brings down all the barriers of magazine covers— photography, Photoshop—you really see the making of the pie. I felt like I was really able to explore body and identity and things like that. I’d done that in my work at ܽƵ too—when I was studying we looked at Cindy Sherman and people like that, a lot of artists have extreme influence over the fashion world, it goes hand in hand in a weird way.

You moved to New York in the early 00s, at the height of the original indie-sleaze era that’s now coming back around. What was it like?

New York when I moved here was so different than it is now. My first apartment I got on Craigslist. There were bands who had warehouses across the street and I’d open my door to get coffee and there’d be hundreds of people outside in the streets at a party. You couldn’t even get a cab to Williamsburg at the time—cab drivers thought you would rob them or wouldn’t be able to get a fare back to the city. It was an exciting time and we came up with a lot of successful business—American Apparel, Brooklyn Industries, KCDC Skateshop. It was very free. And you got away with a lot. It was a lot of fun.

Giuliani really changed it. I mean, he also cleaned up the city. It wasn’t a real wave of change—it was kicking off when I came here. You’d notice it at every place you went to hang out—you’d be around the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Death From Above, and then all of that dried up and turned into condos no one could afford. It became much more corporate.

What are some of the VICE projects you’re proudest of?

The VICE Guide to North Korea. The Devil You Know—I had worked on the second season and found the story [about a satanist serial killer in North Carolina who died under mysterious circumstances]. Devoured—that was a food crime show.

Television is great but I needed a break from that world. My priorities have changed over the time I’ve been here—I came here when I was 24, and now I’m not. When you’re in an environment where you’re paying for health care, the economy is questionable, an election that could go belly-up…I wanted to do more creatively freeing work and that’s hard to do no matter what company you work for. There’s no place that exists like VICE, and it’ll never happen again. When The NFB opportunity presented itself and it seemed like a really wonderful creative opportunity.

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]]> ܽƵ University wins big at the 2021 BMO 1st Art! Award /nscad-university-wins-big-at-the-2021-bmo-1st-art-award/ Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:18:18 +0000 /2021/09/27/nscad-university-wins-big-at-the-2021-bmo-1st-art-award/ We are thrilled to share that ܽƵ graduate Anna Kuelken (BFA 2021) and student Max TS. Yang are recipients of the BMO 1st Art! Award!

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]]> We are thrilled to share that ܽƵ graduate Anna Kuelken (BFA 2021) and student Max TS. Yang are recipients of the BMO 1st Art! Award!
Anna is the National Winner of the BMO 1st Art! Award. Her winning submission is a video titled “Father Like Son”, which gives a brief look into the life on a small family farm. In Anna’s words: “I moved back to my family farm in rural Alberta when the pandemic hit. I found myself observing how my brother has integrated his kids into farm life. I wanted to focus on my niece and nephew, who are slowly learning the things I did as a child, including the hard ones. My seven-year-old niece witnessed the death of an animal we had to butcher, but in time she started to help. Although difficult, we are happy she cried because this shows empathy and an understanding of where her food comes from.”

Max is the regional winner for Nova Scotia. His work, titled A Family of III (slip casted stoneware, found furniture), is an autobiographical artwork addressing the strain divorce has on families. “To my family and I, dinner and dining together has a strong symbolic meaning of togetherness, yet I have never had the chance to sit down at a dinner table with both of my parents. I reflect this notion by presenting only two chairs at the table and throwing them on their sides, stacked on top of each other, threatening to collapse and scatter at any moment. What prevents the furniture from falling apart are the ceramic chains, symbolizing the family bond that ties everything together,” reads Max’s description.

BMO 1st Art! celebrates the creativity of art school students from over 100 post-secondary institutions across Canada. Every year BMO Financial Group invites the deans and instructors of undergraduate-level certificate, diploma, or degree programs in studio art to select from their graduating classes three students whose ability and imagination place them first among their peers.

Below is a full list of all the BMO 1st Art! Award recipients. Congratulations to all!

National Winner:

  • Anna Kuelken, Father Like Son, ܽƵ University

Regional Winners:

  • Kev Liang, Jiā yóu, University of Alberta (Alberta)
  • Shannon Pahladsingh, oh thank goodness, University of the Fraser Valley (British Columbia)
  • Tayler Buss, Rearview, University of Manitoba
  • Alana Morouney, I’ll get you next time/I keep letting you win so that I can hold your hand, Mount Allison University (New Brunswick)
  • Bethany MacKenzie, What Will the Worms Think of Me?, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Newfoundland)
  • Max TS. Yang, A Family of III, ܽƵ University (Nova Scotia)
  • Erin Faulks, The Pandemicock, Nunavut Arctic College (Nunavut)
  • Allysha Jacque, Kâkuvunga, York University (Ontario)
  • Donald Price, Egg and Chain, Holland College (Prince Edward Island)
  • Maggy Hamel-Metsos, No Place to Stand, Concordia University (Quebec)
  • Holly Aubichon, Modern Medicine, University of Regina (Saskatchewan)
  • Juliet Di Carlo, Consume in a way that makes it look Authentic, Yukon School of Visual Arts (Yukon)

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]]> Fogo Island Arts and ܽƵ University announce the Eric Fischl Fogo Island Arts Internship /fogo-island-arts-and-nscad-university-announce-the-eric-fischl-fogo-island-arts-internship/ Thu, 25 Mar 2021 09:30:48 +0000 /2021/03/25/fogo-island-arts-and-nscad-university-announce-the-eric-fischl-fogo-island-arts-internship/ The Eric Fischl Fogo Island Arts Internship will offer two ܽƵ University students or alumni the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in arts administration with Fogo Island Arts in 2021-22.

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]]> small homes along the shore on Fogo Island
Image: Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada, 2013. Photo: Steffen Jagenburg, courtesy of FIA.

Fogo Island Arts (FIA) and ܽƵ University are pleased to announce a new internship partnership made possible through the generous support of artist and former ܽƵ faculty member Eric Fischl. The Eric Fischl Fogo Island Arts Internship will offer two ܽƵ University students or alumni the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in arts administration with Fogo Island Arts in 2021-22.

“We are delighted to pursue our work with Eric Fischl and to forge new connections across the Atlantic Region, all in the service of creating exceptional opportunities for learning and exchange,” said Nicolaus Schafhausen, FIA Strategic Director. “We are extremely grateful for Eric’s support as well as the chance to work with students trained within the rigorous creative framework and celebrated history of ܽƵ University.”

Participants in The Eric Fischl Fogo Island Arts Internship program will work as support staff in the offices of Fogo Island Arts, contributing to day-to-day program operations and communications over a three-month period. The interns will receive a stipend and will be provided with housing, travel expenses, and studio space, in addition to invaluable opportunities to engage with FIA’s international artists-in-residence and community members across Fogo Island. The ܽƵ University partnership is the second FIA internship program funded by Fischl and follows the same parameters as the ongoing partnership with the New York Academy of Art (NYAA), established in 2017.

“Fogo Island Arts is a place where artistic exploration, research and knowledge-sharing is nurtured and encouraged,” says Melanie Colosimo, Director of ܽƵ University’s Anna Leonowens Gallery. “This type of learning opportunity is incredibly valuable, as putting practice into play can prove to be a pivotal moment in establishing a career in the arts. The ܽƵ community is fortunate to have access to this internship.”

The partnership between FIA, Fischl, and ܽƵ University reflects a shared understanding of the need for expanded educational opportunities within the contemporary art world, as well as the critical role that art and education play in enriching communities.

Applications will be open to ܽƵ students and alumni in March 2021. For more information on the internship and application procedure, please visit ܽƵ University’s .

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]]> #KeepCreatingܽƵ /keepcreatingnscad/ Fri, 01 May 2020 10:34:26 +0000 /2020/05/01/keepcreatingnscad/ #KeepCreatingܽƵ During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Duane Jones (BDes 2004) launched the #KeepCreatingܽƵ initiative to celebrate ܽƵ alumni and friends’ amazing work. #KeepCreatingܽƵ gives our community a chance to both inspire and be inspired. Share your work today by using the hashtag #KeepCreatingܽƵ and enjoy what others have made.

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]]> #KeepCreatingܽƵ

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Duane Jones (BDes 2004) launched the #KeepCreatingܽƵ initiative to celebrate ܽƵ alumni and friends’ amazing work.

#KeepCreatingܽƵ gives our community a chance to both inspire and be inspired.

Share your work today by using the hashtag #KeepCreatingܽƵ and enjoy what others have made.

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]]> ܽƵ University alumni update /alumniupdate3-11-20/ Wed, 11 Mar 2020 17:08:09 +0000 /2020/03/11/alumniupdate3-11-20/ ܽƵ University alumni are making contributions across numerous fields all over the world. Whether it be in art, design, crafts, print or research, ܽƵ graduates are recognized for the complexity of their thinking and the broad perspective they bring to every project. Here is a snapshot of headlines made by ܽƵ alumni in recent weeks! […]

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]]> ܽƵ University alumni are making contributions across numerous fields all over the world. Whether it be in art, design, crafts, print or research, ܽƵ graduates are recognized for the complexity of their thinking and the broad perspective they bring to every project.
Here is a snapshot of headlines made by ܽƵ alumni in recent weeks!

Siobhán Gallagher
Siobhán Gallagher (BDes 2012).

Siobhán Gallagher (BDes 2012)
Artist Spotlight: Meet Siobhán Gallagher
Siobhán Gallagher grew up in Moncton, obsessing over sitcoms set in glamorous New York apartments and wondering if she was missing out on something more.

 

 

 

 

Carrie Allison: Kiskisohcikew, 2018.

Carrie Allison (BA 2014, BFA 2014, MFA 2018)
The Quiet Resistance
For artist Carrie Allison, beadwork is a methodology to decolonize, the pull of threads a memory device to connect through generations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shannon Donovan (BFA 2018)
North Sydney native wins award at national art exhibit
A visual artist originally from North Sydney was the recipient of the People’s Choice Award at the opening reception of an exhibit in Edmonton. Shannon Donovan received the award for work she has exhibited at the InFocus Photo Exhibition in the Alberta city.

Karen Crocker (BFA 1992)
Queen musical at Scotiabank Centre ready to rock you
Fittingly for people working on a touring production of a Queen musical, they sometimes come under pressure. Recently, in wintry Ontario, logistical snags came up but the crew handled it like the champions they are. Head of wardrobe Karen Crocker, a ܽƵ alumni, is in charge of caring for the elaborate outfits worn by the cast of the futuristic show.

Susanna Heller (BFA 1977) and Medrie MacPhee (BFA 1977).
Susanna Heller (BFA 1977) and Medrie MacPhee (BFA 1977).

Susanna Heller (BFA 1977) and Medrie MacPhee (BFA 1977)
Studio visit: Susanna Heller’s endless strength
Before Susanna Heller’s paintings were wrapped and shipped to Toronto for her upcoming solo show at Olga Korper, I brought Sharon Butler by her studio, which straddles the line between Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Susanna and I moved from Halifax to the East Village after we graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in the 1970s.

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Yee (BFA 2013), Kaashif Ghanie (BFA 2015), Camille Valcourt-Synnott (MFA candidate), Louis-Charles Dionne (MFA candidate) and Jessica Wiebe (BFA 2015)
New Art 2020
Eight rising artists creating the fresh works you need to know about this year.

 

 

 

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]]> ܽƵ accepting applications for residency programs /residencyprograms2020/ Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:41:13 +0000 /2020/02/06/residencyprograms2020/ ܽƵ University is accepting applications for its residency programs from recent graduates of its undergraduate and graduate courses. The residence programs are offered in four sites across Nova Scotia: Lunenburg Dartmouth New Glasgow Sydney Residents become active participants in their host communities, engaging town residents in the visual arts through exhibitions, receptions and guest lectures. […]

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]]> ܽƵ University is accepting applications for its residency programs from recent graduates of its undergraduate and graduate courses.
The residence programs are offered in four sites across Nova Scotia:

  • Lunenburg
  • Dartmouth
  • New Glasgow
  • Sydney

Residents become active participants in their host communities, engaging town residents in the visual arts through exhibitions, receptions and guest lectures.

“Participation in a residency program is a great way to launch, or continue, an artistic career after graduation from ܽƵ,” said Linda Hutchison, Associate Vice-President University Relations, ܽƵ University. “The residency provides alumni artists the physical space, and frame of mind, to work and continue developing as an artist. Prime studio space is offered in exchange for community involvement, such as holding community workshops for adults and leading art classes for children.”

A residency program is an exciting option for artists who have an interest in community engagement, developing teaching skills, and sharing their work with a diverse group of art enthusiasts.

The application deadline for 2020 residency programs is Friday, February 28, 2020. For information on the program and to apply, visit /study-at-nscad/experiential-learning/community-studio-residency/.

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]]> 2019 – A Year in Review /2019-in-review/ Tue, 31 Dec 2019 17:53:28 +0000 /2019/12/31/2019-in-review/ As we’re about to ring in the new year, we are looking back on 2019 to celebrate ܽƵ’s accomplishments and favourite moments. No change was more significant than the appointment of ܽƵ’s new president Dr. Aoife Mac Namara, which took place in August 2019. Aoife’s tenure follows that of Professor Dianne Taylor-Gearing, who led the […]

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]]> As we’re about to ring in the new year, we are looking back on 2019 to celebrate ܽƵ’s accomplishments and favourite moments. No change was more significant than the appointment of ܽƵ’s new president Dr. Aoife Mac Namara, which took place in August 2019. Aoife’s tenure follows that of Professor Dianne Taylor-Gearing, who led the university to financial stability and growth. We are grateful for her dedication to ܽƵ over the last five years.
Below is a snapshot of the highlights from 2019, and throughout the year in review we see a consistency in certain themes – notably collaboration, connection and distinction. We are looking forward to seeing all that 2020 will bring, and wish you and yours a Happy New Year!

ܽƵ welcomes a new president, Dr. Aoife Mac Namara

Aoife jumped into the role feet first, and has spent her first four months meeting key partners within the ܽƵ Community as well as supporters from the community at-large – locally, nationally and internationally. These meetings will continue into the near year and are informing Aoife’s vision for the institution as the art school of the future. This vision will focus on strengthening partnerships with communities in and around the province, recognizing the value of ܽƵ’s contribution to the economy, environment and creative industries. Moreover, ܽƵ is excited to continue consultations with partners, including Develop Nova Scotia, around the possibility of developing campus facilities close to the AGNS building. We look forward to completing our facilities review and being in a position to announce a final decision in 2020.

ܽƵ shines bright at Nocturne

Nocturne 2019: Art at Night saw a record number of artists affiliated with ܽƵ. More than 50 Nocturne participants were ܽƵ students, faculty, alumni and staff. “Nocturne brings so much energy to the city, and the art festival is especially captivating as it shines brightly into the night. It’s easy to see why so many members of the ܽƵ community want to contribute,” said Catherine Allen, manager, Extended Studies. Catherine collaborated in Embed and Embody, a workshop led by ܽƵ student facilitators, in partnership with newcomers from Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). The finished products were on display at the Anna. Read more: /nocturne2019/

Commitment to supporting significant research, pedagogy, and creative production

ܽƵ celebrated the signing of the Dimensions charter, demonstrating our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The program addresses obstacles faced by, but not limited to, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities. ܽƵ understands that – when EDI is a priority – an institution will benefit from improved access to qualified potential participants, enhanced integrity of a program’s application and selection process ܽƵes, strengthened research outputs and increased overall excellence in research.

In addition, the new Strategic Research Plan was completed and shared widely, detailing the university’s direction for 2019 – 2022. ܽƵ’s research is driven by the goal to demonstrate its leadership in four distinct themes: visual and cultural literacies, sustainability and adaptability, material exploration, and art/design education and pedagogy. The Strategic Research Plan can be viewed here: https://issuu.com/nscadadmissions/docs/nscad_strategic_research_plan_2019-2022_online

Lastly, ܽƵ successfully launched the new Master of Arts in Art Education – accepting its first students in September 2019. The graduate program is designed to develop educators and researchers with the advanced knowledge to lead art education initiatives in a range of settings, including museums, art galleries, heritage sites, and community and educational organizations. More on the program can be found here: /study-at-nscad/graduate/master-of-arts-in-art-education/

ܽƵ on the road – Alumni events in Ottawa and Toronto a great success

In the fall, ܽƵ hosted two alumni events in Ontario to connect with ܽƵ grads and introduce them to Aoife. Both events were well attended, and it was great to see many familiar faces. We are looking forward to planning more alumni events in 2020.

The revival of the ܽƵ Lithography Workshop

The ܽƵ University Lithography Workshop was established in 1969, earning international recognition and redefining the artistic potential of print in the 20th century. It had a significant and lasting impact on the world of art and design, and included several famed artists from Canada and around the world. After two years of hard work and dedication from ܽƵ’s Anna Leonowens Gallery Systems, the official revival of the workshop took place in November 2019.

Artists Shuvinai Ashoona, Jordan Bennett, Shary Boyle, Brendan Fernandes, Amy Malbeuf, Ed Pien, Derek Sullivan, and Ericka Walker, in collaboration with Master Printer Jill Graham, created new, compelling and diverse lithographs that represent the new direction the project will take moving forward. The lithographs are available for purchase through nscad.litho.ca, the proceeds of which will be reinvested in collaborative printing and the ܽƵ Press. Read more: /lithographyworkshop/

ܽƵ honours and hosts creators, curators and visionaries

The 2019 ܽƵ University graduation saw Rebecca Belmore, Michael Donovan and Robert Storr each awarded with a Doctor of Fine Arts. By honouring these three remarkable individuals, we recognize their substantial contributions to art and art education.

ܽƵ also hosted an array of significant visiting artists and guests, including Paula Fairfield, Ben Pike, Raphaëlle de Groot, Mary Anne Jordan, Misha Horacek, Ufuk Gueray, Louise Perrone, Lauren Schaffer, Patrick Cruz, Hedi Kyle, and Paul Roth, among others.

Numerous distinctions merited by students and alumni

ܽƵ students and alumni were well decorated this year, and we are very proud of their accomplishments. A few notable alumni wins were the BMO 1st Art Award (Seamus Gallagher, BFA 2019), Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award (Ursula Johnson, BFA 2006), Emmy Award (Paula Fairfield, BFA 1984), TIFF’s FIPRESCI prize (Heather Young, BFA 2009), Governor General’s Literary Award (Sydney Smith, BFA 2006), among others. Students Ada Denil and Jessie McLaughlin were awarded the Nova Scotia Talent Trust Award – Ada the recipient of the Susan Wood Award and Jessie the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award. Rebecca Devenish won the Mattinson Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, and students Emma Allain, Tyler Anderson, Drayden Decosta, Megan Kyak-Monteith, Alex Linfield, Liv Mansveld, Luke Mohan, Kim Paquet, Mark Sark and Wiebke Schroeder were all shortlisted for the 2019 Starfish Student Art Award, with Paquet winning the grand prize.

2020 at a glance

Key events to keep in mind in the new year (dates to be announced as they become available):

  • Portfolio Day
  • Wearable Art Show
  • Fashion Show
  • Graduation
  • Public Lecture Series – Mark Dion (March 10, 2020, 6 p.m. Halifax Public Library) and Eames Demetrious (March 18, 2020, 6 p.m. ܽƵ’s Bell Auditorium, Fountain Campus)

Keep an eye on nscad.ca for additional events and details. Thank you to everyone who made 2019 such a success at ܽƵ!

 

 

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]]> ܽƵ alumni celebration in Ottawa /ottawaalumnievent/ Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:11:36 +0000 /2019/11/14/ottawaalumnievent/ ܽƵ University is coming to the nation’s capital on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 for an alumni reception, and we want to see you there! Come meet newly-appointed ܽƵ President Dr. Aoife Mac Namara, and catch up with your fellow alumni. There will be reminiscing and sharing old stories, as well as learning all the latest […]

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]]> ܽƵ University is coming to the nation’s capital on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 for an alumni reception, and we want to see you there!
Come meet newly-appointed ܽƵ President Dr. Aoife Mac Namara, and catch up with your fellow alumni. There will be reminiscing and sharing old stories, as well as learning all the latest news coming out of ܽƵ.

ܽƵ alumni Danny Hussey (BFA 1990) is our kind host, welcoming everyone to his Central Art Garage, with Group Exhibition 19 on display. The reception is from 5:30-7:30 p.m., 66 B LeBreton Street North, Ottawa.

Dr. Mac Namara will be joined in Ottawa by Dr. Ann-Barbara Graff, Vice President Academic and Research, and Linda Hutchison, Associate Vice President University Relations. They look forward to hearing about your ܽƵ experience!

Please RSVP to rsvp@nscad.ca by Tuesday, November 19. We can’t wait to see you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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