catalyst issue no. 5
DESCRIPTION
Alberta College of Art + Design. Fall 2011 / Issue No. 5TRANSCRIPT
CATALYSTFall 2011 / Issue No. 5Alberta College of Art + Design
Publication Notes
Catalyst is published by the Alberta
College of Art + Design. Articles may
be reprinted in whole or in part with
written permission. Please contact
AnneMarie Dorland at communica-
[email protected] for more information.
Contact1407 – 14th Avenue N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2N 4R3
403.284.7600
www.acad.ca
The IKG Presents... This year the
IKG investigates
the experience
of drawing by
presenting a large-scale instal-
lation by São Paulo, Brazil-
based Iran Do Espírito Santo.
page 12
Showing Off This spring,
nearly 200 high
school students
competed to
showcase their
talent in SHOW OFF. The
result? An incredible exhibition
of new and emerging talent at
ACAD.page 7
A New Partnership This spring,
ACAD, in part-
nership with
Encana Corpo-
ration, was pleased to launch
an exciting new showcase for
young artists and designers
— The BOW: Emerging Artist
Project. page 3
VCD Students Take Home Top Prizes.ACAD Students
have continued
their tradition
of taking home top prizes at
the 2011 Applied Arts Student
Awards with a record 18
awards.
page 8
Contents
1
What happens when a group of faculty, staff and students are given a mandate to engage the world and create possibilities?
t the Alberta College of Art + Design, it
means more activity on campus, more
special events and celebrations, and more original
creative thought and work than at any other time
in our 85 year history. From the Governor General
Awards to the ACAD Graduating Student Exhibi-
tion, ACAD's community has been busy creating
change in our world. ■
A
Issue No. 5 / Page 2 CATALYST / Page 3
And finally, we have many new exciting
initiatives this year, a sample includes:
+ The creation of monthly Town Hall
meetings – these are seen as a series of
consultations acting as vehicles to further
welcome and include faculty, staff and
students input and participation in the
various decision processes with themes
identified such as: Academic Plan; Planning
the 2012-13 Budget; Growth; Expanding our
revenue sources; Curriculum Structure;
Developing a Capital Campaign and
Internationalizing ACAD.
+ The creation of a Scholarly Research and
Creative Activities day – which will be as
much a celebration as it will also include
some workshops that will assist our faculty
– especially in light of the incoming MFA
(New – Fall 2011).
+ The creation of Teaching Awards created
in order to recognize one of the many
strengths of our faculty — recognition which
is long overdue (New – Winter 2012).
+ The development of a Creative Common
Series – a series of 6 conversations that will
take place during the year (New – 2011-12).
+ The creation of a Welcome Back Retirees
event (New – 2012) to better connect with
our rich history and the many individuals
that have contributed in making ACAD what
it is today.
Alfred North Whitehead wrote in 1940 that
“Periods of tranquility are seldom prolific of
creative achievement. Mankind has to be
stirred up”. As you can see this will be an
exciting year, and I wish you all a wonderful,
challenging, rich, and smashing academic
2011-12. ■
Sincerely,
Dr. Daniel Doz
President + CEO
Follow Dr. Doz on twitter at
@DrDanielDoz and find out more about
what's happening at the Alberta
College of Art + Design from our
President's point of view.
+ The process to develop our first ever
Capital Campaign to support our academic
plan and our aspirations is just underway.
+ We are continuing to work on developing
a case for support for expanding our
current facility so that it could accommo-
date potential (and desired) academic
growth and better address issue such as
diversity, technology, and support to
learning and teaching.
The academic plan framework has identified
five core strategies:
1. Student experience – passionate learning
and success.
+ It is about aspiring to equip our students
with the skills and passion to learn through-
out their lives; with the adeptness to not just
navigate constant change but to lead and
thrive; with the spirit to find a true sense of
social responsibility.
2. Fostering a diverse community of
learning around the world.
+ It is about offering programs that excels
in meeting the ideal of a liberal arts educa-
tion, one that prepares our students for a
life – personally, professionally and intellec-
tually, one that leads in addressing diversity
and opens a network of opportunities.
s I begin my
second year as
President + CEO of
the Alberta College
of Art + Design, I
can feel a tremen-
dously positive
energy throughout
the institution and a
willingness to work together to make this an
even better place. In this introduction to our
Fall issue of Catalyst I thought fitting to first
provide an update regarding our admissions,
then go over some of the key projects and
initiatives we are working on this year. And
lastly I will highlight some new initiatives that
we are introducing this year which will help
create an even stronger community.
The hard work that all in admissions and in
the classrooms are putting in attracting,
keeping and educating the best students is
paying amazingly as we are seeing this year
our best registration count in four years as
our overall head count for the institution is
the highest we have ever have with 1239 as
of September 2, 2011. This is a true testament
to what we offer and also a preview of where
we can go.
From an institutional point of view there are
many exciting and also challenging projects
and initiatives currently underway. These
include but are definitively not limited to:
+ Our Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) in Craft
application is currently being reviewed by
the Quality Council and we are awaiting their
recommendation to start working on the
program review.
+ We are launching our Academic Plan
Framework - a road map for the next 10
years. After many consultations and
meetings this framework will be introduced
this September to the larger ACAD commu-
nity for further consultation.
Message from the President
3. Leading academic evolution and growth.
+ It is about being recognized as an
institution that excels at providing both
depth of discipline through the values of the
studio environment as well as the breadth,
flexibility and scholarly achievement that
the 21st century demands.
4. Pushing the boundaries of knowledge
and expression.
+ It is about being recognized as a global
contributor of practice, research and
scholarship which references and reflects
upon the bridge of emotion and reason,
work which celebrates skills and knowledge
unique to the worlds of art and design.
5. Enhancing ACAD’s Reputation.
+ ACAD will cultivate a strong reputation
and resource base by advocating for the
vibrancy, value and the benefits that
innovation, creativity and ACAD bring to our
city, region, province and nation. ACADs will
be well known to internal stakeholders, the
general public, contributors and govern-
ment.
Three enabling strategies support this work:
organizational development, facility and
revenue growth.
This summer and this year we are working
very hard to refresh, replace, and introduce
new equipment and new facility. Some
highlights will include:
+ Creation of a dedicated Student Career
Centre (New - Fall 2011).
+ Creation of a Group Study
room for the Library (with
smart board technology) (New
- Fall 2011).
+ Creation of dedicated
Graduate spaces (New – Win-
ter 2012).
+ Creation a dedicated office
for AUPE (New – Fall 2012).
+ Creation a “real” reception for the
institution (New – Fall 2012).
+ Updating the seating in Sanford Perrott
lecture theatre (providing working surfaces
as well as power access for students) (New
– Spring 2012).
+ Upgrading the Foundry with the $250k
we received from the government (New -
Summer 2012).
+ Replacement of 2 old kilns in Ceramics
area (Fall 2011).
+ Replacement of old furnace in glass area
(Fall 2011).
+ New color balanced lighting upgrade to
two VCD studios (2011-12).
"FRom AN INSTITuTIoNAL PoINT
oF vIEw ThERE ARE mANY ExCIT-
INg AND ALSo ChALLENgINg PRoj-
ECTS AND INITIATIvES CuRRENTLY
uNDERwAY."
This spring ACAD, in partnership with Encana Corporation, was pleased to launch an exciting new showcase for young artists and designers — THE BOW: Emerging Artist Project.
his special
juried
competition was a
unique opportunity
for students at
ACAD to create
work with the hope
of showcasing it
at THE BOW, a new landmark high-rise in
downtown Calgary that will be home to
Encana. This is the first time that ACAD
and Encana have partnered together on this
exciting project, and the first opportunity for
students to take part in what we hope will
become an annual endeavour.
After an unprecedented response to a
public call for work from ACAD students,
the Encana team selected 13 pieces of work
for The BOW’s permanent collection, from
submissions made by over 130 student
artists, with the purchase benefiting the
student artist directly. An additional sale
of selected work submitted to THE BOW:
Emerging Artist Project was then launched
online, hosted by Hodgins Art Auctions,
with proceeds benefiting both the exhibiting
artists and Inn From The Cold - a Calgary
charity providing emergency shelter and
housing to disadvantaged families. This
special online auction ran from April 28
through to May 8, 2011, and raised over
$23,000 for students and our 2011 charity of
choice.
Encana’s BOW project has become a
hub of support for the arts locally and
internationally, with site specific work
created for the building by renowned artist
Juame Plensa. In 2007, Encana sponsored
an ACAD student to travel to Barcelona
to study and work in Plensa’s studio: truly
a once in a lifetime experience for an
emerging artist and a clear demonstration
of the commitment Encana has made to
supporting the arts in Calgary.
“It is through unique partnerships like these
that the creative students at ACAD can
truly find a voice in Calgary’s larger artistic
community, and I am very proud of the work
done by our emerging artists and designers
for this project. Through this outstanding
opportunity their work can go on impacting
the lives of many - a very special chance for
any young artist” stated ACAD President +
CEO Dr. Daniel Doz.
“Encana is very pleased to team up with
ACAD to showcase the outstanding work
of these new artists in our community. The
jury had the difficult task of selecting only
13 pieces from the inspiring works that
were submitted,” said Craig Reardon, VP
of Administration with Encana. “We are
delighted that these pieces will be displayed
in THE BOW and will become permanent
pieces in our art collection. We thank ACAD
and all the enthusiastic students for making
this such an interesting project.” ■
The winners of the THE BOW: Emerging Artist Project are:
Sharon Hogg Darryl Pollock Adam Lagace Juan Pablo Gonzalez Amaya Pamma FitzGerald Ward Bastian Cassandra Paul Lindsay Wells Iren Gibson Julien Fournier Lindsay Falk David Buchanan Kris Weinmann
CommuNITY
Photography
Encana
T
The Bow: Emerging Artist Project.
Top: Yvette Rasmussen, Executive
Director of Inn From The Cold presents
the winning work at a special VIP recep-
tion at ACAD.
Above (top): Selected work at the
Encana BOW Emerging Artist Project
Reception.
Above (below): Craig Reardon (VP
Administration at Encana) and ACADSA
President Kris Weinmann celebrate at
the VIP Reception.
ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART + DES IGN
Through ACAD’s Extended Studies you can study visual art, media arts, and design through a full year schedule of challenging and creative courses, workshops and special events designed to meet your creative learning goals.
Extended Studies
Each semester, extended studies offers: + Adult credit courses + Adult credit-free courses + Adult evening + weekend personal interest courses+ Youth weekend courses
For more information, contact: [email protected] 403.284.7640
wELComE
Photography
Chris Bolin
A
Congratulations to all of our graduating students of the ACAD Class of 2011!
raduates of
the Alberta
College of Art +
Design have made
remarkable con-
tributions to the
creative and cul-
tural landscape of
Alberta, Canada, and beyond. ACAD alumni
are active in the spheres of design, advertis-
ing and galleries and museums as well as
many other creative endeavors.
Our alumni bear a special responsibility
within our society, whether as fine artists,
designers or cultural advocates; irrespective
of the paths selected by our graduates, they
are prepared to depart ACAD as creative
practitioners and individuals who think seri-
ously and act responsibly.
We encourage our graduating class to
engage in an exceedingly unique variety of
societal participation, to articulate and ap-
ply the process of creative problem solving
to our world.
This ability, and the possibilities it brings,
may be what is desired more than almost
any other trait at this time. This is a special
ability and an exceptional form of knowl-
edge; as our alumni move forward, we
hope they apply their talents generously
and positively with an awareness of his-
tory and a vision of the future. Finally, on
behalf of the entire Alberta College of Art +
Design community, congratulations to our
graduates and best of luck with your future
endeavours. ■
Class of 2010
CELEBRATIoN
Photography
Dwayne Norman
G
Top left: ACAD Class of 2011
Top right (above): President Dr. Daniel Doz
Top right (below): Guest convocation speaker Mayor Naheed
Nenshi
Bottom: (Right to left) ACAD's 2011 Board of Governor's
Alumni Award of Excellence recipients Norman Faulkner, Alex
Janvier and Chris Cran, 2011 Lecturer Emeritus Elaine Prodor
and convocation dignitaries on stage.
his May, Canadian fashion icon and
ACAD convocation guest speaker
Jeanne Becker joined the ACAD Board of
Governors and special guests for a unique
reception celebrating the 2011 recipients
of the ACAD Board of Governors Alumni
Award of Excellence - Norman Faulkner,
Alex Janvier and Chris Cran.
At this unique high fashion event hosted at
the TrépanierBaer Gallery, specially invited
guests had the opportunity to mingle with
some of ACAD's most exciting alumni, cur-
rent students and Jeanne Becker herself
while enjoying an evening of creativity and
conversation. Highlights of the evening in-
cluded an interview between Jeanne Becker
and ACAD President + CEO Dr. Daniel Doz
- a conversation that explored the path
Becker has taken as a creative thinker who
has found great success in Canada's creative
industries.
The evening would not have been complete
without the acknowledgement by ACAD
Board of Governors Chair Jim Peacock of
the important work done by our guests of
honour - the Board of Governors Alumni
Award of Excellence winners. “We are so
very proud of our Alumni, and of the great
changes the have created in our world both
locally, and internationally. I am pleased to
be able to join our Board of Governors in
honouring these three important Alumni
voices, each one representing a facet of
what makes our College so special” stated
Dr. Daniel Doz, President + CEO. ■
A Canadian icon hits the ACAD CatwalkT
raduating
students are
the next generation
of influential art-
ists and designers
to shape the way
we experience the
world. The annual
graduates’ exhibition of the Alberta College
of Art + Design is an important event that
represents a broad spectrum of subjects,
materials, forms and technologies deemed
vital to today’s art and design practices.
Among nearly 200 student works from
11 programs, there was a wide variety of
creative production on display, from bold
graphic design and video works to inno-
vative forms that span divisions between
recognizable media.
In the days leading up to the opening of
the Graduating Student Exhibition students
were actively involved in the process of
completing and installing their best work.
Over more than two weeks, gallery staff and
students undertake the enormous task of
transforming a dozen studios, two galleries
and the main mall of the college into an en-
gaging exhibition space, one which attracts
hundreds of visitors to ACAD on opening
night alone.
“Our graduating students represent an
extraordinary group of artists and design-
ers – young innovators who have created
meaning through their work, and who
have worked for four years to achieve this
milestone” stated Dr. Daniel Doz, President +
CEO of the Alberta College of Art + Design.
“This 2011 Grad Show is quite amazing, and
the work on display truly represents the
incredible creative talent of ACAD students,
and of our Province”.
These newly minted artists and designers
generate great excitement and attract a
wide audience to their show, from art world
professionals to the interested public alike.
For some students it was their first op-
portunity to introduce their work to a vast
audience.
Hundreds of people attended the Graduat-
ing Student Exhibition with the expectation
of experiencing something bold and new
and none were disappointed. The 2011 Grad
Show clearly demonstrated that diverse
approaches to working with fibre, painting,
photography, graphic design, sculpture and
printmaking are flourishing at ACAD. The
work ranged from traditional drawing tech-
niques to sculpture incorporating projection
and animation, to exuberant performances
that incorporate film and music. This expan-
sive exhibition provided a valuable oppor-
tunity to explore the irrepressible inter-dis-
ciplinarity evident in the work of emerging
artists today. ■
oN CAmPuS
Photography
Dwayne Norman
G
Showcasing students ACAD's Grad Show unveils emerging artists and designers
Issue No. 5 / Page 4 CATALYST / Page 5
n May 7, 2011,
at a packed
closing reception
in ACAD’s Illing-
worth Kerr Gallery,
a full house of high
school students,
their families and
supporters, and high school teachers from
across the Alberta gathered at ACAD to cel-
ebrate 75 high school art students as they
took first step as exhibiting professional
artists as part of the 2011 SHOW OFF High
School Student Art and Design Exhibition
- a unique look at the incredible talent of
high school student artists from across our
Province.
As part of the public closing reception
for the Show Off Exhibition, ACAD was very
oN CAmPuS
O
his summer, one national and 12
regional winners of the BMO 1st Art!
Invitational Student Art Competition -
Canada's only national graduating artist
competition - were announced. The BMO 1st
Art! Invitational Student Art Competition is
a celebration of the creative excellence of
art students from post-secondary institu-
tions across Canada. Deans and instructors
from across Canada were invited to select
three students from their graduating classes
whose skill and imagination place them at
the top among their peers. A distinguished
Taking the National Stage ACAD's Richelle Bear-Hat wins 2011 BMO 1st Art! AwardT
Find out what's happening at ACAD, keep in touch with our latest news and events, and learn more about our gallery exhibitions and special events. visit acad.ca/happening to learn more.
what's happening at ACAD?FIND uS ON FACEBOOK BY SEARCHING "ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN"
SIGN uP FOR OuR RSS FEED TO CATCH THE LATEST IN NEWS AND EvENTS AT ACAD.CA
FOLLOW uS ON TWITTER AT "ACADONLINE"
Issue No. 5 / Page 6 CATALYST / Page 7
hat happens
when artists
and curators meet
musicians from all
over the world? This
year, the result was
ACAD's first formal
partnership with the
Sled Island Music and Arts Festival: a joint
venture presented in late June titled Sled
Island Art. As part of this partnership, ACAD
commissioned 20 students and alumni to
create visual art installations for the Sled
Island Music and Arts Festival. This series
of visual-art exhibitions, performances and
events featured ACAD students and alumni
at venues throughout this week-long festival
in an exciting series of opening recep-
tions, installations, panel discussions and
art performances. Truly a celebration of the
innovative power of art and music right here
in Calgary!
ACAD is proud to have partnered with
Sled Island this year and to have joined
the festival in working closely with ACAD
students and recent alumni to share some
of Calgary's most cutting edge and diverse
artists and designers with festival-goers. As
ACAD’s Curator in Residence, and Sled Is-
land Curator Josh McNorton describes: "The
result is over 20 artists creating site-specific
pieces at four venues throughout the fes-
tival. In some cases, the work is inspired
by and interacts with the music. In other
instances, the work exists in an independent
creative (and sometimes physical) space
that combines with the music to create a
rich, multi-faceted sensory experience in the
venue."
Work done as part of Sled Island Art in-
cluded:
+ Art at Sled Island Opening Reception
The #1 Legion, 116 7 Avenue SE
Wednesday, June 22, 2011.
This was the premiere of the "magic/CAVE"
installation, curated by Caitlind Brown and
featuring 6 ACAD students/alumni tak-
ing over the upstairs billiards room at the
Legion.
+ Art at Sled Island Panel Discussion
The Glenbow Museum, 130 9th Avenue SE,
Saturday, June 25, 2011.
This public forum/panel featured all five stu-
"ThERE ARE huNDREDS oF ACTS
ThAT ACTuALLY ComE To CALgARY
FoR ThIS FESTIvAL, So ThE goAL
oF ThIS PARTNERShIP wAS To PuT
ThE ART oN DISPLAY, To LITERALLY
PuT ThE woRk oF ThE STuDENTS
AND ALumNI AT ACAD IN FRoNT oF
ThE AuDIENCE".
IN ThE
CommuNITY
Photography
Sled Island Festival
Wdent curators along with Josh
McNorton discussing the origin
of this project, examining vari-
ous artists' processes through
photo and video documenta-
tion and the impact of the
work on Sled Island audiences.
Moderated by ACAD’s Illing-
worth Kerr’s Wayne Baerwaldt.
+ The #1 Legion, 116 7 Avenue
SE June 22-25, 2011.
Curated by Caitlind r.c. Brown
& featuring installation work
by Caitlind r.c. Brown, Keith
Murray, Lowell Smith, Ryan Von
Hagen, Sarah Smalik, Stephanie
Murray and Wayne Garrett
+ The HiFi Club, 219 10 Avenue SW
June 22-25, 2011.
Curated by Karilynn Thompson & featuring
animations by Ashley Ohman, Joleen Toner,
Stuart Hughes, Kiarra Albina, Leslie Bell and
Brandon Blommaert
+ Republik, 306 17 Avenue SW
June 22 and 23, 2011.
Curated by Jennie Vallis and Greg Debicki
& featuring an interactive stage installation
created by Jennie Vallis, Greg Debicki, Nico-
las Gonzalez and Derek Damassi
+ Emmedia, 203 11 Ave SW
June 23 and 25, 2011.
Curated by Leslie Bell & featuring video and
animation work by Leslie Bell and Teresa
Tam. ■
Art at Sled IslandCalgary's Sled Island Music Festival Celebrates Visual Art.
Find out more about Art at Sled Island and the process each of the artists shown in photo-graphs here took to create their installations at ACAD's Vimeo channel: vimeo.com/acadon-line. This short documentary was produced, shot and edited by Brendon Rathbone, and features the work of Kim Seung Pen, Les-lie Bell, Theresa Tam, Jennifer Vallis, Greg Debicki, Derek Damassi, Nicolas Gonzalez, Caitlind Brown, Keith Murray, Ryan Von Hagen, Sarah Smalik, Stephanie Murray, Lowell Smith, Wayne Garrett, Karilynn Thompson, Ashley Ohman, Brandon Blommaert, Joleen Toner, Kiarra Albina and Stuart Hughes.
Showing offAlberta High School Students SHOW OFF at ACAD!
pleased to announce that of the exhibiting
artists, 13 were awarded major scholarships
and awards - opening the doors to their
pursuit of a Bachelor of Design or Bachelor
of Fine Arts degree at ACAD. “We often
describe our ACAD students as creative
thinkers, and talented visionaries who will
go on to change their worlds through their
creative work. This exhibition of grade 11
and 12 student work truly showcases the
talented and diverse students that inhabit
our province and are a wonderful example
of the type of students that may enter our
First Year studies program. I am especially
honored to celebrate their first professional
exhibition with us today, and I very much
look forward to following their artistic
progresses” stated Dr. Daniel Doz, ACAD
President + CEO.
The 2011 Show Off High School Student
Art and Design Exhibition winners included
Grade 11 students Hannah Fisher of Olds,
and Thea van Duin of Calgary (winners of
full tuition to ACAD’s Pre College Program),
Grade 12 students Sarah Angeli Gonzales
and Hayley McIntyre, both of Calgary, and
Diana Tomlinson of Rocky Mountain House
(winners of a full tuition to their first year of
studies at ACAD), Grade 11 students Danielle
Bootsma, and Rosa Lee of Calgary (winners
of the Honorable Mention award), Grade 12
students Ashley Fitzmaurice of Calgary and
Kaleb Romano of Edmonton (winners of the
Honorable Mention Award), and Jack Board-
man of Okotoks, Justin Jung of Calgary,
Curtis Reynolds of Bonnyville, Tiffany Rice
of Calgary (winners of the Special Recogni-
tion Award).
To celebrate the excellent work of our
SHOW OFF students, ACAD was especially
pleased to be able to present the Fine Arts
programs at Olds High School, Ernest Man-
ning High School, St.Francis
High School and William Aberhart High
School with a grant equal to the amount of
their student’s award in support of their out-
standing contribution to student success.
ACAD congratulates all of our high school
student Show Off Exhibition artists on their
remarkable success, and we look forward to
launching SHOW OFF 2012 this fall. ■
Left: ACAD President Dr. Daniel Doz presents Best in Show
winner Hannah Fisher with her award.
Above: High School student work is exhibited in the illing-
worth Kerr Gallery
Near left: Students celebrate their awards at the 2011 SHOW
OFF reception this May.
panel of judges chooses an overall national
winner and one winner from each eligible
province and territory. This year, ACAD
is pleased to share that Alumni Richelle
Bear-Hat (BFA 2011) has been awarded the
Alberta region BMO 1st Art! award for 2011.
Family dynamics and relationships are at
the core of Richelle's winning piece entitled
She is Retained in Me. In this piece, she por-
trays an image of her mother and her three
aunts on her mother's side. Following her
mother's death, these three sisters became
important female influences in Richelle's life
and were involved in her upbringing. A deep
desire to explore her relationship with each
of these women inspired her work. "This
work is about connection and displacement
and how these apply to the relationships I
have with the women who raised me" she
explained.
"I am truly honoured to be selected as the
BMO 1st Art! regional winner for Alberta. For
five years, I immersed myself in my studies
and was challenged and encouraged along
the way by my peers and instructors. To
have my work recognized reminds me of
how grateful I am to have the privilege to
make work and communicate ideas" stated
Richelle.
Richelle was a drawing major at ACAD and
was be involved with the Banff Centre Work
Study throughout the summer of 2011. She
plans on applying for a residency and also
aspires to obtain a Masters of Fine Arts in
the future. ■
Issue No. 5 / Page 8 CATALYST / Page 9
As a place where ideas are realized and communicated, the Illingworth Kerr Gallery plays an invaluable role in the educational experi-ence at ACAD, as well as Calgary’s cultural scene. The IKG gives students and visitors the opportunity to be creatively and intellectually stimulated through a diverse range of challenging art and design expe-riences, all of which explore themes and concerns vital to the international discourse of contemporary art.
Wall Drawings by Iran do Espírito Santo is one such exploration. Organized and curated by the Illingworth Kerr Gallery, the exhibition marks a significant analysis of the practice of one of the international community's most exciting art voices.
rawing, as
a form of
mark-making, is
frequently featured
in the Illingworth
Kerr Gallery. Recent
work by Luanne
Martineau, Rich-
ard Brown, Susan
Turcot, Sarah Anne
Johnson, Richard Boulet, Dennis Budgen,
Wim Delvoye, Tanya Rusnak and others
have expanded the notion of what drawing
can be. The practice of mark-making, as
witnessed in many drawing and illustration
courses at ACAD, has expanded beyond
conventional notions of graphite or charcoal
on paper to include an often dizzying array
of materials, physical actions and media
(including animation). Drawing practices at
ACAD generally reflect the heightened em-
phasis on experimental, tentative gestures
as part of a mixed media process.
This summer and fall the IKG investigates
the experience of drawing by present-
ing a large-scale installation by Sao Paulo,
Brazil-based Iran Do Espírito Santo. The
well-known artist is in residence at ACAD
throughout June, culminating in a retrospec-
tive of his wall drawings that will cover most
of the 4,000 square foot IKG. The undertak-
ing involves precise drafting and an inten-
sive workshop of drawing and painting by a
team of supporting artists. Under Espírito
Santo’s direction, his head studio technician,
Juliana Kase Tanno guides Brazilian and Al-
berta artists in a unique, collaborative draw-
ing technique. The team comprises Juan
Sebastian Castro Cordeiro, Helio Bartsch,
Leopoldo Alejandro Ponce Valdivieso and
the noted photographer, Mauro Restiffe.
Recent ACAD graduates in the workshop
include Pamela Norrish, Sean MacAlister, Kat
Garland, Kelsey Fraser, and Hannah Doerk-
sen. Visiting Brazilian photographer, Mauro
Restiffe has provided a detailed documenta-
tion of the installation, shooting black and
white film on a 4x5 camera. Mr. Restiffe is a
specialized fine artist known internationally
for his black and white analog art photog-
raphy. He applies a high degree of skill,
creativity and accuracy to the documenta-
tion process over the four-week installa-
tion, capturing the experiential qualities of
a temporary installation for a forthcoming
IKG catalogue. Over the last ten years Mr.
Restiffe has performed similar work around
the world with Iran Do Espírito Santo.
A second, parallel IKG workshop is under-
taken with the support of Corus Entertain-
ment Inc., aims to engage experimental
approaches to script writing and technology
to produce a television quality documentary
film under the co-direction of Noam Gonick
and ACAD instructor, Kurtis Lesick. Student
participants from ACAD and visiting interns
include Martha Affleck, Kyle Anderson, Dani
Anderson and Kirk Loveland. The ACAD
students and interns gain experience in a
number of interrelated roles including script
writer, DOP, sound technician, gaffer, pro-
duction support staff and/or editor. Working
closely with the co-directors they form a
skeleton crew to explore various approaches
to profiling Iran Do Espírito Santo, reveal-
ing the artistic and technical secrets of his
oeuvre and investigating aspects of the
collaborative installation process.
Iran Do Espírito Santo (b. 1963) mines an
ambiguous middle ground or grey area in
which to place intrusions, obstacles, new
materials and light as transformal elements.
In doing so he produces some of the most
significant site-specific installations in the
world, exploring the subtle and visually un-
stable spaces between the concrete and the
abstract. He seeks ways to critically engage
or unhinge high modernist ideals associated
with “progressive” architecture and design.
In this middle space or gap Iran Do Espírito
Santo combines wit and paradox. Within
this gap is a contribution that is not figura-
tive per se and it is formally nonspecific
without being wholly abstract. It is perhaps
the transformal qualities of his work that
are most suggestive of a novel artmaking
strategy.
Santo’s approach to large-scale drawings
is idiosyncratic, suggesting a sleek blend of
influences derived in part from Minimalist
strategies of reductive materials, repetition,
geometry and subtle visual shifts. His draw-
ings, proposed as an installation of related
wall pieces created over the last twenty
years are bound by a refined simulacra of
common, style-conscious geometric forms
altered or abstracted to varying degrees.
He approaches a wide range of objects/im-
ages to skew expectations of their represen-
tation and experience. The combination of
forms in matte paint are beguiling. A large
square in black is carefully etched in minute
detail, suggesting a faux ebony wood grain.
Gallery two becomes a sophisticated grey
scale mural that may appear to reflect and
absorb light simultaneously in a pulsating
drive of vertical forms that fade to grey-
white and disappear altogether. It is as if a
tall curtain or filter has been hung on the
walls to suggest something more concrete
can be found beyond the modulation of the
grey scale. A wall of black, white and grey
bricks in gallery one becomes a different
exercise in grey scale. The perfect individual
bricks are immediately recognizable in their
composition but their reductive Op Art
visual vibrations draw attention once again
to a quality of light that deserves further
explanation.
Over the past twenty years Iran Do Espírito
Santo has also produced a diverse series
of reductive sculptures in materials such as
glass, solid aluminum and marble. They’ve
opened up new aesthetic relationships
for the artist as part of his reinvestigation
of form, substance, subject matter and
materials. His investigation is an aesthetic
discourse whose dynamic is, in part, based
on the integration of abstract and figurative
elements in representation. His approach to
object making (that includes the wall draw-
ings) elicits a sensuous, effortless means, an
articulation of order and content that is re-
ductive but flexible to accommodate other
concerns. A selection of Iran Do Espírito
Santo’s geometrically cut granite stone
sculptures shown recently at the opening
of the MAXXI in Rome provides an oppor-
tunity to focus on the artist’s preoccupation
with natural and artificial light sources on
complex surfaces. Whether the surfaces
are resilient or matte, viewers are immedi-
ately altered and virtually warped by their
own movement in relation to the angular
surfaces. Surfaces in Iran Do Espírito Santo’s
work are transformed to the point where
each reflection or matte grey scale becomes
beguiling, austere and a shifting beauty in
the process. The paradoxical effect is trans-
fixing while simultaneously an experience of
estrangement and anxiety.
Light is a key aesthetic strategy of Iran Do
Espírito Santo to produce anxiety in the
shifting perspective of the viewer. There is
no convincing narrative mode for interpreta-
tion of such work. Rather, the artist alters
surfaces to encompass the immediate world
and seeks to make sculptures, wall drawings
and installations as vehicles to expand com-
prehension of that realm. To this end Iran Do
Espírito Santo’s surfaces are not loud and
aggressive but nevertheless remain out-
wardly transformational. They demand and
receive engagement with a viewer relying
on an imperceptible movement of light for
visual comparison. Light, the basic aspect of
the human environment, cannot be defined
in terms of anything more simple or more
directly appreciated by the senses than
itself, responsible to the sensation of sight.
Two properties of light are directly related
to Iran Do Espírito Santo’s surfaces. The
first of these is that light is a form of energy
conveyed through empty space at high
velocity. The unique property of light is that
energy in the form of light is always moving,
and its movement is only in an indirect way
affected by motion of the matter through
which it is moving. It is present in the art-
ist’s abstracted, stripped down rendering
of fluorescent light tubes (Flourescent 1,
2000), oversized candle sticks (Castical
and Vela, 1998), keyholes (Untitled, 1999,
polished stainless steel) and other minimal-
ist objects symbolically aligned with light
sources. The effect is purely illusional.
None of the objects, of course, are sources
of light. Their imagistic presence as light
source is subversive. Iran Do Espírito Santo
effectively manipulates the source of light
as an essential and perhaps most sublime of
his sculptural and installation elements.
Another fundamental property of light, that
a beam of light can convey information from
one place to another, extends the artist’s
intention to incorporate a particular blend
of illusion and minimalism in the works,
without renouncing one or the other. He in
fact desires both as difficult partners. This
concerns both the source of light and also
other objects made visible as they partly ab-
sorb, reflect or refract light before it reaches
the viewer. The viewer is left to contemplate
the interaction of light with refracted matter
and the expansive qualities inherent in the
phenomena of luminescence. Any revela-
tion or visual recognition calls into doubt
the initial perceptions of the viewer. Do you
doubt whether the grey scale extends into
the far reaches of gallery two? Are the white
sections of the high walls actually grey? In
recognizing the constantly shifting visual
parameters of the drawing in gallery two,
the piece in effect tends to disappear and
re-emerge, shifting from two-dimensional
to three dimensional matter, paradoxically
blocking and synthesizing information
simultaneously. In a flush of succeeding illu-
sions the visual information exceeds its own
space and becomes part of the viewer’s
without being seen as a property of either.
The wall drawings are a convincing ex-
change of physical and virtual matter that
seem to mimic a slippery game of hide-and-
seek but it occurs to the eye in a far more
solemn yet psychologically subliminal man-
ner than words might imply. The net result
is that the drawings prove the opposite
of everything they appear to be on initial
viewing: they are not three dimensional, not
detailed and exact, not simple, not static
but, rather, dynamic and sentient. ■
Ikg Presents Wall Drawings: Iran do Espírito Santo June 30 - October 2, 2011.
Ikg
Text by
Wayne Baerwaldt
Photography
Hutch Hutchinson
D
Iran Do Espírito Santo’s work has appeared in numerous
international solo and group exhibitions including Randolph
Street Gallery, Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art São
Paulo, the Istanbul Biennale, the Venice Biennale, The Power
Plant, Toronto, the MAXXI (Museum of Contemporary Art,
Rome), Montreal Musee des beaux arts (Biennale de Mon-
tréal: Crack the Sky), Plug In ICA, Winnipeg and the San
Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. ■
Find out more about Iran do Espírito Santo's process, and the work that was done to create this important exhibition at ACAD's Vimeo channel: vimeo.com/acadonline. Be sure to take in the four short documentaries created on-site by students, alumni and the artist himself, and get a sneak peak at the prac-tice of one of the international art community's most innova-tive voices.
Top: En Passant 8, 2011, latex on wall
Bottom left: Rest, 1996/2011, latex on wall
Bottom right: Tape, 2007/2011, latex on wall
Alumni Award - Lauren Tamaki
ACAD Alumni Lauren
Tamaki (VCD, 2011) was
announced as the winner
of the silver award for her
work illustrating the Swerve
cover story “Age, Style &
The Whole Damn Thing”
at the 32nd Society of
News Design Competition.
Alumni Award - Alex Janvier
ACAD Alumni Alex Jan-
vier was invested into
the Alberta Order of
Excellence in 2010. The
Alberta Order of Excel-
lence is the highest honour
the Province of Alberta
can bestow on a citizen.
Alumni Award - Zin Taylor
Zin Taylor who is doing a
residency at the new Fogo
Island Arts Corporation in
Newfoundland! On June 2,
2010 the Fogo Island Arts
Corporation celebrated
the opening of a stunning
new studio and officially
launched an artist Resi-
dency Program designed to
attract some of the world’s
top contemporary artists to
Fogo Island.
ACAD in ActionACComPLIShmENTS + ACCoLADES FoR ouR STuDENTS, ALumNI, STAFF AND FACuLTY
Alumni Award - Mindy Andrews
Congratulations to Mindy
Andrews winner of the
2010 Alberta Craft Coun-
cil Award of Achievement
for her work in Ceramics.
Alumni Award - Rachael Wong
Rachael Wong is the
winner of the third an-
nual RBC Award for Glass.
The RBC Award provides
$7,000 toward professional
development, facilitating
a period of research and
studio investigation. This will
allow Rachael to continue
to expand and develop her
practice combining print
and sculpture within the
context of installation.
Alumni Award - Jaime Ward
Congratulations to ACAD
VCD Alumni Jaime Ward
for her outstanding work
as a bronze medalist in
boxing for team Canada.
Alumni Award - DaveandJenn
ACAD Alumni DaveandJenn
have been long-listed for the
2011 Sobey Art Award. This
is an incredibly prestigious
art award and quite an hon-
our just to be nominated.
Alumni Award - Zahra Al-Harazi
ACAD Alumna Zahra Al-
Harazi has been nominated
for the Chatelaine Woman
of the Year Awards. She
earned a degree in visual
communications from the
Alberta College of Art and
Design and worked her way
up to her current position of
creative director and major-
ity owner of the award-win-
ning design studio Foundry
Creative, which has quin-
tupled its staff over the past
five years. She has been
nominated as one of the top
entrepreneurs.
Alumni Awards -
Brad Turner
The Glass Art Association
of Canada is pleased to
announce the recipients of
the 2011 Project Grants. The
professional project grant
of $1500 will be awarded to
Brad Turner, who received
his BFA from the Alberta
College of Art and Design,
already holding a Bachelor
of Kinesiology from the
University of Calgary. He
then went on to complete
a four-year residency in the
glass studio at Harbourfront
Centre in Toronto. Through
his practice involving glass,
he is the recipient of numer-
ous awards and honors,
including Best of Show at
the Toronto Outdoor Art
Exhibition and grants from
the Toronto Arts Council
and the Ontario Arts Coun-
cil. He has participated in
exhibitions across Canada
and abroad, such as Unity
& Diversity at the Cheongju
International Craft Biennial
in South Korea and Tenuous
Tenacity at Glazen Huis in
Belgium.
With the assistance of
the GAAC Project Grant,
Brad will continue with the
second stage of his project
Open-Contents, which aims
to connect the physicality
of the craft object with the
interactivity of the internet.
Alumni Award - Dan Kratt
At the Digital Alberta
Awards on June 6th at Hotel
Arts, MADT alumnus Dan
Kratt won Best in Games
Development for his work
"Sigma”.
Alumni Awards - One Show
Kerry Gibson, Tali Schtelzer
and Aaron Rinas (all VCD
class of 2011) have taken
home their first Yellow Pen-
cil Awards at the One Show
in New York (June 2011). We
look forward to seeing the
bright careers that lie ahead
for each.
Student Awards - Swerve Magazine
Congratulations to 4th
year ACAD VCD students
Morgan Curley, Luke Cal-
lahan, Jordan Natyshen,
Victor Chow, Euny Choi, Alli
Forgay, Christina Berrouard
and Andrea Ewart on their
winning “The Golden Disk
Scavenger Hunt” cam-
paign for Swerve Magazine.
Student Award - Karen Borle
Congratulations to Karen
Borle, winner of the Bridge-
stone Photo Contest. Karen
took home the top national
prize, and a new Nikon
camera as the winner of the
competition. Congratula-
tions Karen on your great
work, and on reaching a
national audience with your
photography..
Student Awards - Eddie Awards
Congratulations to Greg
Doble and Kristy Lannan for
winning the Student Prize
and the Bronze Prize at the
2011 Big Rock Eddie Awards.
Student and Faculty Awards - CMYK 50
ACAD students Deserae
Evenson, Angela Moody,
Chelsey Szakacs and fac-
ulty member Jason Stang
were announced as winners
of the CMYK 50 "Top New
Creatives" Contest for their
work. Congratulations!
Student Award - Richelle Bear Hat
ACAD student Richelle Bear
Hat has won the BMO 1st
Art! award for the province
of Alberta. Congratula-
tions to Richelle on this
remarkable achievement.
Student Awards - Digital Alberta
ACAD students Alana Thor-
burn-Watt, Oana Avasilichio-
aei and Jessie Alturaplus
were named as finalists in
the Digital Alberta Student
Competition this June.
Congratulations to these
students on their work.
Student Awards - Society of Illustrators
VCD students Julianna
Michek and Jacqui Lee took
home awards from the So-
ciety of Illustrators, Student
Scholarship Competition
Exhibition, in New York.
Congratulations!
Student Exhibition - Prairie Tales 12
Congratulations to MADT
student Greg Doble, along
with ACAD Alumni Price
Morgan and Caitlind r.c.
Brown, and faculty member
Kevin Kurytnik and Carol
Beecher for their inclusion in
Prairie Tales 12.
Student Exhibitions - Upper and Lower Kase Galleries
Luann Johnson and Stepha-
nie Murray (Ceramics) have
taken on programming the
Upper Kase and Lower Kase
galleries for the Ceramics
department. Congratula-
tions to both Luann and
Stephanie for their success
with recent shows.
Student Exhibitions - stART - Outstanding stu-dent work from universi-
ties across Canada
Studio 21 in Halifax is very
pleased to announce a
special exhibition of work
by selected graduating art
students from universities
across the country. Partici-
pating art schools include:
the Nova Scotia College
of Art and Design, Mount
Allison, Concordia, Ontario
College of Art and Design,
University of Guelph, Al-
berta College of Art and De-
sign, and the University of
Lethbridge. stART featured
approximately 38 paintings
and mixed media works
including Aran McCormick
(ACAD) who captured the
beauty and lifestyle of rural
Alberta and beyond and
Meagan Thomson (ACAD).
Alumni Exhibition - ICA London
Congratulations to ACAD
Alumni Mateusz Odrobny
on his new exhibition at the
Institute of Contemporary
Arts in London. Accord-
ing to the ICA website:
"This exhibition featured
Mateusz Odrobny's new
offerings of visual assault.
First, a set of oil paintings
riffles through the viewers
psyche, searching for deep
seated imbalance upon
which to teeter. Meanwhile
the acrylic works on paper,
scream and prostrate, beg-
ging for empathy." This is
Odrobny's 4th exhibit in
London and his first of 2011.
Alumni Exhibition - Alternator Gallery
Congratulations to Alumna
Donna White on her exhibi-
tion The Cyborg Collars,
on February 11 - April 29,
2011 at the EPCOR Centre's
Ledge Gallery this. Donna
White is both an ACAD
Alumni, and a current
ACAD staff member in our
Extended Studies offices.
Alumni Exhibition - The Gallery
Congratulations to Dave
Lieske on his recent solo
show "99 Problems But A
Stitch Ain't One" at The
Gallery, running through the
month of April.
Alumni Exhibition - Alternator Gallery
Congratulations to ACAD
Alumni Megan Mackenzie on
her work in The Alternator
Gallery for Contemporary
Art's Wearable Art Gala. Me-
gan was an exhibiting artist
in the 2010 ArtaWEARness
exhibition, and launched
a jewelry line this spring.
Student Exhibition - Art Mür
Art Mûr’s new exhibit “Bone
Again” explores our modern
conception of death featur-
ing ACAD Glass student
Shawn Ayerst showing
alongside international art-
ists including Damien Hirst
“Bone Again” ran un-
til April 23,2011.
Faculty Research - Justin Waddell
Congratulations to ACAD
Faculty member Justin
Waddell on his presentation
at The Conference on the
Conference at Simon Fraser
University (March 3 and 4,
2011)
Faculty Research - Dick Averns
ACAD Faculty member Dick
Averns recently presented
his work at the Canadian
Forces Artists Program -
The First Ten Years, held
in Ottawa at the Canadian
War Museum this February
17th. Averns was part of the
2008-2009 Canadian Forces
Artists Program, deployed
to the Middle East to create
new works of non-fiction
writing and photography.
Faculty Research -
Ben Fullalove
ACAD Faculty member Ben
Fullalove presented a paper
this April on landscape,
environment and history in
the Canadian Rockies at the
Eco-Colloquium 4: Moun-
tains under Western Skies
Faculty Awards - John Greg Ball
Congratulations to John
Greg Ball, ACAD Faculty
member, on his recent win
at the Avenue Magazine
"Design Inside the Box 2011"
competition. John's work
"Subsonic Chair" won the
People's Choice award at
the recent ceremony for his
work.
Faculty Awards -
George Webber
ACAD Photography faculty
member George Webber
has received an Award of
Excellence from The Society
For News Design for his
China Town cover photo-
graph published in SWERVE
magazine. The SND Awards
recognize excellence in in-
ternational visual journalism.
Faculty Research -
Nancy Tousley
This March, ACAD Critic in
residence Nancy Tousley
contributed a story to Cana-
dian Art magazine about the
importance of artist run cen-
tres in Alberta, and profiling
many run and developed by
ACAD alumni and students.
Faculty Research -
Adam Tindale
This April, ACAD Faculty
Adam Tindale was featured
as a cover story in Rhizome,
the online gallery for the
New Museum in New York
for his work on lossless
processing.
Faculty Awards -
Charles Lewton-Brain
ACAD is pleased to congrat-
ulate Charles Lewton-Brain,
longtime instructor in Jewel-
lery + Metals at the College
and internationally recog-
nized artist ,on his recent
induction into the Royal
Canadian Academy. Lewton-
Brain has been selected by
his peers as one of Canada’s
most recognized visual art-
ists. This nomination is truly
a great honor and a timely
recognition of the work that
Charles Lewton-Brain has
contributed to Canada’s art
community.
Faculty Awards -
Kevin Kurtnyk
ACAD Faculty member
Kevin Kurtnyk was awarded
$500,000 grant from the
National Film Board for his
exciting work.
Faculty Research - Rick Silva
ACAD Faculty Rick Silva
was interviewed for the
Huffington Post this July
on his recent body of work
involving gif files.
Faculty Research -
Chris Cran
ACAD Faculty member
Chris Cran’s work Red Man
Black Cartoon, has been
reproduced in the May June
issue of Ad Busters.
Faculty Exhibition -
Sondra Meszaros
Faculty member Sondra
Meszaros exhibited her work
as part of the VIP Art Fair
(Corkin Gallery, Toronto) this
January 22 - 30, 2011.
Faculty Exhibition -
Tim Zuck
Barbara Edwards Contem-
porary is pleased to present
an historic retrospective of
prints by the renowned Ca-
nadian/American artist Tim
Zuck. 03/12/10 to /05/01/10
Tim Zuck Prints: A Retro-
spective, brings together
works spanning 25 years of
printmaking (1983- 2009)
and offers a comprehensive
view of the artist’s print-
making within the context
of his drawing and painting
practice.
Faculty Exhibition -
Sondra Meszaros
Shun: New Drawings and
photo etchings by Calgary
based artist and ACAD
Faculty member Sondra
Meszaros ran March 25 -
April 4, 2011 at the Corkin
Gallery in Toronto. Shown
for the first time at the
Corkin Gallery, Meszaros'
Shun has culled imagery
from such diverse sources
as cinematic heroines, Eu-
ropean folklore, fairy tales,
paganism and mythology.
Congratulations to Sondra
on her work, and on this
exhibition.
Faculty Exhibition -
Mark Mullin
Faculty member Mark Mullin
has recently exhibited his
work as part of ...Not Quite...,
a five person group exhibi-
tion in Pointe-Claire, Que-
bec. ...Not Quite... explores
contemporary painting's
negotiation between ab-
straction and representation.
Faculty Exhibition -
Tyler Rock
ACAD Faculty Tyler Rock
featured in a significant
contemporary glass art exhi-
bition titled, “Natural Flow”
at the Esplanade Gallery
in Medicine Hat. The show
features three pieces of their
work and will also travel to
the Alberta Craft Council in
Edmonton in the fall.
ACAD Students Make a
Difference
Last month, ACAD Stu-
dents visited the Alberta
Children's Hospital to make
a difference in the lives
of some very deserving
children. Congratulations to
our students for your work
at the Children's Hospital,
and for your dedication to
giving back through art and
design.
MNG student auction raises record amount of
funds for grad catalogue
The 2011 MNG student auc-
tion raised more than $1800
in support of the 2011 gradu-
ating student catalogue - an
important yearly publication
managed and created by
students in ACAD's graduat-
ing class. Congratulations
to all who participated, and
to all who took home the
exceptional work on auction!
ACAD students support the Missing Children Soci-
ety of Canada
This February, ACAD VCD
students displayed work at
a fund raising art exhibition
in support of the Missing
Children Society of Canada
at 100 Wines on Olympic
Way. The event, titled Dom
Perignon, Andy Warhol
and 100 Wines marked the
launch of a limited-edition
Andy Warhol Dom Perignon
series, and was a celebration
of art, wine and culture with
larger-than-life paintings
from Calgary's Jason Gogo,
culinary artistry from Paul
Rogalski's team at Rouge
Restaurant, an art exhibition
by the Alberta College of Art
and Design and live music
from Oscar Lopez and Tim
Tamashiro.
ACAD Faculty opens Alberta's newest Arts
Centre
The newly established KO
Arts Centre, located in
Springbank just west of Cal-
gary, will promote contem-
porary art through artist's
residencies, exhibitions,
workshops, symposia and
lectures. The Centre, situated
on 20 acres, comprises a
beautifully designed home
and two artist's studios. The
KO Arts Centre is the cre-
ation of two veteran Calgary
artists, painter Harry Kiyooka
and sculptor and ACAD
Faculty member Katie Ohe.
Congratulations to Katie on
this remarkable endeavor -
we look forward to hearing
more about programing and
opportunities at the KO Arts
Centre in the year to come.
Sharing our expertise in....
India!
This February, Wayne Baer-
waldt, director and curator
of exhibitions at ACAD and
acting VPRAA joined AGO
curator Michelle Jacques,
artist and curator Sunil Gup-
ta, and art critic and curator
Gayatri Sinha, both based
in New Delhi, India to form
the 2011 Grange Prize Jury.
Each year, The Grange Prize
works with an international
partner country to honour
the best in international
contemporary photography.
India is the partner country
for the 2011 Grange Prize,
and presenting partners
Aeroplan and the Art Gallery
of Ontario will work with the
New Delhi-based Foundation
for Indian Contemporary Art
(FICA) to organize a Grange
Prize exhibition in India later
this year.
Welcome back to our Mexico exchange sculpture
students
This spring, third and fourth
year Sculpture students
completed a nine day study
trip to Mexico City. The
group visited museums, art
galleries and artist's stu-
dios and spent 2 days with
the students from Escuela
Nacional de Pintura, Escul-
tura y Grabados "La Esemer-
alda". At La Esmeralda, our
students gave presentations
about ACAD, student work,
and the art scene in Calgary
and Canada. This trip was
made possible with a grant
from Campus Alberta Grant
for International Learning.
ACAD Faculty, Alumni and Supporters take on MASS
MoCA
‘Oh, Canada’, (coming May
2012) will be a large year-
long exhibition at MASS-
MoCA, and will include
ACAD Faculty, Alumni and
Supporters such as Rita
McKeough, Terrance Houle,
John Will, Eric Cameron,
DaveandJen, Chris Millar
and David Hoffos, as well as
artists such as Noam Gonick
(currently in residence at
ACAD) and others associ-
ated with ACAD (Annie Po-
toogook, Shuvinai Ashoona,
Valerie Blass, Graeme Pat-
terson, etc.).
The exhibition, titled Oh,
Canada, features work by
more than 60 artists who
hail from every province and
nearly every territory in the
country, spanning multiple
generations and working
in all media. MASS MoCA’s
curator Denise Markonish
spent the last three years
criss-crossing Canada to
view hundreds of exhibi-
tions in museums and gal-
leries, visiting over 400
artists’ studios, and mak-
ing connections with a full
range of artists working in
Canada today. Markonish’s
extensive research brings
this project the fresh per-
spective of an informed and
curious outsider. While Oh,
Canada will ask questions
such as “What are some of
the distinguishing charac-
teristics of art made in the
country?” its aim is not to
present a merely national-
istic show. Rather, the goal
is to encourage a dialogue
about contemporary art
made in Canada (one touch-
ing on issues of craft/mak-
ing, conceptualism, humor
and identity), a dialogue
that will resonate just as
deeply for Canadians as for
outsiders.
The exhibition will be
mounted in the 14,000 sf
comprising MASS MoCA’s
first floor galleries, as well
as additional indoor and
outdoor spaces. From an
initial list of over 800 pros-
pects Markonish narrowed
down her list, focusing for
the most part on artists who
have shown less frequently
n the U.S. The exhibition will
also be accompanied by
live events at MASS MoCA
focusing on Canadian acts.
After closing at MASS
MoCA in March 2013, the ex-
hibition will tour to selected
cultural venues in the
U.S. and Canada.
Issue No. 5 / Page 10 CATALYST / Page 11
SuPPoRT ACAD
Yes, I wish to support ACAD.
Please find enclosed my donation for:
Please direct my donation to:
Scholarships and Bursaries
Institute for the Creative Process
Area of greatest need
Please contact me about:
Sponsorship opportunities
Special events at ACAD
Please keep my donation anonymous
Thank you for supporting ACAD!
Name
Address
City
Province / State Postal Code
Country
Email address
Phone
Please accept my donation by:
Cheque (payable to Alberta College of Art + Design)
Visa Mastercard
Card Number Expiry Date
Signature
Name on Card
Please forward this form with payment to:
Alberta College of Art + Design
c/o Shane Smith, Director of Advancement and Alumni
1407 – 14 Avenue N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2N 4R3
Or contact ACAD at 403. 284.7690Charitable BN # 10669-2981-RR0001. A charitable tax receipt will be mailed to
you. Unless a request has been made otherwise, ACAD will recognize your donation
through donor recognition listings.
✁
CAD Students have continued their tradition of
taking home top prizes at the 2011 Applied Arts
Student awards with a record 18 Visual Communication
Design major students winning awards for their ex-
traordinary work. Congratulations to all of our students
who have been recognized as award winners.
Applied Arts Student Award winners from ACAD include:
Andrea Ewart, Jenn Kitagawa, Mahmoud Bachir, Martin Warszawski, Jessica
Brousseau, Kerry Gibson, Aaron Rinas, Britny Samuelson, Courtney Mcneil, Kyle
Metcalf, Eunyoung Choi, Jacqui Lee, Jessica Brousseau, Jordan Natyshen, Lau-
ren Tamaki, Michelle Tran, Morgan Curley and Tali Schtelzer.
The students' work will appear in the November/December 2011 issue of Ap-
plied Arts — a special Awards issue that is often used by potential employers to
scout out new talent. Winners are also featured on the Applied Arts website in
a Students Awards Gallery, which attracts more than 400,000 unique visitors
annually. Our students, along with the other winners, will also be recognized
at a special Award Winners' Exhibit to be held this October 27th and 28th in
Toronto. The 18 awards won by the ACAD students total more than those won
by students at any other design school or college.
As a spokesperson for the magazine shared, “Our esteemed judges came from
across North America to grade our stunning entries, which came from as far as
Santiago, Chile; Berlin, Germany; and Moscow, Russia. This year, our judges had
so many great things to say about the student entries, praising the originality
and innovation of the works, as well as the professional quality of many of the
pieces. The student winners chosen by our judges are definitely up-and-comers
worth keeping an eye out for!” (Applied Arts)
Congratulations again to our extraordinary students – your creative passion,
your innovative talent, and your hard work are well recognized! ■
ACAD VCD students take home top prizes at the 2011 Applied Arts Student Awards!
he Alberta Col-
lege of Art +
Design is pleased
to share that this
spring, ACAD Critic
in Residence Nancy
Tousley was named
as one of eight re-
cipients of the 2011
Governor General’s
Awards in Visual and Media Arts. Nancy
Tousley joins a prestigious group of previous
Governor General Award winners from the
Alberta College of Art + Design including
2009 recipient, Rita McKeough.
The eight recipients of the 2011 Governor
General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts
represent a broad spectrum of artistic prac-
tice, including photography, performance
art, experimental film and metalsmithing.
The winners come from across Canada, and
work in a variety of media. Nancy Tousley
received the Outstanding Contribution
Award for her 30 year career as an art critic
and journalist. According to nominator Peter
White, independent curator and writer, Ms.
Tousley received this award because "She
demonstrates respect for the artists she
interviews, and for the readers who follow
her work."
As Critic In Residence at the Alberta College
of Art + Design, this new Governor General
Award winner works daily with students and
faculty and with ACAD’s two public gallery
spaces to raise the level of critical discourse
at ACAD. Nancy Tousley’s practice has
included writing about art and architecture
for a major daily newspaper, art magazines
and exhibition catalogues.
“On behalf of all of us here at ACAD, I con-
gratulate Nancy on her outstanding achieve-
ment —her work continues to enrich our
College in many ways and she, in her role
as ACAD Critic in Residence, has opened
the door for very important conversations
about the roles of art and art education in
the context of our province and our coun-
try” stated Dr. Daniel Doz, President + CEO.
Governor General’s Award prizes are
awarded annually to visual and media artists
for distinguished career achievement in vi-
sual arts, architecture, independent film and
video, or audio and new media. Valued at
$25,000 each, the awards recognize career
achievement in the visual and media arts by
Canadian artists, as well as outstanding con-
tributions. The Governor General's Awards
in Visual and Media Arts are Canada's
foremost distinctions for excellence in these
artistic disciplines. This prestigious award
was presented by His Excellency the Right
Honourable David Johnston, Governor Gen-
eral of Canada, on Wednesday, March 23 at
Rideau Hall to Ms. Tousley for her outstand-
ing contribution.
ACAD congratulates Ms. Tousley on this
remarkable accomplishment, and celebrates
her contribution to both our national, and
local arts community. ■
ACAD Critic in Residence awarded the 2011 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts
ACAD is pleased to announce that Nancy Tousley will continue in her position as Critic in Residence at the college for the 2011-2012 academic year. She will be joined this year by Diana Sherlock, ACAD Faculty member and newly appointed 2011-2012 Curator in Resi-dence.
LEADERShIP
Photography
Courtesy of
the Office of the
Governor General
T
CELEBRATIoN
A
Welcoming a new member to ACAD's Board of Directors.
CAD is delighted to welcome Ms. Susan Thomas
to the ACAD Board of Governors. Ms. Thomas’s
appointment the ACAD Board of Governors was ef-
fective as of May 18, 2011. As a member of the ACAD
President’s Circle since its inception, Ms. Susan Thomas
is a significant supporter of ACAD’s vision. She is the
founder and workplace strategist for Workingspaces
Consulting Ltd., providing consulting services to de-
sign and development projects.
“We look forward to the enthusiasm and guidance that Ms. Thomas will bring
to our governing board” stated Dr. Daniel Doz, President + CEO, “Ms. Thomas is
a figure of prominence within the design community and we feel her appoint-
ment to our Board would immensely benefit ACAD as one of only four art and
design institutions within Canada. Additionally, her career history reflects ac-
complishment within the public and non-profit sector with major responsibili-
ties for community and educational program funding.” Susan Thomas has been
a staunch supporter of ACAD for many years through her work as a member
of ACAD’s President’s Circle as well as in other capacities. She is currently
acting as the Public Art Coordinator with Encana Corporation, and in her role
has created “THE BOW: Emerging Artist Project” – an initiative that benefited
hundreds of students at ACAD in 2011.
Ms. Thomas is joined in her capacity as a new member of ACAD’s Board of
Governors by Dwayne Prazak (Staff Representative) and Ben Fullalove (Faculty
Representative), both of whom will be serving a two year term representing
their constituent groups. ■
LEADERShIP
A
Issue No. 5 / Page 12