What's Inside?
- Message from NSCAD President
- Alumni News
- Inside NSCAD
- NSCAD in the Community
- Alumni Benefits 2025

Happy 2025! By now, I hope you have had a chance to settle into the new year with either a new routine or perhaps a revitalized outlook on your usual activities.

2025 promises to be a year of ongoing evolution and adaptation. NSCAD is moving ahead with its plans and actions to unify its campus at the Halifax Seaport. Our recruitment and admissions teams are busier than ever finding the most passionate, talented, and curious students, and our creative community continues to push boundaries, pursue innovative ideas, and produce thoughtful work. Engagement with alumni and supporters around the world will remain a key priority for the school.

We have exciting exhibitions happening at the Anna and the Treaty Space Galleries this month. Well-known multimedia artists Jennifer Marmin and Daniel Borins will present to NSCAD faculty, staff, and students January 23 at 6 p.m. at the AGNS to highlight their exhibition Three Dimensions. We’re also looking forward to learning from visiting artists Shary Boyle and Sheila Provazza at the end of the month (both will deliver artist talks and will be hosting NSCAD’s annual Big Draw Night, a 12-hour drawing marathon happening on January 29 and running into the early morning of January 30).

I also wanted to let you know that I will soon be ending my tenure as president at NSCAD University and will be moving on to a new opportunity as the Nerman Family President of the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. This decision was not easy to make, but the opportunity presented a chance to return to the U.S. to be with my family full time.

There is a transition plan in place, and you will be soon hearing more about this and the establishment of the Presidential Search Committee from NSCAD Board Chair Dr. William Barker. I’m very grateful for my time with NSCAD and the opportunities I’ve had to meet alumni from all over Canada and around the world. It has been an honour and privilege to help guide NSCAD into its bright and ambitious next chapter.

As always, thank you for being so supportive of NSCAD. I sincerely believe that the work of  NSCAD  is as essential as it has ever been, and I am confident that the university will succeed in becoming a global destination campus for creatives. The world is a better place with art, craft, and design front and centre in our lives. NSCAD continues to have a leadership role in drawing our collective attention to that creative space.

Onward,
Peggy

Stay in Touch
We want to hear from you! Please send us your news. What are you working on? Where are you living? What inspires you? Any recent achievements? Want to host an event? Use the online form to update us. Email us at alumni@nscad.ca if you are interested in being profiled for your work or business.

Career: Congrats to Olivia Fay (BFA 2023) who is currently the Artist-in-Residence at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. During her time she will be working on a variety of project including delivering some incredible workshops, so be on the lookout. Read more here.

Career: Congratulations Brittany Schuler (BFA 2022) whose work, To Beauty Hidden, was selected by the jury of the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts to take part in the Salon d'hiver in December 2024. Last year marked the salon’s 160th anniversary. Read more here.

Career: Congrats to Tori Fleming (BFA 2013) who recently joined the Atlantic International Film Festival team as the Development Manger! Tori spent a decade as the Executive Director of the Center for Art Tapes and has served on the boards of numerous arts organizations. Read more here.

Career: Congratulations to Pedro Loredo (MDes 2023) whose thesis ‘Smart Textiles and Autism Spectrum Disorder’ was selected to participate in the 11th National Design Biennial in Mexico. His research project explores how textile design can improve the treatment of individuals with less severe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, specifically those who have difficulties with social communication and emotional regulation. Read more here.

Career: Congrats to Keely Hopkins (BFA 2023) the Media Arts Production Fund Recipient for Struts Gallery. Keely's practice is built on a photographic foundation that incorporates sculpture and video. Highly experimental, they focus on material and a process-based approach. They are interested in speaking directly to the historical link between science and photography to explore objectivity, interconnectivity, time, and awe. They are researching landscapes that are connected to agricultural practices and boundaries. Read more here.

Career: New York gallery Sikkema Malloy Jenkins is now representing Keltie Ferris (BFA 2003). The gallery represents more than thirty global artists with diverse practices across a variety of media, including painting, drawing, installation, photography, and sculpture. Keltie's unique approach to abstraction maps the catalytic qualities of medium and technique onto expressions of physicality, energy, and change. Read more here.

Talk: Want to learn about how Indigenous youth are implementing wellness, prioritizing health and fostering connections to the land?Register for this Indigenous Youth Roots virtual wellness panel. Panelists include current Treaty Space Gallery Coordinator Natalie Laurin (BDes 2022) and Sydney Wreaks (BFA 2020). Panelists will share insights, challenges, and how their initiatives are supporting healthier futures for themselves and their communities. This panel is open to all! Jan. 27, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. (Eastern) Register here.

Book Launch: Congratulations to Ashley Thimot (BDes 2007) who recently published a book featuring her illustrations. Written by Lindsay Gloade-Raining Bird, Snow Day
captures the magic of a snowfall, following an Indigenous family as they experience all of the delights of a winter's day. Read more here.

In the News: Each month CBC features a new take on the CBC Arts logo created by a Canadian artist. Adrienna Matzeg (BFA 2014) was selected this month (January 2025). "I transform my travel photography into vibrant and tactile compositions. It invites a sense of nostalgia and intimacy, with an interest in how we preserve fleeting moments from travel," says Matzeg. Read more here.

In the News: Duane Jones (BDes 2004), founder of Art Pays Me, was featured recently in DAL News' 24 Hours section. The regular article interviews staff, faculty and students and alumni about their typical day. Read more here.

Screening/Exhibition: PLAY BACK brings together video works by five artists made at Struts Gallery between 2022 and 2024. The screening will include a video by Max Dooher (BFA 2023). GHOSTS is an short film that examines the spectral nature of digital surveillance through a fragmented digital montage. PLAY BACK takes place Jan. 31, 2025, 7 p.m. Struts Gallery, 7 Lorne St., Sackville, NB. Read more here.

Residency/Exhibition: Jessica Wiebe (BFA 2015) will create Process, Purpose, Play, her residency at Hermes Gallery in Halifax. As part of the residency, Jessica will explore her creativity and creative process through collage, body movement, music playlists, journaling and photos. The space is open to visitors Fri. and Sat. noon - 6 p.m. and Sun. noon - 3 p.m. There will be a closing Artist Talk Feb. 9, noon. Hermes Gallery, 5682 North Street, Halifax, NS. Read more here.

Exhibition: Works by New Mineral Collective, the collaborative practice of Canadian artist Tanya Busse (BFA 2007) and Lithuanian artist Emilija Škarnulytė, will be showcased in The Pleasure Report, an exhibition launching this week in Toronto. Working across sculpture, photo, and time-based media, the artists critically examine and rethink the nature of human interaction with the Earth. Jan 25 - Mar. 22. Mercer Union, 1286 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON. Read more here.

Exhibition: Pre-Shrunk is back for 2025! Featuring hundreds of tiny, incredible works of art ready to find new homes. Including work by Ashley Delaney (BDes 2006), Alison Robertson (BFA 2019), Angela Carlsen (BFA 1999), Ann Lyons, Belle DeMont (BFA 2014), Caitlin McGuire (BFA 2015), Curtis Botham (BFA 2017), Danaé Lavallée (student), Ed MacDormand, Emily Krueckl (BFA 2021), Emily Redmond, Emmy Lao (BDes 2022), Erin Hollingshead (BFA 2016), Hilary Hlagy (student), Jack Ross (BFA 2012), Kate Brown (BFA 1989), , Katherine Sharpe (BFA 2015), Kelsey Borden (BFA 2018),
Lindsay Brown (BFA 1989), Maggie
McGuire (BFA 2024), Meg Johnson (student), Mindy Harris (BFA 2006),
Miyoshi Kondo (BFA 2004), Nancy MacDonald (BFA 1991), Warren Jardine (BDes 2021) and Wenxiu Ji (BFA 2020). Opening Jan. 24, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Until Feb. 25. Argyle Fine Art, 1559 Barrington Street, #102 Halifax, NS. Read more here.

Exhibition: This Seems Personal,
delves into the intricate tapestry of human existence, and explores how the threads of personal experiences and societal issues are tightly interwoven.Curated by Brandt Eisner (BFA 2005), the show features work by Andrew Quan (BDes Honours 2000), Curtis Botham (BFA 2017), Shauna MacLeod (BFA 2011), Lux Gow-Habrich (BFA 2015) and others. Until April 13. Confederation Centre Art Gallery, 145 Richmond Street
Charlottetown, PE. Read more here.

Exhibition: The Feminine Landscape, brings together five Edmonton-area women artists, including Ashley Thimot (BDes 2007) whose diverse practices highlight not only their creative excellence but also the myriad roles they navigate in their personal and professional lives. Jan. 25 - March 30. Art Gallery of Alberta, 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, AB. Read more here.

Exhibition: Ascending Horizons, explores how Indigenous women activate their connection to the natural world and dream of new worlds for future generations. Featuring work by Carrie Allison (BA/BFA 2014, MFA 2018). Opening Reception:
Jan. 30, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. McMaster Museum of Art, Alvin A. Lee Bldg, University Ave, Hamilton, ON. Read more here.

Exhibition: In This Economy? is an opportunity for Luke Fair (MFA 2021) and Takashi Hilferink (MFA 2022) to exhibit their paintings in conversation with each other, exploring the intersections between the 21st century pyramid scheme of homeownership, and the anthropocentric toll of housing construction and resource extraction. Jan. 28 - Feb. 23, Opening Jan. 30, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Craig Gallery, Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney St., Dartmouth, NS. Read more here.

Design Trivia Night: What's a counter? Who is George Stanley? Whether you're a seasoned industry professional or a design student, dust off your niche design knowledge and join the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) at our
Design Trivia Night in Halifax! Jan 29, 7 p.m. Gahan House Nova Centre,
5239 Sackville Street, Halifax, NS. Read more here.

In the News: Hyperallergic's A View From the Easel features NSCAD faculty member Ufuk Ali Gueray. He is an interdisciplinary artist of Turkish background whose painting-centered practice explores the intersections of cultural heritage, identity, and modern technology. Read more here.

Fresh View: When faculty member
Anton Lee took over AHIS 4515, an art history course that interrogates NSCAD’s legacy and its role in the conceptual art movement in the late '60s and '70s, he thought he’d change everything about it. Titled, Much Ado about the Last Art College, Lee’s intention for the course was not to simply celebrate this particular heyday in NSCAD’s history, but to use the class to “identify the shortcomings, omissions, and erasures in the school’s history from that period.” Read more here.

Public Lecture Series: Shary Boyle.
With a particular interest in human relations, and how art communicates things people are not comfortable or able to speak about, Shary Boyle approaches her work with craft, humour, defiance and sincerity. She focuses on the healing power of the artistic process. Jan. 28, 2025, 7 p.m. Paul O'Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS. Read more here.

In the News: Congrats to NSCAD Sow to Sew artist-in-residence Marie Webb who is featured in Marie the Fashion Queen, a CBC documentary about her newest fashion line Brag Wear and her 2024 trip to New York Fashion Week. The documentary was one of the network's top five most watched videos of 2024! Read more here.

Exhibition: Faculty member Kim Morgan's exhibition Blood and Breath, Skin and Dust, presents the human body as you might never have thought about it before...seen through a microscope. An enchanting night sky populated with magnified images of human blood cells, 7-foot inflatable dust ball imprinted with magnified images of belly button lint, an oversized fabric floor-sculpture of a human skin flake that subtly ripples and breathes. Feb. 1 - May 11. Confederation Centre Art Gallery, 145 Richmond Street
Charlottetown, PE. Read more here.

Exhibition: Current student
Cortney S. Cassidy's residency show of large scale abstract oil paintings,
put your hands on your hips is on until Feb. 6. MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning, 50 Queen St, Dartmouth, NS. Read more here.

Alumni Benefits for 2025

20% off NSCAD Extended Studies Classes (online and in-person).

10% off at the NSCAD Art Supply Store.

Preferred pricing on TD Insurance for Home, car, life and business.

$15 off vehicle undercoating with Krown Rust Control in Nova Scotia, email alumni@nscad.ca for details

50% off Young Drivers of Canada program OR Free Young Drivers of Canada program with purchase of a course on yd.com, email alumni@nscad.ca for details

$5 off passport photos and 15% off headshots and graduation photos with Zuya Photo Studio - located in downtown Halifax.

TD Insurance: Take advantage of your alumni benefits. As a trusted partner, the TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Program is dedicated to helping NSCAD alumni get access to preferred insurance rates on car, home, condo and tenant coverage. For more information or to get a quote here.

Header Image: Meta Weave Pattern, cotton and linen, by Rilla Marshall (BFA 2004). Image provided by the artist.