VIVID: The NSCAD University Newsletter for Alumni and Friends
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What's Inside?
- A Message from President Peggy Shannon
- A Message from Alumni Association Secretary Bruce Sparks
- Alumni Events
- Alumni News
- NSCAD in the Community
- Inside NSCAD
- Opportunities
Message from President Peggy Shannon, PhD
Dear Friends,
February is always a special month for me. It is a time to reflect, to acknowledge, and to celebrate. Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month (African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia) events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities.
The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build.” Here at NSCAD, we have some exciting things planned. Sobaz Benjamin will be offering a Drumming Circle Workshop in the FAB (Former Art Bar) on February 29th from Noon - 2:00 p.m. for all students and alumni. On our social media channels, we have been highlighting several African Nova Scotian artists and alumni such as Dr. Henry Bishop, Kemmy Smith, and Kayza DeGraff-Ford. We celebrate their artistry and success.
Also in February, there is, of course, Valentine's Day. Thirty years ago, this Valentine's Day, I was in labour with my first-born child Isaiah. He was born on February 15th and from that day to the present, he has brought enormous joy to my life, as have all of my children. They keep me focused on what matters most: family, social and educational communities, and the creativity that shapes our world.
During the last two weeks of February, I will be in Montreal and in New York. I hope to see some of you during these trips.
Happy February to all of you!
Peggy
Message from Alumni Association Secretary and Interim Treasurer Bruce Sparks
When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to get to university. And when I got to university, I couldn’t wait to get out. Lucky for me I ended up at NSCAD, and even though I graduated a very long time ago I don’t feel I’ve ever completely left. I’ve come back for lectures, extended studies, exhibitions, service on the Board of Governors and to the Alumni Association, and especially, for the library. And even though in the end I didn’t become an artist, I’m happy with the way it changed me, and sustained me. Places like NSCAD aren’t only vital to the people who work or study here, there’re essential for the broader community they live in.
Lately I’ve been thinking and reading about one of the founders of NSCAD – the redoubtable Anna Leonowens. A recent biographer called her “mendacious to the bone”, but the serial reinventions of herself as circumstances changed, and her resolute stubbornness, are qualities that I think could inspire us during this point in our history.
The strength and achievements of NSCAD alumni are the best evidence and justification for its continued success. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Visit our website for more details and to stay connected with the latest news.
Bruce
Art Work: Art & Agriculture
Join photographer Sue Earle (BFA 1993) and fibre artist Enid Schaller (BFA 1999) as they discuss art, agriculture and how to apply creativity in its many forms.
Free Virtual Talk, Everyone welcome!
Mar. 12, 2024 12:30 p.m. (Atlantic)
Register here.
NSCAD in Vancouver
Join Cathy Busby (BFA 1984) for an artist talk about HORIZONS a
conceptual art project by Garry Neill Kennedy, which will be on display in the gallery. Afterwards join us upstairs for an alumni mixer with Interim Dean Jacqueline Warwick, as well as old friends, and new. April 25, 2024, 5 p.m - 7 p.m. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC. If you would like to attend, email us at rsvp@nscad.ca.
NSCAD in Montreal:
Thank you to all our alumni who turned out last week for our Montreal event. Those who couldn't make it we hope to see you next time!
Television: Tune in to True Detective Season 4 to see and hear alumna
Tanya Tagaq's (BFA 1998 & DFA 2015) in action, pictured left. Tanya not only acts in this newest season, but provides vocals for the soundtrack featuring her modern interpretation of Inuit throat singing. Read More here.
Television: Tune in to The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown to see alumnus Brendan Tang (BFA 1998) featured as a celebrity judge. “We live in a digital world, and ceramics is a return to making things with your hands in an immediate and intimate way,” Brendan says. Read More here.
Artist Talk: 2023 Sobey Art Award finalist Séamus Gallagher (BFA 2019) will be speaking about their art practice as it ranges through photo, video, virtual reality, and sculpture. As well as their most recent exhibitions at the McCord Stewart Museum and the National Gallery of Canada. FREE event. Registration required. Mar. 7, 2024, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Light House Arts Centre, 1800 Argyle St, Halifax, NS. Register here.
Exhibition: Harbour, new ceramic work by Alana Wilson (BFA 2010).
Opening Feb 27, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Closing Mar. 31, 2024. Craig Gallery, Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth, NS. Read more here.
Exhibition: Pleasure Ground: A Feminist Take on the Natural World, works by Sarah Maloney (BFA 1988).
See artworks created from 1993–2021, displaying Maloney’s development as a contemporary sculptor and textile artist who is nationally recognized for her representations of botanicals and the human body. Opening exhibition 1 - 3 p.m. Mar. 9. Running until June 1. MSVU Art Gallery, 166 Bedford Hwy, Halifax, NS. Read more here.
Exhibition: Tom Hammick at Galerie Boisserée, a survey of prints and paintings 2019-2023. The full breadth of Hammick’s expertise was on view, displayed in large new painted woodcuts filled with botanicals with a shadow hovering above, as well as etchings and paintings of seascapes and nighttime scenes that display an electric use of colour. Read More here.
In Memorium: Ella Helena Wilson (BFA 1991). Age 82, died Dec. 17, 2023, peacefully at St. Vincent’s Nursing home. After leaving teaching, Ella returned to school, pursuing her love of the arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Ella had many passions, though perhaps none greater than her love of painting. She never stopped creating art from the time she was a teen to her final days. Read More here.
Event: This year’s Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival involved 13 participants from NSCAD, giving arts students a rare opportunity to showcase their ideas. Eric-Oliver Theriault, a fourth-year NSCAD student and visual artist, said the medium is close to plaster, “almost like cutting butter.” Although he has had experience with painting and sculpting before, he was “really excited” to try carving ice. Read More here.
Public Lecture Series: In this talk NSCAD visiting artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle will share how her interdisciplinary art and music practice brings together relations between language, land, and the more-than-human. Her work combines Indigenous language(s), music, audio, video, VR, sewn objects, the olfactory, audience/user participation and community engagement to create immersive environments towards ‘radical inclusion’ and decolonization.
Mar. 26, 7 p.m. Halifax Central Library, O’Regan Hall 5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS Read More here.
Call for Nominations: Nominate the exceptional individuals who inspire us, challenge us, and shape the world around us for NSCAD University's prestigious Doctor of Fine Arts (honoris causa) and Life Fellow awards. Deadline: May 15, 2024
Read More here.
Award Announcement: Price Awards for Excellence in Teaching, established by The Sarah M. McKinnon and Peter J. Dawes Foundation, will be presented each year to both a full-time and part-time NSCAD faculty member, with each of the two awards valued at $1,000. “NSCAD University is blessed with superb teachers, whose dedication and innovation inspire our students to follow their curiosity, take risks, and excel,” said Dr. Jacqueline Warwick, Interim Dean at NSCAD.
Read More here.
Call for Nominations: Sobey Art Award 2024 nominations are now open. Presented annually, the award celebrates some of our country’s most exciting artists and provides significant financial recognition. This year $100,000 will go to the overall winner and $25,000 to each finalist.
Deadline: Mar. 20, 8 p.m. (EST) Read more here.
Call for Submissions: Nocturne 2024
Currently seeking artists to participate in 2024 programming through the development of temporary public artworks that will be exhibited during our signature evening art experience taking place on Oct. 19. The theme of MICROCOSM is a platform for artists to consider and share stories and to create connections around shared love, experiences, tragedies, and/or responsibilities. Deadline: April 2, 2024, 11:59 PM (ADT) Read more here.
Call for Vendors: Etlitoq Indigenous Artists' Pop-Up Market 2024. Join us for the second annual Indigenous Pop-up Market! Etlitoq will feature Indigenous vendors from across Mi’kma’ki and beyond. Each of the talented vendors create unique, handcrafted pieces through contemporary and traditional practices such as basketry, beadwork, quillwork, wood burning, pottery, and more.
April 6, 12-5 p.m. Read more here.
Call for Submissions: The City of Toronto Public Art Office is offering a new opportunity for three Toronto-based emerging public space artists. This program allows artists training and experience to transition from studio practice to public art, often struggling to secure public art commissions without adequate and timely experience. Virtual Information Session: Mar. 13 at 6 p.m. Deadline:
April 3, 2024, noon. Read more here.
Call for Submissions: Have you ever wanted to share your experience and/or help inspire future creatives?
Now is your chance! NSCAD Alumni and CEL have frequent engagement opportunities and are looking for interested alumni. We are dedicated to providing opportunities to engage, celebrate and support you at every stage of your career. Sound like something you are interested in? Read more here.
New Alumni Benefit:
Young Drivers of Canada is offering NSCAD Alumni A free program with the purchase of a full driving course OR a complimentary 50% discount on a program of your choice. For more information email alumni@nscad.ca
Call for Applications: 2024/2025 Artist-in-Residence, Lunenburg School of the Arts. Intent of program is to provide a space for emerging artists, including recent graduates, to enable them to develop and enhance their practice in their chosen medium.
Deadline: March 30, 2024 (Fall residency), Sept. 2, 2024 (Winter residency). Read more here.
Employment: NSCAD is hiring a Dean Academic. Responsibilities include developing NSCAD's education offerings and current curriculum, fostering partnerships with the community and the institution, improving the student experience, and aligning goals with the University's Academic and Strategic Plans. The Dean enhances the faculty's capabilities by advocating for their vision, addressing their needs, and supporting their growth. Read more here.
Employment: NSCAD invites applications for a Two-Year Limited Term appointment at the rank of Assistant / Associate Professor in Photography. The successful candidate will be engaged with studio research and critical discourses in photographic and lens-based practices, with a demonstrated record of teaching and mentorship in post-secondary institutions. Deadline: March 12, 2024 Read more here.
Employment: NSCAD is hiring an Assistant Professor in Textiles Dye & Print. This is a full-time permanent, tenure track role $78,750 - $101,982 / year. The successful candidate will be a maker and an artist with an active practice, who is engaged in key conversations in contemporary fiber art and textile design, and who demonstrates aptitude for involving students in those conversations. Read more here.
Employment: NSCAD is hiring an Assistant Professor in Painting. This is a full-time permanent, tenure track role $78,750 - $101,982 / year.
The chosen candidate will be an artist with an active painting practice, who is engaged in key conversations in contemporary art, and who demonstrates aptitude for involving students in those conversations. Read more here.
Work at NSCAD: NSCAD is hiring! Check out our careers page to see the open opportunities.
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? Use the online form, and tag your work on social media with #keepcreatingNSCAD.
Email us at alumni@nscad.ca if you are interested in being profiled for your work or business.
Header image: Swimmers, Brendan Tang (BFA 1998) image courtesy of the artist.
