On Campus and Online
Reporter: Stephanie Cooper
Camera person: Caley Bedore
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health is showcasing paintings by Imants Lapins during the month of March for visitors to view.
Story and images by Alistair Lowe
The next time you’re in the C wing, on the second floor, pop your head into the Media, Art and Design (M.A.D.) offices to see some award- winning student artwork adorning the walls.
Students from the Graphic Design, Foundation in Art and Design and Animation and Games programs created the artwork hanging in the office. Students compete every year in a juried art show and the winner has their piece purchased by the college for $500. It is then hung with previous winners for all to see.
The artwork ranges in size and shape from large and colourful to black and white, and even a piece made of metal.
For the past three years Charlotte Hale has been the Associate Dean of the Media, Art and Design school, “We’ve been doing this for about eight or nine years,” she said. “This year the Foundation in Art and Design show will run from April 9 -23 and takes place in Vendors’ Alley.”
This year one of the judges for the show is Gabrielle Peacock, the CEO of the Robert Mclaughlin Gallery, a well-known and respected local art gallery. At the moment, the second judge has yet to be selected.
Works that are selected from the show will be transferred to, and displayed at, the Whitby Station Gallery which is an independent, charitable arts organization. The pieces will be there for the entire month of May.
“I think putting artwork in a formal show any way we can to enhance our space and make it more dynamic through visual art, and supporting our students as they express themselves visually, that’s what we’re here for,” said Hale.
The Associate Dean would like to see more artwork hanging in the school, especially Vendors’ Alley. “It’s a beautiful space that’s high profile, high traffic for both university and college students,” she said.
Currently on display in Vendors’ Alley is artwork by the Ontario Chinese Art Association with an estimated value of $160 000. However, each piece, whether by a student or a professional, is priceless.
