Articles from:April 2022

  • STAC student earns recognition for creative projects

    Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | By

    hristy Mitchell, Camera Obscura 1-3 Your Life is Back to Front, 2021. Digital Photography hanging on wall

    Images: Christy Mitchell, Camera Obscura 1-3 Your Life is Back to Front, 2021. Digital Photography. Featured in the 2022 Juried Exhibition presented by Brock’s Department of Visual Arts. 

    Brock University student Christy Mitchell has been working on compelling projects this year – with a film award and a gallery show to boot.

    Mitchell is a fourth-year student at the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture (STAC) with a Concentration in Curatorial Studies at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine of Fine & Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), a program that equips students  with a critical view of contemporary culture by engaging in pragmatic and experiential learning.

    A talented, interdisciplinary creator, Mitchell, alongside filmmakers Angel Chang and Zhiyi Zhao, was awarded second place in the popular 72-Hour Film Festival hosted by The Communication, Popular Culture and Film Student Society (CPCFSS) on Tuesday March 8, 2022. The film, Sparks and Flames, Directed by Angel Chang with Assistant Direction by Mitchell, is a five minute short film that premiered at the festival along with five other films. In addition to directing and sound design, Mitchell (along with Chang) did camera operations and editing. Sparks and Flames is available to view on the STAC YouTube channel.

    STAC student and artist Christy Mitchell.

    Mitchell’s artwork was also recently selected by the Department of Visual Arts (VISA) for the 2022 Juried Exhibition held from March 1 to March 19 at MIWSFPA’s Visual Arts Gallery & Student Exhibition Space. Selected by Visual Arts faculty members and jurors Troy David Ouellette and Amanda Burk, Mitchell was invited to exhibit her body of work entitled Camera Obscura – Your Life is Back to Front featuring her digital photography produced in Visual Arts class VISA 3Q97 – Advanced Photographic Processes. Mitchell’s pieces were among 45 submissions (selected from 122), from 51 applicants across all areas of study at Brock University.

    In her Artist Statement, Mitchell discusses her theme for the works: “Life simply passing you by – I feel this is a sentiment that is common in in today’s world especially with the proliferation of hustle culture, the idea that we must keep moving and keep going on to the next thing. With our lives surrounded with technology and social media it feels like many don’t take the time to really absorb their surroundings and stop and take a moment – they simply just exist in them rather than experience them.” Mitchell’s work in the 2022 Juried Exhibition can be viewed online in VISA’s Exhibition Archive.

     

    The Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture is dedicated to developing a context in which the contemporary artist, performer or art critic can examine pragmatic and theoretical approaches to understanding the creative process – and Mitchell has certainly thrived in this space, contributing to the vitality of the arts of culture sector with a bright future ahead.

    Guests attending the Opening Reception of the Visual Arts 2022 Juried Exhibition view digital photography by Christy Mitchell and other exhibiting student artists at the Visual Arts Gallery & Student Exhibition Space at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts. Photo credit: Christy Mitchell.

     

     

  • Dramatic Arts criticism course returning to in-person theatre

    Tuesday, April 19, 2022 | By

    Red velvet theatre seats

    Image caption: Students in DART 3P94 Theatre Criticism will be experiencing a variety of live productions this summer after two years of digital offerings.

    Originally published in The Brock News | MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2022 | by 

    After two years of viewing performances online, Brock University students learning the art of theatre criticism will experience indoor, in-person theatre at the celebrated Stratford Festival and Shaw Festival Theatre.

    DART 3P94 Theatre Criticism is an online intensive Summer Term course run between July 11 and 22, bolstered by field trips to see live productions at Canada’s leading theatre companies.

    Taught by Karen Fricker, Associate Professor of Dramatic Arts and theatre critic for The Toronto Star, the course introduces students to the practical craft of theatre criticism and dives into the theoretical background of the discipline.

    Fricker said that after two years of running the course during the pandemic and having students review digital theatre exclusively, it will be thrilling to view live productions again.

    “Both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals have full indoor seasons this year and I’m looking forward to bringing the course to shows there,” she said. “We’re setting up some post-show talks so that students will be able to ask questions about the productions they’ve seen with the artists who made them.”

    Stratford Festival is welcoming back audiences beginning in May with a season theme of ‘New Beginnings’ and featuring plays such as Hamlet and Little Women and the musical Chicago. The largest classical repertory theatre in North America celebrates a its milestone 70th year in 2022.

    Shaw Festival Theatre, in its 60th season, will feature 13 plays across three stages in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Productions include The Importance of Being Earnest, Everybody and The Doctor’s Dilemma.

    After seeing productions, students will write and discuss responses to them and learn about alternative, digital, performative and visual forms of critical response, while engaging with theatre culture.

    Registration for Spring/Summer courses is now open through the Admissions website. Students interested in learning more about the course are encouraged to contact Fricker at [email protected]

    Learn more about the 2022 seasons at Stratford Festival and Shaw Festival Theatre online.

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    Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, News, Uncategorised

  • Student-run podcast provides guidance, inspiration for future artists

    Tuesday, April 12, 2022 | By

    A grey and red building sits against a clear, blue sky with green grass surrounding it. The building has white text on it on a red background reading ‘Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University.’ A street sign reading ‘Artists’ Common’ sits in the foreground.

    The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts in downtown St. Catharines is home to the student-run podcast, Dear Marilyn, named in honour of the late textile artist and philanthropist.

    Originally published in The Brock News | TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 | by 

    What started as a passion project for two Brock University students in search of career tips has become a robust podcast series providing invaluable insight to the next generation of creators.

    Produced for students by students, the popular podcast Dear Marilyn is now in its second season of connecting the student community with professional artists, with plans to continue production on an ongoing basis.

    Created in 2021 by Dramatic Arts (DART) students Danielle Letourneau and Luca D’Amico, the podcast name honours celebrated textile artist, philanthropist and arts advocate Marilyn I. Walker. In 2008, Walker made a historic donation to Brock that led to the creation of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

    Letourneau, the podcast’s producer who is now in her fourth year of study with a concentration in Drama and Education and minor in History, says that she has often felt anxiety about entering theatre as a profession.

    “I started this podcast to give students like myself a resource for practical job advice,” Letourneau said. “The arts industry is not always considered the most conventional career path, but we do it because this is what we love; the arts nurture our souls.”

    Supported by Dean Carol Merriam of the Faculty of Humanities through the Dean’s Discretionary Fund in 2021, the Associate Dean of Fine and Performing Arts and MIWSFPA department Chairs, the Dear Marilyn team invites local and surrounding artists from a range of artistic disciplines to share their stories.

    Co-hosts Hayley Bando, a second-year Dramatic Arts major with a concentration in Production and Design, and Chloe Racho, a third-year Music major with a minor in French Studies, are thrilled to be part of the project.

    “We are honoured to help bring these diverse perspectives about professional journeys in the arts to the Brock community,” Bando said.

    Recent podcast guests include actor, writer and producer Thet Win, voice actor Keegan Vaillancourt and singer-songwriter Glenn Marais.

    MIWSFPA faculty have been supportive since day one, with Karen Fricker, Associate Professor of Dramatic Arts, championing the podcast idea in its early stages.

    “I was happy to support Dear Marilyn initially because it’s a great idea, and a positive student-led project during the hard time of the pandemic,” she said. “I looked forward to each episode and was entertained and educated by the hosts’ sparky exchanges with guests.”

    DART Associate Professor Gyllian Raby guided the grant proposal for Dear Marilyn resulting in the expansion of the podcast to include all four departments at the downtown arts campus (Dramatic Arts, Music, Visual Arts and Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture).

    “What’s not to like about Dear Marilyn? It relates directly to our mission to create experiential, professionalized learning for students producing, hosting, editing and broadcasting,” Raby said. “And, it’s entertaining and insightful.”

    DART Associate Professor Danielle Wilson has been working with the team on the second season. Episodes are edited by Alex Sykes, a fourth-year DART student with a concentration in Production and Design.

    Available on Spotify, the next episode goes live this week. For the latest news, follow Dear Marilyn on Instagram.

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    Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Department/Centre News, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, News, Uncategorised

  • Dramatic Arts students’ original play takes the stage Thursday

    Tuesday, April 12, 2022 | By

    The Storm Left Behind cast of characters

    Image caption: Little Raincoat Collective in rehearsal at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, including (back row, from) Brenley Charkow (co-director) with company members Celine Ayesha, Sammie Marett, Alex Sykes, Jonah Pace, Michael Cicchini, Asenia Lyall and (front row, from left) Julian Valentin, Alyssa Ruddock and Abby Etling.

    Originally published in The Brock News | MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022 | by 

    A compelling collective creation from nine fourth-year Brock Dramatic Arts (DART) students is set to premiere this week at the Marilyn I. Walker Theatre.

    The new play, The Storm Left Behind, is presented by Little Raincoat Collective (DART 4F56 Advanced Studies in Theatre) and directed by instructors Colin B. Anthes and Brenley Charkow.

    The a coming-of-age tale is about finding lightness in the darkest of times. Following the story of a girl who is navigating her way through life, the play takes audiences on a journey that combines different forms of storytelling.

    The production runs Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists’ Common in downtown St. Catharines.

    Tickets for the show, which is suitable for ages 15 and up, are $5 and can be purchased through Brock University Tickets.

    For more information about The Storm Left Behind, please visit the play’s website.

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    Categories: Current Students, Department/Centre News, Events, Future Students, News, Uncategorised

  • Graduating art students mount Honours Thesis exhibition

    Thursday, April 07, 2022 | By

    Grand-Maman,” a Polaroid emulsion on mylar image by student artist Charelle St-Aubin

    Pictured above: “Grand-Maman,” a Polaroid emulsion on mylar image by student artist Charelle St-Aubin will be included in the upcoming exhibition “Resurfacing.”

    Originally published in The Brock News |WEDNESDAY, APRIL 06, 2022 | by 

    An upcoming exhibition will showcase the artwork of seven graduating Brock University students, marking a significant milestone in their artistic careers.

    The Visual Arts (VISA) 4F06 Honours Thesis Exhibition, “Resurfacing,” will take place simultaneously at the Visual Arts Gallery and Student Exhibition Space at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) and Niagara Artists Centre in downtown St. Catharines from April 12 to May 12.

    “Resurfacing” explores diverse themes, including issues of identity and resiliency, expressed through various materials and approaches that comprise painting, photography, mixed media and sculpture.

    Taught by Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Troy David Ouellette, with guest curator and writer Shannon Anderson, the fourth-year course is the culmination of two semesters of creative and academic work for students. Participating artists include Rabia Choudhary, Naomi Egbunike, Sarah Formosa, Julie Luth, Kimberley Rogers, Cherilynn Tilley and Charelle St-Aubin.

    The public is invited to attend the opening reception at both gallery locations on Tuesday, April 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. with opening remarks at the MIWSFPA beginning at 5 p.m.

    For more information, please visit the VISA 4F06 Current Exhibit web page.

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    Categories: Announcements, Department/Centre News, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised