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  • Audio tour explores historic art of Mackenzie Chown Complex

    Lesley Bell (BA ’88), former Learning Commons Co-ordinator at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), has researched the history of Michael Snow’s Timed Images installation at Brock. She is pictured here with Frame Three, which now hangs in the School.

    posted on the Brock News on TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2023 | by 

    Getting lost in Mackenzie Chown Complex is a familiar experience for many Brock students, and it’s easy to miss the artistic significance of the building in the rush to get to class on time.

    A new self-guided audio tour produced by Foreword, a podcast from the Faculty of Humanities, hopes to encourage a new appreciation for a complicated space and the art it contains on the 50th anniversary of its installation.

    The audio tour guides the listener through the various locations of Michael Snow’s 1972-73 art installation Time Images and considers how the building’s unique architecture plays with the space and light.

    Snow was invited by renowned architect Raymond Moriyama to create an art installation as part of the design for Brock’s new Academic Staging Building, now called the Mackenzie Chown Complex. His installation consisted of a series of mirrors, still images and live video situated throughout the building from Pond Inlet to A Block.

    Elements of the installation can still be seen, and the audio tour has an accompanying web page featuring historic photographs, artist sketches and architectural plans collected by Lesley Bell (BA ’88), an artist and retired support staff for Brock’s Department of Visual Arts, during her research on Snow.

    Snow, who died in January, was a widely acclaimed Canadian artist. His many honours included Officer of the Order of Canada (1981), Governor General’s Award in Media Arts (2000) and an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Brock University (1974). He is also known for his Canada geese sculpture, Flight Stop (1979), that hangs in Toronto’s Eaton Centre and his piece The Audience (1989) on the exterior of the Rogers Centre.

    The Foreword podcast’s two-part final episode of series four also features an interview with Bell by host Alison Innes, Strategic Initiatives and Outreach Officer in the Faculty of Humanities. Bell became interested in Snow’s art at Brock while she was working with the Department of Visual Arts. She went on to research and produce a short documentary on Snow and his collaboration with Moriyama at Brock with Tracy Van Oosten (BA ’10) in 2021.

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  • Small Walker Press announces the Book Launch of the 2023 publications in Vienna

    Book Launch
    Salon für Kunstbuch and Small Walker Press – Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture are happy to announce the Book Launch of the 2023 publications:

    HANDMADE (Bernhard Cella and Seth Weiner), and
    TOUCH, AND TENDER READINGS. (Brandon LaBelle and Annette le Fort).

    Please join us. We very much look forward to seeing you at the Book Launch to celebrate.

    For more information:
    HANDMADE
    TOUCH, AND TENDER READINGS

    Opernringhof – Opernring 1 – Passage – 1010 Vienna
    6 / 6
    Group Show
    Black Book
    Image Bank
    Pin Ups
    Punishment
    Three Doubles

    Three Doubles
    “Six in a Pile” is a new series of works Bernhard Cella is showing in three display windows along a shopping arcade in the heart of Vienna, which has the advantage of making his show open and freely accessible 24/7. The small formats, photos, drawings, and objects assembled in these small exhibition spaces all deal with aspects of the “new normal”. The fourth in this series is entitled “Punishment”.

    Bernhard Cella
    Six in a Pile
    27.04.2023
    7 pm – 8pm

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  • The Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture will be at Open House, April 02

    UPDATE April 3, 2023: We had a very successful Open House at the University and at the School.  It was such an excellent opportunity to meet our prospective students and to speak in detail about our programs and your opportunities to learn with us.

    For those of you still hoping to apply, please be aware of these deadlines, copied from this page of the academic calendar:

    Application for admission should be made as early as possible. Application forms must be received by June 1 for most full-time programs and August 1 for part-time studies to ensure consideration for September registration. International applicants intending to study on a Study Permit should apply no later than April 1. Students applying after this date, who are subsequently admitted, may be required to register late and pay the late registration fee.

    Please see this page for more information about application processes, to learn about which programs are still receiving applications, and to submit an application directly to Brock University: https://brocku.ca/admissions/apply/

    The Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture is still receiving applications for f/t and p/t studies.
    Contact us at stac@brocku.ca if you have any questions.


    Plan to visit the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts and Brock University for this year’s Open House on April 2, 2023.

    David Vivian, Director of the Centre and a professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts will be situated at the MIWSFPA from 11:00 to 4:00 pm, along with the Chairs and other representatives of all the programs at the MIWSFPA, the backbone of the Studies in Arts and Culture program. Because courses in Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Centre for Digital Humanities, English, History, and Canadian Studies, are also an important part of the STAC program, we suggest you also visit those units situated on main campus.


    For all information about Open house visit https://discover.brocku.ca/

    Here is a schedule of our events for Open House:

    11:15-12:45- Humanities Presentation: The First-Year Experience
    South Block 202
    Meet the Dean and Associate Deans for the Faculty of Humanities, and then get a glimpse of a first-year lecture (“Learn How to Read—Again, for the First Time”), have an introduction to MIWSFPA program structures, and engage in a Q&A with the Associate Deans about joining the Humanities communities at Brock.

    1:00- Experience Humanities Walking Tour *This is recommended for STAC applicants, unless you require the shuttle to the MIWSFPA location.
    Meet outside of South Block 202
    Visit each department in the Faculty of Humanities on our main campus. There will be drop offs at Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Centre for Digital Humanities, English, History, Philosophy, Medieval & Renaissance Studies, Canadian Studies, and Classics. Learn more about student spaces, faculty office hours, and how to get involved in special Humanities events.

    Experience MIWSFPA Facilities Tour
    1:00 Shuttle to MIWSFPA
    Meet outside of South Block 202

    1:30-2:30- MIWSFPA Program specific tours (one each for Music, Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts)
    Tour the classrooms, studios and rehearsal spaces that you will be learning in during your time at MIWSFPA. Your program Chair or Director will be available for any questions you may have, as well as current students at MIWSFPA.

    2:45- Shuttle returns to main campus

    3:00-4:00- Tour of MIWSFPA *This is recommended for STAC applicants.
    Tours for those who wish to see the MIWSFPA in its entirety. Parking on site.


    If you are visiting St. Catharines, see this recent article from blogTO about things to do while you are here.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    See you on April 02!

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  • Fentanyl drug crisis focus of free public film screening, naloxone training

    A free public screening of Love in the Time of Fentanyl will take place this Saturday, March 25 at Brock University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.  

    The event is expected to run from 6 to 9 p.m. in room MWS 156, beginning with naloxone and harm reduction training from 6:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7 p.m. and a question-and-answer session at 8:30 p.m. 

    Directed, edited and co-produced by Colin Askey, Love in the Time of Fentanyl follows a group of misfits, artists and drug users who operate a renegade safe injection site in Vancouver’s downtown eastside fighting to save lives and keep hope alive in a neighborhood ravaged by the overdose crisis. 

    Ronnie Grigg, founder of the non-profit Zero Block Society and one of the film’s key participants, will be traveling from Vancouver to present at the screening and participate in the panel discussion question-and-answer period alongside representatives from Positive Living Niagara’s StreetWorks harm reduction program. 

    The event is presented by Brock University’s Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture; Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Department of Sociology; and Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, in collaboration with Positive Living Niagara and Rad Snax. 

    Love in the Time of Fentanyl had its world premiere at the 21st DOXA Documentary Film Festival, where it was featured as the Justice Forum Special Presentation and took home the Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Director. 

    WhatFree screening of Love in the Time of Fentanyl 

    When: Saturday, March 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. 

    • Doors open at 6 p.m. 
    • Naloxone and harm reduction training from 6:30 to 7 p.m. 
    • Film screening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. 
    • Panel discussion question-and-answer period and refreshments from 8:30 to 9 p.m. 

    Where: Room MWS 156 in Brock University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines. MWS 156 is located adjacent to the main lobby on the lower level of the School. It is accessible, with accessible washrooms nearby.  

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  • Spirit of Mali visits St. Catharines

    The Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture, with the support of the Departments of Dramatic Arts, Music, and Visual Arts at the MIWSFPA, in collaboration with the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures and with the support of Brock International, Social Justice Research Institute, Department of History, Brock University Faculty Association, and the Office of Human Rights and Equity, are collaborating with Solidarité des femmes et familles interconnectées francophones du Niagara (SOFIFRAN, Welland sofifran.org ), the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (FOPAC, St. Catharines firstontariopac.ca ), and Impressions de Terre ( impressionsdeterre.com ), under the patronage of the Embassy of Mali in Ottawa, to produce an exhibit on art and culture from Mali, accompanied by live music performances and documentary films:

    Spirit of Mali

    with Stève Viès, multidisciplinary artist

    February 1-10, 2023
    Robertson Theatre, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines ON

    Exhibition hours
    Wednesday, February 1 and Thursday, February 2: 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
    Friday, February 3: 12:00 pm to 9:30 pm
    Saturday, February 4: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
    Sunday, February 5 thru Thursday, February 9: 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
    Friday, February 10: 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

    Guided Tour & Discussion / Visite guidée & table ronde: Friday, February 3, 2023,
    7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
    featuring a guided tour of the exhibition by Stève Viès, curator, followed by a panel discussion about the exhibition and the art, with contributions by Gertrude Brew (graduate student, MA in Studies in Comparative Literatures and Arts (SCLA), Brock University), Nafée Faigou (St. Catharines artist, poet and community leader), Olatunji Ojo (Historian, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History, Brock University), Jean Ntakirutimana (linguist and language teacher, Associate Professor of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Brock University).  They will offer reactions, commentary, personal experiences and celebrations of the art on exhibit. This will be followed by a brief Q&A.
    All are welcome!

    Opening/Vernissage for the arts and cultural program: Saturday, February 4, 2023,
    5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, including cocktail reception at 7:00 pm
    with guest artist Amadou Kiénou

    Closing: Friday, February 10, 2023
    6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, closing reception
    with guest artists Justine Djoléi Gogoua and Amadou Kiénou

    The exhibit and special events are free and open to the public.
    The exhibit and special events are drop-in, no tickets or registration is required.
    Programming will be offered in French and in English.
    See the event listing at the FOPAC for more information.


    Listen to the interview by Karl Dockstader of CKTB 610 with Professor Jean Ntakirutimana, Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Brock University.

    www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb/audio/the-drive-with-karl-dockstader-jean-ntakirutimana-associate-professor-of-the-department-of-modern-languages-literatures-and-cultures-brock-university-1.19173483?mode=Article


    Listen to the interview by Isabelle Ménard of CBC/Radio-Canada with Stève Viès, artist, educator and curator of the exhibit.  (en français)
    Le mois de l’histoire des Noirs : Exposition Esprit du Mali
    https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/dans-la-mosaique/segments/entrevue/431062/exposition-esprit-mali-steve-vies


    Read the article in Le Régional (Welland, en français. click to open PDF)
    Voici l’écho francophone de l’événement : https://leregional.com/sofifran-presente-la-diversite-culturelle-du-mali/


    Exhibition as presented at TOHU of the Cité des arts du cirque in Montreal, QC.

    The exhibition

    The Spirit of Mali exhibition is the culmination of a remarkable collective effort, orchestrated by Stève Viès and produced by several great master craftsmen of Mali: Boubacar Doumbia, Mamoudo Nango, Tiorri Diarra and Abou Konan

    Bogolan textile art and sculptural art are a national pride. Bogolan means ‘the action of clay on fabric’. Earth-colored dyes are made from foliage and bark. Sculpture plays a significant role in cultural tradition and story­ telling. The puppet is used for street theatre and in folk festivals. The Dogon mask dance, or funeral dance, is a sacred and mysterious practice within the rich cultural heritage of Mali.

    The Spirit of Mali Exhibition is committed to valuing and preserving traditional knowledge. More than ever, this diverse and beautiful collection of Malian culture expresses an awareness of deep wisdom and rich spirituality. It transmits to us the strength of action in solidarity, weaves the creative web that unites our differences and reminds us of the importance of cultivating peace to make room for prosperity.

    The exhibition will be installed in the Robertson Theatre of the FOPAC with smaller elements and digital media to be installed at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts as part of the STAC project: Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise.

    About Stève Viès

    Originally from La Loire, France, Stève Viès is a Montreal based artist and educator whose work celebrates the rich cultural heritage and diverse artisan traditions of West Africa.

    It was in 2008, in Mali, with his meeting of two great masters of textile art, Boubacar Doumbia and Mamoudou Nango, that his vision to preserve and share this great cultural tradition became clearer.

    The Spirit of Mali exhibition is representative of 20 years of passion and exchange for the art and culture of Mandé.

    Please check this webpage regularly for program updates. See also the event listing at the FOPAC for more information.

    This project is supported by the Faculty of Humanities Dean’s Discretionary Fund and the Social Justice Research Institute at Brock University, as well as Brock International, the Department of History, the Brock University Faculty Association, and the Office of Human Rights and Equity, as well as government and community partners.

    A short teaser video of the exhibition including images from when presented at TOHU of the Cité des arts du cirque in Montreal, QC, and including the guest artists Justine Djoléi Gogoua and Amadou Kiénou.


    part of:

    Festiv’Ébène 2023

    produced by SOFIFRAN


    A short teaser video about the artists performing at the closing festivities for Festiv’Ébène 2023 on February 25, 2023, at École secondaire catholique Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf 620, chemin River Welland (Ontario) L3B 5N4.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


     

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    Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Events, Faculty & Instructors, Future Students, In the Media, Media Releases, News, Uncategorised

  • What I want you to see is this…

    A group exhibition providing a glimpse into the lives of students.

    NOV 21, 2022 – JAN. 15, 2023
    (pause: Dec. 10 – Jan. 3)

    Opening Reception: Nov. 25 from 4 – 7 p.m.
    Hallway gallery, adjacent to the MIW Theatre

    If you had 2-3 minutes, and you wanted an audience to know what it was like, in 2022, to be you, as a student, what would you say/display? What demands does the academic institution place on you?

    Encouraged to address the challenges they encounter at university, and taking inspiration from activities interlocking various concepts, participants in Social Class and Social Conflict (Criminology, Department of Sociology, Brock University) made photos of their environment and told their stories in short audio recordings. The result are short videos exemplifying individual experiences that would otherwise go unrepresented.

    The Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture invites visitors to enter a respectful space, listen to these poignant testimonials, and see what the students want us to see.

    Participating artists include:

    Ahaz
    Shakur
    Blake Gowling
    Colter Styrna
    Daniel Zelazko
    Emilie Oakes
    Ermal
    Faith Westman
    Gage Mitchener
    Hiral
    Isha Brar
    Lauren
    Lee Marie
    Madelyn Sturgeon
    Maeve Martin
    Mary Oghene
    Meera
    Morgan Damery
    Nicole N. Mellor
    Nisha U
    Noor Warraich
    Rashika
    Sara Ourga
    Zonny Boateng

    and two anonymous contributors.

    Curators: David Vivian, Catherine Parayre, and Miles Howe
    Assistant Curator: Gertrude Brew


    Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise

    Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise is a rotating exhibit of material culture in two display cases situated in the east alcove on the second floor between the theatre entrances of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. The program consists of five exhibits, including objects and evidence of course outcomes and workshops delivered by special guests (including a Walker Cultural Leader for 2022-23). “Boîte-en-valise” is an expression coined by avant-garde artist Marcel Duchamp to refer to the aesthetic value of collecting and assembling.

    The small thematic curated exhibitions will have a duration of 4-6 weeks up to 4 months duration. The onsite program will rotate to display cases of the James Gibson Library when possible and will be amplified and celebrated in related communication pieces and image galleries posted to the STAC website.

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  • Small Walker Press’ newest publication: Cloud

    The Small Walker Press announces our new publication, Cloud, by Donna Szőke with essays by Stuart Reid and Emily Rosamond.

    Cloud (10 Oct. 2015–17 Jan. 2016) and Satellite (19 Oct.–28 Nov. 2015) were two parallel exhibitions by artist Donna Szőke, held respectively at Rodman Hall Art Centre and, on the other bank of Twelve Mile Creek, at the Art Gallery of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. Curated by Stuart Reid, they echoed each other, but were also conceived as two independent projects. The present catalogue focuses on Cloud, an exhibition whose apparent simplicity or incongruity elicits an adroit treatment of complex facts.

    56 pages, 18 illustrations
    e-book, free access

    Donna Szőke. Cloud
    Stuart Reid. Essay
    Emily Rosamond. Essay
    Graphic design by Lauren Wickware
    ISBN 978-1-990208-19-5

    brocku.ca/miwsfpa/stac/small-walker-press

    Published through generous support provided by Rodman Hall Art Centre, Ontario Arts Council, Office of Research Services at Brock University, and Centre 3 (Hamilton).

    This e-book was launched on Oct 04, 2022 at the SWP Book Launch for 2022 and is available in the digital repository of the Small Walker Press at dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/16730

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  • Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise

    Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise is a rotating exhibit of material culture in two display cases situated in the east alcove on the second floor between the theatre entrances of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. The program consists of five exhibits, including objects and evidence of course outcomes and workshops delivered by special guests (including a Walker Cultural Leader for 2022-23). “Boîte-en-valise” is an expression coined by avant-garde artist Marcel Duchamp to refer to the aesthetic value of collecting and assembling.

    The small thematic curated exhibitions will have a duration of 4-6 weeks up to 4 months duration. The onsite program will rotate to display cases of the James Gibson Library when possible and will be amplified and celebrated in related communication pieces and image galleries posted to the STAC website.

    Q: What-happened-Then

    A: This Happened: Stories and Masks

    Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise

    Sept 14, 2022 – Nov 20, 2022

    Second Floor East Alcove between Theatre Entrances

    The learning in, research about and presentation of material culture and curatorial practice is at the core of the academic program of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture and the activities of the Research Centre in Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Culture (STAC). Courses in curatorial practice (STAC 3P40 and 3P41), writing and language about the arts (STAC 1P96, 1P97, 3P99), Critical Practice and Embodied Text: Art Beyond the Artifact (STAC 2P93, 2P94) are some of the scheduled learning opportunities in this subject field for students at STAC. This learning and research is part of all three Concentrations at STAC:  Concentration in Languages, Arts and Culture; Concentration in Cultural Transmission and Heritage Studies; and the Concentration in Cultural Management.

    Following upon the learning of STAC 3P42 (2021-22) where students explored the concepts of the ‘micro-museum’/vernacular curating/everyday museum(s) STAC proposes a project that would invite students to curate a small space, bi/weekly/monthly. This would allow students to engage with material culture (integrating with a courses in STAC and VISA/HAVC), as well as explore conceptual and oscillating notions of contemporary curating, while running as an ongoing and evolving project within the walls of the school – a sort of extension of the gallery, conceptually, and to offer students a small exploratory space. Students would explore objects/themes of interest, conceptual brainstorming and participate in a short exercise in writing. This would become a student experience to support professionalization of their learning and practice of curation, providing a ‘micro’ curated piece/project, associated with the school/department, to be added to their CV. Components of the student learning experience include assisting with the development of documentation/photographing their own tiny exhibitions, and assisting with creating content to share, and/or perhaps developing an Instagram page dedicated to this project, planning forward for a renewed annual project and incorporating a catalogue and related best practices.

    Photo Credit: Stephanie Dancer

    Stephanie Dancer

    I’ve been busy. My busyness is partially a learned behaviour, and it doubles as a coping mechanism for Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), a mental health condition that I’ve struggled with for fifteen years.

    I like to describe CPTSD as drowning with a straw in your mouth. If you stop struggling you can get a few wisps of air, but it’s never enough to stop the sensation of drowning so inevitably you begin to struggle and flail for more air again.

    In March 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdowns started in Ontario, I was already in poor mental health. A major relationship had ended months prior in a traumatic way and I was completely alone for the first time ever.

    At this time I was just returning from a frantic trip from the US back to Canada. I returned to an empty home and had to quarantine, followed by shutting down the business that I had worked so hard for. It remained closed for a year and a half. I was devastated.

    I then experienced one of the most interesting and disturbing experiences I have ever had, unregulated CPTSD symptoms. For the first time, I saw myself as myself. I had nothing and no one to use as a regulation tool and I was suddenly experiencing the unbridled waves of this condition.

    Along with intense flashbacks, extreme anxiety, and paranoia to name a few of the long list of symptoms this condition brings, dissociation is among the worst of them. Being in a dissociative state sometimes feels like just waking up from a dream or being far away and watching your life happen down a hallway. There are moments of lucidity but it’s mixed in with all of the other symptoms, so they are heartbreakingly fleeting.

    Time loss in these states is one of the most insidious parts. It feels like the panic you experience when you wake up and realize you’ve slept too long. Where did the time go? What did I do? How did that happen? I tried hard to not let that happen.

    During a particularly intense bout of dissociation, I fell and broke my foot. I was ashamed of myself. My broken foot made everything harder. I have an eating disorder that requires proper maintenance and I struggled to shop for groceries and make food. Cleaning became an almost impossible task. My knees and back became increasingly sore from crawling my staircase and traversing my house.

    I am fortunate and privileged to have a psychotherapist. Luckily, she had the foresight to recommend triple the amount of therapy during this time. I am forever grateful for that.

    My life became a series of symptoms, pain, management, sprinkled with flecks of tiny improvements.

    The mask I have made represents the pain that I experienced during this time. I used straight pins to represent the depth of pain and sorrow I was experiencing internally. The pins penetrate the mask and create a bed of sharp ends, while the heads of the pins create a colourful mosaic that is appealing and unassuming for any person who would see me adorned in this mask. These pins rest on my face as I read this poem, threatening to cause me pain and some succeeding.

    Explore More from this Project

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  • Spring and Summer learning at the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture

    The Centre for Studies in Arts in Culture (STAC) is excited to welcome students for the Spring and Summer sessions of 2022.

    THE CULTURE OF NOISE: STAC 1P99

    Offered annually as a Spring/Summer course by STAC at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), STAC 1P99 explores the role of noise in music, art and social spaces. Students explore discursive issues concerning the value of sound studies. This is an online asynchronous course taught this year by Fan Wu, a sound poet who collaborates with Toronto musicians Prince Nifty, Vibrant Matter, and other sound artists.  Fan is based in Toronto and Kingston and is the cofounder of the Toronto Experimental Translation Collective.

    In May 2021 the course was taught by Ryan Bruce, ethnomusicologist, jazz historian and saxophonist. Learn more about the previous offering of the course and listen to some of the students’ projects. In previous years the course has also been taught by Marlie Centawer, a photographer, artist, writer, musician, and archivist now based in the UK.

    SPORTS IN ARTS AND CULTURE: STAC 3V91

    From paintings of the Olympiads in Antiquity, to the photography of today’s sports events, through to the history of popular street games in Canadian art, music, festivals and opening ceremonies at the games, aesthetic gymnastics and athletic performances. Sports has a long, rich cultural tradition.

    Learn about sports, arts and culture during the historic 2022 Canada Summer Games hosted at Brock University in Niagara. An Interdisciplinary approach to the representation of sports and sport events in the arts, the course has an emphasis on Canadian production. This is an online asynchronous course taught by Andrew Tye, a celebrated Niagara educator and creator of the course. The course runs from July through August.

    The courses can be found on the university timetable. For more information, please contact: stac@brocku.ca

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  • STAC student earns recognition for creative projects

    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.

     

     

    Categories: STAC Courses, Uncategorised