Articles tagged with: Niagara Artists Centre

  • Celebrated Canadian artist Michael Snow’s contribution to Brock revisited in new documentary

    Thursday, August 19, 2021 | By

    A still image from the new documentary short Timed Images premiering Friday, Aug. 20 at the Mighty Niagara Film Fest. The film was produced and researched by Lesley Bell with video work and direction by Tracy Van Oosten.

    WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021 | The Brock News | by 

    The legacy and impact of artwork created for Brock University in 1972 by internationally regarded Canadian artist Michael Snow has been captured on film and is being premiered Friday, Aug. 20 at a local film festival.

    Part of the Mighty Niagara Film Fest presented by Niagara Artists Centre (NAC), Timed Images is a new documentary that intimately explores two works of public art created by Snow when he was engaged by Brock University and architect Raymond Moriyama during the construction of Brock’s Mackenzie Chown Complex in 1972. Snow holds an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Brock University received in 1974.

    The short documentary is produced and researched by Lesley Bell, artist and retired support staff for the Department of Visual Arts (VISA) at Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), and directed by Brock graduate Tracy Van Oosten (BA ’10), artist, filmmaker and current VISA Instructor at the MIWSFPA.

    Bell, who managed Brock’s Fine Art Collection for 18 years, was drawn to Snow’s work and wanted to uncover the story behind his pieces and appreciate how they found their home in St. Catharines.

    Bell and Van Oosten, a filmmaker and artist who works with text, video and installations and explores moving images within immersive contexts, collaborated to create an artistic documentary that retraces Snow’s innovative art that delighted the University population in 1972.

    “In order to tell the story about these two artworks by Snow, I envisioned a video document. I had no understanding of the process,” Bell said. “With patience and skill, Tracy Van Oosten crafted the information that I found into an intelligent and visually stimulating artistic video work. This has been a satisfying collaboration.”

    Timed Images screens Friday, Aug. 20 at the RiverBrink Art Museum in Queenston, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Doors open at 8 p.m., with the screening scheduled to start at sunset. The documentary is part of an art-inspired program at NAC’s film fest called ‘An Ode to Escarpment School Films.

    For more information about Timed Images and to purchase tickets, visit the Mighty Niagara Film Fest website.

    This project is supported by David Vivian, the Director of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture, and Dean Carol Merriam of the Faculty of Humanities, through the Dean’s Discretionary Fund (2020). An installation for the public to view Timed Images at the MIWSFPA and online is currently in development.

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

  • Collaborative Student Exhibit Opens at the Niagara Artists’ Centre

    Thursday, March 15, 2018 | By

    French students Jaclyn Morse, Maddy Cugini, Katie Mcginnes, Mariah Dubeau discuss their 3D-printed photographs at the opening of Expressions of Today/Expressions d’aujourd’hui. The art show, on now at the Niagara Artists Centre, is a collaboration between local graffiti artist Matt Vizbulis and students in Brock’s Studies in Arts and Culture and French programs.

    By Craig Maltais

    The current exhibit at the Niagara Artists Centre features a collaboration between local graffiti artist Mat Vizbulis, Brock students in Studies in Arts and Culture and French Studies. Expressions of Today/ Expressions d’aujourd’hui, a bilingual exhibit, is one of the first of its kind in Niagara and displays a variety of alternative art forms. 

    The Arts & Culture students used Vizbulis’ art as inspiration to create their own paintings and collaged them digitally onto posters. These were completed with poetic sentences written by the students, later edited and selected by Professor Catherine Parayre.

    The French Studies students’ work on display also features their own poetic phrases, also edited by Parayre on the subject of the title theme: ‘The graffiti dances like…’ These sentences are inspired from Vizbulis’ piece, as well as the work of French-Canadian artist-author Daniel Dugas.

    French students created 3D printed photographs and wrote poetry in response to the graffiti.

    French students created 3D printed photographs and wrote poetry in response to the graffiti.

    The sentences join a series of 10 x 15 cm lithophanes (photographs printed in 3D) of the students in movement which demonstrates the themes of their writings.

    Vizbuli describes graffiti as “using energy to express art.” He channels his energy through sweeping movements to create his art, such as the exhibit’s centerpiece An Elephant in the Room.

    When asked about being featured along side growing artists, Vizbulis said he was gratified to be the inspiration for so many young artists. He also congratulated Brock University for reaching out to the local community to find home grown artists and to exhibit graffiti art in a gallery.

    Expressions of Today / Expressions d’aujourd’hui is on exhibit at the Niagara Artists Centre in downtown St Catharines from March 3rd – 16th 2018.

    ***

    L’exposition au Niagara Artists Centre présente l’artiste de graffiti Mat Vizbulis et les œuvres collaboratives crées par Catherine Parayre de l’Université Brock et de ses étudiants d’Etudes en Arts et culture, ainsi que ses étudiants des Études en français. Cette exposition bilingue d’art alternative et de graffiti est une des premières de son genre dans la région de Niagara.

    La collaboration est le thème global de l’exposition. Les étudiants d’Arts et  culture se sont inspirés de l’art de Vizbulis dans leurs propres créations qu’ils ont associées à des phrases poétiques, plus tard éditées par Professeure Parayre.

    Le travail des étudiants d’Études en français contient lui aussi des phrases poétiques, également éditées par Professeure Parayre, au sujet du thème : « Le graffiti danse comme… ». Ces phrases sont inspirées de l’œuvre de Vizbulis et du recueil de l’artiste-auteur franco-canadien Daniel Dugas . Elles accompagnent des lithophanies (photos numériques, impressions 3D) de 10 x 15 cm des mêmes .

    En discutant de l’impact d’être l’artiste central exposé en même temps que des artistes débutants, Vizbulis s’est montré flatté et content d’avoir influencé tant d’étudiants. Il a aussi félicité l’Université Brock d’avoir recherché non seulement un artiste local, mais aussi un artiste de graffiti pour exposer en galerie. En parlant du point focal de l’exposition, An Elephant in the Room, l’artiste dit utiliser toute son énergie dans de grands gestes en arc pour créer son art.

    Expressions of Today / Expressions d’aujourd’hui est présenté au Niagara Artists Centre à St Catharines du 3 au 16 mars 2018.

    —

    Craig Maltais’ blogpost was originally posted on the Brock Faculty of Humanities blog, managed by Alison Innes.

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    Categories: STAC Courses, Uncategorised

  • Expressions of Today / Expressions d’aujourd’hui

    Saturday, February 17, 2018 | By

    Art by Mat Vizbulis.

    Students in Studies in Arts and Culture as well as in French Studies at Brock University explore contemporary expressions in art and literature and create unusual stories mixing narrative and art-making. Their starting point is a graffiti artwork by artist Mat Vizbulis.

    Des étudiants en Etudes en français et en Studies in Arts and Culture à l’Université Brock explorent des expressions contemporaines dans l’art et la littérature, et construisent des histoires inhabituelles mélangeant narration et création d’art. Leur point de départ est un graffiti de l’artiste Mat Vizbulis.

    Exhibition: Saturday Mar. 3 to Friday Mar. 16 / samedi 3 mars à vendredi 16 mars

    Gallery hours: Wednesday 10-5, Thursday 12-9, Friday 12-9, and Saturday 12-5 / mercredi 10-5, jeudi 12-9, vendredi 12-9, et samedi 12-5

    Opening Reception: Thursday Mar. 8 from 6-8 pm / jeudi 8 mars 6h-8h en soirée

    Location: Niagara Artists Centre (NAC)

    354 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, ON

    This is free community event!

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    Categories: Current Students, Events, Faculty & Instructors