Articles by author: Brock University

Join us for an Artist Talk with Phil Irish Jan. 30

Friday, January 25, 2019 | By Brock University

Artist Phil Irish

The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to welcome Phil Irish to the MIWSFPA for an artist talk on Jan. 30.

Phil Irish, from Elora, Ontario, makes paintings that are both fierce and beautiful. He is known for cutting paintings into fragments, and installing those pieces to make architecturally scaled collages that engage your senses and your mind. His new work is influenced by his time on an icebreaker in the Canadian arctic, with Canada C3, a 150-day expedition from Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage that took place from June 1 to Oct. 28, 2017.

He has shown in commercial galleries, artist-run centres, and public galleries, including the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Guelph, Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery, Whyte Museum, Lonsdale Gallery and Angell Gallery, and was twice shortlisted for the Kingston Portrait Prize.

He holds degrees from Guelph (BA) and York (MFA) and teaches studio at Redeemer University College.

Irish will present at 1 p.m. on Jan. 30 in room 416 of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

The talk is free and open to the public.

Registration is not required, but space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tags: artist talk, Department of Visual Arts, marilyn i. walker school of fine and performing arts, MIWSFPA, Phil Irish, visa
Categories: Alumni, Announcements, Current Students, Events, Faculty & Instructors, News
Visual Arts prof named new Associate Dean of Humanities

Friday, January 25, 2019 | By Brock University

Keri Cronin, Associate Professor in the Department of Visual Arts, will take on the role of Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies for the Faculty of Humanities starting July 1. (Photo credit Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals.)

(From The Brock News, January 24, 2019 | By: Alison Innes)

Keri Cronin has always been invested in sharing the research of Brock’s Faculty of Humanities in far-reaching ways. And in her new role as Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, she intends to continue down that path.

“There is so much great work being done here in the Humanities,” says Cronin, Associate Professor with the Department of Visual Arts.

“A lot of people hold misperceptions about what it is we do and the value and relevance of this work to the ‘real world.’ Using public platforms to highlight our stories and the excellent research being done here is, I believe, more important than ever.”

Cronin, whose position as Associate Dean in the Faculty of Humanities begins July 1, values making academic research accessible to a wide and diverse audience.

“I look forward to supporting faculty and graduate students in developing knowledge mobilization plans that make sense for their areas of expertise,” she says.

Cronin’s own research trajectory has been a blend of the traditional and the non-traditional. In addition to her academic publications, including the 2018 publication of Art for Animals, Cronin has embraced online opportunities to share her research.

The Unbound Project, a multimedia initiative Cronin co-created with Jo-Anne McArthur of We Animals, uses video, photography, interviews and social media to tell the stories of women who are working in animal advocacy.

“The Unbound Project has a very large and international reach,” Cronin says. “Using our website and social media channels, we are able to share these women’s stories widely.”

Cronin has also curated an online exhibition for the National Museum of Animals & Society. Be Kind: A Visual History of Humane Education was launched in 2012 and is used by teachers and professors in classrooms around the world.

Social justice and transdisciplinary work are key for Cronin. She is a faculty member in the Social Justice and Equity Studies graduate program and was a founding member of Brock’s Social Justice Research Institute, where she worked to showcase Humanities-based approaches to social justice work.

“Dr. Cronin is an accomplished scholar and teacher, with an excellent record of service to the University and the Faculty already,” says Dean of Humanities Carol Merriam.

“I’m very pleased that she will now put her skills and talents available to her colleagues in this new role. She is a fitting successor to Dr. Michael Carter, who has done very good work in the role since 2016.

Tags: Department of Visual Arts, humanities, MIWSFPA, Social Justice and Equity Studies, Social Justice Research Institute
Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News
Public to take (CRIT)ICAL look at student artwork during one-night exhibition

Monday, January 14, 2019 | By Brock University

Brock Visual Arts student Zach White decides how to display his work in the student lounge on the third floor of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts as part of the upcoming exhibition, (CRIT)ICAL, taking place Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 4 to 10 p.m.

(From The Brock News, Monday, January 14, 2019 | By: Jaquelyn Bezaire)

Brock Visual Arts instructor Donna Akrey always tells her students that art is made to be seen, felt and heard.

The idea that the process of creation begs for interaction and response is what inspired an upcoming exhibition at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA).

Students from the 3M90 Advanced Art Practise course have been hard at work researching and creating their individual pieces for a one-night interactive exhibition, titled (CRIT)ICAL, on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 4 to 10 p.m.

Comprised of paintings, drawings, sound and video, the showcase is a collection of self-directed work from third- and fourth-year students. The pieces will be on display throughout the MIWSFPA building for guests to explore.

“I think people can expect a lot of dramatic pieces of art,” said Visual Arts student Zach White. “There are a lot of people in this class who are trying to step out of their own areas of creation into new spaces that are outside of mainstream fine arts.”

As part of the exhibition, students are opening up their studio doors and calling on the public to react, question and critique. Surveys will be handed out to viewers in order to give an anonymous written response to the artists.

“The feedback from the visiting public will allow the students to hear unfiltered responses from others that will allow them to perhaps hear an alternate take on their work, strengthen their proposals and be able to work on any shortcomings the work may have,” said Akrey.

This show is being treated as a work in progress for many of the artists who are hoping to use the feedback they receive to further improve their work.

“I’ve been in a rut with my art, so the critiques will definitely help. I’m hoping to get some inspiration and a bit of a push to help me create more,” said Visual Arts student Renz Baluyot, whose work will be displayed in the second-floor hallway.

(CRIT)ICAL is a mid-year event that will lead students towards a final show at the MIWSFPA in April.

For more information about upcoming exhibitions, visit the Department of Visual Arts website.

Tags: (crit)ical, donna akrey, marilyn i. walker school of fine and performing arts, MIWSFPA, renz ballot, Visual Arts, zach white
Categories: Current Students, Events, Exhibitions, News
New year brings Brock Talks back to St. Catharines library

Thursday, January 10, 2019 | By Brock University

Visual Arts Associate Professor Donna Szoke will talk about her work when Brock Talks returns to the St. Catharines Public Library Jan. 15. (Image courtesy Donna Szoke; Shot / Counter Shot: Self-portrait as mother. Grimsby Art Gallery Commission, Digital print on Hahnemuhle, Editioned print, 47 x 61 cm. 2018.).

(From The Brock News, January 9, 2018 | By: Alison Innes)

Gladiators of Pompeii, the planet’s artistic inspiration and the invisible history of radioactive mice will be highlighted by Brock experts during an upcoming public lecture series.

Brock Talks returns to the St. Catharines Public Library on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The free series connects scholars in Brock’s Faculty of Humanities with the local community.

The January talk, “Invisible Animals,” features Associate Professor Donna Szoke, whose work examines the human relationship to animals through prints, videos, art installations and media artwork. Szoke contributed to a Toronto exhibition on Digital Animalities this past November.

Her work includes a free app mapping nuclear waste at a Niagara Falls, N.Y., storage site, where more than 270,000 mice used in radioactive experiments have been buried. Her most recent piece, Midst, uses video projectors and fog machines to create animations of large animals on a wall of fog to explore issues of encroachment of cities into wild space.

Szoke will talk about her work as “research-creation” and explore how making art is a form of doing research and creating new knowledge.

The Second Brock Talks session of the year will take place Feb. 27 and feature Earth Sciences Professor Francine McCarthy. In her presentation, “Scientific Insights from Poets, Painters and Philosophers,” McCarthy will explore research as a creative endeavour and look at how artists interpret and draw inspiration from the natural world.

The final Brock Talks event this season takes place March 12, when Classics Instructor Nadine Brundrett will speak on “Spectacular Games in Ancient Pompeii.” Brundrett will share how the destruction and preservation of the city of Pompeii in 79 CE by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius offers insight into the daily lives of ancient Romans, including diverse spectacles used to provide entertainment. In addition to gladiatorial combat, bull fighting, boxing, Greek athletics and even pantomime acting were common practice.

Brock Talks is a collaboration between the Faculty of Humanities and the St. Catharines Public Library. The series connects community members with current Humanities scholarship at Brock.

All talks are held at 7 p.m. in the Mills Room, Central Library and are free.

What: Brock Talks, a free public lecture series
When: Jan. 15, Feb. 27 and March 12
Where: St. Catharines Public Library, Central Branch, 54 Church St., St. Catharines

Tags: Brock Talks, classics, department of classics, Department of Visual Arts, Donna Szőke, earth sciences, Francine McCarthy, humanities, Visual Arts
Categories: Events, Faculty & Instructors, News
New research shows empathy can shape drug policy

Monday, January 07, 2019 | By Brock University

Brock Visual Arts Professor Linda Steer’s research on drug photography has been published in the March edition of the International Journal of Drug Policy.

(From The Brock News, Monday, January 7, 2019 | By: Sarah Ackles)

In 2016, Ohio police released a photo of an American couple overdosing in their vehicle while a young child sat in the back. The image quickly went viral and attracted international attention.

The predominantly negative conversation surrounding the image, and others like it, left Brock Visual Arts Professor Linda Steer wondering if viewing these photographs with more empathy could be key to changing discourse on drug users and altering drug policy in North America.

Chosen for publication in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Steer’s article “Entangled empathy, drug use, and photographs of suffering” examines contemporary drug photography in the hopes of encouraging people to think outside of the box about drug use and users.

“This research is very timely because every day we’re seeing a news story about the dangers of fentanyl or some other opiate,” said Steer, who teaches art history at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA). “There is a lack of understanding about what people that use drugs go through, and about drugs in general. It’s a kind of hysteria.”

In the article, Steer examines the work of two contemporary photographers: Chris Arnade and Tony Fouhse. Both are middle-aged, white men, who photographed female drug users they met on the street.

Steer looked at the artists’ work through the lens of ‘entangled empathy,’ a concept developed by American Philosophy Professor Lori Gruen. To Gruen, empathy is about more than simply being understanding and compassionate about another’s situation. Rather, it entails being responsive and responsible to that person in a way that promotes agency and positive change.

Drawing from that idea, Steer studied how Arnade‘s and Fouhse’s photographs were created, circulated and received by viewers and compared how different settings, locations or mediums impacted the viewer’s engagement with empathy.

“I found photographs with captions or text that worked to create a narrative had a better chance of creating empathy,” she said. “I also found that we can still have empathy when the power dynamics are quite uneven and that photographs shared on Facebook can sometimes provoke people to engage with their own experience of addiction in relation to the photograph.”

Steer hopes the article will create dialogue about the role photographs of drug use play in shaping public opinion, and the opinion of policy-makers and government agencies.

“Overall, photographic projects that show drug use have the potential to engage viewers with empathy and can be very useful in creating drug policy,” she said. “Policy-makers might see these kinds of photographs and notice how they can elicit empathy for people who are misunderstood or maligned. That can have a positive impact on policy.”

Steer said having her work published in the journal is especially meaningful as this marks her first peer-reviewed article in a new field of research. The interdisciplinarity of her work is also important, she noted, as the journal typically publishes research from science-based disciplines.

“I was really honoured for this work to be chosen as I think it speaks to how important photographs are and that we need to look more closely at the relationship between science and culture,” she explained. “Even scientific research is culture – so we’re bridging the gap between humanities and the sciences with this type of work.”

She added that this research also showed her that “a lot more work has to be done” in this field of study.

“Not just on empathy,” she added, “but on how it is related to politics, policy and how images create ideas about how we see others.”

“Entangled empathy, drug use and photographs of suffering” is currently available for free download on the International Journal of Drug Policy website.

Tags: Department of Visual Arts, International Journal of Drug Policy website, Linda Steer, marilyn i. walker school of fine and performing arts, MIWSFPA, visa
Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News
Brock grad returns to MIWSFPA for first solo exhibition

Thursday, January 03, 2019 | By Brock University

Brock alumna Kylie Haveron (BA ’18) is hosting her first solo exhibition, Not Dark Yet, at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) beginning Wednesday, Jan. 9.

(From The Brock News, Thursday, January 3, 2019 | By: Sarah Ackles)

As Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

His message encapsulates the inspiration behind the first solo exhibition of Brock alumna Kylie Haveron (BA ’18), opening at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) this month.

Running from Jan. 9 to 26, Not Dark Yet reflects on the dichotomy between lightness and darkness and the struggles we face in our daily lives.

The exhibition is on at the VISA Gallery and Student Exhibition Space at the MIWSFPA, with an opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 10.

“I look at how we believe day can bring a purpose, a connection and sense of certainty, while nightfall can bring anxiety as it signals the end of the opportunity for the day and a sense of waiting for the light of the next day to bring us answers,” Haveron explained.

Haveron’s exhibition consists of a combination of drawings, sculpture and installations that explore the way that physical lightness and darkness can impact the lightness and darkness we experience within ourselves.

She said the timing of the show is ideal, as the lack of sunlight during the winter months can trigger symptoms of depression in some individuals, often known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

While many of her pieces are gritty and gloomy, the Brock grad hopes her work will inspire viewers to “let the light into their lives.”

“Although I look at how extended periods of darkness can make us feel the darkness inside of us, I do have some pieces that give us ways to find the light,” she said. “We must not let the darkness determine our fate and our life, because the light can bring opportunity to have better outcomes.”

Haveron is also looking forward to returning to her alma mater to showcase her first professional exhibition.

“Hosting a solo show is a good learning experience and I’m happy I get to do it at Brock, where I have a lot of friends and am part of a supportive community,” she said.

Not Dark Yet runs from Jan. 9 to 26 in the VISA Art Gallery and Student Exhibition Space at the MIWSFPA. The gallery is open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m.

An opening reception, also in the gallery, will be held Thursday, Jan. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m.

This event is free and open to the community.

Tags: Alumna, alumni, Department of Visual Arts, development and alumni relations, Kylie Haveron, marilyn i. walker school of fine and performing arts, MIWSFPA, visa
Categories: Alumni, Events, Exhibitions, News
Hamilton Now series highlights Brock art instructor

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | By Brock University

Brock instructor Donna Akrey is part of the exhibition Hamilton Now: Object at the Art Gallery of Hamilton until May 20. (Photo by Taien Ng-Chan.)

(From The Brock News, Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | By: Jaquelyn Bezaire)

As Donna Akrey knows all too well, art is woven into the fabric of any strong community.

The textile work of the Brock University Visual Arts instructor is part of a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) that celebrates an influx of new artistic talent in the city.

Akrey’s work Hamilton Yards will be on display at the Art Gallery of Hamilton until May 20.

The Hamilton Now series, curated by Melissa Bennett, began in June with Hamilton Now: Subject, which focused on the culture and creativity in the city and spoke to who the artists are as individuals. The exhibit ran until Nov. 18, with artists using different mediums to explore aspects of their own identity.

The series’ second exhibition, Hamilton Now: Object focuses mainly on sculptors.

Hamilton Now: Object, which is now on display at the AGH and features Akrey’s work, emphasizes material exploration and awareness of the physical environment. The exhibit, which includes pieces by the collective art group band Persons, also features an interactive digital project that incorporates a sculptural map of Hamilton.

Akrey recently moved from Montreal, where she found herself a part of a very strong arts community. Once she arrived to Hamilton, she was pleasantly surprised by the welcome she received.

“The community is very strong, supportive and positive,” she said. “I’m honoured to be showing work alongside other amazing Hamilton artists.”

Akrey’s piece, Hamilton Yards, is a series of fabrics digitally-printed with a custom-made repeating pattern of photo images. Akrey spent time wandering the neighbourhoods of east end Hamilton and documenting the spots that interested her.

“I have wanted to make textile work for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity,” she said. “Through these works, I continue to address mapping, place and location in Hamilton specifically.”

Alongside Akrey, the exhibition includes pieces by Christopher Reid Flock, Destiny Grimm, Hamilton Perambulatory Unit, Svava Thordis Juliusson, Carmela Laganse, Laura Marotte and Taien Ng-Chan.

On Thursday, Jan. 17, Akrey will be joined by Thordis Juliusson and Ng-Chan in the first of two panel events. The artists will lead guests through a series of sculptural activities, “object-oriented storytelling” and mapping exercises.

Hamilton Now: Object runs until May 20 at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. The official opening is Sunday, Feb. 3. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday.

For more information, visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton website.

Tags: Art Gallery of Hamilton, Department of Visual Arts, donna akrey, Faculty of Humanities, marilyn i. walker school of fine and performing arts, MIWSFPA, visa
Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News
All-female Paris Photo project features work of Brock prof

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | By Brock University
Brock Visual Arts Associate Professor Amy Friend had her work featured at the renowned Paris Photo last month, which highlights the work of artists around the world.

(From The Brock News, Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | By: Sarah Moore)

How many female photographers have been omitted from history books — their stories never told and their work never shown — simply because they were women?

That’s a question Brock Visual Arts Associate Professor Amy Friend has been asking herself quite frequently.

It has also been front of mind for the French Ministry of Culture and for independent curator Fannie Escoulen, who recently featured the work of Friend and other female photographers throughout history in a new photo book, Elles X Paris Photo.

Brock Visual Arts Associate Professor Amy Friend had her work featured at the renowned Paris Photo last month, which highlights the work of artists around the world. She was also chosen for inclusion in the new photo book, Elles X Paris Photo, and gave a book signing for her newly published Stardust at the art fair.

Friend’s Ruth, October 1936, was showcased alongside images from other female photographers, ranging from early 20th century photographic pioneers to contemporary artists of today.

The goal of the project is to draw attention to the systemic barriers that women have historically faced in the field, and to promote the work of an emerging generation of artists that are still largely underrepresented today.

“To be featured among these other female artists was particularly special because it means that my vision and my perspective matter,” said Friend. “We have been historically approaching imagery that has been primarily constructed and presented from a male standpoint.

“This project allows us to consider what it means for women artists like myself to present their view of the world, what barriers still exist that prevent female artists from holding a place in the history books, and what has to change in the future to overcome those barriers.”

Ruth, October 1936, was composed using a found, vintage photograph of a woman firing a gun.

As with the other photos in her Dare alla Luce (Italian for ‘to bring to light’) series, Friend pierced tiny pinholes in the photo before shining light through and re-photographing it to create an orb-like optical effect.

“This image was especially fitting for the book because all we know about that woman in the photo is her name and that somewhere in the world, in 1936, she was shooting a gun. That’s all we know,” said Friend. “Her history was forgotten.”

Elles X Paris Photo debuted this fall at Paris Photo in Grand Palais, Paris. Considered to be the largest photography fair in the world, Paris Photo showcases the work of artists from hundreds of galleries around the world.

Friend, who was recently listed among an elite lineup of ‘7 Female Photographers You Should Know from Paris Photo’ in Artsy, exhibited work from Dare alla Luce, as well as doing a book signing for her latest monograph Stardust, from L’Artiere, Publishing.

She was represented by in camera galerie (Paris), known for its esteemed roster of artists including Cindy Sherman and Jane Evelyn Atwood.

“It was important to engage with people and artists from all over the world; making connections, talking about ongoing projects and celebrating,” Friend said of being part of the fair. “I could also interact with work coming out of galleries and countries that I might never get to see otherwise. It was an enriching experience.”
Tags: Amy Friend, Department of Visual Arts, Elles X Paris Photo, Exhibition, marilyn i. walker school of fine and performing arts, MIWSFPA, paris, Paris Photo
Categories: Faculty & Instructors, News
Community voices expressed through Brock art exhibitions

Friday, December 07, 2018 | By Brock University

Curt Richard, a student in VISA 3M90, surveys the exhibition that he and 52 other students have completed over the course of the semester. Manifestos in a Room is a collaboration between students in French, Visual Arts, and Studies in Art and Culture. It will be on display at Rodman Hall Art Centre until Dec. 30.

(From The Brock News, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018 | By: Alison Innes)

Two Brock art exhibitions now on display are working to celebrate and amplify community voices.

Manifestos in a Room and Sauti za Afrika/African Voices/Voix Africaines were each created to engage with Northern Oracle, an exhibition by Heather Hart currently being featured at Rodman Hall Art Centre.

Through the exhibition, which includes an indoor rooftop installation, Hart asks visitors what they want to say to the world and advises them to shout it from the rooftop.

Reflecting on Northern Oracle, 53 students in Visual Arts, Studies in Arts and Culture, and French came together to create their own statements, whether poetic, absurd or political. The expressions — in both English and French — were used to create Manifestos in a Room, on display in Rodman Hall’s Studio Gallery.

Students worked throughout the fall semester to bring the exhibition, curated by Associate Professor Catherine Parayre and instructor Donna Akrey, to life.

Jean Ntakirutimana, Chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, demonstrates the talking drum used to send messages over long distances in Cameroon. With careful training, a person could use the different tones produced by the drum to send messages. The drum is just one of the items on display in Sauti za Afrika/ African Voices/ Voix Africaines, an exhibition celebrating voices of Niagara’s African diaspora community.

“It really helps to collaborate in one’s art practice,” said Akrey, whose art students were involved in the project.

“We also did an assembly line production to create some of the work, which was fun and rewarding. I was impressed with how the 3M90 students embraced this project and made sense of it for the viewing public.”

For the participating French students, the exhibition was a “great opportunity to practice writing constraints for fun,” said Parayre. “Students produced facetious manifestos, writing eloquently on a light-hearted topic. It allowed all of us to put our creative forces together and share a common space.”

The exhibition includes a visual component as well as a three-minute audio track created by the students.

Over at Brock’s main campus, the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC) is hosting Sauti za Afrika/African Voices/Voix Africaines, an exhibition meant to amplify the voices of the African diaspora in Niagara. Featuring 12 different languages, the exhibition combines modern writing with ancient traditions of communication.

The display features instruments and figurines used for communication, such as a conch shell, similar to the one used to call for revolution in Haiti, and miniature replicas of Burundi drums used by royalty to communicate with their people.

Also included is an intricately carved cow horn used to call people to come and hear the chief speak in certain regions of Africa, said Department Chair and Associate Professor Jean Ntakirutimana.

Ntakirutimana worked with members of Niagara’s African diaspora and Sofifran (Solidarité des femmes et familles immigrantes francophones du Niagara) to collect people’s hopes, dreams and concerns to include in the display. Members have also loaned their personal objects for the exhibition.

The display is a precursor to an event by the same name coming up in February. Co-hosted by Sofifran, MLLC and Studies in Arts and Culture, the event will be held at Rodman Hall and will also engage with Northern Oracle.

Sauti za Afrika/African Voices/Voix Africaines is a part of the Museum in the Hallway project, curated by Parayre. Located in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (Mackenzie Chown A-block), the project features rotating monthly displays.

Both African Voices and Manifestos in A Room will be on display until the end of December. Northern Oracle will be at Rodman Hall until March 3.

Tags: Catherine Parayre, Department of Visual Arts, humanities, Jean Ntakirutimana, modern languages literatures and cultures, Rodman Hall Art Centre, studies in arts and culture
Categories: Current Students, Events, Exhibitions, Faculty & Instructors, News
Second-year student Erin Grayley shares her experience as History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) student

Tuesday, December 04, 2018 | By Brock University

(From: Learning to Look at Visual Culture; The Brock University Humanities Blog | Written by: Erin Grayley. Published by:Alison Innes)

Erin Grayley is a second year student in the History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) and a volunteer with the Faculty of Humanities’ Social Media Ambassador program. In this blog post, she demystifies what History of Art and Visual Culture is all about and answers some of your questions.

As a second year History of Art and Visual Culture major, I find people are often confused about what I do or what my program even is.

I don’t actually create physical art in class nor do I have any studio-based work but I am considered an art student.

The way I like to describe it is, in the history of art and visual culture program (or as we lovingly refer to it, HAVC) we study the theory behind the art. Just as musicians study musical theory, we study artistic theory.

In HAVC, we focus on many different aspects of images and their effects. Aside from the art history side of things, which dives into art through the ages and work/artists that changed the face of art, visual culture focuses on skills and tools to help understand images and think critically about how we process information though images and art in everyday life.

The question of “what is visual culture” is not easily answered. Visual culture looks at the different ways we can think about visual imagery and how that imagery affects things like society, politics, life today and history, as well as how we interact with the world and the people around us.

In visual culture, we focus on a concept of “the viewer makes meaning” in relation to images and art. The importance of the viewer and how a viewer visually and contextually analyzes an image are important tools. We learn very early in the program how to visually and contextually analyze images and artwork. These skills are the foundation of HAVC and will help students during their program and in many different careers.

HAVC is not strictly related to art, either. It crosses many disciplines and is used by everyone, everyday (sometimes without even realizing it). We are exposed to visual culture everywhere we look. Having the skills to properly articulate ideas about images and critically think about what we are seeing is an important skill for students in any discipline.

I wanted to know what people outside of the HAVC community had to say so I took to Instagram and asked my friends and followers to send me questions about my program and visual culture in general. I’ve picked some of the most asked questions and answered them for you here! The response was amazing and I was so glad so many people took interest in learning more about HAVC.

What’s your favourite class?

It’s hard to pin point which is my favourite, as so many of my classes are interesting and innovative in different ways! However, Visual Culture and the Human Body (VISA 3P52) and Introduction to Contemporary Art (VISA 2P88) are among the most fascinating for me this semester.

What classes are you looking forward to in your program?

As a third year student next year, I will be able to take an independent study course (VISA 3F99) where I will be able to advance my studies in an area of mutual interest with a professor in the Department of Visual Arts. This course allows me to further my research in a specific context that interests me!

How can a student get into studying History of Art and Visual Culture?

The first courses that start you in this major would be VISA 1Q98 (Introduction to Visual Culture) and VISA 1Q99 (Introduction to History of Art). These will give you the resources and prerequisites to take your studies in many different directions within the History of Art and Visual Culture program.

Are there opportunities for abroad studying?

YES! there are many different opportunities to study abroad in this program! Depending on the year, there are different destinations for study, such as Italy and the Mediterranean! Learn more about exchange opportunities on the Brock International website.

What is your favourite part of History of Art and Visual Culture?

My favourite part of the program is definitely the visual culture side. From starting first year not really understanding what visual culture was, to now critically thinking about imagery and how visual images and art can shape the ways we think about the world and others is inspiring! I love what I am able to learn and accomplish in this program. I am inspired to research and create in new ways every day and the endless opportunities I am presented with motivate me to continue studying HAVC!

What possible careers can you pursue with this major?

There are many possibilities with a major in History of Art and Visual Culture. Since this area of study can cross through many disciplines, it can manifest into anything you want it to be. Professions include curatorial work in galleries, arts administration, law, teaching, and writing and publication.

You can find more information about HAVC at Brock on the Department of Visual Arts website.

If you have any further questions or want to speak to a faculty member in HAVC, you can contact Keri Cronin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Visual Arts, at 905 688 5550 x5306 or keri.cronin@brocku.ca.

<< Read the full post by Erin Grayley and other posts by Alison Innes on the Humanities blog. >>

Tags: alison innes, brock visa, Department of Visual Arts, Erin Grayley, Faculty of Humanities, havc, History of Art and Visual Culture, humanities, Keri Cronin
Categories: Current Students, News