catalyst issue no. 1
DESCRIPTION
Alberta College of Art + Design. Spring 2009 / Issue No. 4TRANSCRIPT
CATALYSTSpring 2009 / Issue No. 1Alberta College of Art + Design
2554623
Publication Notes
Catalyst is published by the Alberta
College of Art + Design, designed by
Combine Design and Communications,
and printed in Canada. Articles may
be reprinted in whole or in part with
written permission.
Contact1407 – 14th Avenue N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2N 4R3
403.284.7600
www.acad.ca
Profile: ACAD FacultyCharles Lewton
Brain has the
kind of career
path that is as
intricate as one of his very
own creations.
page 11
Exhibiting Canada’s Most Exciting Emerging Artists A collection
of works by Canada’s finest
emerging artists and designers
opened to the public at the
2009 ACAD Grad Show. page 7
Bringing Innovation and Creativity to Our CommunityTwo words:
Innovation and Creativity.
You’ll not only hear them on
the ACAD campus – you’ll see
them too.page 2
Profile: ACAD AlumniACAD alumni
designs his
success here
in Calgary.
page 10
Contents
30 years, helping to build Canada’s
international reputation in performance
and installation art, and acting as a mentor
and a source of inspiration for countless
students and emerging artists. ■
n March 25,
2009, ACAD
faculty member
Rita McKeough
became one of
nine recipients of
the 2009 Governor
General’s Awards
in Visual and Media Arts. The Governor
General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts,
are Canada’s foremost distinctions
for excellence in these artistic disciplines.
This prestigious award was presented
by Her Excellency the Right Honourable
Michaelle Jean, Governor General, to
Ms. McKeough for her work in performance
and installation art at a ceremony in Ottawa.
OCuLTurAL
LeADerShIp
Photography
Bill Eakin /
Rita McKeough
The prizes are awarded annually
to visual and media artists for distinguished
career achievement in visual arts,
architecture, independent film and video,
or audio and new media. Each prize
is valued at $25,000.
“It’s a remarkable moment for me to
have this kind of support from my peers.
It gives me courage to work harder,
it makes me feel encouraged to continue
to take risks, it’s a push,” stated McKeough
in an interview. As a faculty member at
ACAD, and a member of the Calgary arts
community, McKeough is positive about
all the “amazing young artists right now.”
McKeough’s work has been shown across
Canada, and her complex and layered
installations and performances touch
on issues such as displacement, demolition
of neighbourhoods, domestic violence
and ecological damage.
As she has explained, “As soon as
you stop the chaos, you experience the
subversive power of silence. Dialogue
and listening are politically and socially
the most powerful tools for change.”
Her work often draws on chaos, using
multi-tracked layers of sound, and physical
strength. McKeough has exhibited as
an interdisciplinary artist for the past
1, 2 The Long Haul (2006)
Performance / installation
PlugIn Institute of
Contemporary Art, Winnipeg
ACAD artist and faculty member Rita McKeough awarded the 2009 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. IT gIveS me The CourAge
To work hArDer, IT mAkeS
me feeL eNCourAgeD
To CoNTINue To TAke rISkS.
faculty member wins governor general’s Award
1
2
CATALYST / page 2
Links
President’s ACAD Smart Nightwww.acad.ab.ca/smart_night
IDEOwww.ideo.com
Calgary Economic Developmentwww.calgaryeconomicdevelop-
ment.com
Calgarypediawww.calgarypedia.com
hile innovation
is defined as
“creation resulting
from study and
experimentation,”
creativity is simply
“the ability to make.”
These two terms
have become somewhat interchangeable,
making it hard to know who’s working
creatively, who’s being innovative, and
who’s not. And while the definitions remain
open-ended, every industry from oil and
gas and education to health care and
communications need people with these
abilities. Perhaps it’s putting a cappuccino
machine in the office kitchen, rethinking
your recruitment techniques or updating
the way you talk about your business.
Truth is, if you’re not changing anything,
you should not be using the “I” word.
ACAD President Lance Carlson
is seeing these buzz words pop up
everywhere. “Over the past few years,
we have seen innovation as a major topic
in the media, education, science, the arts,
government, and economics,” says
Carlson. As a result, he’s ensuring the
college doesn’t just talk about innovation
—that they actually foster it by creating
events and initiatives around the topic.
One way ACAD is igniting discussion
about innovation is through the annual
President’s ACAD Smart Night series.
This years’ speaker, Tom Kelley, is one
of the world’s most respected experts on
managing innovation and design and his
firm has helped develop the Apple mouse,
the Palm V, and hundreds of other cutting
edge products. It’s through introducing
leaders like Tom Kelley to the community
that ACAD brings to life its commitment
to bringing art and business together.
The importance of innovation to our
community is being recognized not just
at ACAD, but throughout the city of
Calgary. Adam Legge, Vice President and
Chief Economist at Calgary Economic
Development explains that there is some
gray area when it comes to defining
the terms innovation and creativity, and
that Calgary’s focus has been on building
innovation by using different tools
or technology to solve a problem. Over
the years, he has seen several industries
in Calgary working towards innovation
and admits that while we’re successful
in some areas, we certainly lag in others.
From what he has seen, Calgary ranks lower
than other North American cities when
it comes to research and technology, yet
we boast some of the best digital media
companies in the country. With ACAD
graduates going on to work at places like
Critical Mass, Suitcase Interactive and
Rare Method, ACAD has certainly helped
raise Calgary’s profile when it comes
to digital media.
Aside from forecasting trends for
the city, Calgary Economic Development
also prides itself on some of its own
innovative initiatives. They recently created
Calgarypedia, a wiki-based website
that allows Calgarians to find up-to-date
information about their city. The site also
serves as an important source of information
for people interested in moving to Calgary.
Calgary Economic Development is also
currently working on a project called
Workshift, which is based on applying
a different way of thinking to productivity.
“It’s about looking at new ways of getting
work done,” says Legge. Not only does
the project improve productivity, but
with fewer people driving to work every
day, it also reduces carbon emissions.
Lance Carlson can certainly see the
link between education and business when
it comes to innovation. While employers
may still require specific skills and experience
now more than ever they are looking for
problem solvers who can think laterally.
In 2007, ACAD introduced author Dan Pink
to Calgary through the annual ACAD
President’s Smart Night. As he explained,
we need people who consider themselves
to be either linear left-brain thinkers
or creative right-brain people. It’s about
becoming a problem solver who can think
across different disciplines and industries.
To enact real change, companies should
aim to be innovative as a whole. “It’s not
about hiring a few innovative people, it’s
about creating conditions where everyone
can become innovative,” says Carlson.
He believes that you have to bring people
from different disciplines together in order
to see fresh thinking. And while collaboration
within an organization is good, collaboration
within an entire industry
is truly the way to solve
bigger problems.
So where do
businesses go when
they need big thinkers?
Art Schools. ACAD
may be immediately
associated with painting,
ceramics, or visual
communications design,
but the fact is ACAD
students approach
things in a completely
unique way. Whether
it’s a financial, marketing
or design-based
industry, ACAD students
understand how
to work backwards
from the users’ needs
and consider how the
customers live their
lives rather than simply
looking at existing
services or products. They know how to
ask unique questions and turn the problem
on its head, so that they get unexpected
answers. They learn never to take the same
path over and over.
Every year hundreds of creative thinkers
graduate from ACAD and go on to become
innovative forces in the business and
cultural community. From ceramics, drawing,
fibre, media arts and glass to jewelry,
painting, photography, print, sculpture,
and visual communications design, students
are always looking for fresh ways to create,
whether its through rethinking techniques,
technologies or concepts. Past students
have gone to achieve remarkable success
Bringing Innovation and Creativity to our Community
Text
Melanie Woytiuk
Photography
Dwayne Norman
W
Crack open any corporate brochure, annual report or business publication and right next to the words “sustainable” and “synergy” you’ll see two other words that are incredibly hot right now. Innovation and Creativity. While they may be popular buzz words, you’ll not only hear them on the ACAD campus—you’ll see them too.
as magazine art directors, teachers, curators,
business owners, film directors, as well
as book and clothing designers. ACAD
graduates are everywhere, impacting the
world of art and design - and business.
And they certainly bring a lot of creativity
and innovation with them.
Having passionate, inspired creative
thinkers like ACAD students naturally
helps spark the discussion around innovation
and creativity in our community. And
when other people in the community see
innovation and creativity, it inspires them
to be more creative in their own work.
But what about today’s economy?
Is there a need for innovative and creative
acts or should they be frozen like bonuses
and expense accounts? Though many
companies may react in fear, cutting back
on changes and taking the path of least
resistance, we know from history that now is
the time to push for innovation and demand
change. It’s time to put the thinking cap on,
pull everyone together and do something
we’ve never done before, even if it means
experimenting along the way. After all, you
can’t be innovative if you don’t even try. ■
1 Students and faculty participate in a print media demonstration.
1
opportunity to impact the world around
us, create change and encourage innovation
in fundamental ways.
As a group of problem solvers,
we are constantly looking for ways to
engage the community, whether it’s
through exhibits or lectures from influential
thinkers. One initiative we’re especially
proud of is Smart Night – a speaker series
that was launched in 2007 as a vehicle
to challenge ideas and stimulate dialogue.
This year's Smart Night speaker was
Tom Kelley. He is one of the world’s most
respected experts on managing innovation
and design in business and naturally a
wonderful guest to bring to our community.
Our Institute for the Creative Process
is another example of how ACAD is
stepping outside the realm of traditional
post-secondary thinking and creating
an opportunity to build innovation with
those around us. The Institute For Creative
Process (ICP) addresses the nature
of creative process and design thinking
through research. Our latest achievement
through the ICP is a series of research
or over 80 years, the Alberta College
of Art + Design has been creating
an environment that embraces, supports
and encourages a student body of artistic
thinkers. And while, we’ve experienced
some remarkable successes in the past,
I’m certain our greatest ones lie ahead.
While our programming is always
a priority, we are focusing on ways to
offer our students and our community
much more. As a catalyst for creative
and cultural development, ACAD has the
F
Message from the President
Issue No. 1 / page 3
we hope To INITIATe
our fIrST mASTer’S
Degree progrAm IN The
NexT eIghTeeN moNThS,
whICh IS AN exCITINg
fIrST for The CoLLege.
funding Innovation
n January
of this year,
Lance Carlson,
announced two
new and innovative
initiatives to be
made possible
at ACAD by the
Jill Rawlinson Fund: the Rawlinson Faculty
Exchange Program, and the Rawlinson
Visiting Faculty Program.
ACAD will begin these new initiatives
in 2009 as a result of the $1 million gift
by Jill Rawlinson in 2007.
Rawlinson Faculty Exchange Program
This program will support ACAD faculty
exchanges with faculty from other art
and design institutions nationally and
internationally over the next five years.
Two ACAD faculty exchanges will
be available per year, encouraging and
creating greater connections to the larger
external dialogue in the visual arts and
design fields.
Rawlinson Visiting Faculty Program
This program will also continue until
2014, and will fund five visiting faculty
positions per year at ACAD. Visiting faculty
appointments will each be one year long,
and each visiting faculty member will
teach courses and will devote studio time
to students, colleagues and our community.
By inviting visiting faculty into ACAD,
we further our goals of creating a laboratory
environment of experimentation, and we
continue to invest in our more important
resource: our people.
These Rawlinson Fund initiatives
will further ACAD’s mission to become
a preeminent institution for cultural
development locally, provincially, nationally,
and internationally, and will help to establish
ACAD’s role as an international leader
for innovation, research and excellence
in visual arts, design and emergent cultural
fields. These innovative ACAD projects and
initiatives will significantly and strategically
contribute to the ability of the institution
to assert its standing in the world of artist
and designer education as well as emergent
cultural fields and the capacity of the staff,
faculty, and students to understand and
express (as well as contribute to) their
own place and role within an increasingly
complex global environment.
The Jill Rawlinson Fund is dedicated
to the support of important original ACAD
projects and initiatives that advance the
capability of the faculty, staff, and students
of ACAD, as well as the institution itself,
to reach greater levels of influence and
distinction in the world. “I wanted to
support ACAD initiatives that significantly
contribute to the College’s ability to assert
its standing in the world of artist and
designer education because I have been
inspired by its potential impact on emerging
cultural fields,” stated Ms. Rawlinson upon
donating this significant gift to the college.
This gift is a testament to the increasing
recognition of the college as a force for
culture, art, and design, and underscores
the important history of the college as
well as the important work that ACAD
has begun and will continue to undertake.
I
“With this donation Jill Rawlinson
has shown significant insight into ACAD’s
potential on a community-wide scale,”
said Carlson. “Her generosity will be
celebrated for years to come, as ACAD
faculty, students, staff and the community-
at-large will benefit from her vision.” ■
The rAwLINSoN fuND INITIATIveS
wILL SIgNIfICANTLY CoNTrIBuTe
To The ABILITY of ACAD To ASSerT
ITS STANDINg IN The worLD of
ArTIST AND DeSIgNer eDuCATIoN.
Sign up for more information on ACADEmail [email protected], follow us on Twitter (acadonline) or become a friend on facebook (Alberta College of Art + Design)
CuLTurAL
LeADerShIp
works in which we have mapped out three
key concepts—innovation, play and creative
process. This research work has impacted
how we understand the creative process,
and has garnered attention both nationally
and internationally.
ACAD is continuing to grow and build,
most notably through the addition of
21 new faculty over the past four years.
We look forward to welcoming the last
of these new faculty in 2009. We also
look forward to fulfilling part of our new
College mandate by initiating our Master’s
degree program within the next eighteen
months, which is an exciting first for
the college.
As we continue to raise our profile as a
catalyst in the community, our biggest
priority will be finding a new home.
Our current campus has certainly served
us well over the years, however with over
1100 students, the current location cannot
accomodate our growth, nor do we have
room to provide the level of programming
that we strive to offer.
Designed with both art and function
in mind, the new ACAD campus will
provide the necessary space for a larger
student services area, better facilities for
exhibitions, lecture theatres, performance
art spaces, a large cultural centre as
well as more diverse public programming.
The larger facility will integrate our
creative programming with to the business
community, who will then have access
to the innovative problem solvers their
businesses need.
As the President of Alberta College
of Art + Design, my job is to look beyond
the campus for innovative opportunities
that will greatly improve art and culture
in our community. We must engage present
students, prospective students, alumni,
faculty, community artists, government
and business and we invite you to join us
on our explorations. ■
Lance Carlson,
President + CEO
Show + Sale Brings
Art Lovers to the College
This March ACAD students
prepared one of a kind
artwork to raise money for
their tuition and expenses
during the school year.
The 20th anniversary ACAD
Spring Show + Sale (March
19, 20 and 21, 2009) was a
wonderful success, raising
record amounts of money
for students. The three day
event brought in thousands
of community members
to campus, and exposed
emerging artists to Calgary
collectors and art lovers. ■
Fridhandler Lecture
on Non-Western Art
The Second Annual
Fridhandler Lecture on
Non-Western Art 2009
featured keynote speaker
Marcia Crosby, and was
entitled “Self Identifying
as ‘Modern Indian Artists’:
1940–1967”. This annual
lecture was created by
Ellen and Daryl Fridhandler.
Ms. Crosby’s lecture focused
on the work of several
Aboriginal artists who had
not been given intellectual
or cultural value in Western
art history, but who were
members of vibrant, migrant
and mobile aboriginal
communities. The 2009
Fridhandler Lecture was
held on March 2, 2009. ■
ACAD Students
Ignite Social Change
ACAD is pleased to be a
participant in Design Ignites
Change, an innovative
student program which
channels the power of
design thinking to ignite
social change. ACAD
students will join their
counterparts in 17 other
universities to create work
that addresses powerful
social topics, and to act
as mentors to high school
students. ACAD is the
only Canadian Post-
Secondary institution to
be accepted as a member
into this program, and we
look forward to seeing
the contributions that our
students will make. ■
his year’s 2009 President’s ACAD Smart Night
was held on April 4, 2009, and was a fascinating
evening of dialogue and discussion. This year’s keynote
speaker was Tom Kelley, general manager of the
international design firm IDEO, and author of The Ten
Faces of Innovation and The Art of Innovation. Tom Kelley
is one of the world’s most respected experts on managing
innovation and design—how to make business more
creative, not just in its products and services, but also
in its thinking and processes. This year’s President’s
ACAD Smart Night was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Calgary
and was co-chaired by Cynthia Moore, and D’Arcy
Levesque. As they explain, “Smart Night is a unique and
special event in Calgary. It’s a chance to hear the most
fascinating ideas about innovation and creativity,
and to share them with others during an elegant black-
tie evening of conversation”. ■
President’s ACADSmart Night
T
1 Guests enjoy
a customized menu
of “Smart” food.
2 Tom Kelley,
author of The 10 Faces of Innovation,
speaks at the
2009 Smart Night.
Photography
Dwayne Norman
CATALYST / page 4
ACAD Reaches Out
to Drop-In Centre Members
The Calgary Drop in and
Rehab Centre, situated
in the heart of downtown,
was the site of an afternoon
workshop of watercolour
painting hosted by ACAD,
and featuring artist Richard
Boulet. Members of
the drop in centre were
given the opportunity
to join Richard Boulet and
participants from ACAD
in an exploration of the
limits of their creativity with
an afternoon of watercolour
painting on March 6, 2009. ■
ACAD Hosts the Exposure
2009 Calgary Banff
Photography Festival
The spring of 2009
brought a record amount
of events to ACAD, many
of which were a part of the
Exposure 2009 Calgary
Banff Photography Festival.
This festival provides an
opportunity for the public
to look at photography as
a rich art form in its many
genres, and this year brought
many new workshops,
lectures and exhibitions.
ACAD was pleased to host
visiting artists, workshops
and events thoughout the
month of February as a
part of this annual event. ■
ACAD presents the 2009
Reel Artists Film Festival
ACAD’s Illingworth Kerr
Gallery, in conjunction with
the Canadian Art Foundation,
presented the 2009
Canadian Art Reel Artist
Film Festival this March 29
to March 31, 2009. The
festival lineup included
documentary films that
focused on in-depth
profiles of, and interviews
with, artists including
Alice Neel, Yves Klein
and Antony Gormley.
The festival was very well
attended, and was an
exclusive opportunity for
Calgarians to see many
of these great works. ■
nternationally
renowned
artist Philip Glass
joined a full house
of ACAD faculty,
staff and students
on January 22, 2009
for a fascinating
artist talk and presentation. Glass shared
his thoughts on creativity and collaboration
across disciplines. Philip Glass’s visit to
ACAD was funded by the President’s Circle.
The full audio recording of our discussion
with Philip Glass is available for download
on our website at www.acad.ca. ■
philip glass visits ACAD
CommuNITY
Image courtesy
of philipglass.com
An intimate conversation with one of the most important artists of our time.
I
1 Philip Glass
1 Crowds
gather at the
Reel Artist Film
Festival at
the Illingworth
Kerr Gallery.
ACAD in the Community
1
1
2 1
Issue No. 1 / page 5
ultidisciplinary students from the Alberta College
of Art + Design were pleased to present the
ninth anniversary of the extremely popular wearable art
runway show, ArtaWEARness on February 27, 2009.
This annual catwalk performance fashion show is a
sell-out event every year, and the 2009 evening was
another show stopping evening of wearable art on the
runway. Some of Calgary’s most exciting emerging artists
created avant-garde work, exploring aspects of sculpture,
fibre arts, alternative materials and the human body. ■
ArtaWEARness IX: A Wearable Art Extravaganza
M
1 Wearable Art,
by Lydia Karpenko.
2 Dee Fontans,
ArtaWEARness
organizer.
Directorial Debut ACAD INTroDuCeS DIreCTor guY mADDIN To CALgArY
n March 5,
2009, The
Illingworth Kerr
Gallery presented
a full house,
one-night-only,
performance
of Guy Maddin’s
unique cinematic masterpiece, My Winnipeg.
In this work, Maddin paints the City of
Winnipeg—his lifelong home and muse—
O
CommuNITY
Photography
Jennifer McVeigh
with dreamlike recollections and
curious histories. Restaging “archetypal
episodes from (his) family history”,
Maddin mines the streets of Winnipeg,
striving to both rediscover and escape
the city’s enchantment. This highly
anticipated event was a first for Calgary,
with Guy Maddin performing his highly
personal, melodramatic narration
during the film, followed by a Q+A with
the director. ■
1, 2 Guy Maddin
presents
“My Winnipeg”
to a full house
at the Illingworth
Kerr Gallery.
ACAD Funded Research ProjectsCompleted Research Projects
Alan DunningThe Auratic Body: The Visual
and Sonic Virtual Representation
of Human Physiology
Alan Dunning has a strong
history of research and was
the first faculty member
to bring significant external
research funding to the College
through a three-year SSHRC
(Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council) grant
that ran from 2004–2007.
This research project set out to
express the body’s physiological
processes as dynamic sonic and
visual forms in 3-dimensional,
virtual and actual environments;
and to map these constructs
to contemporary cultural work
on representation, reality and
the body. Alan has been involved
with a successful SSHRC
application for renewed support.
Wayne Giles, Darlene Lee and Chris FreyConcept Mapping: Creating
a concept map for innovation.
Wayne Giles, Darlene Lee and
Chris Frey have been funded
by the Institute for the Creative
Process. This is a collaborative
research project with Dubberly
Design to map the concept
of “innovation”.
Dick Averns + Alex Link How Do Tourette
Syndrome and Co-Morbidities
Affect Career Choice and
Achievement in the Workplace
Through ACAD support and
AACTI (Alberta Association
of Colleges and Technical
Institutes) support, this initial
one-year project, deployed
innovative and creative
qualitative research methods
base on visual arts, performance,
narrative fiction, and narrative
non-fiction to develop new
health literacy tools with which
to improve the understanding
of these mental health
conditions in relation to
vocational aptitude. AACTI
has set criteria that strongly
encourage leveraging financial
support from an industry or
community client for funding
longitudinal studies and Dick
Averns is currently seeking
that support.
2007–2008 Newly Funded Projects
Alan DunningThe Permeable Body
Alan Duning has been awarded
funding from the Marion Fund
for Innovation in Research and
Teaching to support deloads
to enable his involvement in
this SSHRC funded research
project that is a continuation
and development of the
previously SSHRC funded
project ‘The Auratic Body:
Visual and Sonic Virtual
Representation of Human
Physiology (2004–2007).
In addition to the continuing
development of this work,
the project will pursue
two intriguing developments
arising out of the current
research, breathing and its
relationship to body states
and micro-events at the
surface of the skin. The research
team will construct a series of
interactive virtual environments,
performances and installations
that present novel ways
of revealing the complex
interactions of body and world
through the subtle interplay
of skin, breath and other
biological functions.
Alex Link & Richard BrownRendering Comics Art:
Building A Cross-Departmental
Comics Curriculum
Alex Link and Richard Brown
have been awarded funding
from ACAD through the Marion
Fund for Innovation in Research
and Teaching to produce an
experimental learning module
to introduce sequential art as
an area of study in both studio
and academic courses. The
innovation of this module will
be four-fold: it will be cross-
departmental in structure,
it will be cross-departmental
in its pedagogy, it will be
a tentative step toward the
development of a specialist
area of study, and it will be a
unique expansion to currently
offered curriculum by offering
the intensive study of comics,
or sequential art. The funding
will facilitate the projects
two phases, the development
of the curricular model and
the delivery of the pilot courses
within the ACAD curriculum,
as well as a research paper
evaluating the success
of the outcomes.
Robert GeyerThe Living Glass
History Project
Robert Geyer has been
awarded funding from the
Marion Fund for Innovation
in Research and Teaching
to support this project. The
Living Glass History project
is a pilot course that adopts
a new approach to teaching
glass students at ACAD the
conceptual history of their
medium. Course content will
be supplemented by interactive
real time video-conferencing
with glass artists who have
lived within/through glass
history. The idea is to link the
tradition of oral history with
new media technology. Using
interactive video conferencing,
students would be able to
engage in real time dialogue
with glass artists whom have
significantly influenced the
studio glass movement since
the 1960’s in North America.
Continued on page 12...
ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART + DES IGN
Through ACAD’s Extended Studies you can study visual art, media arts, and design through a full year schedule of challenging and creative courses, workshops and special events designed to meet your creative learning goals.
extended Studies
Each semester, extended studies offers: + Adult credit courses + Adult credit-free courses + Adult evening + weekend personal interest courses+ Youth weekend courses
For more information, contact: [email protected] 403.284.7640
1
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2
2
CATALYST / page 6
ACAD Pre-College Program 2009he ACAD
Pre-College
Program is an
intense three-week
session of studio
based, interdisci-
plinary classes in
visual arts and
design, developed for high school students
who are interested in pursuing art and
design at the College level. Students are
able to earn college credits while building
their portfolio for admission to ACAD, and
become part of a community of talented
young artists and designers. This program
is unlike any in Canada, and students are
offered the opportunity to work like
professional artists/designers and to be
mentored by professionals in their field.
If you know a talented high school
student who is serious about pursuing
post-secondary studies in visual art or
Tdesign, the Pre-College Program is their
opportunity to become immersed in a full
month of intensive studio and liberal arts
experiences at the college level that
will focus your learning on the materials,
skills and knowledge that are relevant to
artists and designers today.
Students will spend most of their time
in the studio with their colleagues and
instructors, uncovering essential elements
of artistic and design practice.
In addition to their studio work, students
will study and write about visual culture,
participate in group discussions and field
trips, receive an individual portfolio critique,
and enjoy a free and open dialogue with a
panel of successful artists and designers
who will speak on how they have made their
livings in their fields, doing what they love.
Students will work towards becoming
perceptive observers, critical thinkers and
dedicated artists/designers. Pre-college
students also benefit from college-level
studio experiences under the tutelage
of professional artists and designers who
are also respected ACAD faculty members.
Social and educational events and
out trips during the Pre-College Program
will open exciting opportunities for students
to interact with their surroundings as an
artist/designer and to get to know everyone
in the Program. Students will also be
introduced to artists and designers who
have been resourceful and successful in
their careers. ■
Winnipeg
artist Sarah
Anne Johnson’s
grandmother,
Velma Orlikow,
suffered from
depression after
the birth of her
daughter, the artist’s mother in the 1950s.
She was referred to Dr. Ewen Cameron at
the Allen Memorial Institute in Montreal,
where she was treated for three years.
Many years later, this treatment was
revealed to be a series of brainwashing
experiments sponsored by the CIA as part
of its MK-ULTRA program. Without her
consent, Orlikow was cruel, and brutal
procedures including sensory deprivation,
electric shock treatments and doses of LSD.
Orlikow was never the same after her
time at the Allen Institute. Cameron’s
technique was to try to erase his patients’
memories and replace them with better
thoughts, a process Johnson calls “Just
wrong. You can’t take a person apart
This Spring at the Ikg
O
Ikg revIewS
Text
Jennifer McVeigh
oN CAmpuS
Photograhy
Dwayne Norman
of meaning to the idealized snapshots
of birthdays and holidays. A frenetic
psyzchedelic pattern infiltrates a black
and white portrait of her grandmother.
The children are gathered around, ready to
blow out candles, but instead of a birthday
cake, a campfire burns in the middle of the
kitchen table. In the background, a figure
in an apron has the face of a squirrel and
log, tentacle-like branches for fingers.
Though her grandmother’s experiences
had been part of her life since childhood,
Johnson waited until 2008 to attempt
to deal with the subject. The artist felt it
was only at this point in her life and career
that she had developed the critical and
technical skills to do the project justice.
New Work, though unfinished, already
reflects a deft creativity, clarity of thought
and emotional depth.
In Stitched and Drawn, Edmonton-
based Boulet explores issues of mental
health through his personal experience of
illness, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Fibre materials and techniques have both
personal and social meaning for the artist.
His grandmother was a prolific sewer, and
the artist often created hooked rugs with
his father as a youth. To Boulet, the bright
colours and soft textures of quilting and
embroidery speak of the comforts of home
and family – both physical and emotional.
In his large fabric banners, Boulet
experiments with graphic fonts, spelling
out statements such as “Scream like a shot
deer” – a phrase the artist’s brother used
to describe Boulet’s silent agony on a night
he was brought to the emergency room
during a psychotic episode. Though bold,
this lettering is carefully pieced together
using cottons richly patterned with vines
and flowers. Each of these large works also
contains a more intimate text, delicately
cross-stitched onto a small panel. In this
case, a more detailed quotation from the
artist’s brother: “I didn’t know what to say,
what to do. I had anxiety and apprehension.
Your behavior was unexplained and
incomprehensible. I felt lost. I wanted to
let you know wherever you were, we would
look for you… Eventually we had a name
for it, schizophrenia.”
Boulet’s drawings are a contrast to
the controlled craftsmanship of his fibre
work. Describing the process, he says
“This is when I mentally let loose. I let my
mind slide into the energy of the atavistic
psychological experience. I jump into the
psyche with abandon and see what I can
pull out by the seat of my pants.”
With Diagnostic Criteria, a series of large
oil pastel drawings, Boulet explores each
of a number of personality characteristics
used to diagnose schizophrenia, using
a photograph of himself on a horse as a
starting point. In Grandiosity, the figure’s
head, complete with three horns and an
oversized pack with multicoloured teeth,
is so out of proportion with its body that
it threatens to send it toppling off its mount.
Somatic Concern, on the other hand,
has the figure reduced to a bucket-like
mask, fitted onto the back of a drooping
and exhausted animal.
This energetic, improvisational
approach to art-making was evident during a
workshop lead by Boulet at the Calgary
Drop-In and Rehab Centre, where the artist
resided for a time during his illness.
In an IKG-organized event, artists who are
homeless got together with representatives
from Calgary’s art and social justice
organizations, including members of ACAD’s
diversity committee to talk, share ideas
and make art. Participants experimented
with watercolour paint, exploring multiple
ideas and techniques for several hours.
Afterwards, the artists who live at the
Drop-In Centre took their guests on a tour
of the Wild Rose Studio where they work,
sharing portfolios of practices as diverse
as soapstone carving, digital photography
and acrylic painting. Those involved cited
the afternoon as an illuminating experience. ■
and put them back together again –
the pieces won’t fit.” The artist describes
the grandmother she grew up with as broken.
This woman is reflected in a series of nine
small figures made from bronze. They are
both touching monuments, and startling,
visceral illustrations of the pain, anger and
confusion that reverberated from her
grandmother, to her mother, and to the
artist herself.
Each figure is cast from the same mould,
an older, overweight woman with close-
cropped hair. One figure appears ordinary
from the front, but a precise gouge is sliced
deep into the back of her head. On another,
perfectly formed legs are placed backwards
on the body, making any forward movement
impossible. In Family Tree, the figure’s arms
have grown into long wood branches that
stretch across the plinth. The woman tries
desperately to chew them off.
In her second series of works, Johnson
uses family photographs. Skillfully drawing
and painting into the enlarged prints,
she adds another, more ambiguous layer
1 Sarah Anne
Johnson
2 Scream Like
A Shot Deer,
Richard Boulet
With Stitched and Drawn by Richard Boulet and New Work by Sarah Anne Johnson, Illingworth Kerr Gallery Director/Curator Wayne Baerwaldt presented two contrasting, multi-layered examinations of the effects of mental health issues.
SIgN up BY JuNe 22,
for ThIS YeAr’S progrAm.
The 2009 pre-CoLLege
progrAm ruNS from
JuLY 6–31, 2009.
1
2
n May 14th,
2009, over
190 graduates of
ACAD’s Bachelor
of Fine Arts and
Bachelor of Design
programs took to
the stage at the
Jubilee Auditorium to receive their degrees,
and to enter into a new and exciting stage
in their lives.
The 2009 ACAD Convocation ceremony
was a highly energetic event, filled with
the embodiment of our college values and
a joyous recognition of our new graduates.
This year our keynote speaker was Minister
of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay
Blackett. The ACAD Convocation Ceremony
is truly a celebration of our graduates, and
of this exciting step they take into their
future. This year graduates were brought
into the Jubilee Auditorium by a ceremonial
drummer, and they were danced out by
a traditional Chinese Dragon dance to bring
them luck in all they do.
O
The 2009 graduating class was addressed
by ACADSA President Dan Barnfield,
President Lance Carlson, and President of
the ACAD Board of Governors, Jim Peacock.
During the ceremony, the 11 recipients of
the Board of Governors’ Graduating
Student Awards were recognized for their
outstanding achievement, as was Romy
Straathof, winner of the 2009 Governor
General’s Academic Medal. The convocation
ceremony was also a chance for ACAD
to celebrate the recipient of our Board
of Governors’ Alumni Award of Excellence,
Meg Van Rosendaal, and her contributions
to the Calgary art community. ■
Celebrating our New graduates
1 ACAD 2009
Graduating class.
2 ACAD students
are welcomed
to convocation.
Issue No. 1 / page 7
Marion Nicoll Gallery ScheduleMain Space
December 1 – 13 / 08
Robert Turiff—Robs Tiki Lounge Reception: December 4, 2008
January 12 – 17 / 09
Jessica Gowling — Imagery meets NarrativeOpening Reception:
January 15 / 09
January 19 – 24 / 09
Caitlind R.C Brown— Love MachineReception: January 22 / 09
January 26 – 31 / 09
Andrea Lothrop—DelveReception: January 29 / 09
February 2 – 7 / 09
Roxanne Driediger— Lets Play DressupReception: February 5 / 09
February 9 – 14 / 09
Jodie Stevens— Finding ‘normal’Reception: February 12 / 09
February 23 – 28 / 09
ArtaWEARness IX Silent AuctionReception: February 27 / 09
March 2 – 7 / 09
Jennifer Toke— The Wayfaring SomnambulistReception: March 5 / 09
March 9 – 14 / 09
Sarah Hermanutz—CatWomenReception: March 12 / 09
March 30 – April 4 / 09
Kelly Covert— The Pixelated PresenceReception: April 2 / 09
April 6 – 11 / 09
Meags Fitzgerald—CrecheReception: April 9 / 09
April 13 – 18 / 09
Pamela Norrish—I Think We Might Be Stuck Here, Maybe.Reception: April 16 / 09
+15 Window
Epcor Centre for the
Performing Arts
205 8th AVE SE Calgary, AB
October 6 –
December 5 / 08
Carisa Hendrix—Private
December 8 / 08 –
January 31 / 09
Block
February 2 –
March 28 / 09
ACAD Show and Sale Design Competition
LRT Space
October 6 –
December 12 / 08
Lisa Shannahan— Who are we?
December 15 / 08 –
February 7 / 09
Heather Smith— Imaginary Friends
February 9 –
March 14 / 09
Michelle Trudgeon— Memorize Clouds
oN CAmpuS
Photograhy
Dwayne Norman
The student-run Marion
Nicoll Gallery creates a unique
context for education and
experimentation among artists
attending ACAD. The MNG
consists of of three programming
spaces – the main space,
a +15 window, and the LRT
space – and showcases student
work to the public and peers,
providing emerging artists with
experience presenting work
in a professional setting.
Exhibiting Canada’s Most Exciting Emerging Artists
n Wednesday, May 13,
2009, a collection
of works by Canada’s
finest emerging artists and
designers opened to the
public at the 2009 Alberta
College of Art + Design
(ACAD) Grad Show.
The annual comprehensive
exhibition of work, this year
organized by Wayne
Baerwaldt and the Illingworth
Kerr Gallery curatorial team,
was installed throughout
ACAD providing public
access to classrooms,
workshop spaces, hallways,
windows, and many other
spaces not traditionally
used to display art or open
to the public. The Grad
Show premiered with a
public opening reception
on Wednesday, May 13
and ran until Saturday
May 23, 2009. ACAD
is the core of Calgary’s
burgeoning art and design
scene with our graduates
poised to become an
important part of that
community – in Calgary
and beyond. ■
O1
2
Niche Award Winners
Louise Chong
First place in the student category of
Jewellery: Fashion at the Niche Awards
went to ACAD Graduate Louise Chong
for her large scale neckpiece “Inside Out”.
Our congratulations go out to Louise for
her fine work.
Carte Blanche 2
Mark Mullin, Chris Cran, Bradley Harms
ACAD is pleased to announce a newly
published survey of contemporary painting
in Canada, entitled Carte Blanche 2.
Included in this book are ACAD faculty
Mark Mullin, Chris Cran and ACAD painting
and drawing technician Bradley Harms.
ACAD at the Junos
Chad vanGalen
Recent ACAD Alumnus Chad VanGalen
has been nominated for the Juno category
of best alternative album: learn more at
www.junoawards.ca/nominees. We will
be watching the Junos to cheer for Chad
on March 29th!
ACAD in ActionACCompLIShmeNTS + ACCoLADeS for our STuDeNTS, ALumNI, STAff AND fACuLTY
CATALYST / page 8
“Fix This” Award Winners
Katherine Whitt, Sarah Burchell,
Christine Sammon, Andrew Mott,
Richard Ballermann, Connie Carruthers, Tara
Griffiths, Susan Menzies,
Barb Tipton and Aileen Lublinkhof.
ACAD is pleased to announce the winners
of the 2008 FIX THIS awards, given to
the top ten suggestions for improvements
to our College by members of the ACAD
community. Awards go to Katherine Whitt,
Sarah Burchell, Christine Sammon, Andrew
Mott, Richard Ballermann, Connie Carruthers,
Tara Griffiths, Susan Menzies, Barb Tipton
and Aileen Lublinkhof. The full results of the
FIX THIS Survey, and updates on actions
being taken by the College to make many
of the suggested improvements will be
available on our website soon.
Exhibition: Richard Edwards
BLACK RIVER…In Vases Over Me…
April 3 – 25 / 09
The Ruberto/Ostberg Gallery,
Exhibition: Chris Willard
It Isn’t What You Think
March 7 – March 28 / 09
Herringer Kiss Gallery
Applied Arts Awards Winners
ACAD Visual Communications Design
students recently won a total of thirteen
awards in the annual Applied Arts Magazine
Awards. The students’ work appears in the
September 2008 issue of Applied Arts.
This special Awards issue is often used by
potential employers to scout out new talent.
Winners are also featured on the Applied
Arts website in a Students Awards Gallery,
which attracts more than 200,000 unique
visitors annually. Our students, along with
the other winners, were recognized at
a special Award Winners’ Exhibit held in
November in Toronto. The thirteen awards
won by the ACAD students are more than
those won by students at any other design
school or college.
ACAD Alumni Win
Lieutenant Govenor Awards
Robin Arsenault and Chad Van Gaalen
Two of our ACAD alumni, Robin Arsenault
and Chad Van Gaalen, are recipients of
the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts
Foundation’s emerging artist’s awards. Each
winner receives a cheque for $10,000, with
no stipulations as to how they can spend it.
The awards come as a result of the Alberta
Arts Foundation’s desire to create awards
that support developing artists, in addition
to the distinguished artist’s awards they
initiated in 2005.
ACAD Alumni Illustration Award Winners
Congratulations to our award winning
alumni who took recently home awards
from the following publications: Society
of Illustrators 51 (New York), 3x3 Magazine
Illustration Annual, Applied Arts 2008
Illustration Annual, Communication Arts
48, Spectrum 15, Original Art (Society
of Illustrators New York), and the Ignatz
Awards (Small Press Comics Awards).
Art Educator of the Year Nomination
Charles Lewton-Brain
Charles Lewton-Brain has been nominated
for NICHE magazine’s 2009 Arts Educator
of the Year Award. This nomination
has come from students at ACAD, and
this year approximately 200 arts instructors
were nominated.
Extended StudiesA L B E RTA C O L L E G E O F A RT + D E S I G N
July 6 – 31, 2009
20 intense days of full-time studies in visual arts and design for serious art students between 16 – 18 years. Interdisciplinary. Studio-based. College credit. Learn more, and apply at www.acad.ca/extended_studies.html
ACAD Faculty Showcased
in Exhibition of
Post-Minimalist Artists
Neo-Minimalism: Western Canada’s
Post-Minimal Artists
January 15 – February 25 / 09
Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts
Exhibiting artists are:
David Burdeny (Vancouver),
Catherine Burgess (Edmonton),
Marjan Eggermont (Calgary),
Paul Kuhn (Calgary), Eve Leader
(Vancouver), Tanya Rusnak (Calgary),
Laurel Smith (Calgary),
Christopher Willard (Calgary)
and Tim Zuck (Calgary).
Neo-Minimalism, an exhibition curated by
Harry Kiyooka, a Professor Emeritus of Art
and an independent curator, features nine
Western Canada’s artists whose practice
centers on redefining the boundaries of
minimal art with a contemporary aesthetic.
Exhibition: Blake Senini
We Are All in the Same Air
January 8 – February 14 / 09
We Are All in the Same Air is a collection
of five new sculptures that expands on
his interest in the relationships of sculpture
within the physical space it occupies,
by creating a dynamic within the sculpture
between forms. We Are All in the Same Air
is presented at the Skew Gallery.
Exhibition: Dianne Bos
Place
January 31 – February 28 / 09
Place is a group exhibition exploring
contemporary ideas of space and how it
relates to photography, shown at Newzones.
This exhibit features the work of:
Dianne Bos, James Holroyd, Joshua
Jenson-Nagle, Sarah Nind, Colleen Philippi
and John Folsom.
Exhibition: Nancy Price
Hopeless...Romantic
Hopeless...Romantic, shown at the Stride
Gallery, featured several works which
intertwined craft and art revealed mostly
through the production of wearable pieces.
Issue No. 1 / page 9
SNAP!Stars 09 Winner
Geoffrey Fehr
ACAD photo student Geoffrey Fehr is the
winner of the Magenta Foundation SNAP!
Stars 09 ACAD competition. SNAP!Stars
is presented by TD Canada Trust and
is open to third and fourth year students
attending Canadian and American art
schools. TD Canada Trust presented cash
awards of $1,500; one prize for each of the
winning student from the participating
universities. One photograph, selected by
the jury, from each winner was also added
to the SNAP! Live Auction Gala on Sunday,
March 1, 2009. Work featured in the Live
Auction is now being showcased on the
SNAP! Website.
ACAD Photo and VCD Students
Take Home Prizes at the CAPIC Awards
Alexander Henrikson, Inger Marthe
Skyberg and Douglas Nhung
The prize winners of the first CAPIC Rodeo
Student contest were announced at the
Rodeo Awards presentations in Toronto,
and ACAD students have taken home the
second prize in illustration, and third prize
in both illustration and photography
categories. Alexander Henrikson, Inger
Marthe Skyberg and Douglas Nhung
have all been recognized by the Canadian
Association of Photographers and
Illustrators in Communications.
War Art Now
Dick Averns
Between Jan 11th and March 23rd, 2009,
Dick Averns was artist-in-residence at the
Calgary Allied Arts Foundation (CAAF)
st[art]@art central studio in downtown
Calgary. As part the Department of National
Defence Canadian Forces Artists Program,
he was working on a visual art and writing
project engaging the War on Terror, War
Art Now. This research has recently
received support from ACAD’s Marion Fund
for Innovation in Teaching and Research,
with funding directed towards research for
scholarly publications and a photo essay. 1 Student work in
ACAD’s painting studios.
1 Photography
David Fenton
Exhibition: Mark Mullin
January 23 – February 28 / 09
This collaborative print exhibition between
VanDeb Editions and Olive Branch Press
includes work from Mark Mullin’s New York
Suite. This exhibition offers a collaborative
survey of selected artists who have devel-
oped influential works with VanDeb Editions
and Olive Branch Press. This exhibit was
held at the Ink Shop Printmaking Centre
and Olive Branch Press in New York.
Experimental Art + Culture
January 16 – April 4 / 09
The Art Gallery of Calgary
Artist Iain Baxter& will be working
at the AGC for a two week period with
the following ACAD students:
Kris Weinmann 2nd Yr BFA, Richelle Bear
Hat 3rd Yr BFA, Slavek Pytraczyk 3rd Yr
Painting, Shiori Saito 4th Yr MADT.
Exhibition: StART Profs
March 13 – April 8 / 09
ACAD Painting program faculty Sue Menzies
and Chris Willard, and ACAD Painting
alumna Laurel Smith, are featured in the
stART Profs show at Studio 21 in Halifax—an exhibition of work by 15 prominent paint-
ing professors from 9 institutions across
Canada. An important part of being an
inspiring and insightful teacher of visual art
includes maintaining a vibrant art practice.
Exhibition: Walter Drohan
Towards Perfection
March 20 – May 2 / 09
Walt Drohan was a distinguished Alumni
of ACAD, and was both College Dean and
head of the ceramics program.
Exhibition: Chris Cran
Diversions
March 27 – April 25 / 09
This exhibition is a mini survey of Cran’s
works, including paintings from his earliest
self-portrait series and his latest optically
engaging abstract works.
Exhibition:
Ken Webb + Rick Gorenko
For Example
March 27 – March 29 / 09
Ken Webb and Rick Gorenko have been
working collaboratively on digital projects
for several years. Both continue to pursue
collaborative adventures, and For Example
illustrates their current interests.
Book Launch
Dick Averns, Postscript / Postscriptum
ACAD Students
Take Advertising Prizes
Seven ACAD students have been named
finalists in the upcoming Anvil Advertising
awards. We congratulate them, and look
forward to the results on April 24, 2009.
SubmitSubmit Your "ACAD in Action"
Stories to be highlighted
the next issue of CATALYST.
1
1
Calling all ACAD Alumni.
CATALYST / page 10
January 8 –
March 21 / 09
Sarah Anne Johnson
January 8 –
March 21 / 09
Richard Boulet
January 9 / 09
Graeme Patterson Artist Talk
January 19 / 09
Jill Allan and Raven SkyriverVisiting Artist Lectures
January 21 / 09
2:30 PM
Jennifer Woodin Artist’s Presentation
January 31 / 09
Linda Darty Artist Talk and Workshop
February 3, 10, 24, 26 / 09
What Makes US ClickLunch Time Lecture Series
Artist Talks + Workshops at ACADFebruary 6 / 09
Joe Englander Photography of the
Environment / Environment
of Photography
February 6 / 09
David Burdeny Lecture
February 9 / 09
Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zerkowitz Visiting artist lecture
February 10, 12 / 09
Dirty Pictures - Ceramics Film Festival
February 10 / 09
Dr. Cora Voyageur Artist Presentation
February 10 / 09
Thierry Marceau Artist Talk
February 11 / 09
Sheila Spence Artist Talk
February 12 / 09
Sarah Anne Johnson Artist Talk
February 12 / 09
Daniel Young and Christian Giroux Artist Talk
February 13 / 09
Sound Design and Branding— A public presentation by Audio Brain of New York
February 13 / 09
Thomas Demand Artist Talk
February 13 / 09
Dr. Roberta Bondar Navigating Uncharted Territory
February 20 / 09
Special Premiere screening of “Us Now”, by director Ivo Gormley
February 22 / 09
About Traditional Dark-Rooms Educational Workshop
Feburary 25 / 09
Marc Digeros Artist’s Presentation
February 26 / 09
Diana Thorneycroft Artist’s Talk
Group of Seven
Awkward Moments
February 26 / 09
Rebecca Belmore Artist Talk
March 5 / 09
Richard Boulet Artist Talk
March 5 / 09
My Winnipeg With LIVE dramatic narration
by Guy Maddin
March 11 / 09
John Avery Artist Lecture
March 11 / 09
Ike Bushman Print Media Artist Lecture
March 18 / 09
Dagmar Dahle Artist Presentation
March 23 / 09
John De Witt Artist Talk
Glass Program Visiting Artist
March 26 / 09
Mark Koven Visiting Artist Lecture
March 26 / 09
Bill Kirby Public Lecture: Art + Design
Now Lecture Series
April 1 / 09
David R. Harper Artist Talk
April 1 / 09
Kyoung-Ha Yoo Artist Talk
April 2 / 09
Joanna Staniszkis Artist Talk
April 13 – 17 / 09
Brian Molanphy Exhibition and Workshop
April 17 / 09
Rhonda Neufeld Artist Talk
April 17 / 09
Shelley Ouellet Artist Talk
April 20 / 09
Steve Speer Artist Talk
profiling: ACAD Alumnihe world of
art and design
was never foreign
to Rich Rawlyk. Born
into a family that ran
a print shop, Rich
was surrounded
by people who
lived and breathed the world of design.
With encouragement and a natural curiosity,
Rich started to experiment. He painted.
He drew. He even started to build a portfolio.
But despite his passion, by the time he
finished high school he felt like he just
wasn’t quite ready for art school. So Rawlyk
made a deal with his parents. He would
take a year off and get a blue-collar job
to pay the bills. But before the year was up,
Rich hung up the hard hat and headed for
the place he really belonged – ACAD.
After considering other schools, Rich
decided that ACAD was the right place
for him. It was home. It was a place where
he could do what he loves, maybe even
become the “next big landscape guy.”
And when Rich entered his first year of
studies, he was hooked. “I became excited
about the challenges that surrounded the
visual stuff,” says Rawlyk. And by his fourth
year the eager designer fully understood
and appreciated the depth of what art
was really all about.
By the time the Fourth Year Portfolio
Show came around in 1998, Rich had already
secured himself a job at Critical Mass.
The whole job thing was a bit surreal for
the bright-eyed designer; no longer was he
working for credit, he was now working in
a real business environment for real clients.
“It almost felt like we were cheating,” says
ALumNI
profILe
Text
Melanie Woytiuk
Artwork
Rich Rawlyk
TRawlyk when asked about how it felt to get
paid to do what he loved. “It was like we had
snuck on to the payroll.” And when it came
to adjusting to the parameters of real
client-driven projects, Rawlyk never had
a problem. “We were prepared so well
coming out of ACAD. They treated the
classroom like a studio which really made
it a seamless transition.”
Like any successful creative person,
Rawlyk has found some inspiring mentors
along the way. But while many designers
seek inspiration and guidance from more
experienced designers, Rich is learning the
ropes from his clients. “I feel very fortunate
to work with great people who constantly
teach me. There’s just so much excitement
that comes out of working intimately
with the client.”
As a creative person who has now worked
for large Fortune 500 companies, small
local companies, start-ups and not-for-profit
initiatives, Rich Rawlyk is clearly a designer
who seeks diverse experiences. And
now he’s experiencing one of the biggest
and most exciting challenges a designer
can face. Rich is now a founding partner
of Calgary-based design firm Good
and Worthy. He and his partners realized
that there was a real relationship missing
for them. “We’ve all seen the good and
1 Good & Worthy logo
2 Children Playing,
excerpt from book
illustration.
bad and wanted to create a professional
boutique where everything we did had
meaning,” says Rawlyk.
The new shop has clearly carved out yet
another new experience for Rich. While each
of the partners have their own unique skill
set, Rich is getting more involved in brand
development, where he can sink his teeth
into the research and framework rather than
just the visuals.
Still beaming like a new grad, Rawlyk
certainly doesn’t seem to be jaded by an
industry that can sometimes turn designers
into cynics. When asked what advice he
would offer students at ACAD today Rawlyk
says he would tell them to experiment, take
the chance to fail and embrace the ability to
play. All good advice coming from someone
who is well, good and worthy. ■
we were prepAreD So weLL
ComINg ouT of ACAD. TheY
TreATeD The CLASSroom LIke
A STuDIo, whICh reALLY mADe
IT A SeAmLeSS TrANSITIoN.
Are you a graduate of the
Alberta College of Art + Design?
we want to hear from you!
Contact us at [email protected] and sign up for our alumni e-newsletter,
or follow us on facebook (www.facebook.com, search Alberta College
of Art + Design (ACAD), Official Alumni page) to share your news and
learn about what’s happening at ACAD.
WWW.ACAD.CA/ALUMNI
1
2
Issue No. 1 / page 11
e’s worked
and studied in
Europe and North
America, lectured
in numerous
countries, written
and published
numerous books,
contributed significant research, invented
new ways of working with materials, created
the biggest online resource for jewelers,
served on several industry affiliations and
still finds the time to exhibit between
10 and 12 times per year. Charles Lewton-
Brain has the kind of career path that
is as intricate as one of his own creations.
Charles is a Jewelry/Metals instructor
at ACAD and has been a faculty member
for 23 years. First introduced to jewelry
making in Taos New Mexico, Charles
carefully watched a Native American man
grinding Turquoise and fabricating silver.
This experience left a strong impression
on the then 17-year old, who at the time
profiling: faculty
fACuLTY
profILe
Text
Melanie Woytiuk
Photography
Charles Lewton-Brain
Charles Lewton-Brain, Faculty member and Program Head of Jewellery + Metals at ACAD.
H
thought he was destined for a career
in Graphic Arts.
It’s difficult to pinpoint inspiration
in a life so full of adventure. At just 21,
Lewton-Brain sailed around the world on
the SS Universe, a study abroad opportunity
introduced to him by his father. And he
certainly didn’t waste a second of this
journey. Finding jewelers in every country,
Charles soaked up cultural norms and
conversations, which would eventually
find their way into his work.
Lewton-Brain went on to study at the
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design,
but became interested in the notion of
drawing with metals, a concept that has
come to define his style. Charles describes
his particular design as process oriented
and research based style with Japanese
sensibilities. He thinks of decision-making
in metal the same way you work in
pen and ink.
This unique style would eventually
make him an internationally acclaimed
artist that would change the way people
thought about jewelry. One of Charles’
biggest accomplishments is Fold-Forming, a
new way of working metal. It’s a conceptual
approach to metalsmithing that emphasizes
following what the metal likes to do.
A clear revolutionary in the studio,
it’s Charles’ innovation outside the studio
that has made him a household name in
the craft community. He is widely published
and has an international following on
topics ranging from techniques in metal,
and studio safety to research papers on
historical and technical subjects. Serving on
numerous industry committees, Charles has
become a much-needed bridge in the
world of jewelry and metal.
“I have very solid feet in the industry as
well as the art world,” says Lewton-Brain.
He understands the full spectrum of
the jewelry world and as a result of his
experience and knowledge can build a
much needed dialogue within the field.
He has also engaged millions of industry
people through a website he developed
and has maintained since 1996, called the
Ganoskin Project. With over 4 million
unique visitors a year, the site has become
the largest source of jewelry related
information. It offers more than 600,000
pages of information and 700 pages
of Charles’ writing, which can now be
accessed by anyone around the world.
And while Charles certainly loves to
write and research, his 23 years of teaching
at ACAD have certainly been a professional
highlight. “It’s really the students that make
teaching so wonderful,” says Lewton-Brain.
“They constantly probe us which is really
a thrill.” Charles remembers receiving some
harsh critiques during his art school days,
but when it comes to his students, he
concentrates on looking for places where
they can succeed. He sees it more of an
“art lab” than an art school. “We celebrate
their successes, but always give them room
to them find their explore who they are.” ■
ChArLeS LewToN-BrAIN hAS
hAD The kIND of CAreer pATh
ThAT IS AS INTrICATe AS oNe
of hIS owN CreATIoNS.
1 Cage Series Ring
stainless steel,
electroformed copper,
electroformed 24k gold
2 “Tracks”
Bracelet, stainless steel,
electroformed copper,
electroformed 24k gold,
Kananaskis garnets, pearl
3 “Gold Drop”
Pendant, stainless steel,
electroformed copper,
electroformed 24k gold,
Kananaskis river pebble
Links
Largerst Resource of Jewellery Related Informationwww.ganoksin.com
Brain Presswww.brainpress.com/Lewton
Brain.html
Metal Arts Guildwww.metalartsguild.ca/profile/
CharlesLewtonBrain
Voices in Metal www.voicesinmetal.com/mc/
clb.htm
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The Illingworth Kerr Gallery
is a large, permanent gallery
space within the ACAD
campus, dedicated to serving
the College, and the general
community through exhibiting
quality, contemporary
exhibitions, representing the
broadest range of art-making
possibilities. The IKG is currated
by internationally renowend
curator Wayne Baerwaldt.
Illingworth Kerr Gallery ScheduleMay 13 – 23 / 09
ACAD Graduating Show Reception: May 13 / 09
April 20 – 24 / 09
ACAD Scholarship + Awards ShowMain Mall
April 17 / 09
Vincent MurakamiArtist Talk
April 9 – 25 / 09
ACAD New Faculty ExhibitionReception: April 9 / 09
March 5 / 09
7:00 PM
My Winnipeg with Live Dramatic Narration by Guy Maddin
March 5 / 09
2:00 PM
Richard Boulet Artist Talk
February 26 / 09
7:00 PM
Rebecca Belmore Artist Talk
February 13 / 09
6:00 PM
Thomas Demand Artist Talk
February 12 / 09
2:00 PM
Sarah Anne Johnson Artist Talk
February 12 / 09
10:30 AM
Daniel Young and Christian Giroux Artist Talk
February 11 / 09
2:00 PM
Sheila Spence Artist Talk
February 10 / 09
7:00 PM
Thierry Marceau Artist Talk
January 9 / 09
2:00 PM
Graeme Patterson Artist Talk
January 8 –
March 21 / 09
Sarah Anne JohnsonReception: January 8 / 09
January 8 –
March 21 / 09
Richard BouletReception: January 8 / 09
profiling:ACAD Students
ree Horel
was one of
those really talented
high school students
who felt like art was
meant to be just a
hobby – not a career.
So after graduating,
she put her pens and sketch pad on the
shelf and followed her head all the way to
University. And while other students were
finding themselves, Bree felt like she was
getting further away from her purpose.
“I was just kind of floundering,” says Horel.
Thinking social work may be the field for
her, Bree eventually met with a student
in the program, hoping this person would
have the answers she needed. And after
just a few minutes, the social work student
took one look at her and said, “You should
go to art school”.
Bree took the advice to heart and at
the age of 25 enrolled at ACAD. Being
the cautious and thoughtful artist she is,
Bree took two continuing education credit
courses so she could get a taste of what
the college would be like. She liked it and
soon after enrolled in the four-year program.
She was finally following her heart.
Now a fourth year drawing student,
Horel admits that her ACAD experience
has been challenging and rewarding,
sometimes at the same time. The first year
was a time of experimentation, where she
could barely get over the fact that she was
doing her hobby all day long.
In her third year, Bree earned a mobility +
exchange scholarship allowing her to study
in New York for a semester. While the city
itself inspired her, allowing her to wander
the halls of the MET at her leisure, it also
BSTuDeNT
profILe
Text
Melanie Woytiuk
Photography
Bree Horel
made her appreciate life back home,
including the instruction she received
at ACAD. “In New York it seemed like
it was all about making it in the art world
versus creating unique work”, says
Horel. She was happy to come back to
Calgary, where now more than ever she
is encouraged to find her own voice
as an artist.
And a voice she certainly has created.
While earlier in her time at ACAD Horel’s
drawing was on the more serious side,
her work now has a more humourous
sensibility, which Horel says makes sense
when you get to know her personality.
“I recently showed a friend some work
and she right away said it looked like
something I created.”
Influenced by everything from her
favourite art galleries and America’s
Funniest Home Videos to the everyday
things we see in life, Bree certainly
seems to be comfortable with where
she is now. And she loves the opportunity
to collaborate with other students who
are experiencing the same rewards
and challenges that she is facing. Now
approaching the end of her fourth year,
Horel hopes that through her connections
to the small, yet supportive art community
in Calgary, she will find work in the cultural
sector. No matter where goes in her career,
there is one thing she is certain about.
It feels good not to flounder. ■
1 We’re Not Gonna Take it (2008)
ink and gouache on paper,
four 10” x 10” drawings
2 Car Arms Bed Shower (2008)
oil pastel on paper,
four 9” x 9” drawings
3 Childhood Games (2008)
oil pastel on paper,
approx. 22” x 22”
CATALYST / page 12
INfLueNCeD BY everYThINg from
her fAvourITe ArT gALLerIeS AND
AmerICA’S fuNNIeST home vIDeoS To
The everYDAY ThINgS we See IN LIfe.
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Mitch Kern and Roger Nason (Keyano College)Narration and
Self-Representation
Mitch Kern and Roger Nason
have been awarded funding
from the Marion Fund for
Innovation in Research and
Teaching, $34,000 from Health
Canada, $45,000 from AACTI
(Alberta Association of Colleges
and Technical Institutes) and
$20,000 from Keyano College.
This is a collaborative project
between ACAD and Keyano
College, directly focusing on
First Nations communications
issues within Alberta aboriginal
communities, with the potential
for an enhanced understanding
of visual communication issues
with aboriginal communities
on a national level. Aboriginal
perspectives are integral to
the creation of the project’s
tangible product, a documentary
video, and First Nations
co-investigators from Keyano
College will be involved in
overseeing their application.
The critical evaluation of the
final documentary video will
be Mitch’s focus where he is
proposing to deconstruct the
creative processes utilized by
the First Nations filmmakers
involved to see if a discernable
and culturally specific pattern
of visual narrative structures
can be identified.
Mireille PerronMedical Tabulae
Mireille Perron has been awarded
funding from the Marion Fund
for Innovation in Research
and Teaching as well as funding
from SSHRC. The project
is awaiting funding from
Associated Medical Services
(AMS). This project will utilize
an issue of Revue d’art Cana-
dienne/Canadian Art Review
(RACAR), an established peer-
reviewed academic journal,
to assemble selected research
essays and artist projects
that address the seemingly
antagonistic fields of art,
medicine, and academic
research on an equal scholarly
footing. The support of this
project by Associated Medical
Services and SSHRC, in
combination with ACAD and
RACAR provide an added
dimension of cross-disciplinary
collaboration that is integral
to the project as a whole.
Wayne Giles, Walter May, Justin Waddell and Vera GartleyConcept Mapping: Creating
concept maps for play
and the creative process.
Wayne Giles, Walter May,
Justin Waddell and Vera Gartley
have been awarded funding
by the Institute for the Creative
Process. This is a collaborative
research project with Dubberly
Design to map the concept
of “play” and the concept
of “the creative process”.
Claudia Shepherd and Jennifer DeDominicisStudent Advising: A new model
for studio-based learning.
Claudia Shepard and
Jennifer DeDeminicis have
been awarded funding from
the Marion Fund for Innovation
in Teaching and Learning
and from AACTI. This project
is to research the development
of a new, innovative model
for student advising that
comprehensively addresses
and supports the needs
of studio-based learners
and effectively works within
the unique characteristics
of an intensive, studio-
based curriculum.
Laurel JohannessonRespiro
With funding from the
Marion Fund for Innovation
in Research and Teaching,
Laurel Johannesson is engaging
in studio research to explore
the use of generative strategies
and software processes in
digital art, embracing code
as a way of producing new
forms of creative expression.
The resulting installation will
be shown at the XI Generative
Art International Conference
in Milan, Italy. Laurel will also
be presenting the results from
her research at one of the
upcoming Faculty Professional
Development and Research
Seminars next semester.
2009 Funded Projects
Dick AvernsWar Art Now
The aim of War Art Now
is to highlight how official war
art – government or military
sponsored programs – can
provide an important benchmark
for understanding how art and
military activity can re-frame
the War on Terror. This will
include examining official war
art – government or military
sponsored programs – alongside
projects not necessarily
commissioned or controlled
by the Forces, including
propaganda, photo journalism
and personal accounts from
home and abroad.
Good Medicine: Exploring Health and Wellness in First Nation Albertan CommunitiesIn 2008 six aboriginal Canadians
started a dialogue about
the complexities of health
and wellness in their Albertan
communities. Five short
documentaries were produced,
each exploring a specific set
of issues in a different region
of the province. Production
took place in the field in
Sept/Oct of 2008, and post
production took place at
the Banff Centre New Media
Institute in Nov/Dec 2008.
ACAD Team Members:
Mitch Kern,
Principle Investigator, ACAD
Kurtis Lesick,
Project Manager, ACAD
Shane Mahar, Research
Assistant, ACAD Student
Lisa Polini, Administrative
Support, ACAD Alumni
Noel Begin,
Designer, ACAD Alumni
Charles Bell,
Illustrator, ACAD Faculty
SupporT ACAD
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Or contact ACAD at 403. 284.7690Charitable BN # 10669-2981-RR0001. A charitable tax receipt will be mailed to
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