Tag: #FINE - Durham College

Student artists shared their passion with the Durham College (DC) community at ‘Art in The Pit’.

Third-year Fine Arts students displayed examples of their remarkable work while helping attendees develop their own artistic talents. The free event featured activities like origami, sticker stations, drawing prompts, colouring pages, trivia, prizes and more.

For many of the students, it was the first time they had ever shared their art with an audience. That made it an invaluable opportunity for them according to Dani Crosby, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Media, Art and Design.

“It’s about understanding yourself and how you’d like to share your art with the world in a barrier-free way,” she said. “It’s creating little entry points for creativity that are about social engagement, not monetization.”

‘Art in The Pit’ was produced in collaboration with the LivingRoom Community Art Studio. A charity dedicated to community development through the creation and sharing of art, LivingRoom is comprised of artists who take part in classroom discussions and provide an example to DC students of how they can connect and engage with the public as artists.

One of the goals for the day was encouraging all DC students to get in touch with their creative sides, and Crosby was encouraged to see how many visitors took part in the event and how her Fine Arts students interacted with them.

“It’s very cathartic for anyone to create something without thinking in terms of quality or skill level. There’s value in simply sitting down, disengaging from whatever might be stressing you out and engaging in this particular setting,” she said. “There’s a very therapeutic quality to it.”

The benefits to the Fine Arts students themselves were considerable as well. For Elijah Mackenzie, it was a great way to prepare for future events.

“Opportunities like these give you a good gauge on what it’s going to be like at art vendors and festivals, because it’s essentially the same thing,” he said.

His classmate Meghan Costello agreed.

“It’s really good practice engaging with people and talking about art, because sometimes we get used to being in a classroom,” she said. “Speaking with students who normally don’t engage with art on a regular basis has been really fun.”

Four Durham College (DC) Fine Arts students have spent the summer transforming the L Wing with their artistic talent.

“We have an amazing group of students who have been hired to enliven our hallways by producing some original artwork and collaborative pieces,” explained Sean McQuay, professor and coordinator of the Fine Arts program.

Heading into the third and final year of their program, Elijah McKenzie, Meghan Costello, Jennifer Rammler and Jordan Dolman jumped at the opportunity to put their artistic stamp on the walls of DC for years to come.

The quartet have been hard at work since late spring, and many of their 18 pieces will be completed in time to be enjoyed by returning students next month. Work on the others will continue throughout the fall semester.

“The point is to bring life into the halls and make this feel like the art wing that it is,” said Costello. “I think it’s really special that we’re doing work that we’ll get to see every day throughout the year, and our classmates and other students will also get to see it.”

One eye-catching piece is a colorful and anatomically correct version of the familiar “I Heart DC” logo. But the artists were not instructed to simply promote the school. Instead, they were encouraged to treat the walls as their personal canvas and create work that’s meaningful to them.

McKenzie is particularly proud of a piece that depicts an open mouth emitting smoke.

“I wanted to represent how people want to get their voice out,” he said. “It’s nice to have a variety of different styles and themes.”

He has also collaborated with Costello as she creates a mural depicting a skeletal figure emitting light from within. Rammler has been hard at work on a mural that celebrates the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, while Dolman has focused on pieces that he hopes will radiate positivity.

“I’m just making them colorful and full of love and putting all that energy out there,” he said. “I always try to start with good vibes and just go with it.”

Providing a work study opportunity like this is a dream come true for McQuay, his fellow professor Keir Broadfoot and the entire Media, Art and Design (MAD) Faculty. Though the work of Fine Arts students has long been displayed throughout Durham College (DC), this is the first time they’ve been allowed to redecorate the wing they call home.

Though the students are being paid for their work, they’re also gaining invaluable experience in the conception, planning and implementation of the kind of art project they hope to work on in the future.

“We wanted to give them the opportunity to do the planning and conceptualization on their own, so they can have as much experience as possible working on a large-scale project,” said Broadfoot.

It’s a rare opportunity that isn’t lost on the students, according to Rammler.

“I don’t even know of any art schools that would have such a convenient and open opportunity to do artwork for the school, and get paid for it, while you’re still students,” she said.

A summer of hard work will yield some great artwork for students to enjoy, and another example of how DC is leading the way in experiential learning.

The L Wing is open to everyone. Next time you’re on campus be sure to visit and enjoy the new artwork.

Creativity abounds at Art in The Pit event

Work study students enliven L Wing with original artwork