Grant MacEwan College
A good reputation precedes students graduating from
Grant MacEwan College's two-year Fine Art Diploma. The rigorous program in
Edmonton is structured to provide a generalist foundation for those
seeking to transfer into a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) program, or delve
directly into a professional practice.
Students wishing to enter the program are expected to
submit a portfolio of recent work so that faculty members can assess their
suitability for the diploma curriculum. Once accepted, fine art students
have a fairly structured and intense two years ahead of them.
The foundation courses, along with electives, allow for
some attention to various areas of interest. Some courses offered by the
College are drawing, design fundamentals, painting, digital imaging,
digital video production, installation, photography, sculpture, art
history and contemporary art issues.
As course offerings indicate, faculty members strive to
provide a balance between studio work, theory and the socio-historical
contexts in which art is created. Students are expected to think
critically about the various personal, regional, and global issues that
impact their creative processes; the school becomes a place for art
training and self-discovery.
Furthering the goal of learning, fine art students
interact with their outside world a fair bit. Grant MacEwan College hosts lectures
by visiting artists and some classes venture outside to visit important
art organizations and institutions in Edmontonthe likes of Harcourt
House, Latitude 53 and the
Edmonton Art Gallery.
Over the years, partnerships have developed
between the College and community entities. This collaboration helps to
increase awareness of the program while exposing future professional
artists to potential workplaces, colleagues and mentors.
Various studio resources are available at the College's
west-end Centre for the Arts Campus. Sky lit studios, sculpture and clay
facilities, wood and metal shops and a library for art materials including
slides, enable art making.
Students in the fine arts diploma program cap their
learning experience with a graduation show. The celebratory exhibition
publicizes their creations and provides valuable installation and show
experience.
Grant MacEwan
College can lay claim to successfully preparing
students for careers in visual art. Graduates of the program have gone on
to receive advanced standing in prestigious Canadian and American art
schools such as Concordia University in Montreal, Emily Carr Institute of
Art and Design in Vancouver, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NASCAD)
in Halifax, Brooks College in California and New York University, New
York.
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