An inside look at the Fine Arts Program at Mt.A and the community of students behind it
Inside the Purdy Crawford Center of the Arts and the Owens Art Gallery, the hallways are lined with vibrant creations, each piece bursting with color, texture, and emotion. Behind these works are the students of The Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts, dedicating hours to mastering their craft. Each art piece tells a story of countless hours spent learning and experimenting with techniques, mixing colors, shaping materials, and refining ideas. In the various on-campus studios, students work diligently alongside professors to understand and create meaningful art pieces that challenge the boundaries of artistic communication and activism. The studio air hums with quiet intensity, as individual and unique creations take shape under attentive hands. Amid this vibrant atmosphere, one question lingers: what is it which makes the Mt. A Fine Arts program distinctive from others, and why are fine art students choosing Mt. A for their post secondary studies?
Mt. A was the first University in Canada to give a BFA in visual arts in 1941, since then the program has continued to develop and expand. The university website notes that the program is “a unique approach for students looking to obtain professional training — combining studio work and instruction with the freedom of an immersive liberal arts curriculum. ”Unlike most areas of study at Mt. A, the fine arts program highlights primarily hands-on work, with several credits being obtained through studio work in select areas of interest. Announced and named in 2021, The Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts covers various areas of artistic study, including drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, installation, and open media.
The Argosy had the opportunity to chat with a student who is currently a part of the program and gain insight on why Mt. A is such a special place to study their craft. Olivia Griffin is a fourth-year BFA student with a focus in print making, photography, and textile work. Griffin describes choosing Mt. A primarily because she “wanted to go to a small school with a smaller program.” She says, “my class size right now is 23 people, there was a few more at the start but like for the last couple years it has been 23” Griffin said. “We go through everything together.” Griffin’s program allows opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in the workforce, she describes various field trips and gallery visits that are woven into her class curriculums. “Theres connections with the Owens [Art Gallery] which is on campus and students can get hired there” Giffin said. She went on to describe the Struts Gallery in Sackville as “an independent gallery and students can apply to do shows there, so you can have an exhibition of your work”
Giffin had opportunities to share her work, partaking in a photo festival this past spring. She describes one of her favourite pieces being a photo combining a photo of her grandparents with a self portrait. “I stood in front of it and took a self portrait, so it sort of warps it, but the whole portrait was taken with a four by five view camera,” Giffin said. She describes the experience of working for the festival as a “collaborative project” where students and professionals were able to “bounce ideas back and forth and work together on a project”
When discussing future goals, Griffin says she is looking forward to applying for an exhibition of her work at the student galleries, researching Masters programs where she can continue her studies. She says “having a show definitely relates to that, it would just be essentially more of what I’m doing here [at Mt.A].”
To learn more about the fine arts program make sure to follow their Instagrams!
@mta_fineart
Mt. A Fine Arts Society – @mtafinearts.society
Owens Art Gallery – @owensartgallery
Struts Art Gallery – @strutsgallery