I had studied theatre at York University in Toronto, but was not accepted into the second year of the program as I did not pass my audition. My best friend had just passed away the same week and I was not prepared. I tried to exempt myself from the process, but was coaxed into auditioning anyways by my acting coach. York University has over 45,000 students and I felt no sympathy for the loss of my best friend. The school made me feel unimportant, what did it matter if I attended the school or not?
I left Toronto and moved to Vancouver to study acting at the Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts (VADA). The school disappointed me even more than York. It seemed to want to perpetuate the superficiality of the acting industry in Vancouver than try to support budding talented young actors. They focused on commercial acting, opposed to developing artistic craft. I also got the impression that if you looked better than you could act, the odds were in your favor. After graduating from VADA, I was instructed to send out headshots, try to find representation and audition for everything I could. Instead, I retreated into drawing and painting. I got a portfolio together and submitted it to Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
I had been drawing since the time I was 2, and I never had shared my art with anyone because I considered the drawings to be a diary. It was hard for me to part with my sketch books when I submitted my portfolio to Emily Carr. At the time, potential students had to submit a portfolio consisting of 25 pieces of art and a few letters of reference. I’m sure I wrote something horribly embarrassing and desperate, but I was as honest and as sincere as possible. It seemed to have worked because I was accepted in 2005.
The degree program at Emily Carr began with all of its students taking a year of Foundation classes, despite individual’s interests in particular subjects.
Shared Beginnings
The degree program at Emily Carr began with all of its students taking a year of Foundation classes, despite individual’s interests in particular subjects. Everyone had to take photography, drawing, creative process, materials, form and space, color and design, English, art history, social sciences, and humanities. After the Foundations program, the students could choose to stream into Industrial Design, Communication Design, Photography, Animation, Integrated Media, General Fine Arts, or Visual Arts as their majors. Everything but the General Fine Arts and Visual Arts majors required a portfolio submission.
With my ego still sore from rejection at York, I decided to stick with a program I would be guaranteed acceptance into, the Visual Arts major. I tried everything offered in the Fine Arts department; ceramics, conceptual sculptures, metal fabrication, or site specific installations.
The Visual Arts Program
The Visual Arts program nurtures the student to find personal unique processes, and encourages individual artistic interests and sensibilities. No artist develops their work the same way and this dynamic is focused upon in the visual arts program. Technique is not covered; developing skills are the responsibility of the student. This kind of environment creates diverse art, which I embraced and flourished in.
The 4 years I attended the University, the student body had doubled. Classes did get crowded and the shop access was limited.
The 4 years I attended the University, the student body had doubled. Classes did get crowded and the shop access was limited. The studio space given to 4th year students was pitiful and insufficient, with many of the workshops in poor condition. And don’t expect studios filled with warm and friendly faces either. Things tend to get stressful at the middle and end of terms.
I’ll admit, I was interested ECU because of its reputation as an esteemed art school. I certainly do not regret or resent the past four years of my life, but I would advise taking foundation classes at Langara College or Capilano University. Those programs offer more technical explorations in making art. ECU does not focus on technical skills because it is a very conceptual school. I often felt frustrated because I lacked the skills to execute my ideas and wished I could have had a formal art class.
The Sessionals
Most of the faculty at ECU are practicing artists or designers. It is exciting to learn directly from them and it’s great for making contacts. The tenure teachers have taught at Emily Carr for at least 5-10 years, but that doesn’t mean the great teachers stick around either. My favorite teacher (and also extremely popular with the students) had lost his job because of undisclosed reasons. The administration simply gave his class to a sessional.
ECU tends to treat their sessional teachers very poorly. They get paid inadequately and can lose their jobs from semester to semester. The sessionals are asked to teach a variety of practices in the school. It broadens the variety of practicing artist that students may learn from, and I believe they give ECU its great name. Too bad the administration takes the credit, when the sessionals are the ones providing the great art education.
I took me a few really bad teachers to find the ones that were great. My advice for students at ECU would be to pick your teachers carefully! Research their work and even ask other students what their experiences were with certain teachers. Do not pick classes based solely on prerequisites. Make your decisions with teachers in mind. They make all the difference.
I would recommend ECU to any artist interested in making art with contemporary theories and sensibilities.
Verdict
I would recommend ECU to any artist interested in making art with contemporary theories and sensibilities. Those with set practices looking to broaden their processes and to develop a conceptual approach to art making and design will flourish at ECU. Ultimately, education is the responsibility of the student. It really does not matter where one studies. If they are sincere and dedicated to their artistic development, they will have a fulfilling experience at art school.
Emily Carr has provided me with many career opportunities. I have worked as a studio assistant to Alan Storey, who had taught me at ECU. We have developed a professional relationship and he has offered me more work opportunities in the future. I have also been offered work as a muralist for a decorative artist, which has given me some financial stability during these hard economic times.
But most importantly, obtaining my degree at ECU has allowed me the develop confidence to pursue opportunities to exhibit my art in professional galleries. I can confidently write artist statements, lecture and talk about my work in a professional manner. I am jumping into exhibiting my work immediately after graduating, and I am currently showing work on May 17th at the ANZA club in a show called “Have In Mind”. The show is curated and will be my debut within a recognized exhibition.
You can see some of my work at www.lindsayjoyhamilton.com.
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
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