Comments on: OCAD – What’s In A Name?

By: Anonymous Fine Arts student

Anonymous Fine Arts student — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:49:24 +0000

I think OCAD is still going through a transitioning time. The decision to turn OCAD into a University only a few years ago. There is bound to be some hiccups in how the new changes will affect how the school runs.

As for liberal studies classes, I agree that sometimes it may take away time from “exploring your artistic self” but for those who wish to pursue a professional art career, those classes are important. To be honest, I HATED the way things were being run at OCAD. Why did I take useless classes in first year? I’m not a painter, I can’t draw to save my life. Art History? Time Based Media? HUH?? I’m here to CREATE ART! But as the years progressed, I have realized the importance of exploring those classes and more.

Look at your education at OCAD as a whole. As a former thesis student, our research and thesis papers are an important part of our final body of art work. I wouldn’t have been able to write a supporting paper to my thesis work if I hadn’t been given a broad education in Art History, History of Photography; Modern Art; New Media, Contemporary Art Issues, etc… then I wouldn’t have the knowledge to intelligently express how my body of art work (may or may not) relate to current politics or social issues or what artists/writers have already explored the same or similar concept. Those classes are preparing you to defend your art work. Having that knowledge can tell you what has already been said about your concept and what you can do differently to add to the conversation.

In relation to critiques, I find that many people complain unnecessarily about how “unhelpful and subjective” or how “the prof didn’t like it and want me to do this instead”. I agree with First Year Student and A. Mason up there, a lot of people have felt directionless during thesis but it’s only because they haven’t realized that it’s not up to the prof to direct your thesis for you. Their critique is their opinion and advice based on their experience as a professional artist, it’s not God’s Law. So they hated your concept, that is one person in the art world. During thesis I showed my work in progress to my thesis advisors as well as editors and curators and each one had a different perspective and opinion. You can’t let their opinion change the direction of your work if you don’t agree. While it is important to keep their critique/suggestions in mind, your body of art work is a part of your voice and it wouldn’t be your voice if you let someone else speak for you.

OCAD can be full of resources and helpful boosts into the professional art world if you let it. Alumni are willing to help young artists but only if you can be independent enough to get what you want. They won’t come to you. OCAD isn’t going to complete your BFA for you.

By: JHAlfaro

JHAlfaro — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:54:35 +0000

I started my BFA in Paiting & Drawing this year at OCAD. So currently I’m still there as a first year student. When I was doing my research on art schools, I came across the realization that if i wanted a “real” contemporary art education, OCAD would definitely be the place to go. I felt very strong with my actual skill in art making and saw OCAD as a way to pay lots of money to get a paper that would make me into an accepted part of the artistic community.

This first semester I have, Art History, Colour Explorations, Time Based Media, and Drawing. When I first received my schedule I was shocked to see how much free time i had, seeing as my friends in other universities taking non-art programs were crammed to the point where a part time job would not even be an option. I soon realized that there was/are a lot of things that run in OCAD differently than in other conventional universities.

Now I don’t want to make any attacks on any of my professors, because they do in fact seem like genuinely good people, just not teachers. I find that going to class is almost useless for any of my classes, but yet the administration makes it a point to make attendance worth 10% of your mark in order to force students to go. Also being in the Fine Arts program I’ve grown to notice that OCAD no longer is a Art and Design school; but a Design school with Art courses. Most of the things at OCAD so not seem to be guided towards the art faculty whatsoever, the design students are given many more privileges for the same amount of tuition. As an example, when I went to logon to the internet the first day of class I realized my internet didn’t work, only to find out that art students had to pay for the internet at the school. Can you believe that? After paying a full tuition, we still had to pay for access to the internet.

Apart from that, the assignments are very hard to gauge, especially with the bell curve placed on the marking scheme. The professors will give out and assignment with basically no guidance and have to hand in a product, that’s less about self exploration and more about finding a way to please your professor to get a good mark on it.

If OCAD is supposed to be a school of artistic self exploration, it has definitely fallen off the ball on this one. I for one am extremely glad to have discovered this fact this early on and will not be continuing my studies here at OCAD after first semester of first year. OCAD definitely was unable to give me what I expected out of an art school.

I wish OCAD a farewell and hope it is able to grow up as a school quickly, it seems as though it’s status in the Canadian art community has gotten to it, but a larger look at the words most prestigious art schools will show otherwise.
___________________________________________________________

If anyone has any comments or questions for me, please head over to my blog located at: http://www.jhalfaro.posterous.com and find my contact information under the contact tab.

Also feel free to google me using search word: JHAlfaro

By: KimberlyJade

KimberlyJade — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:03:22 +0000

I’m a Canadian student that has been living abroad all my life so I’m not very familiar with Canada. I’ve been very interested in OCAD ever since I visited Toronto, but after seeing all these comments its making me feel very puzzled about my choices! I feel very confident about my art but I also very much appreciate feedback from teachers and I would also like to learn new material. Although I’m not sure what I want to major in yet so I would also like to be able to explore around before I decide.

I still want OCAD to be my first choice but these comments seem to be repetitive, if anyone here, who does go there can shed some light, it would be deeply appreciated.

And if OCAD is like a lot of art schools in Toronto, I would love to hear more about other art colleges in Toronto that has said to be well known amongst students and further more, career wise. Suggestions would be very helpful in my college hunt :)

By: First Year Student

First Year Student — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:42:02 +0000

This is just an opinion, because 2010/11 will be my first year at OCAD. I completed a degree at York, and I feel that I’m fully prepared to attend OCAD. I know what to expect, because I’m familiar with what a university life is and what it isn’t. I am not blinded that attending OCAD will be a mixed experience. I’m prepared do my own homework, and then ask appropriate questions to the teachers that will be available to me. I also aim to do my own research and intern without seeking guidance from OCAD.
OCAD looks to me like a perfect environment for those people who are self-starters, love to work independently not codependently, hanging on to teacher’s every suggestion.

I feel that pre/post transition, it looks like a school meant for mature students, who already possess mentors outside of the academia.

I agree that this school may provide me with little industry specifics, but it’s a perfect fit for people like me, mature students with another degree.

By: Honey Bunny

Honey Bunny — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:54:32 +0000

I’m currently an OCAD student and have attended several other Ontario universities in the past, so unlike Lauren and the people who have responded, I have something to compare my OCAD experience with. At the end of the day, OCAD is just like any other Canadian university. It has good points and bad points. No university will hold your hand and help you find a job in the real world. It’s all up to you… You get what you put into it.

By: Ian

Ian — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:43:17 +0000

@A. Mason, the original articles discussion of “guidance” isn’t about the teachers telling you what to photograph; take all the black and white shots of empty train tracks you want. It was about guidance and preparation for the real world AFTER art school.

Like most schools, ESPECIALLY art schools, students are taught in a bubble and essentially have to abandon much of what they learned and instead retrain on the job.

For example, the animation program I went through 5 years ago taught me virtually nothing about how an actual studio operates. Even today, when I do guest lectures, students are surprised to learn they won’t be doing character design, modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, compositing and final edit. Worse still, none of them are particularly good at ANY of those specific disciplines as the schools have trained them as jack of all trades and masters of none.

By: A. Mason

A. Mason — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:48:58 +0000

i’m a current student and i love OCAD. although I agree that you get what you put into it, but isn’t that the point? art is a tough competitive field and if you want to make it, you have to go the extra mile. I’m majoring in photography and i plan to minor in screenprinting, but i’ve also done material art and design and worked with programs like final cut express. i think if you expect people to tell you exactly what to do without thinking for yourself then don’t go to this school, but if you’re dedicated there are people here who will help you, and all of the teachers and monitors, even from programs i’m not in, have been willing to give me advice and teach me what i’m willing to learn. even in my first year i’ve had my work in a student gallery and i don’t think other schools could have offered me some of the experiences i’ve had.

By: w

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:12:45 +0000

As soon as ocad became a university, it lost it’s original concept of a studio art school. studnets became focused on liberal studies and forgot about their creative pursuits. The difficulty is most artists are not that interested in liberal studies, we want to create. I found myself saying, well, I’ll do the art, and skim through the liberal studies. to give you an idea, I went to 3 classes in a large class, and passed. All I did was the projects, they never took any attendance, so why go. Art schools are about art, not books. Plato was a cool guy, yet, Van Gogh was far more fun.

By: anika

anika — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:20:09 +0000

Interesting comments. I attended OCAD 20 years ago and it looks as though not much has changed. I and others found teachers provided next to no instruction and that instructor critiques were unhelpful and very subjective. I left after the second year of my program and felt that it was the best decision I ever made.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:19:19 +0000

OCAD is not a school worth going to in my opinion.
Complete waste of money.