10 Planet of the Arts / December 1996

To: DC Hillier,

Bedlam, OCAD Student Publication

| hear that OCAD students are building a new student lounge... what a coincidence! We need one, too.

In 1981 when Emily Carr College moved from it’s downtown location to our current location on the tourist mecca Granville Island (“a world to discover under the bridge”) nobody thought about making space for a student lounge in the building. Maybe it wasn’t important; after all, everyone was thrilled to bits for having a new campus, and there was also an inherent “lounge” attitude that carried over from the end of the 70's.

Some faculty and staff who have been around this place for a long time concede that a decade-and-a-half ago, Emily Carr had more lively parties and intimate department get-togethers on a regular basis than we do today.

We've become more “serious” since Institutionalizing ourselves: class attendance counts, whereas the rules tended to be more lax in the past. Academics at art school seem to take a more serious role today. Maybe this is a result of post-secondary education policy-making demanding that we get practical job-type training, obviously something that Emily Carr hasn't ignored.

Where does this leave us? It seems that Emily Carr students’ workloads are heavier than ever, and enrollment is on a steady rise. This means there's less elbow room and more frustration all around. It sounds like we're following society's path towards more work, less pay, and no time for leisure. :

Until last year, old couches littered the campus. They were scattered among studios and hangout caves, including the old (defunct) faculty lounge. For health and fire hazard concerns, the couches were removed. Now, it’s pretty rare to find a place to crash after you've been working all evening.

Another problem we are growing more concerned about is that our school lacks a sense of community. There is no place to meet with colleagues in a relaxed environment, talking about what we do; that is, art and design. Until now, the cafeteria has served a dual role as alounge-type area, but almost anyone you ask is unhappy with the cold, “institute”-like feel of the place.

Last year at our students’ union annual general meeting, students agreed to a special levy that will raise $12,000 to create a student lounge and to set up “satellite lounges” around the school. :

A satellite lounge is a place on one floor of each building with comfortable seating (couches), plants, and artwork. It’s basically a place to crash. The school administration has been quite supportive of the idea: the facilities department helped by designating sites for these mini-lounges, as well as offering to maintain the couches for future wear-and-tear; and our past president graciously agreed to pay half the cost of couches.

As for our proper lounge space, the first step was choosing the right location. Unfortunately, during the renovations of our cafeteria and the design of our new building two years ago, Alan Barkley’s architectural plans didn’t consider a space suitable for a student lounge that could accomodate performances and have a comfortable atmosphere. We don’t want to use the cafeteria space, but it’s the only space available.

That’s how we came up with the working name of the lounge: “The Make-Do Lounge.” It reflects both the fact that we have to make do with the available space, as well as the making and doing of artwork and performance that we hope to have there.

A group of students got together at the beginning of the school year and formed the Lounge Working Group. We've divided the group into four parts to do the research and planning needed to get the project off the ground. One group handles sound and lighting; another manages furniture and design; the third group deals with programming and event management; and the final group is putting the satellite lounges together.

Progress to date has been frustatingly slow. People’s school work and part time jobs keep getting in the way of progress.

We're getting really close to purchasing sound equipment, stage lighting and a dimmer, as well as wiring the site with sufficient electrical juice. We're hoping that this spark will get things off the ground.

Long live Art! Jonathan Lander co-facilitator, Planet of the Arts.

Lounge Space

To: Jonathan Lander, Planet of the Arts

OCAD has had an interesting history of student gathering areas. When the college first formed in 1876, as the Ontario School of

Art, the college had only one functional room and approximately 40 students. At that time, a lounge was not a pressing

concern.

Several location and name changes later the college got it’s first “perma- nent” location. In 1917 the Ontario

College of Art was built from scratch in Grange Park. With a student population of 250, a place for the students to

gather was considered necessary and the architects of the time built what was called the “Summer Garden”.

The Summer Garden was a small, ivy- covered, granite-fenced enclosure with benches. This Garden was at

the entrance of the college and

actually quite beautiful. It is still in existence today, however, it has been mysteriously locked off for the last 30 years and is now little more than a dense, amorphous form of ivy. True to administrative style, on the other hand, The “Summer” Garden was of little use during most of the school year when Toronto bears down for it’s depressing

winter months.

After W.W.Il OCA not only didn’t want students to gather anywhere, but passed policies prohibiting student gatherings of any kind on campus. As a matter of fact, stu- dents had to be off campus within minutes of their classes ending. These strict rules were printed in the course calendars and lasted until the mid-1950’s when OCA got its first cafe- teria. This Cafeteria also served as the student gallery and just about every piece of promo- tional literature of the era featured well-dressed students hanging about there. Today, the cafeteria area is the main hallway to the Industrial Design wing of the college with three vending machines and a microwave. There’s no art on display.

Zipping right along to the groovy late 60’s and 70’s — where the parking lot is today, there were three old, large, Victorian houses. One of these Victorian beauties used to house the first student “lounge”. It was a cafe/pub/art gallery environment that was loved by the students of the time. As OCA grew, so did the need for parking and, systematically, the buildings were demolished, along with the lounge, to make way for asphalt. (The saddest picture I’ve ever seen was printed in the student annual in the early 1970's, when a group of students decided that they wanted to be pho- tographed in the rubble of the lounge. The photo- graph showed them sitting on piles of rubble and gathered about the still standing fireplace.)

By the 1980's Student Lounge was a dinosaur long extinct. The college still had only one of the Victorian buildings left and it became the Student Union Office and Student Gallery (Gallery 76) The Student Union took it upon itself that the SU office would become a gathering spot for students. The office had plenty of room (four large rooms on the second floor) and it was as close to a lounge students had for many years. With the Cafeteria long gone and absolutely no space available on campus for students to crash and relax with the imposing regimens of the college, the old SU office was welcome respite.

In 1993, with flimsy reasoning, the college closed and boarded up 76 McCaul Street, along with the Student Gallery and SU Office. Though the governing council of OCA declared 76 McCaul to be the property of the students under the care of the Student Union, OCA's Administration went against its own ratified policies and shut the building down without consultation. The Gallery was moved above a discount dollar store across the street and the SU Office was moved to the Main Campus building at McCaul Street. The new SU office was placed in a space exactly 1/10th of it’s old space. The new space was located in a large area, which has become known as the student lounge. This space is now being reworked into a proper student lounge. It has large floor to ceiling windows on two sides and a 25 foot high ceiling. Its design potential is astounding. The Student Union hired an architect to redesign the area into a permanent Student Lounge & Art Gallery - along with redesigning the SU Office into a loft style environment that would overlook the lounge. The new lounge, yet un-named, will have couches, a forest of plants, and no fluo- rescent lighting. There are some financial and, of course, administrative snags, but it looks like this lounge is going ahead and $40,000 later the students of OCAD will have a perma- nent, year-round place to called their own.

One point of interest of the new lounge is that it is only a few feet away from the Summer Garden. Who knows, maybe we can get that reopened as well.

Cheers, : DC Hillier Director of Publications.

Ron Burnett chief executive artist

Telephone: (604) 844-3854 E-Mail: rburnett@eciad.bc.ca

Teaching visual culture And letting 100 flowers bloom

Emily Carr Institute

: (604) 844-3850 of Art and Design

844-3871 844-3811 844-3861

Admissions Endowments

Vancouver, Canada Gallery

http://www.eciad.be.ca PoA Newspaper

10 Planet of the Arts / December 1996

Needed: Good Lounge Space

To: DC Hillier, Bedlam, OCAD Student Publication

‘hear that OCAD students are building a new student lounge... what a coincidence! ‘We need one, too

In 1981 when Emily Cre College moved from it's downtown location to ‘ur current location an the tourist mecca Granville sland ("a world to discover Under the bridge") nobody thought about making space fora student lounge in the building, Maybe it wasnt Important; afterall, everyone was thrilled to bits for having a new campus, and there was aso an inherent “lounge” atitude that Carried over from the end of the 70,

‘Some faculty and staff who have been around this place fora long time concede that a decade-and-ahalf ago, Emily Carr had ‘mote lively parties and intimate department get-togethers on a regular basis than we do today,

‘We've become more “serious since Insttutionalizing ourselves: class attendance counts, whereas the rules tended to be more lax in the past. Academic at art school seem to take a more serious role today. Maybe this isa result, Of postsecondary education policy-making ‘demanding that we get practical job-ype training, obviously something that Emily Care hasn't ignored ‘Where does this leave us? It seems that Emily Carr students workioads are heavier than ever, and enrollment ison a steady rise. This means there's less elbow oom and more frustration all around. i sounds like we're following society's path towards more work, les pay, and no time for leisure.

Until ast year, old couches littered the campus. They were scattered among studios and hangout caves, including the old (defunct) faculty lounge. For health and fire hazard ‘concern, the couches were removed. Now, it's petty rare to find a place to crash after you've been working all evening.

‘Another problem we are growing more concerned about is that our school lacks a sense ‘of community. There is no place to meet with colleagues ina relaxed environment, taking ‘bout what we do; that is art and design. Until now, the cafeteria has served a dual role as ‘aloungestype area, but almost anyone you ask is unhappy withthe cold, “institute"-ike feel of the place

Last year at our students’ union annual general meeting, students agreed toa special levy that will raise $12,000 to create a student lounge and to set up “satellite lounges” around the school

‘A satellite lounge is a place on one floor of each building with comfortable eating (couches), plants, and artwork. its basically a place to crash The school administration has bbeen quite supportive ofthe idea: the facilities department helped by designating sites for ‘these mini-lounges, a well as offering to maintain the couches for future wear-and-tear, {and our past president graciously agreed to pay half the cost of couches.

'As for our proper lounge space, the first step was choosing the right location, Unfortunately, during the renovations of our cafeteria and the design of our new building ‘two years ago, Alan Barkley’ architectural plans didn’t considera space suitable for a student lounge that could accomodate performances and have a comfortable atmosphere. ‘We don't want to use the cafeteria space, but isthe only space avalable.

ic

‘Thats how we came up with the working name of the lounge: “The Make-Do Lounge.” Itreflects both the fact that we have to make do with the available space, as well asthe ‘making and doing of artwork and performance that we hope to have there

‘A group of students got together at the beginning of the school year and formed the Lounge Working Group. We've divided the group into four parts to do the research and planning needed to get the project off the ground. One group handles sound and lighting; nother manages furniture and design; the third group deals with programming and event ‘management; and the final group is putting the satelite lounges together.

Progress to date has been frstatingly slow. People’s school work and parttime jobs keep getting in the way of progress.

‘Were getting realy close to purchasing sound equipment, stage lighting and a dimmer, as well as wiring the site with sufficient electrical juice. We're hoping that this spark will get things ff the ground,

Long ive Art! Jonathan Lander ‘co-facitator, Planet of the Arts

- ‘To: Jonathan Lander, * Planet of the Arts

(CAD has had an interesting history of student gathering areas. When the college fist formed in 1876, as the Ontario School of ’Art, the college had only one functional room and approximately 40 students, At that time, @ lounge was not a pressing ‘Several location and name changes later the college got it's first “perma nent” location. In 1917 the Ontario College of Art was built from scratch in Grange Park. With a student population (of 250, a place for the students to ‘gather was considered necessary and the architects of the time built what ‘was called the "Surmmer Garden’ “The Summer Garden was a small, vy covered, granite-fenced enclosure with benches. This Garden was at the entrance ofthe college and actually quite beautiful. eis til in evistence today, however, it has been mysteriously locked off forthe last 30 years and is now litle more than a dense, amorphous form of iy. True to administrative style, on the other hand, The "Summer" Garden was of litle use during ‘most ofthe school year when Toronto bears down for i's depressing winter months ‘After W.WAll OCA not only didn’t want students to gather anywhere, but passed policies prohibiting student gatherings of any kind on campus. Asa matter of fac, st ‘dents had to be off campus within minutes of thie classes ending, These strict rules were printed in the course calendars and lasted until the mid-1950' when OCA got its first cafe- ‘ea. This Cafeteria also served asthe student gallery and just about every piece of promo: ‘onal literature of the era featured well-dressed students hanging about there. Today, the «cafeteria area is the main hallway to the Industral Design wing ofthe college with three vending machines and a microwave. Theres no art on display Zipping right along to the groovy Iate 60's and 70's - where the parking lot is today,

eae OCAD ‘on piles of rubble and A

there were three old, large, Victorian houses. One ofthese Victorian beauties used to house the frst student "lounge". It was acafefpublat gallery environment that was loved by the students of the time. As OCA grew, 50 did the need for parking and, systematically, ‘the buildings were demolished, along with the lounge, to make way for asphalt. The ‘seen was printed in the student annual in the early

419705, when a group of

students decided that they

‘wanted to be pho-

tographed in the rubble of

‘the lounge. The photo:

Graph showed them sitting

gathered about the stil standing fireplace)

By the 1980’ Student Lounge was a dinosaur long extinct. The college still had only one of the Victorian buildings left and it became the Student Union Office and Student Gallery (Gallery 76) The Student Union took it upon itself thatthe SU office would become @ gathering spot for students. The offce had plenty of room (four large rooms on the second floor) and it was as close to a lounge students had for many years. With the Cafeteria long gone and absolutely no space available on campus for students to crash and relax with the Imposing regimens ofthe college, the old SU office was welcome respite ‘along withthe Student Gallery and SU Office, Though the governing council of OCA ‘declared 76 McCaul to be the property of the students under the care ofthe Student Union, OCA Administration went against its own ratified policies and shut the bulling down without consultation. The Gallery was moved above a discount dollar store across the street and the SU Office was moved to the Main Campus building at McCaul Street.

The new SU office was placed ina space exactly 1/10th of it's old space. The new space was located in a large area, which has become known asthe student lounge. This space fs now being reworked into a proper student lounge. It has large floor to ceiling windows on two {an architect to redesign the area into a permanent Student Lounge & Art Gallery - along ‘with redesigning the SU Office into aloft style environment that would overlook the Tounge. The new lounge, yet un-named, will have couches, a forest of plants, and no fluo. escent lighting. There are some financial and, of course, administrative snags, but i looks like this lounge is going ahead and $40,000 later the students of OCAD will have a perma: ‘nent, year-round place to called their own.

‘One point of interest ofthe new lounge s that it is only a few feet away from the ‘Summer Garden. Who knows, maybe we can get that reopened as well.

Cheers,

DcHilier Director of Publications.

Teaching visual culture And letting 100 flowers bloom

Ron Burnett

E43 of Art and Design

Emily Carr Institute imissions’ — (604) 894-3850 844387

844-3861

Endowments incomes, Cede Gallery oA Newspaper