wer wn DF. Ron Burnett

- ECIAD’s newly hired President

ECIAD lacks a community meeting place, where people can socialize, where art can be displayed, and where per- formances can occur. What do you plan to do to make sure this long-standing problem is rectified as quickly

as possible?

I'll have to give you a no answer on that, because | have to spend some time looking at the institution and getting to know exactly how things have been operating, so that | can make a decision that’s fair to everyone in that regard. So it wouldn't be fair to give you an answer that | can’t give.

Do you consider an art school in the 1990’s as an institu- tion of progressive social thought and action? Why?

| certainly do consider it a place of progressive social thought and action, and | think it forms the heart of our social process. We can’t have a modern-day society working without art schools doing the work that people have to view and experience and see... so | do see it as a core area that has to be given a very high profile.

Administrators here often don’t seem to have much con- nection with students except with the odd student politi- cian at the occasional meeting. Will you make a point of sitting in on classes, eating lunch in our horrible cafeteria facility, attend student art show openings (even if the art is lousy), and just generally hanging out where students can approach you and speak their mind? Which of these is most likely of those options listed?

All of them. It’s called hands-on.

What do you love about art? Oh, that’s a general question...

You could give us a general answer... | love everything about art. I’ve been doing art myself,

-«~May-June 1996 / Planet of the Arts 3

photo: Jonathan Lander

Is

Gonna B

making videos and films for years... So, art is a part of my life, it’s not a matter of loving it, it’s a matter of living it.

What do you hate about raising money from corpo-

rate donors?

Nothing. You have to balance all the forces off in the 90's. You have to work with everyone, so it’s community at all lev- els. So you have to raise money. You can’t get away [from] it. Art has to change in that regard.

What is your evaluation of the federal deficit reduction strategy which include big cutbacks to post-secondary education?

Well, it’s not a good strategy, and it’s one that has to be care- fully responded to. This is an era of cutbacks, and we have to learn how to deal with them. There are really serious prob- lems happening as a consequence of those cutbacks. So I’m not in favour of the way the process has been developed, nor the negotiations...

Part-time students make up a large but almost invisible part of ECIAD. What do you plan to do to make sure that part time students’ views are recognized and listened to instead of just given lip service?

You're going to have to allow me not to comment on that until I’ve been here a bit longer.

Is a full-fledged trimester system like NSCAD’s the way of the future for post-secondary schools (have you ever looked into this for any reason?)

Trimester systems are something that we'll have to think about and talk about a bit, but | can’t give you a conclusive statement on that.

Is Adam Egoyan vastly overrated? Absolutely not — he’s a wonderful filmmaker and a great person, “@

ere Really

e A Lounge?

The long-awaited student lounge is finally on the go.

At a special General Meeting on April 19, 1996, students granted approval for a special levy to finance phase one of the lounge project. Over the next four years, this levy will raise approximately $10,000 which will be used to purchase furniture and equipment.

Pending approval for a permanent lounge space, the eating area of the cafe- teria will be converted on a temporary basis into a comfortable meeting place that will be home to a diverse pro- gramme of musical and other perfor- mances.

The aim is to cultivate the ambiance of a lounge that expresses the character and interests of students at ECIAD. The cafete- ria space as it is presently constituted has been particularly resilient at defeating this goal. Many people at ECIAD have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current area, Calling it institutional, cold, and antisceptic. This dysfunctionality has obviously not helped food sales.

Renovations and purchases to furnish the new lounge space will take place over the summer, with the intent on having things in place by September.

The Lounge Working Group is current- ly inviting input from the ECIAD commu- nity regarding design, programming, and any other ideas for the new lounge (please get in touch with Jonathan Lander at Planet of the Arts).

Students involved in the Lounge Working Group will be coordinating this initiative with the Administration.

What a relief it will be to finally get even a semi-decent lounge to call our own. <@

monwwe Di, Ron Burnett

ECIAD' newly hired President

ECIAD lacks a community meeting place, where people can socialize, where art can be displayed, and where per- formances can occur. What do you plan to do to make sure this long-standing problem is rectified as quickly

as possible?

11 have to give you a no answer on that, because | have to spend some time looking atthe institution and getting to know exactly how things have been operating, so that | can ‘make a decision thats fair to everyone in that regard. So it ‘wouldn't be fair to give you an answer that I can’t give.

Do you consider an art schoo! in the 1990's as an institu- tion of progressive social thought and action? Why?

| certainly do consider ita place of progressive social thought and action, and I think it forms the heart of our social

process. We can’t have a modern-day society working without ‘art schools doing the work that people have to view and experience and see... 01 do see it as a core area that has to bbe given a very high profile,

‘Administrators here often don't seem to have much con-

nection with students except with the odd student polit cian at the occasional meeting. Will you make a point of sitting in on classes, eating lunch in our horrible cafeteria facility, attend student art show openings (even if the art lousy), and just generally hanging out where students ‘ean approach you and speak their mind? Which of these is most likely of those options listed?

All of them. It's called hands-on,

What do you love about art? Oh, that’s a general question

You could give us a general answer. ove everything about art. I've been doing art mysel,

-May June 1996, / Planet of the Arts. 3

‘making videos and films for years. So, artis a part of my life, it’s not a matter of loving it, it’s a matter of living

ing money from corpo-

‘What do you hate about rate donors?

Nothing. You have to balance all the forces off in the 90's ‘You have to work with everyone, so i's community a all lev: els. So you have to raise money. You can't get away [from] it ‘Arthas to change in that regard,

‘What is your evaluation of the federal deficit reduction strategy which include big cutbacks to post-secondary education?

Well, it’s not a good strategy, and it’s one that has to be care- fully responded to. This is an era of cutbacks, and we have to learn how to deal with them. There are really serious prob- lems happening as a consequence of those cutbacks. So lm not in favour of the way the process has been developed, nor the negotiations.

Part-time students make up a large but almost invisible part of ECIAD. What do you plan to do to make sure that part time students’ views are recognized and listened to instead of just given lip service?

You're going to have to allow me not to comment on that Until 've been here a bit longer.

Is a full fledged trimester system like NSCAD’s the way of the future for post-secondary schools (have you ever looked into this for any reason?)

‘Trimester systems are something that we'll have to think about and talk about abit, but I can't give you a conclusive statement on that.

Is Adam Egoyan vastly overrated? Absolutely not —he's a wonderful filmmaker and a great person."

Is There #5) Gonna Be A Lounge?

Really

The long-awaited student lounge is finally on the go.

‘Ata special General Meeting on April 19, 1996, students granted approval for a special levy to finance phase one of the lounge project. Over the next four years, this levy will raise approximately $10,000 Which will be used to purchase furniture and equipment.

Pending approval for a permanent lounge space, the eating area of the cafe- teria wil be converted on a temporary basis into a comfortable meeting place that will be home to a diverse pro- ‘gramme of musical and other perfor-

The aim is to cultivate the ambiance of 2 lounge that expresses the character and interests of students at ECIAD. The cafete tia space as itis presently constituted has been particulary resilient at defeating this {goal. Many people at ECIAD have ‘expressed their dissatisfaction with the ‘current area, caling it institutional, cold, and antisceptic. This dysfunctionality has ‘obviously not helped food sales.

Renovations and purchases to furnish the new lounge space will take place over the summer, with the intent on having) things in place by September.

‘The Lounge Working Group is current= Iy inviting input from the ECIAD commu: nity regarding design, programming, and any other ideas for the new lounge (please get in touch with Jonathan Lander at Planet of the Arts).

Students involved in the Lounge ‘Working Group will be coordinating this initiative with the Administration.

What a rele it will be to finally get even a Semidecent lounge to call ur own. “®