SEPTEMBER 1995 / PLANET OF THE ARTS ] 5

How The Other Half Lives

A Day In The Life Of ECIAD’s Non-Diploma Students

BY HARALD GRAVELSINS

Full-time students worry about waiting a term to get into some courses and having to fill their timetable in the meantime with electives they don’t really want. As grim as this prospect seems, it pales in relation to the situation of non-diploma students - they can get frozen out altogether from

Si gig

Graham Brown and pitch-fork: who could turn down an applicant with this type of portfolio?

enrolling in ECIAD because all the courses offered to them fill so quickly.

Non-diploma students must also present their portfolios for each course they attempt to register in. The reason they put up with this hassle is the same reason anyone attempts to do art: because art is a calling.

The part-time studies programme is fun- damental to ECIAD. It fills an important need in the community, and it allows ECIAD’s contribution to the community to reach further and deeper than is the case with the limited demographics of the full- time stream.

Interviews are required for each course in the non-diploma stream.

Part-time registration took place on August 29th from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Throughout the evening people loaded down by portfolio bags and other assorted containers for odd-shaped creations approached the unwieldy front doors of the North Building. A certain crispness in their stride betrayed the seriousness of the moment for them.

Signs and coloured tapes guided their entry towards the waiting area. Here they would sit to await the call for a ten-minute chance for favourable judgment on their creative merit. The Planet of the Arts went in search of their experience.

Ethel Farrales, a bank employee, man- aged to get a space in Drawing 1 despite a mid-evening interview and the rush for this particular course in the fall term. Farrales’ first learning experience here was in Art Access, a beginning level non-credit studio course that provides exposure to colour, drawing, three-dimensional materials and form, and creative processes. Her portfolio, the first she has ever presented, consisted of some Art Access pieces and some further work in drawing and painting. The inter- view was over very quickly. “It was flip, flip, flip, ‘you're in’,” Farrales said.

Stuart Slind, a gainfully employed for- mer Gulf Islander, was attempting to regis- ter for Painting Intermediate Studio 1. Slind has already exhibited and sold his paint- ings, earning over $2,000 from sales at a show of his work in Lion’s Bay last spring. Asked why he chose ECIAD, Slind related that it was not because of the reputation of the painting faculty. “I heard horrible

DO NOT PASS GO: /nstructor approval often means wait-listing, not necessarily admission for non-diploma students.

“| heard horrible things about ECIAD, that they teach you how to look like an artist, that they don’t teach you how to paint.”

things about them, that they teach you how to look like an artist, that they don’t teach you how to paint.” He assumed there was more to the story and reports having had excellent experiences in the classes taught by Lucy Hogg and Ken Wallace.

One of the strategies of part-time regis- trants is to cover off all the credits that constitute the first-year programme in order to eventually gain full-time standing. Marian Irish is on this path, has two cours- es to her credit, and is proceeding at the rate of one course per semester. Her current interview to enroll in Drawing 1 went smoothly, although she admits that all her ECIAD interviews so far have made her quite nervous. Irish finds visiting artists’ lectures inspiring, and hopes to become involved in Suzanne Lacy’s “Turning Point” project, an endeavour she learned about at a noon-hour guest presentation.

Interview nerves were also a concern for Bronwyn Masson, a Vancouver business- woman who signed up for Creative Processes and Painting Introductory Studio 1. “I keep thinking that the interviewer will laugh at my work,” she said. Masson has five courses to her credit as a non-diploma student and is now well-rehearsed in the ECIAD interview routine. “Notebooks are really important,” she explained. Masson plans to continue taking one or two course per term, and to leave open the question of where this leads, which might be back to her native New Zealand.

One of the more noticeable portfolios heaved to ECIAD during part-time registra- tion belonged to Graham Brown. Brown brought along a painted pitch fork, part of a series of four such similarly treated farm

implements. “They didn’t photograph well,” Brown explained of his choice. Equipped with his pitchfork and a BFA from the University of Victoria, Brown sailed through his interviews for Industrial Design

ECIAD gets great reviews in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.

Workshop and Professional Practices for Artists and Designers. The first course has especial importance to Brown, as he hopes to be admitted into ECIAD’s industrial design programme next year.

Industrial Design Workshop has special importance as well for Marie Linehan, who

also registered for Intaglio Introductory Studio. Linehan is currently enrolled in the third-year architecture programme at UBC and will be learning about design at ECIAD in a building designed by one of her UBC instructors, Pat Patkau. Linehan anticipates that her ECIAD courses will round out her UBC curriculum. She chose ECIAD on the basis of its strong reputation.

Peter Tanner was back at ECIAD to reg- ister for more courses as a way to expand his creative pursuits. Tanner has been work- ing recently as a projectionist at the Vancouver Planetarium. He has also done commercial photography, including work for the Vancouver Sun, the Province, and the West Ender, a career that developed directly from a course Tanner took at ECIAD in 1985 called “Roots of Photography”. Tanner is presently signed up for Three-Dimensional Materials and Form.

Noelle Bernal will add ECIAD’s Basics of Painting to her full-time work load as the manager of a postal outlet. Bernal learned about the virtues of an ECIAD education while still living in Humboldt, Saskatchewan from ECIAD graduate Jeff Kehrig. The Institute also received rave reviews from her secondary school art teacher. Bernal completed Drawing 1 this summer and sees herself getting into full- time stream soon.

Organic Asparagus

Serrewaex 1995 Paver of me Ants 15

How The Other Half Lives

A Day In The Life Of ECIAD’s Non-Diploma Students

by HARALD Graveisins

Full-time students worry about waiting a term to get into some courses and having to fill ther timetable in the meantime with clectves they don't really want, As grim as this prospect seems, it pales in relation to the situation of non-diploma students -

they can get frozen out altogether from

‘Gahan Bown ond poh: who cus ‘tum domo sppcant wit hsp of ooo?

‘enrolling in ECIAD because all the courses ‘offered to them fill so quickly.

[Non-diploma students must also present their portfolios for each course they attempt to register in, The reason they put up with this hassle isthe same reason anyone attempts to do ar: because art isa calling

The part-time studies programme is fun- ‘damental to ECIAD. It fills an important need in the community, and it allows ECIAD's contribution to the community to

ach further and deeper than is the case With the limited demographics ofthe full time stream

Ineniensre rear freak unin enon done Seam

Part-time registration took place on ‘August 29th from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. ‘Throughout the evening people loaded down by portfolio bags and other assorted containers for odd-shaped creations approached the unwieldy front doors of the North Building. A certain crispness in their siride betrayed the seriousness of the ‘moment for them.

Signs and coloured tapes guided their entry towards the waiting area. Here they Would sit to await the call fora ten-minute chance for favourable judgment on their creative merit. The Planet of the Ars went in search of their experience.

Ethel Farraes, a bank employee, m aged to get a space in Drawing 1 despite a ‘mid-evening interview and the rush for this particular course in the fall term, Farrales first learning experience here was in Art ‘Access, a beginning level non-credit studio ‘course that provides exposure (0 colour, drawing, three-dimensional materials and form, and creative processes. Her portfolio, the first she has ever presented, consisted of some Art Access pieces and some further ‘work in drawing and painting. The inter- view was over very quickly. “It was flip, flip, fp, ‘you're in,” Farrales sad.

‘Stuart Slind, a gainfully employed for- mer Gulf Islander, was attempting to regis- ter for Painting Intermediate Studio 1. Stind thas already exhibited and sold his paint- ings, earning over $2,000 from sales at a show of his work in Lion’s Bay last spring. ‘Asked why he chose ECIAD, Slind related that it was not because of the reputation of the painting faculty. “I heard horrible

—_

pr en means wo i, ot cea oman ornate

“| heard horrible things about ECIAD, that they teach you how to look like an artist, that they don’t teach you how to paint.”

‘things about them, that they teach you how to look like an artist, that they don't teach ‘you how to paint.” He assumed there was ‘more to the story and reports having had excellent experiences in the classes taught by Lucy Hogg and Ken Wallace.

One of the strategies of part-time regis- trants isto cover off ll the credits that constitute the first-year programme in order to eventually gain full-time standing Marian Irish ison this path, has two cours- «sto her credit, and is proceeding at the rate of one course per semester. Her current interview to enroll in Drawing 1 we smoothly, although she admits that all her ECIAD interviews so far have made her {quite nervous. Irish finds visitng artists" lectures inspiring, and hopes to become involved in Suzanne Lacy's “Turning Point” project, an endeavour she learned about at ‘@ noon-hour guest presentation.

Interview nerves were also a concern for Bronwyn Masson, a Vancouver business- woman who signed up for Creative Processes and Painting Introductory Studio 1. “1 keep thinking that the interviewer will Jaugh at my work,” she said. Masson has five courses to her credit as a non-diploma student and is now well-ehearsed in the ECIAD interview routine. “Notebooks are really important,” she explained. Masson plans to continue taking one or two course per term, and to leave open the question of where this leads, which might be back to her native New Zealand,

One of the more noticeable portfolios hneaved to ECIAD during part-time registra tion belonged to Graham Brown. Brown brought along a painted pitch fork, part of series of four such similarly treated farm

Implements. “They didn't photograph well” Brown explained of his choice. Equipped with his pitchfork and a BEA from the University of Victoria, Brown sailed through his interviews for Industrial Design

[EDAD ets reat reves in Holt, Soothe,

Workshop and Professional Practices for Artists and Designers. The first course has «special importance to Brown, as he hopes to be admitted into ECIAD's industrial design programme next year

Industrial Design Workshop has special Importance as well for Marie Linehan, who

also registered for Intaglio Introductory Stuaio. Linehan fs currently entolled in. the third-year architecture programme at UBC and will be learning about design at ECIAD ina building designed by one of her UBC instructors, Pat Patkau. Linehan anticipates that her ECIAD courses will round out her UBC curriculum. She chose ECIAD on the basis ofits strong reputation.

eter Tanner was back at ECIAD to reg- ister for more courses as a way to expand his creative pursuits. Tanner has been work- ing recently as a projectionist at the Vancouver Planetarium. He has also done commercial photography, including work for the Vancouver Sun, the Province, and the West Ender, a career that developed

tly from a course Tanner took at

ECIAD in 1985 called “Roots of Photography" Tanner is presently signed up for Th ynsional Materials and Form,

[Noelle Bernal will add ECIAD's Basics of Painting to her full-time work load as the manager of a postal outlet. Bernal learned bout the virtues of an ECIAD education ‘while stil living in Humboldt, Saskatchewan from ECIAD graduate JefT Kehrig. The Institute also received rave reviews from her secondary school art teacher. Bernal completed Drawing 1 this summer and sees herself getting into full- time stream soon.

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