Muir Gallery - Exhibition Archives

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NIC FINE ART GRADUATION EXHIBITION
NIC FINE ARTS GRADS DISPLAY ART AT MUIR GALLERY (May 8- 30) North Island College Fine Arts students are eagerly preparing for their grad exhibition, May 8th at the Muir Gallery. It is an exciting time as they step out of the classrooms and into the community. After working closely for two years, the students have learned much from each other as well as their teachers. From refining visual choices, to understanding and viewing new perspectives on art, the grad class has put together a show of interesting range. Some of the graduating students included are; Nikki Lochmatter was “Born” into a family created through the adoption of two infants four months apart. She grew up on a small farm in the Comox Valley where she and her sister were homeschooled until grade eleven. Her schooling put an emphasis on a balanced life encompassing music, art, physical activity, academics, travel and lots of time for fun. As a symphony orchestra master and violin teacher, music continues to play an important role. She is completing her second year at NIC and is planning to move to Montreal to expand her education in the art of life. MaryAnne is 23 years old, and was born and raised in the small town of Welland, Ontario. After graduating high school, MaryAnne traveled to British Columbia and fell in love with the beauty around the Comox Valley. Deciding to stay, she enrolled in the North Island College Fine Arts program to study her passion, art. MaryAnne prefers to create two dimensional works through painting and drawing, but has been lucky to experiment with ceramics and 3D design with the college's large pottery and sculpture studios. As she continuously expands her creative vocabulary and skills, MaryAnne wishes to continue her art degree at Concordia University in Montreal Quebec, hoping to filter into the art therapy field of work and assist in giving back to the community all that it has given her. At 48 years of age many people are thinking of winding down to a quieter lifestyle. Not so with Rebecca Pierce-Peters, who was born in the quiet farming community of Melville, Saskatchewan and who now resides here on Vancouver Island in sunny Campbell River. Educated as a teacher through Malaspina University College and the University of Victoria, after 10 years of teaching Rebecca decided it was time for a little further formal education. After much research, she settled on North Island College's Fine Arts program. Her decision to chose NIC's Fine Arts program, over that of other institutions, was primarily based on the institution's good reputation, it's beautiful location in the Comox Valley, and the reasonable financial commitment required. Life-long learning has always been a virtue Rebecca has tried to instill in her students whether they were 6 years of age or 60 years of age. Pursuing an education in Fine Arts was a life-long dream which she now plans on further infusing into her teaching career. When it comes to selecting a preference of media Rebecca has a difficult time choosing one form over another. She equally enjoys drawing, painting, ceramics and printmaking. Now that she is graduating from the Fine Arts Diploma program, Rebecca is not prepared to call her art education complete; she is already looking forward to classes through Emily Carr University's satellite program at NIC where she will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree on a part-time basis. Maddy has had her heart set on art school since before she can remember. But before that thought change, Maddy once had dreams of being a doctor, or a scientist. She thought of changing and saving the world, but since chemistry eleven, she has realized that not everyone can or wants to decipher formulas. So she chose to contribute through the expansion of the way people think through her art and inspire change. Maddy works with mixed media, trying not to discriminate between disciplines she tries to use techniques that best communicate her ideas, but secretly loves to paint. After her diploma Madelaine wants to continue into a degree program and after that maybe even a post degree program and continue making art. Sareh is 21, and was born in Alberta. But grew up on Vancouver Island and lives in the Comox Valley. She chose NIC’s Fine Arts program because it is close to home, and had heard only good comments about it, and because of the possibility to continue on to the Emily Carr program now available at NIC’s campus. Sareh chose art because it is something she loves to do and really the only field she could see herself going into. Sareh's strongest mediums are drawing, photography, painting and ceramics. She hasn’t decided what she's going to do when she's finished her degree but would of course love to be able to just live off her artwork. Jennifer has grown up around Vancouver Island and has settled in the Klamath Valley to continue her secondary education. She enrolled in the North Island College fine art program to expand her technical skills, and visual vocabulary. Jennifer was recognized for her talent in drawing as a child, but has found painting to be a successful medium to work with. In the future knew she would like to explore expression in the arts coupled with her studies in geography and anthropology. Gloria has lived in Tacoma ballet for nine years, and entered into the fine arts and design program at North Island College to fulfill a life long dream. Her dream is to be able to develop skills in various mediums of Art and design. Gloria's strength is in drawing and is revisiting and expanding her knowledge in printmaking. Gloria would like to find work in silkscreening, as well as building a body of work in drawing. Janis was born in Guelph Ontario with a pencil in her had and a sketchbook under her arm. She would be remembered by all her teachers as the girl with doodles in her margins. Janis has been a long standing member of the Haliburton Guild of Fine Arts, she has attended many shows as an exhibitor with her work in clay fiber sculpture and glass.Twenty-eight year ago Janis studied to be a chiropractor in Europe, she continues to be influenced my the Medievil and Renaissance Artists that she saw there. Janis only recently moved to the west to earn a PH. D in the study of the paranormal and to pursue an alternative lifestyle where she could explore and develop her mind through self reflection. Janis moved again to Cambell River where she works as a chiropractor and a full time student. Janis is thankful for all of her education it gives her insight into the human body and it's interactions. Humour is characterized in many of Janis' pieces because she believes that it feeds the should and grounds the spirit. Janis will be continuing on to the Emily Carr degree program at NIC and hopefully she says a masters degree after that. The graduation exhibition is an exciting time for the students, giving them an opportunity to express their concepts to the community they all live in. Come and show support for the new and emerging artists of the Valley at the Muir Gallery, May 8th between 7:00 pm and 9:00pm
30 Apr 2009 - 12:50 by admin	Exhibition Archives |

MUIR GALLERY CALENDAR 2007

Local Colours Festival
Sept 13-16 Downtown Courtenay

Work from the Local Colours Festival,
Show Runs: Sept 16- 29
Opening: Sun Sept 16 from 1-3pm

Explorations of the Landscape by Artist Kristin Russell
Show Runs: Oct 5- Nov 3
Opening: Fri Oct 5 from 7-9pm

Construction Site an Installation by Grace Wolff
Show Runs: Nov 9 – Dec 1
Opening: Fri Nov 9 from 7-9pm

Gourds by artist Kim Lewis
Show Runs: Dec 7- 29
Opening Fri Dec 7 from 7-9pm