Visual Arts

The Department of Visual Arts offers education in two distinct but interconnected streams: The History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) and Studio Art (STDA). Studio students take courses in traditional fine art disciplines, such as painting, photography, sculpture and drawing, but also explore digital, online, performance and other non-traditional methods of art expression. HAVC courses explore history as it is connected to the present, with a focus on themes such as the body in art and visual culture or the role of censorship from the ancient world to the present day. As a student, you’ll receive dynamic, personable instruction and mentorship from award-winning faculty, as well as individual guidance and timely feedback on your work. This is complemented by unique learning opportunities from internationally acclaimed guest artists to bolster your learning. Our on-site student gallery gives you opportunities to view art, exhibit your own work and learn the behind-thescenes operation of an exhibition space. But your learning isn’t confined to the classroom. By studying in the heart of downtown St. Catharines, you will also become part of a community of working artists, where you will be given opportunities to create and collaborate during your studies and develop lasting professional connections.

How to apply:

Ontario secondary school students must have a minimum of six Grade 12 4U or 4M courses and have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Required course: ENG4U

Recommended courses: One from 4U history, philosophy, classical studies or international language.

Expected entrance average: mid-70s

Students applying to the Studio Arts program are required to submit a portfolio (details on page 26).

Students interested in the History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) program are exempt from submission of a portfolio. Students apply directly to the BA Honours in History of Art and Visual Culture.

“I believe that the arts are extremely beneficial for children and teens. I am very glad that I chose to go to Brock to study the arts and education so that I can give future generations the opportunity to enjoy art.”

— Julie Luth, Concurrent BA/BEd student

key Concurrent education option ROCKET Experiential learning GLOBE International opportunities

Degrees offered

•BA Honours in Studio Art

•BA in Studio Art (Pass degree)

Develop your artistic skills, learn new techniques and technologies and develop your professional practice.

Courses offered include painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, media and digital art.

• BA Honours in History of Art and Visual Culture

Learn about the tremendous power of visual images to shape and reflect our cultures, experiences and histories.

Explore historical and contemporary art and visual culture with the aim of uncovering how images express meaning, who made them and why, and how.

• Minor in History of Art and Visual Culture

• Minor in Studio Art

• Concurrent BA/BEd

Study in Visual Arts and the Faculty of

Education to earn two undergraduate degrees — one in Visual Arts and the other in Education.

Options include: Concurrent BA (Honours): BEd Intermediate/Senior – Visual Arts.

Concurrent BA Integrated Studies (Honours): BEd Junior/Intermediate – Visual Arts as teachable subject.

CREATE WHENEVER INSPIRATION STRIKES in studios that are brimming with natural light — many of which are accessible 24 hours a day.

Develop strong analogue and digital photography skills in our darkroom and digital media lab.

13:1

student to professor ratio

Exhibit and experience art in our on-site student gallery and exhibition space.

“The painting studio was where I spent most of my time and I appreciated having 24-hour access to the building. I think that’s such an important aspect to have in an institution such as MIWSFPA. I spent a lot of late nights as well as early mornings there creating and finishing bodies of work.”

— Gianna Aceto (BA ’19), Brock alumna

HISTORY OF ART AND VISUAL CULTURE

How many images have you looked at today?

From social media, to museums, to news media, to our own photographs, each of us views thousands of images every day. These images are often highly mediated and are becoming increasingly difficult to understand. Reading and interpreting visual images are essential skills for 21st century humans.

Studying the History of Art and Visual Culture will enable you to visually analyze images and objects with competence, and situate them within a historical context, helping you to understand how they create meaning over time and what they mean today. This kind of knowledge and skill set is necessary for any traditional career in the visual arts, such as curatorial work, research, gallery ownership, and arts management. It is also beneficial for many other careers that require close looking, analysis, and interpretation, from medicine to city planning to engineering.

Our dedicated, award-winning instructors have designed unique and interesting courses that cover such subjects as contemporary art, censorship in visual art and culture, and the visual culture of medicine. Small classes mean individualized attention, significant feedback, and a kind and caring environment.

For more information visit brocku.ca/visualarts

“I attribute so much of my personal and professional path to the encouragement and support that I received while at Brock, from my peers and professors. Being part of an academic environment that nurtured individuality and fostered a relational approach to teaching and learning allowed me to broaden my perspective on what a degree in art history and visual culture could translate into post-graduation.”

— Carina Magazzeni (BA ’13) HAVC, Concentration in Curatorial Studies

Portfolios are a required part of the admissions process for students applying to:

Visual Arts - Studio Art, Concurrent Education - Intermediate/Senior (Visual

Arts -Studio Art major). We must receive your complete portfolio submission by Feb.5, 2021 in order to consider your application for studies beginning in September 2021. For Portfolio requirements: brocku.ca/miwsfpa/visual-arts/apply

Your portfolio submission must contain two elements

1. Letter of Intent (max. 300 words)

The letter of intent helps us learn more about what motivates, challenges and inspires you in your creative process. It should describe your reasons for wanting to study visual arts, where you are coming from and what you have studied in the past. Please consider how your answers may enhance or contribute to our understanding of your portfolio work as we view it. Artist statements are also welcome, but not mandatory.

Your letter of intent should be submitted in one of the following formats: • As part of a website or artist blog linked in your submission e-mail. • As a Word document (.docx) included in the cloud-sharing folder of your choice (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.), and linked in your submission e-mail. • As a Word document (.docx) attached directly to your submission e-mail. • As a Word document (.docx) on a USB stick submitted by mail. You may include this letter on the same USB stick or artist blog/website as your digital portfolio. Please be sure to clearly label it as your letter of intent.

2. A digital portfolio (15-20 of your artworks)

Please DO NOT send original artworks to us. Please title your portable devices and provide a labelled case with your full name (as submitted on your application), OUAC reference number (if applicable) and date of birth.

Your portfolio is to be submitted in one of the following ways:

E-mail to Associate Professor Shawn Serfas (sserfas@brocku.ca) with either the digital files attached, or a URL link to your artist blog, website or cloud-sharing folder. Include your full name, OUAC reference number and date of birth.

Saved on a USB stick and submitted by mail or in person to:

Associate Professor Shawn Serfas

Department of Visual Arts

Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts

Brock University 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way

St. Catharines, ON

L2S 3A1, Canada The portfolio and letter of intent must be sent together in a strong, reusable package and must be accompanied by sufficient return postage. Portfolios sent without sufficient return postage will not be returned to the applicant.

Please email Associate Professor Shawn Serfas (sserfas@brocku.ca) to inform the department that your portfolio has been sent.

Digital files must be saved in these formats:

JPG, PSD, TIFF, MOV, WMV and MP4, MP3 and/or PDF documents. Images should be 2MB or less, sized 1024 x 768px, 72 DPI.

Please keep video files under 120MB each in two-to-threeminute clips for audio/video.

Label each file as follows:

“01 LastName, Title, Year;” “02 LastName, Title, Year”

Please include an image list that corresponds with the digital portfolio as a Word document (.docx). The image list should be labelled: “01 LastName, FirstName, Title, Media, Dimensions, Date Completed.”

International Students: Please contact the Department of Visual Art to plan a portfolio submission process that co-ordinates with your regional academic schedule.

Questions?

All questions about the application and portfolio process can be directed to Chair of Visual Arts, Associate Professor Shawn Serfas at sserfas@brocku.ca

For questions related to the admissions process, please contact our Admissions Office at futurestudent@brocku.ca

Where can you go from here?

Transferable skills: • Hands-on experience in a wide range of techniques and technologies • Critical thinking • Writing, research and communication skills • Ability to market and promote your work and yourself as an artist

About half of all Ontario artists (47 per cent) are self-employed, (source, Statistics Canada) and many of our graduates go on to establish their own professional practice as artists.

Other future career paths: • Curatorial work in art galleries, museums and artist-run centres • Arts administration • Law (e.g. copyright, repatriation of cultural artifacts and cultural property) • Writing and publication • Teaching

Contact Information Department office: MWS 328 905 688 5550 x3214 visualarts@brocku.ca

RODMAN HALL ART CENTRE