UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts

Alumni earn spots in Oh Canada exhibition

trevor.kenney — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:35:46 +0000

Oh, Canada is the largest exhibition of contemporary Canadian art to ever take place in the United States. Among the 62 artists included are three graduates of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Artists David Hoffos (BFA '94), Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98) and Daniel Wong (BFA '03) travelled to North Adams, Mass. at the end of May for the opening of the exhibition.

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) is known globally for showing the very best art of our time. Occupying a vast network of 19th century factory buildings, MASS MoCA's galleries boast more than 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. With a strong focus on new art, the museum has become a destination for those seeking unique, fresh and challenging encounters with contemporary art.

David Hoffos will show works from his Scenes from the House Dream at Oh Canada this fall.

"We think it is an honour to be included in this exhibition, considering Denise Markonish (the curator of Oh, Canada) did more than 400 studio visits in determining the lineup," says Wong.

Known together as the 'art-ernative' folk-rock band The Cedar Tavern Singers AKA Les Phonoréalistes, McTrowe and Wong have worked collaboratively since 2006. They are among the artists who created new works specifically for the exhibition. In addition to performing at the opening of Oh, Canada, the duo released a new album of songs relating to the museum.

"The album features four songs about and related to MASS MoCA: 'Oh Canada, Oh Canada' is our interpretation of what a theme song for the Oh, Canada exhibition might be; 'MASS MoCA' is about the history of the site that MASS MoCA inhabits; and 'Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With' and 'Truisms' are about Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle and Jenny Holzer, respectively – two artists who have had exhibitions at MASS MoCA. The album cover itself is a riff on Bachman-Turner Overdrive," explains McTrowe.

Though it may come as a surprise to some, Lethbridge is a hotbed for contemporary art production in Canada.

"For as long as I've lived here, Lethbridge has had strong contemporary artists – people who contend on the national and international stage, so I'm not surprised Lethbridge artists are included in Oh, Canada. In fact, I'm honoured to have been chosen, especially considering there are so many great artists here," says Hoffos.

Hoffos has received widespread national acclaim for his large-scale, multimedia installations. From 2008 to 2011 his exhibition, Scenes from the House Dream, toured Canada debuting at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) and showing at major institutions across the country, including the National Gallery of Canada. For Oh, Canada, Hoffos presents works from Scenes from the House Dream; a snapshot of his practice representative of his larger body of work.

"Oh, Canada is a celebration for the whole country. It's the first time an exhibition like this has happened south of the border and it's never happened in Canada either, so it's a special moment not just for the artists in the exhibition, but also for contemporary art in Canada," he says. "My hope is that this exhibition demonstrates that cutting-edge contemporary art production can happen anywhere, including Lethbridge."

Oh, Canada opened May 27 at MASS MoCA and is on view until Apr. 1, 2013. For more info: www.massmoca.org

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

Musical weekend at Southminster Church

trevor.kenney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:02:29 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts is gearing up for the Christmas season with a pair of musical events this weekend that promise to please any crowd.

The air at Southminster Church is sure to stir with music during Wind and Song, Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m., the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Wind Orchestra's first performance of the season.

"Vox Musica is joining us on stage for three selections," says Glenn Klassen, music director for Vox Musica and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Wind Orchestra.
"We are performing Dry Your Tears Afrika and Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams and a classic choral arrangement of Salvation is Created by Tschesnokoff."

With its almost 100 voices, Vox Musica choir consists of community singers and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students.

Other selections on the program include Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliette and Gordon Jacob's arrangement of William Byrd Suite.

"William Byrd Suite, as arranged by Jacobs, is a magnificent piece going back 400 years, but recomposed for wind orchestra, transforming it into a bigger, more colourful work," says Klassen.

Tickets for Wind and Song are available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (403-329-2616) and at the door.

The U of L Singers and U of L Women's Chorus then share the stage for Season of Joy on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. at Southminster United Church. The evening features a rich program of choral repertoire from traditional works to familiar seasonal classics.

"With this concert the U of L Singers take a different direction this year," says Dr. Janet Youngdahl, the ensemble's director. "Sharing this concert with another group is a good change for the choirs and showcases our wonderful choral areas of study at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ."

The U of L Women's Chorus is the newest addition to the choral program.

"We have a great bunch of students – both music majors and non-music majors," says Joanne Collier, director. "Women's Chorus is the next big thing on the choral circuit. The U of L Women's Chorus presents some of the exciting emerging repertoire for women."

Audiences can expect a robust selection of music for Season of Joy.

"The U of L Singers perform Imant Raminsh's Magnificat, an exuberant and challenging work for choir," Youngdahl says. "We'll also perform Regina Coreli by Mozart featuring soloists drawn from the choir."

The second part of the concert features seasonal classics and favourites as both choirs take to the stage together.

Combined or separate, these choirs are sure to delight audiences; sharing their song and the joy of the holiday season.

Tickets are $15 regular and $10 for students and seniors, and are available at the U of L Box Office (403-329-2616) or at the door on the night of the concert.

Opera Goes to the Movies this weekend in Recital Hall

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:33:51 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts presents a unique twist on opera this weekend as it celebrates 10 years of the Opera Workshop. Opera Goes to the Movies runs Friday and Saturday nights at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall.

"Opera Workshop is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season," says musical director and Music faculty, Dr. Blaine Hendsbee. "This is an exciting and challenging season for us because of the number and variety of productions we are producing this year."

In addition to Opera Goes To the Movies (Oct. 23-24), Hendsbee and company will present Amahl and the Night Visitors (Dec. 5-6) and Dialogue of the Carmelites (Feb. 26- 27).

"I try to choose themes for our performances that are appropriate for students and that audiences can relate to," says Hendsbee. "Our first production, Opera Goes To The Movies, is a musical potpourri of operatic styles and themes from high drama to lighter comedic moments."

Challenging repertoire and lyrical melodies merge, creating an uplifting and varied program. Shows run Friday and Saturday, nightly at 8 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall.

"A lot of movies emphasize key moments in the script with famous opera repertoire such as La Boheme in Moonstruck or excerpts from Madame Butterfly in Fatal Attraction," he says.

Audiences can also look forward to familiar classics such as the Flower Duet, O Mio Babbino Caro and selections from The Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata. Charming, elegant and enlightening, Opera Goes To The Movies is first-class entertainment, something Opera Workshop audiences have come to expect over the past 10 years.

Tickets are $15 regular, $10 student/senior and on sale at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office (403-329-2616), open weekdays from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Fine Arts offering new graduate degree programs

trevor.kenney — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:50:27 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts is pushing forward with its research objectives by introducing two new graduate degree programs in the creative arts.

Commencing in September 2009, the Faculty of Fine Arts introduces a Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Music.

"The introduction of these two new degrees marks a major step in the Faculty's strategic objective of providing an advanced research-based education in four disciplines: art, dramatic art, music, and new media," says Dr. Desmond Rochfort, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Building on the Faculty's acknowledged strength of providing a first class undergraduate education in the creative arts, these new Masters degree programs offer those wishing to pursue graduate education in the fine arts the opportunity to be part of a community of intensely active faculty practitioners and scholars.

Supporting an environment of experimentation and innovation as well as the pursuit of disciplinary excellence and expertise, this community also provides graduate students with opportunities to pursue integration of their practice with new technologies and cross-disciplinary projects between the Fine Arts, the Humanities, the Sciences, and Social Sciences.

The M.F.A. and M.Mus. degrees are two-year, full-time, research-based programs. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is committed to providing adequate financial support for all graduate students and, therefore, guarantees a minimum of $1,000 per month for the 24 months of study. The M.F.A. (Dramatic Arts) also offers a $1,000 entrance scholarship for students specializing in design.

The application deadline for the M.F.A. and M.Mus. programs, which commence in fall 2009, is May 1.

To learn more about the U of L Faculty of Fine Arts Graduate Degrees, visit the following link: www.uleth.ca/graduatestudies/future-students

Paris study trip drops price

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:03:07 +0000

A summer in Paris awaits those interested in taking part in the annual Art History Travel–Study Course offered by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts.

A price reduction of $500 should also add to the incentive of joining this tour. With just a few spots remaining on the tour, organizers have dropped the price to $3,250 for the July excursion.

Open to students from all areas of study, as well as non-students, this three-credit course consists of a series of excursions, lectures and walking tours, exploring the history and art of the magnificent French capital. Masterpieces of art and architecture are examined as living artifacts, while day trips to small towns offer a chance to see the more tranquil side of the French lifestyle.

The 2009 trip is scheduled for July 3-19 and will be instructed by the U of L's David Coman, a teacher in the Faculty of Fine Arts (Calgary campus) since 1998. Coman studied art history at McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto prior to joining the U of L. His area of expertise is early 19th-century painting and graphic arts in France and Britain and he has lived, worked and researched in Paris intermittently since 1995.

The trip is open to students from any field of study in any post-secondary institution. Non-students can also take part, but will be required to register in the course and pay the tuition portion of the trip cost. There is no need to have a background in art or French as the course is designed to be very accessible to all.

Course material will consist of daily excursions to museums and art historical monuments, each of which will involve bettween three and six hours of class activities. Following that, the rest of each day is completely open for exploration. The academic environment of this trip is designed to be very relaxed, but attendance at each excursion is mandatory.

For more information on this exciting opportunity, click on the Art History Travel–Study Course link.

Paris beckons as study destination

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:05:48 +0000

A summer in Paris awaits those interested in taking part in the annual Art History Travel–Study Course offered by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Open to students from all areas of study, as well as non-students, this three-credit course consists of a series of excursions, lectures and walking tours, exploring the history and art of the magnificent French capital. Masterpieces of art and architecture are examined as living artifacts, while day trips to small towns offer a chance to see the more tranquil side of the French lifestyle.

The 2009 trip is scheduled for July 3-19 and will be instructed by the U of L's David Coman, a teacher in the Faculty of Fine Arts (Calgary campus) since 1998. Coman studied art history at McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto prior to joining the U of L. His area of expertise is early 19th-century painting and graphic arts in France and Britain and he has lived, worked and researched in Paris intermittently since 1995.

The trip is open to students from any field of study in any post-secondary institution. Non-students can also take part, but will be required to register in the course and pay the tuition portion of the trip cost. There is no need to have a background in art or French as the course is designed to be very accessible to all.

Course material will consist of daily excursions to museums and art historical monuments, each of which will involve bettween three and six hours of class activities. Following that, the rest of each day is completely open for exploration. The academic environment of this trip is designed to be very relaxed, but attendance at each excursion is mandatory.

The cost of the 2009 trip is $3,750 with a deposit of $1,000 due in the U of L cash office by Feb. 6.

For more information on this exciting opportunity, click on the Art History Travel–Study Course link.

UNews - ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts

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UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts