Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University
Encyclopedia
NSCAD University also known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, is a post-secondary art
school located in Halifax, Nova Scotia
, Canada
.
During the 1970s NSCAD was hailed as a cutting edge art school, which emphasized artistic innovation, and political art. Currently the university is forging relationships with galleries, museums and other cultural institutions in Canada and around the world.
of Anna and the King of Siam
fame. It was originally called the Victoria School of Art and Design to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
One the notable artists to be associated with the school in its early years was Arthur Lismer
, who was a member of the Group of Seven
and spent several years as the school president.
was appointed President, and he immediately moved to remake the College from a provincial art school into an international centre for artistic activity. He invited notable artists to come to NSCAD as visiting artists, particularly those involved in conceptual art
. Artists who made significant contributions during this period include Vito Acconci
, Sol LeWitt
, Dan Graham
, Eric Fischl
, Lawrence Weiner
, Joseph Beuys
and Claes Oldenburg
.
In September 2006, alumnus David B. Smith (an arts administrator, educator, and artist) was appointed President of the university, following the resignation of President Paul Greenhalgh.
, Steve Reich
, Gerhard Richter
and Yvonne Rainer
were published. Re-launched in 2002, The Press has once again become a source for the publishing of primary documents and scholarly works in the fields of contemporary art, craft and design.
Adult Programs
The adult studio-based and audit lecture courses are available to individuals who are 16 years or older. These courses are designed to meet personal and professional development interests and to prepare for studies in an undergraduate visual arts degree program. Curricula incorporate skills, processes, and health and safety issues. New approaches and ways of seeing, analyzing, experimenting and problem solving through observation are promoted. To ensure program quality, planning is ongoing with other areas of NSCAD University. New courses are added regularly to introduce different subject matter and in response to public demand.
Children and Teen Programs
Saturday Children’s Art Classes began in 1887 and are one of the earliest known examples of such programs in North America. Children in grades 1 – 6 participate in a variety of fun age-appropriate activities that introduce basic visual arts skills.
Teen Art Studio courses for students in Grades 7 -12 introduce fundamental visual art skills and processes, introduce NSCAD facilities and provide older teens an opportunity to build a portfolio for admission to an undergraduate visual arts degree program. Saturday teen courses are offered during the fall and winter and week-long courses are offered during summer. One-day March Break workshops are offered during the Provincial school break.
Night Shift Exhibit
An annual Night Shift Exhibition to display student work completed in Extended Studies course is held in the Anna Leonowens Gallery located on the NSCAD Granville campus. Family and friends are encouraged to attend this popular exhibit and enjoy a variety of different works of art created by all ages.
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
school located in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
During the 1970s NSCAD was hailed as a cutting edge art school, which emphasized artistic innovation, and political art. Currently the university is forging relationships with galleries, museums and other cultural institutions in Canada and around the world.
Academics
NSCAD offers Bachelor's degrees in Fine Art (BFA), Design (BDes), and Art History (BA). It also offers Master of Fine Art and Master of Design degrees at the graduate level.History
NSCAD was founded in 1887 by Anna LeonowensAnna Leonowens
Anna Leonowens was an English travel writer, educator, and social activist. She worked in Siam from 1862 to 1868, where she taught the wives and children of Mongkut, king of Siam. She also co-founded the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...
of Anna and the King of Siam
Anna and the King of Siam (book)
Anna and the King of Siam is a 1944 semi-fictionalized biographical novel by Margaret Landon.In the early 1860s, Anna Leonowens, a widow with two young children, was invited to Siam by King Mongkut , who wanted her to teach his children and wives the English language and introduce them to British...
fame. It was originally called the Victoria School of Art and Design to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
One the notable artists to be associated with the school in its early years was Arthur Lismer
Arthur Lismer
Arthur Lismer, CC was an English-born Canadian painter and member of the Group of Seven.-Early life:At age 13 he apprenticed at a photo-engraving company. He was awarded a scholarship, and used this time to take evening classes at the Sheffield School of Arts from 1898 until 1905...
, who was a member of the Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
and spent several years as the school president.
NSCAD and conceptual art
In 1967, the artist Garry KennedyGarry Kennedy
Garry Neill Kennedy, CM is a Canadian conceptual artist living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Kennedy studied at the Ontario College of Art, the University at Buffalo and the University of Ohio. In 1967, at the age of 32, he was appointed president of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, the...
was appointed President, and he immediately moved to remake the College from a provincial art school into an international centre for artistic activity. He invited notable artists to come to NSCAD as visiting artists, particularly those involved in conceptual art
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions...
. Artists who made significant contributions during this period include Vito Acconci
Vito Acconci
Vito Hannibal Acconci is a Bronx, New York-born, Brooklyn-based designer, landscape architect, performance and installation artist.-Education:...
, Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt
Solomon "Sol" LeWitt was an American artist linked to various movements, including Conceptual art and Minimalism....
, Dan Graham
Dan Graham
Dan Graham , is a conceptual artist now working out of New York City. He is an influential figure in the field of contemporary art, both a practitioner of conceptual art and an art critic and theorist. His art career began in 1964 when he moved to New York and opened the John Daniels Gallery....
, Eric Fischl
Eric Fischl
Eric Fischl is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker.-Early life:Fischl was born in New York City and grew up on suburban Long Island; his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1967...
, Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner was a central figure in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s His work often takes the form of typographic texts.- Life and career :...
, Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys was a German performance artist, sculptor, installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist and pedagogue of art.His extensive work is grounded in concepts of humanism, social philosophy and anthroposophy; it culminates in his "extended definition of art" and the idea of social...
and Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
.
In September 2006, alumnus David B. Smith (an arts administrator, educator, and artist) was appointed President of the university, following the resignation of President Paul Greenhalgh.
NSCAD University Press
Under the direction of Kennedy, The Press of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design was established as a vehicle to publish books by and about leading contemporary artists. The Press was important in establishing the university's international reputation. Between 1972 and 1987, 26 titles by such artists as Michael SnowMichael Snow
Michael Snow, CC is a Canadian artist working in painting, sculpture, video, films, photography, holography, drawing, books and music.-Life:...
, Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
, Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter is a German visual artist. Richter has simultaneously produced abstract and photorealistic painted works, as well as photographs and glass pieces, thus undermining the concept of the artist’s obligation to maintain a single cohesive style.- Biography :Gerhard Richter was born in...
and Yvonne Rainer
Yvonne Rainer
Yvonne Rainer is an American dancer, choreographer and filmmaker, whose work in these disciplines is frequently challenging and experimental. Her work is classified as minimalist art.- Early life :...
were published. Re-launched in 2002, The Press has once again become a source for the publishing of primary documents and scholarly works in the fields of contemporary art, craft and design.
NSCAD School of Extended Studies
Founded in 1887, NSCAD has established a long and distinguished history of offering the public the opportunity to study in a visual arts environment. The School of Extended Studies continues this tradition by offering the public a wide variety of non-credit studio and audit lecture courses in fine arts, media arts, craft and design. The School also manages the 30-credit Visual Arts Certificate for Teachers program, the 30-credit Visual Arts Certificate in Studio and the pre-university summer study credit program. Credit programs have admission requirements. Noncredit programs have no admission requirements although prerequisites must be met for some courses.Adult Programs
The adult studio-based and audit lecture courses are available to individuals who are 16 years or older. These courses are designed to meet personal and professional development interests and to prepare for studies in an undergraduate visual arts degree program. Curricula incorporate skills, processes, and health and safety issues. New approaches and ways of seeing, analyzing, experimenting and problem solving through observation are promoted. To ensure program quality, planning is ongoing with other areas of NSCAD University. New courses are added regularly to introduce different subject matter and in response to public demand.
Children and Teen Programs
Saturday Children’s Art Classes began in 1887 and are one of the earliest known examples of such programs in North America. Children in grades 1 – 6 participate in a variety of fun age-appropriate activities that introduce basic visual arts skills.
Teen Art Studio courses for students in Grades 7 -12 introduce fundamental visual art skills and processes, introduce NSCAD facilities and provide older teens an opportunity to build a portfolio for admission to an undergraduate visual arts degree program. Saturday teen courses are offered during the fall and winter and week-long courses are offered during summer. One-day March Break workshops are offered during the Provincial school break.
Night Shift Exhibit
An annual Night Shift Exhibition to display student work completed in Extended Studies course is held in the Anna Leonowens Gallery located on the NSCAD Granville campus. Family and friends are encouraged to attend this popular exhibit and enjoy a variety of different works of art created by all ages.
Timeline
NSCAD has existed under various names and locations.- 1887 the Victoria School of Art and Design opens in the Union Building
- 1890 the school moves to Halifax Academy
- 1903 the school moves to the old National School
- 1925 the school is renamed the Nova Scotia College of Art
- 1957 the school moves to a four storey church hall on Coburg Road
- 1969 the school is renamed the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
- 1969 the school begins granting university degrees
- 1978 NSCAD moves to its current location in the Historic Properties buildings on Granville Street
- 2003 the school is renamed NSCAD University
- 2004 NSCAD expands into its second campus – the Academy Building for film studies
- 2007 NSCAD expands into its third campus, the Port Campus, on the Halifax Waterfront at Pier 21
Notable alumni
- Vikky AlexanderVikky AlexanderVikky Alexander is a Canadian contemporary artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has exhibited internationally since 1981. Working across mediums she is a leading practitioner in the field of photo-conceptualism and is well-known as an installation artist who uses photography, drawing,...
- artist - Thomas BezansonThomas BezansonBrother Thomas Bezanson was a Canadian born artist primarily known for his porcelain pottery and mastery of complex glazes...
- pottery - Alexander Birchler - artist
- Ian CliffordIan CliffordJeffrey Ian Clifford is a former English cricketer. Clifford was a right-handed batsman who played primarily as a wicketkeeper. He was born at Birmingham, Warwickshire....
- ZENN Motor CompanyZENN Motor CompanyZENN Motor Company , ZENN is an acronym for Zero Emissions No Noise, is a Canadian-based company that previously developed small lead-acid electric vehicles that were suitable for the neighborhood electric vehicle market...
chief executive officer - Luc Courchesne - interactive artist
- Thierry Delva - sculptor
- Tanya Tagaq - singer/songwriter
- Lonnie GrahamLonnie GrahamLonnie Graham is a fine art photographer, professor, installation artist, and cultural activist investigating the methods by which the arts can be used to achieve tangible meaning in peoples lives.-Biography:...
- photographer - Jenn GrantJenn GrantJenn Grant is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Background:Born on Prince Edward Island to Ken and Heather Grant, she moved to Halifax with her mother and brother at age ten when their marriage broke up...
- singer/songwriter - Hedwig GorskiHedwig GorskiDr. Hedwig Gorski is an American performance poet and an avant-garde artist who labels her aesthetic as American Futurism...
- performance poet and artist - April GornikApril GornikApril Gornik is an American artist, known for her American landscape paintings.Her work Storm and Fires is included into the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as in many other national museums and private collections.In 2007, The Smithsonian Art Collectors Program...
- painter - James GossJames GossJames Goss is an award-winning English writer and producer, best known for his work on Doctor Who and Torchwood spin-off media.- Doctor Who Web Site :...
- painter - Steven HolmesSteven HolmesSteven Holmes is a Canadian curator based in Hartford, Connecticut-Biography:He was born in Cobourg, Ontario and educated at The University of Toronto, Harvard University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design....
- curator - Teresa Hubbard - artist
- Bruce JohnsonBruce JohnsonBruce Edward Johnson is an American lawyer and Republican politician who was appointed the State of Ohio's 63rd Lieutenant Governor on January 5, 2005, to complete an unexpired term. Johnson concurrently served as Director of the Ohio Department of Development.Johnson's rise in Ohio was swift...
- curator - Laura KipnisLaura KipnisLaura Kipnis is a professor of media studies at Northwestern University. She is also a cultural and media critic who focuses especially on gender issues, sexual politics, popular culture, and pornography...
- media critic - Cal Lane - sculptor
- Micah LexierMicah LexierMicah Lexier is a Canadian artist and curator. He was educated at the University of Manitoba and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...
- artist - Christopher MansonChristopher MansonChristopher Manson is a children's book author and illustrator noted for his use of traditional hand tools to painstakingly make the pine woodcuts that fill his several highly acclaimed works.-Background:...
- children's book author/illustrator - Kelly Mark - sculptor, conceptualist
- Sarah McLachlanSarah McLachlanSarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
- singer/songwriter - Lisa MooreLisa Moore (writer)Lisa Moore is a Canadian writer.Born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Moore studied art at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...
- writer - Chris MurphyChris Murphy (Canadian musician)Chris Murphy is a member of the Canadian rock band Sloan.Although born in Prince Edward Island, Murphy is commonly associated with Nova Scotia; like his fellow bandmates, he currently resides in Toronto...
- musician - Graeme Patterson - sculptor
- Jimmy RankinJimmy RankinJimmy Rankin is a Canadian country and folk artist. A member of The Rankin Family, Rankin has also released four solo studio albums. As a solo artist, Rankin was named Roots Artist of the Year in 2002 by the Canadian Country Music Association...
- singer/songwriter - Julia RivardJulia RivardJulia Rivard is a Canadian sprint canoer who competed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rivard and her teammates finished ninth in the K-4 500 m event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney...
- athlete, designer, CEO of SheepDogInc.ca - William James Roué - designed the BluenoseBluenoseBluenose was a Canadian fishing and racing schooner from Nova Scotia built in 1921. She was later commemorated by a replica Bluenose II built in 1963. A celebrated racing ship and hard-working fishing vessel, Bluenose became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol in...
schooner - Peter SoucySnook (comedian)Snook, the alter-ego of Peter Soucy, is a Newfoundland comedian and actor.-Peter Soucy:Peter Soucy was born in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador where he attended school before eventually moving to Nova Scotia....
- comedian - Andrew ScottAndrew Scott (drummer)Andrew Walter Gibson Scott is a Canadian musician born in Ottawa, Ontario and currently living in Toronto, Ontario. His first bands include No Damn Fears, Oreo Reversed and Blackpool from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Currently, he is a drummer with the Toronto-based band Sloan. He also plays guitar with...
- musician - Cliff EylandCliff EylandCliff Eyland is a Canadian painter, writer and curator. He studied at Holland College, Mount Allison University, and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...
- artist
Faculties
- Craft
- Design
- Fine Arts
- Foundation
- Historical and Critical Studies
- Media Arts
- NSCAD University Press
- Libraries
University history
- Barber, Bruce. "Conceptual Art: the NSCAD connection 1967-1973" (Halifax: Anna Leonowens Gallery, 1998.) ISBN 0-920149-14-6
- Soucy, Donald and Harold Pearse. The First Hundred Years: A History of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Fredericton: University of New Brunswick, 1993.) ISBN 0-920114-27-x
- Stacey, R. H.(Robert H.). "Eightytwenty: 100 years of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design" (Halifax : Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1988.) ISBN 0-888711-06-9
- Kennedy, Garry N., Kenneth Baker, Eric Cameron, Benjamin H.D. Buchloh "NSCAD, The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. (Halifax: Press of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 1982.) ISBN 0-919616-23-2
See also
- Higher education in Nova ScotiaHigher education in Nova Scotia- Introduction :Higher Education in Nova Scotia refers to education provided by higher education institutions. In Canada, education is the responsibility of the provinces and there is no Canadian federal ministry governing education...
- List of universities in Nova Scotia