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Stay in touch with your ACAD Alumni community! Visit us online to update your contact information, to read new alumni profiles, and to get more details about events and news every month.

ACAD alumni advance the knowledge and understanding of the importance of visual culture and design to the economic, cultural and social life of our communities and society. They apply impactful creative thinking and ability in the fields of culture, research, commerce, manufacturing, education and countless others! ACAD is committed to encouraging lifelong relationships with our graduates and encouraging their ongoing connectivity. Around the world ACAD alumni play a vital role as the college's most ardent supporters, ambassadors and student mentors.

ACAD ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER

Spring 2012

As I finish my second year as President + CEO of the Alberta College of Art + Design, I continue to feel within the community tremendous support for the institution. This past year I have continued to meet many alumni and I am constantly amazed at your talent, your energy, your passion and your ability to take risks - be it opening a studio in Berlin or moving to the Big Apple. Your stories are what give ACAD such a rich and proud legacy.

As we continue to develop our business case for expanding our curricular offerings as well as our facility, I thought I would share with you some of the key arguments about how we are positioning ACAD, as your experience and your insight on these matters would be most welcomed.

In order for the institution to thrive in Alberta, I believe it will be critical that ACAD: maintain and increase Alberta's competitive ability to offer dedicated education in the fine arts, craft and design sectors; support and nurture the extraordinary cultural diversity of the province of Alberta; help position Alberta nationally as a key player in the Creative Industries sector; be the premier resource in the province for providing support for Alberta's Cultural Prosperity agenda reaching out to all geographic areas of the province; actively contribute to community building in urban and rural areas of the province of Alberta; and provide broader and more diverse academic breadth to the new learners of the 21st century.

To that end we are developing series of events, activities and programs that will best exemplify ACAD as an Academic Leader, an Educational Leader, and a Community Builder. If by chance your travels bring you back to ACAD, my door remains open as I very much look forward to discussing these ideas with you and exploring how we can move forward.

Sincerely,

Dr. Daniel Doz, President + CEO

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ACAD Alumni Events

Thank you to everyone in the Big Apple who greeted President Doz at the end of March. Watch for details about Edmonton, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat events after May's Convocation!

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Featured Alumnus
Ron Lightburn ACA 1975

I attended the school from 1973-75. My first year was also the first year for the new building. I wished to develop my drawing and painting skills with a goal of becoming a book illustrator. I'm sorry to say that my interest in narrative art was discouraged to the point that I dropped out at the conclusion of my second year. I especially remember an instructor who gave me a failing grade for a series of narrative drawings that I had put a lot of effort into. When I would bring up the name of famous illustrators that I admired, my instructors would belittle them and knowingly inform me that illustration was not "real" art and suggest I spend more time studying abstract art.

I moved to Victoria, B.C. in June of 1975 and continued to develop my drawing and painting skills on my own. In 1981 I began my career as an illustrator with work for a variety of advertising, editorial and government clients. In 1984 I won the Western Magazine Award for Illustration. My career as a children's book illustrator was launched with my Governor General's Award-winning artwork for Waiting for the Whales in 1991. Since then I have won several other awards and have become internationally renowned for my visual storytelling skills and range of illustration styles. My picture books have been published in seven countries and six languages with total sales of over 600,000 copies. I have given illustration presentations and workshops to audiences of all ages in Canada from Victoria to St. John's. During the past quarter century my artwork has graced the covers of over sixty books and has been featured in magazines, calendars, posters and advertisements across North America. My client list includes Penguin Books, the Province of Nova Scotia, the Province of British Columbia, The Walt Disney Company, CP Hotels and the Heritage Canada Foundation. My artwork has been recognized and exhibited by The Society of Illustrators in New York and is included in the permanent collections of Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books in Toronto and the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy in Toronto. In 2005 my paintings for A Poppy Is to Remember were selected to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Library and Archives Canada publication Read Up On It. I have been a resident of Nova Scotia since 1997. My eleventh picture book, Juba This, Juba That, was reviewed in the December, 2011 issue of School Library Journal ("The World's Largest Reviewer of Books, Multimedia and Technology for Children and Teens"):

BECKER, Helaine. Juba This, Juba That. illus. by Ron Lightburn. unpaged. CIP. Tundra. 2011. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-975-7. LC 2011922895.
-This modern-day version of a traditional African chant imagines an adventure that happens one evening when a dark-skinned boy follows a yellow cat to the fair. They laugh at their reflections in the House of Mirrors, take a spooky fun-house ride, and generally have a wonderful time before returning home to bed. Becker's simple rhyme plays with opposites and is just right for clapping and bouncing along. Lightburn's lively illustrations perfectly capture the joy of the nighttime escapade and extend the story. The boy and cat are set against backgrounds of diagonal streaks of cool colors that aptly convey movement and a sense of fantasy. This is a good choice for reading aloud to an active group of youngsters.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

I trust that attitudes at the school have changed since the 1970s. I'm just glad I didn't listen to that Instructor!

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Updates for Alumni

ACAD Board of Governors' Alumni Award of Excellence in partnership with the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts! Please visit the exhibition of artwork from the 2011 and 2012 recipients of the Board of Governors Alumni Award of Excellence. The recipients for 2011 were Chris Cran, Norman Faulkner and Alex Janvier - find out around Convocation (May 17) who received the award for 2012! The artwork will be ondisplay in the Alcove Gallery on First Balcony at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium from May 7 to June 15, 2012. Works are on loan from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Calgary 2012 Project Grant for Alumni Exhibit!

ACAD Alumni Relations has received a Calgary 2012-Project Grant for a travelling alumni exhibition - Thank you Calgary 2012, the City of Calgary, and the Cultural Capital of Canada program! Watch for details on the Alumni Facebook page and in the quarterly Alumni E-newsletter!

We Need Your ACAD Memories!

ACAD's craft and art historian, Jennifer Salahub, has begun a research project that will lead to the written history of Craft at ACAD. Although only in its initial stage (The Early Years) she is still looking to you for help. If you have any stories that will animate this tale, please contact Melissa in Alumni Relations (alumni@acad.ca) or Jennifer (jennifer.salahub@acad.ca).

The ACAD Writing Centre is open to ACAD Alumni!

The ACAD Writing Centre supports you to enhance the effective use of written language. Bring your CV, artist statement, grant application, essay, critique, short story, poetry, or any written project and get feedback from our Writing Advisors and Faculty Consultants. You can schedule a 30 min. session by emailing the Alumni Relations office (alumni@acad.ca) with your preferred day and time (three hour window). Writing Centre services are offered Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 2:30 pm.

From ACAD's Student Association, we are happy to announce that F2 FURNISHINGS, located at 1210 11th. Avenue SW is accepting work for show, sale and display from emerging ACAD artists, both current students and alumni, in the Calgary Showroom. Please forward your interest, including a sample of your work from your portfolio (JPEG format) and a brief artist statement for consideration to: stephen.w@f2furnishings.ca

Subject: ART SUBMISSION. This is an ongoing initiative and any questions can be directed to Stephen @ 403.922.7677.

At Bow Valley College's Art Project event on April 12 the winners of the Emerging Artist Program were announced. 41 images were received from 11 artists - all of whom were BVC Artstream grads and either current students or ACAD alumni - and a qualified jury chose the best. An Alberta Foundation for the Arts grant covered the purchase of two pieces and an anonymous donor supported the third. Congratulations to artists Neil Horvath (Damian Hirst), Richard Duck Chief (Remembering), and Lobsang Tseten (Solitude)!

The Calgary Public Library is looking for Art Circuit Tour Guides to lead participants through art tours, discussing pieces in the City's art collection. Must be available from noon - 1 pm on the last Thursday of each month and on other dates periodically. If you are interested, please contact Christine at christine.pinkney@calgarypubliclibrary.com or call 403-260-2632.

Mount Royal University's SIFE Business Workshops help budding entrepreneurs feel comfortable and confident about starting their own business. All courses are facilitated by students, as well as industry professionals who teach content and act as mentors. There is a $25 registration fee for The Idea and a $150 registration fee for The Plan (but participants receive $50 back upon completion). For more information about SIFE, visit www.sifemru.com.

The Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) reports have just been made available to participating institutions. We thank all ACAD Alumni who took the time to complete the lengthy survey last fall. We have pages and pages to read over the summer but look forward to sharing what we learned and applying it to current and future ACAD students.

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Alumni News

Amanda Allaire (Henderson), 2007 MADT

Amanda is currently writing her Master's thesis at the University of Calgary. Her focus is on Industrial Design and her research is exploring sports equipment design for ice hockey.

www.amandaallaire.com

Brian Battista, 2001 Sculpture

Brian has an upcoming show titled "Divine Inspiration" at Stride Gallery opening October 26, 2012.

Monique Blom, 1998 Sculpture

Hormogonia, Lichen painting and Anthropogenic, Milk painting

Chris Boha, 2003 Glass

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery developed the biennial National Student Art Glass Prize to reward and promote innovation and excellence in contemporary glass within the university student sector. The prize is open to all Australian and international students studying art glass as part of a university course in Australia. Chris won "Highly Commended" work for: The Space In/Between: 24 Weeks 2009.

Jason Botkin and Tim Barnard, 1996 and 2001 Drawing

We'd like to draw your attention toward a Montreal-based collaborative drawing project Jason co-created and now direct called EN MASSE. Tim came up with the concept, which is rapidly growing an international reputation in the hands of Rupert Bottenberg and Fred Caron, who co-direct the project with Jason. Some beautiful images and videos captured over the past few years of operation can be found at: http://enmasse.info/.

Quentin Caron, 1975 Painting

Quentin is in transition from Massachusetts to Florida where he is joining the Walt Disney Imagineering team for another of their projects on the FantasyLand expansion!

Christine Cholewa, 2002 Glass

This year the Art Gallery of Western Australia celebrates 10 years of the Tom Malone Prize. The prize has strengthened the Gallery's engagement with the contemporary Australian glass scene. An acquisitive award, it has established a truly popular and long lasting benefit for all Western Australian and Gallery visitors. This Year the Tom Malone Prize was exhibited alongside Translucence: contemporary glass. With a wide variety of approaches to making - from kiln-forming, to dazzling hot glass blowing, to p�te de verre to work incorporating video - the display broadens viewers' understanding about what is happening in the glass world and what is possible in the medium of glass. The Tom Malone Prize showcased 14 shortlisted finalists - including ACAD's own Christine Cholewa! See: http://www.artgallery.wa.gov.au/exhibitions/Tom-Malone-2012.asp

Karen Christensen, 1980 Print Media

What goes around comes around.... Since finishing the wheel/turn series which are influenced by the repetitive nature of printmaking, Karen has rekindled working with her photography and using image editing as inspiration for new paintings. The paintings then affect the way she photographs. Fun!

Curtis Cutshaw, 1989 Painting

Curtis' "Watermark" is at the Deborah Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary. Curtis' work is based on drawings he made incorporating the use of dowsing rods he found on his family farm. With paper in hand he sets forth on open land, a dowsing rod out in front of him with a felt pen attached to a string hanging at the end of the rod.

Christian Eckart, 1984 Painting

Christian has recently finished work commissioned by the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada. The piece is entitled Glass Hexagonal Perturbation - "Hive Brane" - 2011. The misspelling is intentional and refers to an abbreviation that astrophysicists and cosmologists, amongst other disciplines, often use in place of the word membrane. It is approximately 4 meters high by 10 meters long and 2.5 meters deep (12.5 feet high x 33 feet wide x 7 feet deep) and is constructed of 114 uniquely shaped isosceles triangle frames, fabricated in painted aluminum, within which is installed a palette of 14 colors of translucent custom-colored glass.

The magazine "Canadian Art" has published an excellent article, written by Mark Cheetham, about Hive Brane as well as other new and recent works entitled "Christian Eckart: Beyond The Wall" which can be found at this link: <http://www.canadianart.ca/online/features/2012/01/19/christian_eckart/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly+Jan+12+2012&utm_content=weekly+Jan+12+2012+CID_0655cf5785195d445bccece3505254b7&utm_source=E+Weekly+Campaign&utm_term=Read+more>

Chris Flodberg, 1998 Painting

Chris exhibited at the Master's Gallery in Calgary during March 2012: "Postscript: Eight New Paintings"

In preparation for a series of larger paintings, Chris recently began collecting masks and other objects associated with parties, celebrations, and carnivals. The paintings in this series grew out of an impulse to examine this new collection of still life material in a direct and emotive way, working directly from life and allowing the paint and the subject to dictate the direction of each work. He has always been interested in the idea of depicting the remnants of decadence; melding the reminders of pleasure with a sense of something that is darker, and in the case of this series, more lonely and intangible.

Scott Hagen, 1986 Painting

Scott graduated from the Painting Dept and also served as Vice-President of the Students Association from 1985-86. He went on to learn the craft of picture framing and then moved to Vancouver, where he enjoyed working at the Buschlen Mowatt Gallery for 11 years. He and his wife recently spent 6 years in the Okanagan and now find themselves in Calgary seeking new careers. It's great to be back in Alberta! View his website at: www.scott-hagen-art.com.

Kalen Lortscher, 2008 Glass

Kalen is working at a fine art foundry in Edinburgh, Scotland. She mainly does metal work on large scale public art, but also does bronze restorations, and work with a range of other media. She is in the process of setting up a glass casting studio to pursue her own artwork!

Kyle Nylund, 2008 Fibre

Kyle is going to be part of a large wearable-art-meets-technology event to be held in September called MAKE:FASHION. He also performed a monologue in the 'Coming Out Monologues' at the University of Calgary in March 2012.

Siri McCormick, 2007 Fibre

See a link to Siri's interview about Contextural: a fibre arts co-operative at:

http://yycarts.blogspot.com/2011/12/window-spotlight-contextural-fibre-arts.html

Gary McMillan, 1991 Painting

After a long hiatus, Gary is painting seriously again. The past 2 years has seen the creation of an excellent body of work!

Evan Penny, 1975 Sculpture

Evan's "Old Self, Young Self: A Portrait of the Artist" was on view through to Feb. 18 at TrepanierBaer Gallery. Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Sculptor+Evan+Penny+feels/6029562/story.html#ixzz1pDew7cqo

Sander Sarioglu, 2005 Visual Communications

Sander's website is www.thesilenceofsnow.com

Ryan Sluggett, 2003 Painting

Earlier this year, Richard Telles Fine Art presented new large-scale paintings by Ryan Sluggett, his first solo exhibition with the gallery. Ryan has recently been included in group exhibitions at Fredricks and Freiser, New York in 2010, the Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, and the Biennale de Montreal, both in 2007. He has also held solo exhibitions at Trepanier Baer, Calgary, in 2010 and YYZ Artists' Outlet, Toronto in 2007. Sluggett lives and works in Los Angeles.

Lowell Smith, 2010 MADT

Lowell has a show at Stride Art Gallery for April and May, with the Opening Reception on May 17 from 7-8pm. The end of an era brings new beginnings. On September 1st 2011, the Government of Canada ended analog television (in Canada). The static snowy channel, a familiar image to many of us growing up, is gone. Now dead, the static channel will have a nostalgic value to our generation and will mean nothing to future generations. END OF ANALOG combines an old television with new video capturing technology to present a 3D image of the viewer in the television static, as a homage to what once was. Lowell enjoys tinkering, building and hacking different types of electronic devices and technologies.

Nayan Sthankiya, 1996 Drawing

Nayan passed these links on about a conversation he had with the CBC on media and photojournalism and a feature article about his photojournalism around the world:

http://www.rcinet.ca/english/column/in-conversation-with---/MASALA-CANADA-conversations-4/#NAYAN-STHANKIYA

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/canada-in-afghanistan/Shooting+truth/5979336/story.html

Libertee Stilborn, 2001 Photography

Libertee graduated in 2001, leaving the school with a BFA in photography. She moved to New York for an internship at Stuff/Maxim magazine. It was an amazing experience and she learned quickly how the industry worked in the real world! After returning to Calgary, she focused on her career as a make-up designer and worked at a local high end salon. It was there that she met her two business partners and created Pure.Form Salon/Studio. She had always wanted to commingle her two skills and passions, Beauty and Photography. That was 7 yrs ago and they have been growing ever since their doors opened!

Shannon Stratton, 2000 Interdisciplinary Studies

Shannon was named a 2011 Chicagoan of the Year!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-20111222-chicagoans-of-the-year-pictures,0,4837261.photogallery. Shannon has also been named by the Cranbrook Academy of Art as the Critical Studies Fellow for the 2012-2013 year. Operating as a critic at-large at the Academy, Shannon will meet directly with students to promote dialogue on issues of prominence in the world of art and design.

Robin Thibodeau, 1998 Drawing

Aside from her own studio work where her subject matter ranges from advanced perspective, to portraiture, to the fantastical world, for the past 10 years, Robin has been teaching (wildly popular:) drawing classes to ages 5-75 through Okotoks' Community Programs. Four years ago, she obtained her Level 1 Child Care Worker Certificate and began working as a Preschool Teacher's Assistant at the long-running, 'Serendipity Pre-Kindergarten'. Joining another ACAD alumnus Shirley Paradis in 2003, she too became a key member of the Okotoks Arts Council. Five years later, Shirley and Robin began running 3 rigorous weeks of Fine Art Day Camps for the age groups 5-7, 8-10 and 11-15.
The newest addition to her career is her private drawing lessons run through her home studio since June 2007.
Currently, she's working on finding a way to fit in obtaining her B.F.A. sometime during this year.

Angie To, 1995 Sculpture

The Wellsville Creative Arts Center showcased in March 2012 the art of Angie To, Alfred University professor of art. To's work incorporates specific observations from nature and infuses it with vibrant backgrounds and color patterns. Angie was born in Hong Kong and received her Diploma of Fine Art from the Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Alberta, and her master of fine arts degree from Ohio State University, Columbus.

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Alumni Benefits

It's good to be an ACAD Alum!

ACAD Alumni receive benefits from retailers and service providers in Calgary - and we are working to extend those benefits in other cities as well. Check out our alumni website for the list of discounts. If you know of deals and perks that can be shared with fellow alums travelling in your area, let us know and we'll help spread the word!

From TD Insurance Meloche Monnex: 9 tips to survive and thrive in this economy

If you're like most Canadians, you're likely still startled by the loud economic wake-up call. But it's time to put fear and helplessness aside and buckle down. Check out these 9 expert tips and see why "boring is beautiful" at least when it comes to your money.

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Stay in touch: we want to keep you in the loop about the exciting events and news coming from our ACAD alumni community. Be sure to visit +acad.ca/alumni to find out how you can find out more, or email the ACAD Office of Alumni Affairs at alumni@acad.ca

Sincerely,

Melissa Trono signature

Melissa Trono
Alberta College of Art + Design

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The Advancement Division (within which Alumni Relations is contained) considers your privacy to be of utmost importance. Your personal information is collected under the authority of Section 33 (c) of the Alberta "Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act" and will be protected under Part 2 of this Act. It will be used for the purposes of updating and maintaining alumni records, and communicating with alumni and other stakeholders. Questions concerning the collection, use or disposal of this information may be directed to Advancement + Alumni Relations (alumni@acad.ca or melissa.trono@acad.ca; 403.284.6239).