Wpg Free Press: Think art school is easy? Panel will dispel that myth

April 29, 2014 —

As the Winnipeg Free Press reports, studying art is not an easy task, and to help argue this case, U of M students and professors will hold a panel discussion on May 2 at the Free Press News cafe in downtown Winnipeg.

As the article reads:

…University of Manitoba School of Art students Shaylyn Plett and John Patterson, as well as instructors Ufuk Gueray and Erica Mendritzki, will participate in a panel discussion about the rigours of art school. They will discuss famous artists’ student work and will talk about issues surrounding fine arts education. Patrons will also be invited to take a guided tour of Exchange District spaces that feature strong, motivated student art.

Though the panelists differ in their approaches to education, all agree that the years spent in art school can be demanding. It is where they learn an artist’s life requires vast amounts of sacrifice and self-belief, and that chances of success are slim.

It is also where students get their first taste of criticism. In what are known as group critiques, students subject their work to the scrutiny of peers and professors. Critiques can be academically challenging but can also leave students feeling strangely vulnerable, particularly if their work speaks about personal struggle.

“I am not tough on students for the sake of making them feel bad about themselves or their work, but I also don’t see critiques as instances of group therapy,” says Gueray, who has taught figure study and colour theory. “You have to be able to contextualize your work within a larger historic trajectory and talk well about your artistic intentions.”

Art Talk/Art Walk at the Free Press News Café on Friday at 6 p.m. Call 204-697-7069 for tickets to the event.

School of Art, Students