Dear FVAs:
We are now exactly one week away from Orientation Day 2012. Except that this time the Student Representative Council (SRC) has made it into an Orientation Week, like UNB-Fredericton, SMU and NSCAD (the school I'll be attending this year) do, along with other universities and colleges across the country. As someone who barely knew which way was up during her time as an FVA ('09 - '10), I'm kind of jealous of you guys. When I did FVA, all we had was Orientation Day, where we met our academic adviser (go Blue Group and Adam MacDonald!) and that person showed us around, where things were in the school, where the best coffee is (most NBCCD-types go to Read's), where Endeavours--another art supply store--is, took us to the basement photo studio where Photo Studio tech Jeff Crawford took our photos for our school ID (mine was one of my least favourite photos of me, due to the fact that by that point I was completely worn out and could barely muster the energy to smile), and then took us to the registrar's office to get tuition paid. After that, we had to be up and at 'em bright and early for class the next day. So while I appreciated O-Day, and the school did it's best to welcome us (thanks, Adam), it was far from the ideal welcome that UNB exhibited (I went to some of their O-Week events that year).
I have no idea what the SRC has planned for you guys, but I know it's going to be awesome--because NBCCD is awesome.
Once O-Week is over, the reality of college will probably slap you in the face. A word of caution: watch out for Week #3 in both semesters (the weeks of September 12, '12 and January 23, '13): once you're through the third week, you'll have a good idea of what the rest of the semester's going to be like. And remember: if you're having problems of any sort, talk to your teachers, your academic adviser or the counsellor on the fourth floor of Building A. Especially your teachers and academic adviser: they're there to help, not just shove knowledge down your throat (which is how it felt for me during the first semester). They won't bite. Promise. You'll also have a mandatory meeting with your academic adviser during the Fall semester. They'll want to see how you're doing, whether or not you're having any problems and help you resolve those issues, be they stress, workload, adjusting to the school, etc. Take advantage of their knowledge: a lot of the teachers have been at the school for ten or more years, so they know the ropes. Some, like Drew Gilbert and Karen Ruet, both of whom teach in the Photography studio and both of whom are FVA academic advisers, are NBCCD alumni, so they know what it's like to be a student at this school.
I wish you the very best, hope you won't get too stressed (but if you do, as my mom would say, breathe), and hope you'll survive to the end of April '13 and be able to say that you did. When the year is over, you'll have lots of stories to tell your friends and family--and kids, if you have them some day. You'll be bruised and scarred, but if you're anything like me, you'll be proud of every one of those invisible wounds. You'll be able to say that you can survive anything.
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12, NSCAD Photography BFA Class of '13
Showing posts with label letter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letter. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Graduation Day
Saturday was convocation--the first I've ever gone to.
That morning, I rolled out of bed at about 7:30. Since I planned to eat and do my makeup in the car, all I had to do was make and drink my coffee, get dressed, grab a couple things, put on my shoes and head out the door. I'd planned to snooze in the car, but that ended up not happening.
Prior to the afternoon's events, we had a rehearsal. Jan Brooks (FVA studio head) was in charge. She spent a lot of the rehearsal telling us individually where we were to sit. The Photogs were in the third row. Jan also told us how to enter the auditorium (half of us were to enter the auditorium on the right aisle, the other half on the left aisle, and file into our seat rows in alternating directions: first row entered on the left, second on the right, third on the left, etc.), how to accept our certificates or diplomas (one row at a time lines up along the right wall and one by one we walk up the stairs to the stage, hand the studio head a card that has our names, any awards/scholarships we've won and honours--if the student attained a 3.3 or higher GPA during the final year of their program--proceed to Michael, shake hands with him while he switches the mortarboard tassel from the right to the left, go to the academic dean, Keith McAlpine, shake hands with him and accept your certificate or diploma and then walk down the stairs on the left side, up the left aisle and back to your seat), and went over the routine with one of the rows.
As Jan was calling our names, Peter came up to where I was sitting. He asked whether I'd heard from NSCAD about my updated credit situation. I haven't. He said that no one else who applied from NBCCD had heard from NSCAD, either. Grr...
In the last two years, I've noticed that NBCCD has upped their efforts to include more vegetarian options when they supply food for us students, and lunch was no different. In addition to having the usual pepperoni pizza, they also had a veggie pizza.
Over lunch, we got our gowns, sashes (aqua for FVAs, gold for diplomas and maroon for Advanced Studies) and mortarboards. It was only then that I realized that I'd forgotten the $30 that I needed to give them (refunded at the end of the day). I was ready to call Mom, but they let it go. Yay for small schools (bigger ones like U of Guelph, where Tom earned his B.Sc., and which looks like a town about the size of St. Stephen on Google Earth, probably wouldn't be as likely to let something like that slide)!
We spent the rest of the time before the ceremony waiting. I put on my robe, sash and mortarboard fairly early, mostly because I was excited: this was the first time I'd ever worn graduation garb.
Jan then had us line up in two groups and took us to the foyer, where we waited some more. Eventually we filed into the auditorium. And there was Peter, onstage, playing a jazzy number on a grand piano. One of the Ceramics grads, Melissa LeBlanc, sang O Canada en Français. I sang along in English.
Two women from the Maliseet First Nation sang a prayer, and then John McLaughlin (chairman of the NBCCD advisory council) officially opened the convocation. The Honourable Martine Coulombe (Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour) delivered the welcome from the provincial government. Michael spoke, and then they got on to the business of handing out certificates and diplomas.
The studio heads read our names, honours and awards (if applicable), and we went through the process of having our tassels flipped from the left to the right and getting our certificates or diplomas. Peter spoke about how graduation is like giving your child away, sending them out into the world--which doesn't surprise me, given how close-knit the college is.
When my turn came, I took a deep breath before climbing the steps to the stage: this was it. This was the culmination of two years spent happily slaving away in the photo studio. Two years of learning, discovering, howling with laughter, listening to music, being stressed out of my mind during finals, being teased by my teachers, joking with classmates, spending hundreds of hours at the school, printing lots of photos on the Epson printer, spending hours in the darkroom (and coming out with my hands smelling of photo chemicals) and, oh, yeah, going to class.
I then walked up the steps, handed the card with my name on it to Peter; walked over to Michael, shook his hand, had my tassel flipped left-to-right; walked over to Keith, accepted my diploma, shook hands with him and walked off stage--all with a huge smile on my face.
After all the certificates and diplomas had been handed out, Audrée Hamelin-St-Amour received the Governer General's Medal, and then our valedictorian, Spencer Corbett (Fashion Design), gave his speech. Michael talked about what the Student Representative Council (SRC) accomplished this past year, and the changes that have been happening at the college.
Keith presented the college fellow to Anne Reynolds. Michael spoke again, and then the students marched back out of the auditorium, followed by everyone else.
By the time I came out of the auditorium, the reception area was already filled with people, and it continued to fill up even more over the next several minutes. I looked for Mom and Tom and eventually found them. Tom took several photos of me (alone and with Mom). Eventually I took my gown and sash back (I got to keep the cap).
We then headed over to Memorial Hall, where the grad show is. I talked with some of my classmates and introduced my parents to Trudy Gallagher. We talked, Tom took photos, and Trudy mentioned once again how good my business plan was. I also chatted briefly with Mitch Kavanaugh (the store manager), and mentioned how I had wanted to say good-bye to him on my last day back in April, and gave him a hug.
Mom, Tom and I left after about an hour and drove home (I wore my mortarboard most of the way), where I popped the cork on a bottle of Asti. We had supper (some pad thai and veggie patties that Mom got at the market). Mom and Tom spent much of the evening sleeping. I was more than a bit tired myself.
When I finally went to bed, the fact that the chapter of my life known as NBCCD was now really and truly over--and that there was no going back--hit me, and I cried for a bit. I guess I'm not quite as used to life post-NBCCD as I thought--and even April twenty-sixth, bittersweet as it was, didn't give me enough closure. I also choked up several times during the ceremony.
Today I'm almost feeling normal after spending yesterday doing virtually nothing due to exhaustion (I was running on fumes by eleven last night).
And now, my final letter to the FVA Class of '12 (just so you know, even though I'll be at NSCAD I will continue the series next year: I will probably always have a massive case of NBCCD Pride):
Dear FVAs:
This year, I neglected to write a letter at the end of the spring semester. And then I decided to hold off deliberately, as I knew graduation was in a couple months.
Congratulations: you survived FVA! Though probably not without a few bumps and scrapes. I still bear the bruises and scars that I earned in my FVA year--but I'm proud of every single one, as I learned from them all. I learned about college, and I learned about myself as an artist and a person. I hope you guys had a similar experience.
I hope you've applied for the diploma program: after FVA, it only gets better. To any future Photogs reading this: I can't begin to tell you how awesome the studio and faculty are--and how indescribably funny the studio head, Peter Gross, is. I'm going to miss that guy...
Once again, congratulations. I'm ridiculously proud of you guys.
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12, NSCAD Photography BFA Class of '13
That morning, I rolled out of bed at about 7:30. Since I planned to eat and do my makeup in the car, all I had to do was make and drink my coffee, get dressed, grab a couple things, put on my shoes and head out the door. I'd planned to snooze in the car, but that ended up not happening.
Prior to the afternoon's events, we had a rehearsal. Jan Brooks (FVA studio head) was in charge. She spent a lot of the rehearsal telling us individually where we were to sit. The Photogs were in the third row. Jan also told us how to enter the auditorium (half of us were to enter the auditorium on the right aisle, the other half on the left aisle, and file into our seat rows in alternating directions: first row entered on the left, second on the right, third on the left, etc.), how to accept our certificates or diplomas (one row at a time lines up along the right wall and one by one we walk up the stairs to the stage, hand the studio head a card that has our names, any awards/scholarships we've won and honours--if the student attained a 3.3 or higher GPA during the final year of their program--proceed to Michael, shake hands with him while he switches the mortarboard tassel from the right to the left, go to the academic dean, Keith McAlpine, shake hands with him and accept your certificate or diploma and then walk down the stairs on the left side, up the left aisle and back to your seat), and went over the routine with one of the rows.
As Jan was calling our names, Peter came up to where I was sitting. He asked whether I'd heard from NSCAD about my updated credit situation. I haven't. He said that no one else who applied from NBCCD had heard from NSCAD, either. Grr...
In the last two years, I've noticed that NBCCD has upped their efforts to include more vegetarian options when they supply food for us students, and lunch was no different. In addition to having the usual pepperoni pizza, they also had a veggie pizza.
Over lunch, we got our gowns, sashes (aqua for FVAs, gold for diplomas and maroon for Advanced Studies) and mortarboards. It was only then that I realized that I'd forgotten the $30 that I needed to give them (refunded at the end of the day). I was ready to call Mom, but they let it go. Yay for small schools (bigger ones like U of Guelph, where Tom earned his B.Sc., and which looks like a town about the size of St. Stephen on Google Earth, probably wouldn't be as likely to let something like that slide)!
We spent the rest of the time before the ceremony waiting. I put on my robe, sash and mortarboard fairly early, mostly because I was excited: this was the first time I'd ever worn graduation garb.
Jan then had us line up in two groups and took us to the foyer, where we waited some more. Eventually we filed into the auditorium. And there was Peter, onstage, playing a jazzy number on a grand piano. One of the Ceramics grads, Melissa LeBlanc, sang O Canada en Français. I sang along in English.
Two women from the Maliseet First Nation sang a prayer, and then John McLaughlin (chairman of the NBCCD advisory council) officially opened the convocation. The Honourable Martine Coulombe (Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour) delivered the welcome from the provincial government. Michael spoke, and then they got on to the business of handing out certificates and diplomas.
The studio heads read our names, honours and awards (if applicable), and we went through the process of having our tassels flipped from the left to the right and getting our certificates or diplomas. Peter spoke about how graduation is like giving your child away, sending them out into the world--which doesn't surprise me, given how close-knit the college is.
When my turn came, I took a deep breath before climbing the steps to the stage: this was it. This was the culmination of two years spent happily slaving away in the photo studio. Two years of learning, discovering, howling with laughter, listening to music, being stressed out of my mind during finals, being teased by my teachers, joking with classmates, spending hundreds of hours at the school, printing lots of photos on the Epson printer, spending hours in the darkroom (and coming out with my hands smelling of photo chemicals) and, oh, yeah, going to class.
I then walked up the steps, handed the card with my name on it to Peter; walked over to Michael, shook his hand, had my tassel flipped left-to-right; walked over to Keith, accepted my diploma, shook hands with him and walked off stage--all with a huge smile on my face.
After all the certificates and diplomas had been handed out, Audrée Hamelin-St-Amour received the Governer General's Medal, and then our valedictorian, Spencer Corbett (Fashion Design), gave his speech. Michael talked about what the Student Representative Council (SRC) accomplished this past year, and the changes that have been happening at the college.
Keith presented the college fellow to Anne Reynolds. Michael spoke again, and then the students marched back out of the auditorium, followed by everyone else.
By the time I came out of the auditorium, the reception area was already filled with people, and it continued to fill up even more over the next several minutes. I looked for Mom and Tom and eventually found them. Tom took several photos of me (alone and with Mom). Eventually I took my gown and sash back (I got to keep the cap).
We then headed over to Memorial Hall, where the grad show is. I talked with some of my classmates and introduced my parents to Trudy Gallagher. We talked, Tom took photos, and Trudy mentioned once again how good my business plan was. I also chatted briefly with Mitch Kavanaugh (the store manager), and mentioned how I had wanted to say good-bye to him on my last day back in April, and gave him a hug.
Mom, Tom and I left after about an hour and drove home (I wore my mortarboard most of the way), where I popped the cork on a bottle of Asti. We had supper (some pad thai and veggie patties that Mom got at the market). Mom and Tom spent much of the evening sleeping. I was more than a bit tired myself.
When I finally went to bed, the fact that the chapter of my life known as NBCCD was now really and truly over--and that there was no going back--hit me, and I cried for a bit. I guess I'm not quite as used to life post-NBCCD as I thought--and even April twenty-sixth, bittersweet as it was, didn't give me enough closure. I also choked up several times during the ceremony.
Today I'm almost feeling normal after spending yesterday doing virtually nothing due to exhaustion (I was running on fumes by eleven last night).
And now, my final letter to the FVA Class of '12 (just so you know, even though I'll be at NSCAD I will continue the series next year: I will probably always have a massive case of NBCCD Pride):
Dear FVAs:
This year, I neglected to write a letter at the end of the spring semester. And then I decided to hold off deliberately, as I knew graduation was in a couple months.
Congratulations: you survived FVA! Though probably not without a few bumps and scrapes. I still bear the bruises and scars that I earned in my FVA year--but I'm proud of every single one, as I learned from them all. I learned about college, and I learned about myself as an artist and a person. I hope you guys had a similar experience.
I hope you've applied for the diploma program: after FVA, it only gets better. To any future Photogs reading this: I can't begin to tell you how awesome the studio and faculty are--and how indescribably funny the studio head, Peter Gross, is. I'm going to miss that guy...
Once again, congratulations. I'm ridiculously proud of you guys.
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12, NSCAD Photography BFA Class of '13
 |
| You know you're a graduate of a photography program when the first thing you do upon arriving home is take a photo of your mortarboard and diploma. |
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Letter to the FVAs: FINALS!
Dear FVAs:
It's almost the end of the year. And that means that it's time to bury your noses in your copies of Launching the Imagination in preparation for your 3D Design exam. I wouldn't be surprised if you're pulling your hair out about your final projects.
I wouldn't be surprised if even just the thought is freaking you out right now. But remember that we've got a really good support system here at the college. If you're having problems, you're really stressed out, etc., talk to your teacher.
At least you have your portfolios in. When I did FVA, the portfolios were due on the last day, which meant I was super-stressed. That's probably one of the reasons why the deadline was pushed back: the students had enough on their plates.
Because Spring finals can be brutal (I'm doing surprisingly well, considering how stressful the last two years have been), I will remind you to breathe. Force yourself to relax--even if it's while doing other work. Listen to your favourite music while you glue together Platonic solids (ah, fond memories). I remember listening to the Met's performance of Le Comte d'Ory during a particularly stressful weekend last year. I made sure to let the Met know how much that performance helped me.
So good luck, and although it may not feel like it right now, you will survive the stress, you will come out the other end of finals.
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12, NSCAD Photography BFA Class of '13 (transfer)
It's almost the end of the year. And that means that it's time to bury your noses in your copies of Launching the Imagination in preparation for your 3D Design exam. I wouldn't be surprised if you're pulling your hair out about your final projects.
I wouldn't be surprised if even just the thought is freaking you out right now. But remember that we've got a really good support system here at the college. If you're having problems, you're really stressed out, etc., talk to your teacher.
At least you have your portfolios in. When I did FVA, the portfolios were due on the last day, which meant I was super-stressed. That's probably one of the reasons why the deadline was pushed back: the students had enough on their plates.
Because Spring finals can be brutal (I'm doing surprisingly well, considering how stressful the last two years have been), I will remind you to breathe. Force yourself to relax--even if it's while doing other work. Listen to your favourite music while you glue together Platonic solids (ah, fond memories). I remember listening to the Met's performance of Le Comte d'Ory during a particularly stressful weekend last year. I made sure to let the Met know how much that performance helped me.
So good luck, and although it may not feel like it right now, you will survive the stress, you will come out the other end of finals.
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12, NSCAD Photography BFA Class of '13 (transfer)
Monday, April 9, 2012
the fun of playing with a beta version
I emailed the prime minister for the first time this week. As someone who isn't about to just sit by and let the leader of her country take that country and twist and warp it into something unrecognizable, sending that email gave me a real high. I refuse to accept what Harper wants us Canucks to accept.
Monday: We met with Linda that afternoon. I spent most of said afternoon and into the evening doing homework: editing videos for my independent project and working on the second gallery review. I also emailed the two artists whose show I was reviewing.
Tuesday: I spent Photoshop class doing research on CS6. I've been completely mind-blown by what I've found out about that program: it's a complete revamp and overhaul. In their review, Gizmodo called it a "must-have update."
The end is definitely in sight for Still to Motion. I spent the class polishing up the documentary that I'm making. Things like adding titles, transitions and the credit reel.
I sent that email to Harper in the evening.
Wednesday: Karen took us on a field-trip to the UNB Art Centre, where we met with the centre’s director, Marie Maltais. We also went to the Beaverbrook and went behind the scenes with Greg Charlton. You may remember that Greg took us there last year in Design: Shaping Space. I love anything that shows you what goes on that audiences/gallery-goers/etc., aren't usually aware of: that is where the real story is. I still remember when Mom and I met up with Lynn after my first BSO concert, in May 2006. We'd decided to go out to dinner, and Lynn needed to get her violin and coat, both of which were backstage. She had Mom and me wait in the wings, and I'll never forget those minutes. I watched as the musicians packed up and chatted. Seeing that sort of thing makes you realize that artists are people, too, and they talk about mundane, ordinary stuff just like the rest of us. That's also why I love seeing photos of orchestras rehearsing, with the musicians wearing regular clothes: there's a lot of prep and practising that goes into each concert.
In Research, Drew helped me sort out how to tell which cameras were at which levels. Although I could tell the different levels pretty well by reading reviews, some of them were a bit cryptic. The trick is simple: low price = entry level, medium price = mid-range, high price = pro level. My current camera (a.k.a. my baby), an Olympus Evolt E-510, is entry-level, by the way. I started to outgrow it when I started in the diploma program, though I don't plan to replace it until after I get my BFA. If NBCCD was enough to cause me to outgrow my camera in a year, imagine what a year at NSCAD will do.
Thursday: According to Peter and my classmates, I finally hit on an ideal way to do the videos for my project: use a still image, letting the text do the work. Now I had to go back and redo all the videos that I'd already made so that they matched the one that I made this past week.
As usual, I devoted the afternoon and evening to homework. I also started work on a surprise that I'm making for the Photo Studio faculty.
Friday: The college was closed (and pretty much empty) due to Good Friday, but I still went over to get stuff done. And I got a lot done.
Saturday: I finally started choosing photos for the grad show and my final portfolio for Peter's class.
I also downloaded the beta version of Photoshop CS6 (code name: Superstition) from Adobe Labs, which I'll have for a week. Because I have a limited time in which to use it, I've completely ditched CS4 Extended (the version that I currently own). The verdict: a. I agree with Gizmodo, and b. it's gorgeous! Even Camera RAW has been given the royal treatment, which is wonderful. If I can cough up the dough to get the upgrade when it comes out (the upgrade to the Extended version of CS5 is $350 at Adobe.com, so the CS6 upgrade will probably cost about as much), I will. I have to get this.
Sunday: I did almost everything that was on the list, but didn't get done during the rest of the weekend, including knocking a couple of cameras from the list of Nikon and Canon models that I'm considering. I also skyped with Mom and Tom, and we figured out some of my living possibilities when I get to NSCAD. I also raved about CS6 (sorry, Mom).
And that evening, due to a storm here in F'ton, the power went out at my place. According to Aaron (former hall proctor and one of my friends), most of downtown was out.
And now, here's that letter that I sent to Harper. This is the first time that I've emailed the leader of a country--any country--directly from my own email address and not from a site like Care2 or Change.org, so I have to admit that it was rather exciting. I made sure to choose my words carefully: although I'd love to cuss him out or spew some other anger-fuelled rant at him, my parents have drilled into me the fact that that won't get me anywhere--especially with someone as power-hungry as Stephen Harper. I wanted to make him stop and think, and actually consider the effects of his decisions.
Prime Minister:
I've been following the federal budget news very closely since Thursday, and as a young woman, an artist and someone who believes strongly in the importance of democracy, I have several issues. Here are three of them.
What about future generations? You're a father--don't you care about leaving a future to Ben and Rachel? Pushing the retirement age to sixty-seven will put more seniors in poverty, and will deprive us youngsters of jobs. Jobs that we need, too, as many of us have student loans (I've been lucky so far, as I haven't had to take out a loan to pay for college) and other debts and expenses.
And what about the arts and media, specifically CBC? Cheesy as it may sound, culture and art are the heartbeat of every country. Without it, who the heck are we? Where's our national identity? What makes us unique? And FYI, not all of us want to get our news from Sun Media.
And what about Elections Canada? Canada is a democracy: the people choose the leaders. In fact, it's a right guaranteed under section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. By cutting some of the funding to Elections Canada, what sort of message are you sending Canadians? That you don't want us to vote? That, because the turnouts of the last two federal elections were so low (the lowest and second-lowest, respectively, in Canadian history), you're confident that we won't make the trip to the polling station in October 2015?
Yes, we do need to make cuts somewhere, but these three are things that shouldn't be reduced, as they are incredibly important to Canadians.
Sincerely,
Annapurna Moffatt
Monday: We met with Linda that afternoon. I spent most of said afternoon and into the evening doing homework: editing videos for my independent project and working on the second gallery review. I also emailed the two artists whose show I was reviewing.
Tuesday: I spent Photoshop class doing research on CS6. I've been completely mind-blown by what I've found out about that program: it's a complete revamp and overhaul. In their review, Gizmodo called it a "must-have update."
The end is definitely in sight for Still to Motion. I spent the class polishing up the documentary that I'm making. Things like adding titles, transitions and the credit reel.
I sent that email to Harper in the evening.
Wednesday: Karen took us on a field-trip to the UNB Art Centre, where we met with the centre’s director, Marie Maltais. We also went to the Beaverbrook and went behind the scenes with Greg Charlton. You may remember that Greg took us there last year in Design: Shaping Space. I love anything that shows you what goes on that audiences/gallery-goers/etc., aren't usually aware of: that is where the real story is. I still remember when Mom and I met up with Lynn after my first BSO concert, in May 2006. We'd decided to go out to dinner, and Lynn needed to get her violin and coat, both of which were backstage. She had Mom and me wait in the wings, and I'll never forget those minutes. I watched as the musicians packed up and chatted. Seeing that sort of thing makes you realize that artists are people, too, and they talk about mundane, ordinary stuff just like the rest of us. That's also why I love seeing photos of orchestras rehearsing, with the musicians wearing regular clothes: there's a lot of prep and practising that goes into each concert.
In Research, Drew helped me sort out how to tell which cameras were at which levels. Although I could tell the different levels pretty well by reading reviews, some of them were a bit cryptic. The trick is simple: low price = entry level, medium price = mid-range, high price = pro level. My current camera (a.k.a. my baby), an Olympus Evolt E-510, is entry-level, by the way. I started to outgrow it when I started in the diploma program, though I don't plan to replace it until after I get my BFA. If NBCCD was enough to cause me to outgrow my camera in a year, imagine what a year at NSCAD will do.
Thursday: According to Peter and my classmates, I finally hit on an ideal way to do the videos for my project: use a still image, letting the text do the work. Now I had to go back and redo all the videos that I'd already made so that they matched the one that I made this past week.
As usual, I devoted the afternoon and evening to homework. I also started work on a surprise that I'm making for the Photo Studio faculty.
Friday: The college was closed (and pretty much empty) due to Good Friday, but I still went over to get stuff done. And I got a lot done.
Saturday: I finally started choosing photos for the grad show and my final portfolio for Peter's class.
I also downloaded the beta version of Photoshop CS6 (code name: Superstition) from Adobe Labs, which I'll have for a week. Because I have a limited time in which to use it, I've completely ditched CS4 Extended (the version that I currently own). The verdict: a. I agree with Gizmodo, and b. it's gorgeous! Even Camera RAW has been given the royal treatment, which is wonderful. If I can cough up the dough to get the upgrade when it comes out (the upgrade to the Extended version of CS5 is $350 at Adobe.com, so the CS6 upgrade will probably cost about as much), I will. I have to get this.
Sunday: I did almost everything that was on the list, but didn't get done during the rest of the weekend, including knocking a couple of cameras from the list of Nikon and Canon models that I'm considering. I also skyped with Mom and Tom, and we figured out some of my living possibilities when I get to NSCAD. I also raved about CS6 (sorry, Mom).
And that evening, due to a storm here in F'ton, the power went out at my place. According to Aaron (former hall proctor and one of my friends), most of downtown was out.
And now, here's that letter that I sent to Harper. This is the first time that I've emailed the leader of a country--any country--directly from my own email address and not from a site like Care2 or Change.org, so I have to admit that it was rather exciting. I made sure to choose my words carefully: although I'd love to cuss him out or spew some other anger-fuelled rant at him, my parents have drilled into me the fact that that won't get me anywhere--especially with someone as power-hungry as Stephen Harper. I wanted to make him stop and think, and actually consider the effects of his decisions.
Prime Minister:
I've been following the federal budget news very closely since Thursday, and as a young woman, an artist and someone who believes strongly in the importance of democracy, I have several issues. Here are three of them.
What about future generations? You're a father--don't you care about leaving a future to Ben and Rachel? Pushing the retirement age to sixty-seven will put more seniors in poverty, and will deprive us youngsters of jobs. Jobs that we need, too, as many of us have student loans (I've been lucky so far, as I haven't had to take out a loan to pay for college) and other debts and expenses.
And what about the arts and media, specifically CBC? Cheesy as it may sound, culture and art are the heartbeat of every country. Without it, who the heck are we? Where's our national identity? What makes us unique? And FYI, not all of us want to get our news from Sun Media.
And what about Elections Canada? Canada is a democracy: the people choose the leaders. In fact, it's a right guaranteed under section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. By cutting some of the funding to Elections Canada, what sort of message are you sending Canadians? That you don't want us to vote? That, because the turnouts of the last two federal elections were so low (the lowest and second-lowest, respectively, in Canadian history), you're confident that we won't make the trip to the polling station in October 2015?
Yes, we do need to make cuts somewhere, but these three are things that shouldn't be reduced, as they are incredibly important to Canadians.
Sincerely,
Annapurna Moffatt
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Letter to the FVAs: Finals Season
Dear FVAs:
I intended to write this over the weekend, but I was too busy dealing with final assignments. You know how it is: you're living it right now.
Mostly, I want to encourage you--I remember how brutal finals were when I was an FVA. I want you to know that even though it feels like it will never end, it will. You will come out the other end (known as Christmas Break). And you'll have three weeks in which to decompress, de-stress and prepare for next semester. Remember that when you're racing through the first third of Launching the Imagination in preparation for your 2D Design exam (which I believe is this week, yes?). Remember that when you're trying to remember colour facts for your Colour Theory exam. Remember that when you're trying to finish what feels like a couple thousand assignments, and are wondering whether you'll get them done on time (you will).
Congratulations on surviving the first semester. I strongly encourage you to come back for the second--and graduate in the spring. I know some of you won't make it to May--and that some of you have probably dropped out already--but I still recommend strongly that you stick around. And I'll let you know that the second semester is a lot easier than the first.
Good luck! And as my mom says, "remember to breathe!"
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of 2010, Photography Diploma Class of 2012
I intended to write this over the weekend, but I was too busy dealing with final assignments. You know how it is: you're living it right now.
Mostly, I want to encourage you--I remember how brutal finals were when I was an FVA. I want you to know that even though it feels like it will never end, it will. You will come out the other end (known as Christmas Break). And you'll have three weeks in which to decompress, de-stress and prepare for next semester. Remember that when you're racing through the first third of Launching the Imagination in preparation for your 2D Design exam (which I believe is this week, yes?). Remember that when you're trying to remember colour facts for your Colour Theory exam. Remember that when you're trying to finish what feels like a couple thousand assignments, and are wondering whether you'll get them done on time (you will).
Congratulations on surviving the first semester. I strongly encourage you to come back for the second--and graduate in the spring. I know some of you won't make it to May--and that some of you have probably dropped out already--but I still recommend strongly that you stick around. And I'll let you know that the second semester is a lot easier than the first.
Good luck! And as my mom says, "remember to breathe!"
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of 2010, Photography Diploma Class of 2012
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
letter to the FVAs: on the first panel assessment of the year
Dear FVAs:
It's that time of year again: the first panel assessment of the year is this Friday. Whoopee! ...or not. If things are anything like they were in '09, when I did my first panel assessment, the teachers are telling you over and over that you don't have to be nervous--but you're still nervous as heck. So although I'm no longer nervous about panel assessments (we diploma students have one in the winter semester), I won't tell you to not be nervous. If you are nervous, that's totally okay and understandable. I get it. I was there.
I read the handout during break in my drawing class on Monday evening. I see that my then-academic adviser, now-drawing teacher Adam MacDonald's group is in room 4005, which is where he was during my first panel assessment (though his group is in the afternoon, rather than the morning, like my group--jealous). I'll never forget that day: rushing around trying to find everything, and lugging it all up to the fourth floor. The rooster from Ceramics may have been awesome, but let's face it: he was a beast to lug. That's why the elevator was invented, people!
Even though I haven't needed to since May 2010, I read the handout about FVA/AVA panel assessment every time there's one coming up. I check to see what you guys are required to bring--which doesn't change much from one year to the next, but I still check it--and I check to see where Adam's group will be. And on the day itself, if I'm in the downtown area in the morning, I treat myself (I don't know if I will this year, as I don't have class on Fridays and therefore take the opportunity to sleep in--maybe I'll have breakfast at Sweet Belgian Desire). Cheesy as it may sound, I think about you guys during every spare moment that day.
In closing, good luck, try not to become a stressed-out mess--but if you do, as my mom would say, "breathe!"
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12
It's that time of year again: the first panel assessment of the year is this Friday. Whoopee! ...or not. If things are anything like they were in '09, when I did my first panel assessment, the teachers are telling you over and over that you don't have to be nervous--but you're still nervous as heck. So although I'm no longer nervous about panel assessments (we diploma students have one in the winter semester), I won't tell you to not be nervous. If you are nervous, that's totally okay and understandable. I get it. I was there.
I read the handout during break in my drawing class on Monday evening. I see that my then-academic adviser, now-drawing teacher Adam MacDonald's group is in room 4005, which is where he was during my first panel assessment (though his group is in the afternoon, rather than the morning, like my group--jealous). I'll never forget that day: rushing around trying to find everything, and lugging it all up to the fourth floor. The rooster from Ceramics may have been awesome, but let's face it: he was a beast to lug. That's why the elevator was invented, people!
Even though I haven't needed to since May 2010, I read the handout about FVA/AVA panel assessment every time there's one coming up. I check to see what you guys are required to bring--which doesn't change much from one year to the next, but I still check it--and I check to see where Adam's group will be. And on the day itself, if I'm in the downtown area in the morning, I treat myself (I don't know if I will this year, as I don't have class on Fridays and therefore take the opportunity to sleep in--maybe I'll have breakfast at Sweet Belgian Desire). Cheesy as it may sound, I think about you guys during every spare moment that day.
In closing, good luck, try not to become a stressed-out mess--but if you do, as my mom would say, "breathe!"
Love,
Annapurna
FVA Class of '10, Photography Diploma Class of '12
Saturday, September 24, 2011
my letter to Jack Layton
I finally feel ready to publish it. Enjoy.
--------
August 27, 2011
Jack:
As I promised in the wee hours of the 26th, I would write you. So here I am. I may repeat what I said, but writing will give me a way to expand on it.
I still can't believe you're gone. And I cannot begin to describe my sadness: I'm crying as I write this.
I was looking forward to you keeping Harper in check. I was looking forward to you challenging him. The filibuster this past spring was nothing short of awesome, and I was looking forward to more of that, to more defence of the 'little people'. But although Nycole [Turmel--interim leader of the NDP] and the rest of the NDP will get to continue that work, you will not. And that’s what makes me cry the hardest: thinking about things that I'd been looking forward to, things that Nycole will get to do, but you will not.
I remember watching pre-election news with my parents before I could vote. My parents are both Liberals, and although I agreed with the LPC, I also found myself agreeing with the NDP. But although I've always agreed with both parties, until a year ago I tended to vote Conservative in provincial elections and Liberal in federal elections (I'm proud to say that I have a clean record, having never voted for Harper, who came to power two years before I turned eighteen). It was only in the 2010 provincial election that I began to vote differently, and I voted for a third party: the NDP. Between the '08 and '10 elections, my political views had begun to shift towards the left, and by the time the rumours about a possible election in 2011 had begun to circle, I knew that I was no longer a Liberal; that that party no longer represented who I was as a young woman, that I no longer identified with their positions. As of this year, it was NDP or bust.
And what an election it was. The election was supposed to be just another trip to the polls--but we voters never accepted that message. I remember when the NDP's poll numbers started to skyrocket; when the possibility of either a Conservative government with an NDP Opposition, or an NDP government with a Conservative Opposition began to look like more than a fantasy. When it began to look like a possibility. And oh, when it became reality! The NDP becoming the Official Opposition was just about the only thing that gave me hope on election night (Harper's win made me cry with anger). Having spent a significant chunk of the election reading shitharperdid.com, I vowed to not let him get away with his plans to turn Canada--a country that I love more than anyone can imagine--into something completely unrecognizable.
I still feel that way today. I will oppose any law that I see as a threat to the freedom that we Canadians enjoy. With a Harper majority, no one can afford to be uninformed or apathetic.
I miss you, Jack. Last night, I started to do my usual dancing, but after a while I couldn't do it anymore: I was crying too hard, and, for the last half-hour before I called it quits, did the dishes, and started to get ready for bed, I was just too overwhelmingly sad. I miss you--I could keep saying that over and over.
Your funeral this afternoon was one of the most beautiful that I've ever heard (I listened to it on CBC Radio One)--the only other funeral that can compare is my granny's, in early-March '06. During hers, I found myself smiling several times, and during yours it was the same thing. I cried the hardest I have all week (even harder than in the last two days). In fact, I think I cried as much as I have since the twenty-second, and my eyes stung for a couple hours afterward from the tears. But I also applauded with the audience in the hall, sang along to Hallelujah (I usually sing along to O Canada, but this time all I could do was sob so hard that I could barely stand), and laughed. Sometimes I laughed and cried at the same time. It really was a celebration--one that I will not forget anytime soon, and one for which I am grateful. I loved the diversity of the ceremony: the different music genres, cultures, languages, memories, sexual orientations, religions... And Rev. Hawkes' reference to your last letter (sob).
Thank you for all that you did and accomplished during your life. Thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times over. Like many people, young and old, I will proudly pick up the torch that was once yours, and carry it. Although I am an artist, and not a politician (though I'm far more political now after Election '11, which I owe mostly to you and the NDP, and for which I thank you), I will proudly continue to fight for the underdog. I accept your call to be "loving, hopeful and optimistic" (or try to, anyway--a Harper government doesn't make that task easy). And I fully intend on changing the world (whether local, national or international)--through my art, and through my actions.
Goddess bless, and go in peace.
Team Layton for life,
Annapurna
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
welcome to NBCCD--where awesome creative mischief happens
 |
| The south-east corner of NBCCD as photographed by me in the Fall of '09, and processed today (yay for selective colour!) |
Orientation Day is nine days away. If you're starting to freak out right about now, I understand--I've been there. Two years ago (Class of '10, yep!). But you will get through this year, and you'll survive to tell the tale. Some of you will drop out before Christmas Break, some of you will drop out at Christmas Break, some of you will drop out in the second semester. But some of you will survive and graduate with your certificate in Foundation Visual Arts. And you'll breathe a sigh of relief that it's all over. And some of you will apply to the diploma program (psst--photography's awesome!).
I'll probably be writing a letter about this when the time comes, but what they say is true: panel assessment is no. big. deal. But even with all my teachers telling me that, I was nervous the first time around, and so was everyone else in my year. And so were all the FVA students last year. So it's totally normal to get nervous about it.
But while FVA year can be stressful, it's also incredibly rewarding: you'll learn a ton, you'll (hopefully) figure out "what you want to do when you grow up", or change your mind about your future career plans (that's what Media Explorations is for). You'll meet and befriend diploma students, a lot of whom went through the very same things you're going through. You'll be pushed and challenged by your teachers, and your ideas about art, creativity, and what the two are could very well change. You'll be stressed out more than once (hint: watch out for the third week in both semesters. It can be brutal.).
Bonus: you guys get the whole school to yourselves for a week. That's right: A WEEK! We diploma students (two-year, and Advanced Diploma) start class the day after Labour Day. See ya then!
And I can't wait to see the numbers this year: my FVA class had sixty-one students at the beginning of the year; last year the figure had jumped to eighty-five. Who knows--maybe this year we could have an FVA class of, oh, I dunno, A HUNDRED?! Keep your eyes on the newsletter!
Love, good luck and see ya soon,
Annapurna Moffatt
FVA Class of 2010, Photography Diploma Class of 2012
Friday, May 13, 2011
thank you for the inspiration
To the artists/musicians/dancers/creative types who inspire me:
When I read those words yesterday morning, they made me think. About the artists who have inspired me over the years, how they've inspired me, and how that inspiration plays out in my own work. And it made me want to write an open thank-you letter to those people for their inspiration (I'll name names later).
I remember a few years back (when I was maybe eighteen, nineteen, twenty) I was incredibly inspired by artists whose work was a bit (some more than a bit) unconventional. But although I've been an artist literally since I can remember, when I started selling my work (which was around that time), I kept hearing, "don't do art like that--it won't sell." I desperately wanted to do "art like that," but by that point, I had been so well trained to do the opposite, to veto any really crazy/out-there ideas, that I felt I had no choice but to admit defeat.
And I had to settle for looking longingly at the work of people like Picasso, Dalí, Pollock: people who went ahead with their crazy ideas, didn't give a frick about what other people thought--and ended up changing the world. That's what art is: it's always changing; it isn't static. And we artists are always at least five steps (usually more) ahead of the rest of the human species. I wanted to be in that club: to come up with crazy-awesome ideas and actually do them. But no: I was told that they wouldn't sell, and most of what I saw around me, anyway, was tame, "I'm not out to shake things up" work.
But all that changed when I became a college kid. All of a sudden, I had tons of new, exciting ideas about creativity and what it means to be an artist being thrown at me, starting in the first semester of my first year.
After March Break, I set up a meeting with Adam, and over the next few weeks, began the slow process of freeing myself from the old ideas. Although I still recognize and acknowledge those ideas, I no longer let them hold me back--though I realize that I still have a long way to go (thanks to the head of NBCCD's photography studio, Peter Gross, for making me realize that). But I'm thoroughly enjoying the process.
That's what art is to me, anyway: while getting to the end is fun (I get to look at what I've created), to me, art is more about the process of creating said art. So I know that a change like that (actually creating the art that I dream of, and not just dreaming of it) will take a long time--years, even. I'm having to reorganize my whole way of viewing creativity, and what I can and cannot do, what ideas I should and shouldn't consider, and how I should go about making those ideas a reality.
To wrap things up (finally): again, THANK YOU! MERCI! GRAZIE! GRACIAS! DANK! DANKE! 謝謝 (simplified: 谢谢)!
You've been waiting long enough:
The Names:
Denise Richard
Adam MacDonald
WhiteFeather
Monica Lacey
Jessica Reid
Rachael Flett
Anne-Marie Rolfe
Roger Flanagan
Rosie Hardy
Brigid Marz
Ashley Lebedev
Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir
Jackson Pollock
Salvadore Dalí
Pablo Picasso
Banksy
Cubists
Surrealists
Martha Graham
Modern dancers
Performance artists
André Rieu
Green Day
Lady Gaga
Blue Man Group
Ani DiFranco
Arcade Fire
Indie musicians
Philip Glass
John Adams (the composer)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gene Nichols
Joe Penna (MysteryGuitarMan)
Love to you all (and keep the inspiration coming),
Annapurna
"I am an agent of change. I am here in this life to be change, inspire change and facilitate change, as well as to make change. I'm an influential leader by example, through being/having the courage to change and to live to manifest my visions/dreams. This is my destiny, it's what I do. It's my job to hold space and intention for others to manifest their visions, and then to step back and let the changes take on their own momentum. I build momentum where there is potential. I am comfortable in empty space, where all potential lives."--WhiteFeather, in one of her most recent blog posts
When I read those words yesterday morning, they made me think. About the artists who have inspired me over the years, how they've inspired me, and how that inspiration plays out in my own work. And it made me want to write an open thank-you letter to those people for their inspiration (I'll name names later).
I remember a few years back (when I was maybe eighteen, nineteen, twenty) I was incredibly inspired by artists whose work was a bit (some more than a bit) unconventional. But although I've been an artist literally since I can remember, when I started selling my work (which was around that time), I kept hearing, "don't do art like that--it won't sell." I desperately wanted to do "art like that," but by that point, I had been so well trained to do the opposite, to veto any really crazy/out-there ideas, that I felt I had no choice but to admit defeat.
And I had to settle for looking longingly at the work of people like Picasso, Dalí, Pollock: people who went ahead with their crazy ideas, didn't give a frick about what other people thought--and ended up changing the world. That's what art is: it's always changing; it isn't static. And we artists are always at least five steps (usually more) ahead of the rest of the human species. I wanted to be in that club: to come up with crazy-awesome ideas and actually do them. But no: I was told that they wouldn't sell, and most of what I saw around me, anyway, was tame, "I'm not out to shake things up" work.
But all that changed when I became a college kid. All of a sudden, I had tons of new, exciting ideas about creativity and what it means to be an artist being thrown at me, starting in the first semester of my first year.
- WhiteFeather was teaching my Communication and Student Success class (after she and Adam MacDonald switched classes), and that was when I got my first taste of her kind of creativity. Here was someone who was doing the exact kind of thing that that I was into, and wanted to create: art that wasn't out there to be safe; art that was out there to provoke, to make the viewer think; art that people weren't guaranteed to like--some would like it (I'm in that camp), and some would want to look away.
- Denise Richard was teaching my Creative Process class. She was actually the first person to tell me that I was "too timid" (those were her exact words: "you're too timid") about my work. And she was bang on: I was. I had years of conditioning behind me, that was working against me and preventing me from going all the way with a crazy idea (at best I went half-way--and I'm not surprised that I got a D in that class).
- And Adam was my academic adviser. I'll never forget the moment when I first laid eyes on his work, in the spring of my FVA year. As I've said to several people, his work always sends my head for a spin--and I love that. And he's fairly local (he's from Antigonish, Nova Scotia): he's not doing his thing in the US or somewhere in Europe, he's here in New Brunswick. Knocking our socks off. Ditto for WhiteFeather and Denise.
After March Break, I set up a meeting with Adam, and over the next few weeks, began the slow process of freeing myself from the old ideas. Although I still recognize and acknowledge those ideas, I no longer let them hold me back--though I realize that I still have a long way to go (thanks to the head of NBCCD's photography studio, Peter Gross, for making me realize that). But I'm thoroughly enjoying the process.
That's what art is to me, anyway: while getting to the end is fun (I get to look at what I've created), to me, art is more about the process of creating said art. So I know that a change like that (actually creating the art that I dream of, and not just dreaming of it) will take a long time--years, even. I'm having to reorganize my whole way of viewing creativity, and what I can and cannot do, what ideas I should and shouldn't consider, and how I should go about making those ideas a reality.
To wrap things up (finally): again, THANK YOU! MERCI! GRAZIE! GRACIAS! DANK! DANKE! 謝謝 (simplified: 谢谢)!
You've been waiting long enough:
The Names:
Denise Richard
Adam MacDonald
WhiteFeather
Monica Lacey
Jessica Reid
Rachael Flett
Anne-Marie Rolfe
Roger Flanagan
Rosie Hardy
Brigid Marz
Ashley Lebedev
Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir
Jackson Pollock
Salvadore Dalí
Pablo Picasso
Banksy
Cubists
Surrealists
Martha Graham
Modern dancers
Performance artists
André Rieu
Green Day
Lady Gaga
Blue Man Group
Ani DiFranco
Arcade Fire
Indie musicians
Philip Glass
John Adams (the composer)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gene Nichols
Joe Penna (MysteryGuitarMan)
Love to you all (and keep the inspiration coming),
Annapurna
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)