Students, Where “Art” Thou?
Kelly Lynch // November 10, 2011
The Mount doesn’t have many secrets. Yes, for some strange reason, it’s extremely common to get lost in the labyrinth that is Seton Academic Centre, even after coming to the Mount on a regular basis. That is and will remain an unsolved mystery. Not to mention the direction the doors go–you’ve all done it, pushed when you should have pulled (and frantically looked around to make sure no one noticed). Layout aside, it’s pretty up-front. The Mount is a university, what on earth could be hiding in the depths of its small campus that we have yet to discover?
I’ll give you a hint. It starts with “art” and ends with “gallery”.
That’s right! The Mount has an art gallery. Cloaked in the shadows of the bottom floor of Seton Academic Center, this inspiring and thought-provoking resource is largely undiscovered by students. I have spent many an afternoon in the gallery de-stressing in front of whatever wonderful exhibition it has on the go with nary a soul to bother me. Sure, it’s peaceful, but the high ceilings and sometimes almost otherworldly atmosphere the art evokes tends to intimidate the passerby.
Peggy MacKinnon, sitting in for Kate Belcher as Program Coordinator for a month, and who has worked at the gallery previously, says that’s not the impression people should take away.
“You don’t need to be quiet and reverential. The gallery is a place where ideas, thoughts, and conversation can happen.” She laughs and adds, “Yell! Talk! A gallery should be a place where people can interact with one another and discuss the art freely.”
I can’t help but agree with Ms. MacKinnon. Hearing voices discuss or debate a certain exhibit in the gallery would fill my little artist’s heart with joy. Art is there to be talked about, to encourage dialogue with each other and with the piece. It’s not meant to sit stagnant without an audience. If it’s in a gallery, it was created to elicit some kind of reaction.
So, why haven’t we students heard very much from the MSVU Art Gallery? Well, they’ve been trying. Faculty know the gallery is there as a resource and often make use of it with class tours. The gallery also contacts professors with course objectives that may be complemented by exhibits in the gallery.
But what about us?
The thing is, students are a tough demographic to tackle, and the most successful tactic seems to be enticing people downstairs with coffee and muffins. We like free stuff. So sue us.
The problem is, coaxing students into the gallery with goodies is only going to keep them there as long as there are free refreshments. But are they consuming the art? Maybe. It’s harder to get a latent public, like students, engaged with something they walk into thinking “I won’t get this, so why should I bother?”
I’m not saying every student that walks into the gallery won’t appreciate it. However, the lack of individual, of-your-own-volition student visits to the gallery indicates a lack of interest. Though not every exhibition the gallery puts on is going to turn your crank, that doesn’t mean you have to “get it”. One of the main brain-blocks I run into when discussing art is that people tend to assume it’s this high-culture thing they are unlikely to understand. So they don’t try.
To that I say: what the heck kind of attitude is that?
Quitter.
Sometimes you have to work to like something, but after a certain point, you may start to get it. What if you don’t? Well, at least you tried. If after art gallery visit number six (or four, or two) you still dislike the experience, it may not be for you. That is absolutely okay. But you cannot know yourself or the world any better if you don’t seek out new ways of seeing. An artist’s job is to put effort and a great deal of thought into creating new realities and new truths. It’s put in a gallery or a public space to let you see the artist’s reality–and perhaps make it your own. You may take something away from a piece that is outside the artist’s intent; again, this is okay. This doesn’t mean you’ve misunderstood the piece, simply that you’ve built upon its meaning.
Give artists a chance, and give yourself the chance to experience something new and unknown. You may be surprised by the results.
“I think everyone should drop by the gallery with each show. They might love it, they might hate it” says Ms. MacKinnon, “It’s always worth it to take a stroll through the gallery. It’s a free public art gallery funded by the Canada Arts Council. I think we have the best programming of any gallery in eastern Canada.”
The best programming of any gallery in eastern Canada, and it’s at our university. For free.
When speaking with Program Coordinator Katie Belcher after her return from a residency in Spain, she told me “it was announced that the first survey of contemporary Canadian art will take place in May 2012 at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Of the approximately 50 participating artists, at least 10 had been exhibited at MSVU Art Gallery, and several more had direct connections to Halifax.”
What are you waiting for? Cut the hard-working Program Coordinator for the MSVU Art Gallery a little slack, give yourself a little credit, and go look at some weird stuff hanging on a wall. Or sitting on the floor…or on a pedestal. Really, it could be any number of places in the gallery.
The mystery is half the fun.
Coming up for the MSVU Art Gallery is the Mount Community Show, an annual exhibition put on by the MSVU Art Gallery to showcase the talents of students and faculty. Information for submissions can be found here. The opening for the show is on 24 November, 12:00 p.m. (sharp!) Come see your professors and classmates do as Madonna demands–yes, they will be expressing themselves.
Also on the roster is an Exploring Contemporary Art lecture series. Held at the Keshan Goodman Library, on 18 November 1:30-2:30 p.m., Katie Belcher will present “She Draws: Susan Wood and I”. On 25 November 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Keshan Goodman Library, Ms. Belcher will speak on “Ecology of the Art World: Flora and Fauna of the Local Art Community”.
To learn more about the MSVU Art Gallery, and their current exhibits, please visit their website (they even sell really neat posters for $6! Who knew).
