Yellow Staircase Project 2008 Launch

daniela pettinato 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

The Yellow Staircase Project, a student initiative with full administrative support, launched officially in September 2007. Join us to celebrate one year later as we launch the project for 2008. Students (individually or small groups) are welcome to submit proposals for original artwork in the staircase. Free the yellow staircase of its yellowness and replace it with colourful paintings and murals! The medium is paint but students from all disciplines are encourged to get involved.

Come out and pick up a copy of the submission guidelines and deadlines.

Venue & Address: 
Lobby 100 McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario

OCAD Design Competition - Launch

Design Competition
Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 2:30pm

The Faculty of Design will announce the challenge for this year's OCAD Design Competition, an intensive 4-day charette, in which interdisciplinary teams respond to a given design challenge. Past challenges included to design and promote a product, service, environment that could/should/will exist in 10 years time; to re-envision McCaul Street; to design ways to effect change in society by addressing excessive consumption; and to develop 'Humanitarian Emergency Life Packages'.

Established in 1990, this year's competition challenge will be announced on Thursday, January 31 at 9:30 am in the Auditorium (Rm 190). Teams will have until 5 pm on Monday, February 4 to develop their concepts and have them ready for presentation. Competition critique sessions with faculty members and guest critics will take place on Saturday, February 2, from 12 to 4 pm.

Jurying takes place on February 5 and 6, and at 10 am on Thursday, February 7, winners will be announced and awards will be presented as part of a closing event.

To save the cost of paper, this year's competition brief will be posted online when the challenge is announced.

Venue & Address: 
Auditorium 100 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario

Yellow Staircase Project Reception

yellow staircase
Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 9:30pm to 11:30pm

The Yellow Staircase Project, a student initiative with full administrative support, launched officially last September. To free the Yellow Staircase of its yellowness--and replace it annually with colourful paintings and murals--students were asked to submit proposals.

Now that the commissioned student works are complete, it's time to celebrate with the artists!

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP: ocadcampuslife@ocad.ca

Information: yellowstaircase@ocad.ca

Venue & Address: 
Room 187, Level 1 100 McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario

BOOK LAUNCH - Janice Gurney: All the Spaces and Nur: Jamelie Hassan

Event Poster
Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - 4:30pm to 6:30pm

Presented on behalf of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Interdisciplinary Studies, OCAD University is pleased to launch two books. The first is Janice Gurney: All the Spaces (McIntosh Gallery, 2016), an exhibition catalogue edited by Julian Jason Haladyn that documents the exhibition of works related to a Marcus Aurelius meditation by Toronto-based artist Janice Gurney. The second is Nur: Jamelie Hassan (Blue Medium Press, 2016), edited by Jamelie Hassan and Julian Jason Haladyn, which documents Hassan’s 2014 installation Nur in the library of the Great Mosque of Xi’an, situated within the Hui (Muslim) quarter of the old city in Xi’an, China. Accompanying the launch of this book is an introduction by Janice Gurney.

Venue & Address: 
100 McCaul, room 187
Email: 
julianhaladyn@faculty.ocadu.ca

Relaunch of ocadillustration.com

Monday, May 2, 2016 - 8:30pm

I am delighted to announce the relaunch of ocaduillustration.com, showcasing thesis portfolios of the Illustration Program's 2016 Graduating Class!

Congratulations to student representatives and designer Garry Ing (OCADU 2009 ) on the beautiful redesign of this site and for carrying on a program initiative that began in 2009. 

In addition to this year’s crop of talented artists, visitors can view archived work from previous graduates, as well as connect to their most current sites.

I encourage you to take a look. It is a wonderful collection of images to mark OCAD U’s 101st Annual Graduate Exhibition!

PAUL DALLAS

CHAIR, ILLUSTRATION

OCAD UNIVERSITY

Reflection: First Generation Exhibition and Publication Launch

Reflection First Generation Student Exhibition & Publication Launch
Friday, March 11, 2016 - 11:00pm to Saturday, March 12, 2016 - 2:00am

REFLECTION is the fifth annual First Generation Program publication that features art, design and written work by students who are first in their family to attend a post-secondary educational institution. Twenty-eight first generation students from various undergraduate and graduate programs are participating in this year’s event which explores the theme, "Reflection". Join us at the OCAD U Student Gallery as we launch the publication and celebrate the work on display.

Venue & Address: 
OCAD University Student Gallery 52 McCaul Street
Website: 
http://www.facebook.com/events/169319746780460/
Email: 
cbartleman@ocadu.ca
Reflection First Generation Student Exhibition & Publication Launch poster with event info

ReUSE Depot Launch & Learning Zone 5th Anniversary

Poster with the word Reuse spelled out using objects such as paint and rulers
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 - 9:00pm to Wednesday, February 4, 2015 - 12:00am

The Learning Zone invites you to celebrate our 5th anniversary with the launch of the ReUSE Depot, a new art and design material swap space!

One artist’s trash is another designer’s treasure – that’s been the founding idea behind a series of successful events that have been organized over the past several years at OCAD U by various departmental collaborations, including the Materials Trading Post, the Green Exchange & OCAD U Recycles. All of the events, whether focused on swapping art supplies, or recycling and repurposing old technology, had at their core the desire the redirect supplies and materials from the landfill and into the arms of artists and designers who will be inspired to create, and will be liberated from some financial burden. The Learning Zone ReUSE Depot is a permanent installation of these ideals: a location for donating used but usable art & design materials and/or finding used items that will be useful to your creative practice and giving them a new home.

We’ll be celebrating with a maker competition: Materials from our ReUSE Depot will be available for a tiny object competition. The creator of the best tiny object will be awarded a $50 gift certificate to a business of their choice. Judging will be based on aesthetic, concept and most creative use of materials.

Free refreshments will be available, including fresh-cooked, healthy eats from the Student Union's Hot Lunch program, sweets from the Student Union Café (vegan & gluten free!), and a Learning Zone birthday cake. Come help blow out the candles! There will also be information on hand about other sustainable initiatives on campus and how you can get involved. One new project we will be highlighting is Sustainable Connections, connecting like-minded people, ideas and initiatives.

In the spirit of the collaborations that have led to this project, we have also created a info poster that will connect all of the facilities already practicing this kind of activity on campus – the wood scrap bin at the wood shops, the metal scraps at the metal shop, scrap electronics in the INTM studio, etc. for a total of almost 20 locations on campus that demonstrate the culture of reuse that already exists on our campus. The posters will be hung at every ReUSE location, so that students can be more easily aware of other resources on campus for deviating and reusing materials and supplies.

This project is an inter-departmental collaboration between the Indigenous Visual Culture program (INVC), the Library’s Learning Zone, the Office for Diversity, Equity & Sustainability (ODESI), Facilities Planning & Management and Studio Management. The development of this project has also been supported by The First Generations program, IT Services & AV Loans.

This event is part of Green Winter, a month of sustainable programming organized by the Student Union. For more Green Winter events, visit the OCAD Student Union Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ocadsu.

Venue & Address: 
Learning Zone 113 McCaul Street, Level 1 Also accessible from 122 St. Patrick Street
Website: 
http://www.facebook.com/events/998868226793359
Email: 
mchudolinska@ocadu.ca
Phone: 
416-977-6000 ext. 2529
Cost: 
Free

"Botanica Tinctoria"

Thursday, October 2, 2014 - 4:00am

Launch: Thursday, October 2, 2014 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

MAAD instructor Rachel MacHenry's collaboration "Botanica Tinctoria" is having their Launch On Oct 2nd.

Venue & Address: 
Contemporary Textile Studio Co-Op 401 Richmond Street. W. Suite 109 Toronto, Ontario
Cost: 
Free

OCAD University launches Imagination Catalyst, led by entrepreneur Steve Billinger

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - 6:15pm

*UPDATE: April 26, 2013:
Petra Kassun-Mutch appointed Executive Director of Imagination Catalyst

Learn more about the Imagination Catalyst

(Toronto—February 28, 2012) Ontario's innovation economy gets a major injection of talent and support this week with the announcement of OCAD University's Imagination Catalyst, a student and alumni-centred entrepreneurship and innovation incubator/accelerator designed to aggregate OCAD U's existing innovation, research and commercialization activities.

The Imagination Catalyst is led by Canadian/British designer, technologist and entrepreneur Steve Billinger, with over 20 years experience in digital media, strategy and business development in Canada, the UK and US. He joins OCAD U as Executive Director, Business Development & Innovation this month.

The Imagination Catalyst gears up OCAD University's student innovation through two streams: by placing students and alumni and their inventions in receptor industries and by supporting the efforts of graduating students, recent graduates and faculty members in forming new companies.

The Imagination Catalyst will strengthen and integrate OCAD University's current and future industry collaborations with faculty and students in applied research and commercialization. The Imagination Catalyst will ensure that faculty research reaches appropriate markets.

Steve Billinger brings to the role unparalleled senior experience in both traditional and digital media where he has successfully incubated, launched and marketed new products, services, divisions and companies with the likes of Microsoft (MSN), News Corp (BSkyB), Bell, Cookie Jar Entertainment and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He is supported by an advisory council of extraordinary leaders from the investment community.

"Through the Imagination Catalyst, students and recent graduates will engage in experiential learning while contributing to productivity, the integration of design, digital media, creative thinking and design capability across key verticals of the Ontario economy," said OCAD U President, Dr. Sara Diamond. "We're fortunate to be able to pair Steve's expertise with our talented and highly motivated students and alumni. Under his guidance, they will be able to hone their entrepreneurial skills while receiving unprecedented access to private sector partners and our expanding mentorship network."

OCAD University's emerging inventors and entrepreneurs are eager to attain support for ongoing innovation and commercialization of their ideas through licensing, work experience or company formation. Strategic companies and investors can connect and gain access to this window on new product ideas and talent. OCAD University's Imagination Catalyst will act as a feeder lane to commercial incubators that can further assist the inventors. Through the Catalyst, OCAD U will make further measurable contributions to economic gain in the forms of GDP and job creation in Ontario and Canada while building strong ties to the university and alumni.

OCAD University (OCAD U): 135 Years of Imagination
OCAD University (www.ocadu.ca) is Canada’s “University of the Imagination.” The university, founded in 1876, is dedicated to art and design education, practice and research and to knowledge and invention across a wide range of disciplines. OCAD University is building on its traditional, studio-based strengths, adding new approaches to learning that champion cross-disciplinary practice, collaboration and the integration of emerging technologies. In the Age of Imagination, OCAD University community members will be uniquely qualified to act as catalysts for the next advances in culture, technology and quality of life for all Canadians. 

BACKGROUND:

OCAD University's Imagination Catalyst
OCAD University's Imagination Catalyst fosters experiential learning opportunities, creates a vehicle for young entrepreneurs and creative business start-ups, including the acceleration of commercialization ideas from applied academic research, coordinates university-Industry research and development collaborations across key economic drivers in digital media, and provides networking opportunities for entrepreneurs.

It consists of a series of work space hot desks, project offices and digital studio spaces with access to high-speed infrastructure, production, testing and prototyping facilities that form part of the Digital Media Research and Innovation Institute.

The Product Development track provides matchmaking and IP transfer services between OCAD University talent and small and medium enterprises, and Canadian and international strategic companies. The primary role of this stream of the Catalyst is to assist with patenting or copyrighting the product or service, providing brand development advice and prototyping support if needed, then helping to place the product with a company, assisting in the negotiation of IP, resulting in payment to the student or alumni. This will also result in student and alumni hires by companies, helping to meet the Catalyst's job creation quota.

The Company Formation track provides company formation for the inventions and individuals where a start-up is appropriate. Products or services that appear to be substantive innovations that could be the basis of a successful company will be placed in this track, and the incubator will assist with patenting or copyrighting inventions, providing all manner of business formation advice, brand development, business plan development, and prototyping support with assistance from faculty and students. The Catalyst will provide a mentor for the company, help to publicize it, match the company with appropriate angel, super angel or venture capital funds and supervise the development of the company until it is independent. Companies may remain as part of the Imagination Catalyst through stages of development depending on their performance.

The Imagination Catalyst builds on OCAD U's existing capacity by aggregating existing incubator and accelerators - OCAD U's Digital Futures Accelerator, Mobile Experience Innovation Centre, and Design Incubator - under one physical and virtual umbrella, to form a dynamic commercialization and knowledge transfer environment. The Imagination Catalyst integrates OCAD University's strong collaboration with small and medium enterprises and strategic industries, affording unparalleled access to our faculty and student talent. Imagination Catalyst participants will be able to access OCAD University's excellent laboratories, studio facilities and faculty support.

  • OCAD U's Digital Futures Accelerator is aligned with the university's Digital Futures initiative, and supports product development in tangible and wearable computing, embedded systems, games, screen-based media, social media, mobile content, inclusive design products and data visualization.
  • The Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (MEIC) and its incubator form a not-for-profit organization with its own Board of Directors, housed at OCAD University. The MEIC provides support to the Imagination Catalyst for inventions and emerging companies situated in the spectrum of mobile technologies
  • OCAD U's Design Incubator supports all manner of design innovations across a wide range of technologies, grounded in the university's programs in Industrial Design, Environmental Design, Material Art and Design, and multi-platform communication design.

Steve Billinger
In his previous appointment as General Manager, Digital Programming and Business Development at the CBC, Steve Billinger was responsible for all aspects of the growth, revenue and development of CBC's digital programming and services, while fostering business development and partnership opportunities for all CBC network radio and television. He was also responsible for strategic planning (including ventures, mergers and acquisition); production and operations of all CBC's digital programming and services, as well as revenue responsibility for CBC's digital specialty channels and the international sales of all programming and archival material.

He has also provided strategic planning and business and product development consultation to leading corporations internationally, such as TVO, Digeo, BCE, PBS, the BBC and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, as well as government and regulators such as the CRTC and the United Kingdom's Department of Culture's Future Media Inquiry Group and the Independent Television Commission.

Billinger has extensive experience of the media and technology landscape in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, having worked for platform and software/ middleware providers, as well as content originators, media companies and distributors in these countries.

As a writer, producer or director he received a BAFTA nomination for best Children's Documentary, a Prix Europa Nomination and a Recommendation for the Japan Prize. He was awarded the prestigious Royal Television Society Award for Innovation and received an RTS Nomination for an innovative graphic history of the crisis in Bosnia.

Billinger has been an Evaluator/Lead Advisor of business models and deals for projects seeking funding with the Bell New Media Fund, as well as acted as a mentor for start-up technology companies on business and strategic development as part of the Banff Centre's Interactive Project Lab Accelerator program in conjunction with Bell Globemedia's Content Innovation Network, the American Film Institute, Vortex (part of The International Film Festival Rotterdam). He held a similar role with the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the Canadian Film Center's Interactive Project Lab.

He has delivered keynote addresses on digital media at Banff, NextMedia, the Canadian Director's Guild, iMix, the Edinburgh Television Festival, MILIA, the UK Television Show, Periodical Publishers Association, Financial Times Conferences, the Rotterdam Film Festival and the World Summit on Programming for Children. Billinger is also listed in Business Age magazine's Hall of Fame for his contribution to the UK digital market sector. He was also part of the Department of Culture's Future Media Inquiry Group established by the UK Secretary of State.

Finally, Billinger has provided master classes on digital strategy, business and product development to the American Film Institute, PBS, the BBC and the Directors Guild of Canada. He also wrote a regular column on television and digital media for New Media Age in the United Kingdom and Variety in the United States, as well as features on technology for children for Today's Parent magazine.

OCAD  University's Academic Programs
The Imagination Catalyst is possible because of OCAD University's disciplinary and interdisciplinary strength in design, art and digital media learning. OCAD University programs support student learners to become entrepreneurial and research leaders in a future world of design thinking, artistic creativity, ubiquitous digital technology and communication, as well as enabling them to master contemporary creative skills.

OCAD University is home to undergraduate programs in Industrial Design, Environmental Design, Advertising, Material Art and Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Integrated Media, visual arts and the Digital Futures Initiative. Minors, a major, a suite of graduate programs and continuing education offerings are providing learning opportunities in digital art, media and design, and ICT, linking this knowledge to emerging technologies with applications in fields such as art/design and science, sustainability, health and wellness, accessibility, diversity, and global innovation and business development. OCAD University offers graduate programs in Strategic Foresight and Innovation; Digital Media; Inclusive Design; Curatorial and Critical Practice; Interdisciplinary Art, Media and Design; Advertising and Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories.

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Download this release as a PDF document.

Imagination Catalyst Inquiries:
Petra Kassun-Mutch, Executive Director
416-977-6000 Ext. 4589.

Media Inquiries:
Sarah Mulholland, Media & Communications Officer
416-977-6000 Ext. 327 (mobile Ext. 1327)

Shift: Processes Launch Party

 Shift: Processes Launch Party
Thursday, September 26, 2013 - 11:00pm

Presented by the OCAD U Student Press

The OCAD U Student Press invites you to join us for the launch of the 6th edition of the Shift series. Shift: Processes looks at the creative methods employed by over 20 OCAD U students and alumni and is divided into 3 sections, Unprocessed, Processed, and Post-Processed.

Join us on September 26 at the OCAD U Student Gallery, 52 McCaul St. from 7-10 PM to celebrate the launch and pick up your copy. Books will be sold at $10 for students and $20 for non-students. We look forward to seeing you there!

ABOUT OCAD U STUDENT PRESS:
The OCAD U Student Press is a student-run group based on a model of dissemination, exploration, cross-disciplinary inclusion and community involvement. In addition to our annual publication Shift, we publish Rivet, a bi-annual publication focusing on experimentation and alternative processes. We also run a series of Workshops throughout the year, and host a Pecha Kucha style lecture series called Function that takes place once in the fall and once in the spring.

Visit us online for more information about the Press and our initiatives.

 

www.ocadustudentpress.com

 

Venue & Address: 
OCAD U Student Gallery 52 McCaul Street Toronto, Ontario

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