Florence Off-Campus Studies 2009/2010 Information Sessions

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 11:30pm

OCAD’s Off-Campus Florence Studies Program, established in 1974, offers students the chance to develop a body of work within a communal studio setting and study art history amongst the architectural and artistic treasures of the Italian Renaissance. Come hear from both students and faculty about their rich and challenging cultural experiences within the program, what you could expect in studying abroad, and how to apply. Application deadline: Friday, January 16, 2009.

For more information visit www.ocad.ca, or contact
Rakhi Dewan, Assistant, Director, Student Services
416.977.6000 ext 426 / rdewan@ocad.ca

Venue & Address: 
Room 284, Level 2 100 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario
Cost: 
Free

Florence Off-Campus Studies 2009/2010 Information Sessions

Monday, November 24, 2008 - 11:30pm

OCAD’s Off-Campus Florence Studies Program, established in 1974, offers students the chance to develop a body of work within a communal studio setting and study art history amongst the architectural and artistic treasures of the Italian Renaissance. Come hear from both students and faculty about their rich and challenging cultural experiences within the program, what you could expect in studying abroad, and how to apply. Application deadline: Friday, January 16, 2009.

For more information visit www.ocad.ca, or contact
Rakhi Dewan, Assistant, Director, Student Services
416.977.6000 ext 426 / rdewan@ocad.ca

Venue & Address: 
Room 284, Level 2 100 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario
Cost: 
Free

Per Aurim

Friday, October 17, 2008 - 4:00am to Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 4:00am

Students and faculty from the 2007-2008 Florence Off-Campus Study Program invite you to PER AURIM, a multimedia exhibition of work created in Florence.

PER AURIM will be featured at Look Inside on Saturday a.m. October 18, 2008.

Venue & Address: 
Great Hall 100 McCaul St., 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario
Cost: 
Free
Per Aurim poster with event info

Benvenuti al nostro studio in Firenze!

Friday, April 4, 2008 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm

Please join us on Friday April 4th when the Florence off campus studies programme will hold a live video conference with students, friends and colleagues at OCAD, to launch our end of term show at the Florence studio. All 24 students, including 6 thesis students and our class assistant will be showing their work in a variety of media, prior to our opening on Friday evening. You will see the students showing and talking about their work, and we will tour the studio.

Venue & Address: 
Rm 287 100 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario

Night of the Living Artists

Florence exhibition
Friday, December 7, 2007 - 5:00am to Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 5:00am

An exhibition of contemporary art by students of the Ontario College of Art & Design in Florence (drawing, painting, photography, animation, sculpture and installation).

Venue & Address: 
OCAD Florence Campus. 3rd Flr. Via Nazionale 7, Florence, Italy
Cost: 
Free

Recent work from the OCAD Florence Program

XPACE
Friday, October 26, 2007 - 4:00am to Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 5:00am

Featuring work by Jocelyn De Backere, Xenia Benivolski, Nadine Klaeger, Christy Kunitzky, Bogdan Luca, Jennifer McGregor, Laura Millard, Amanda Nedham, Jonathan Nicolaou, Anastasiya Sukhina, Andrew Waite and Nikki Woolsey.
For thirty-three years OCAD's art students have traveled abroad to study in Florence, Italy. Originally the primary focus of the Florence Off-Campus Studies Program was drawing and painting in the figurative tradition. In recent years, this has changed drastically. Students from all areas of the arts are taking part in the Florence Off-Campus Studies, transforming OCAD's Florence studios into a vibrant site of critically engaged contemporary practice.
Since its inception the OCAD Florence Program has provided students with a unique and challenging working environment. The Florence Program offers a facilitated, but ultimately self-directed study approach, affording students the opportunity to work independently in a studio setting. The centre of OCAD's Florence community lies in the studio, located atop an unassuming building near the train station:
Via Nazionale 7, Firenze, Fl, 50123, Italia. For many students, this program is the first opportunity to have a focused studio based practice. Via Nazionale 7, Firenze, FI, 50123, Italia: Recent work from the OCAD Florence Program, is a collection of artistic output from this specific space.
Twelve artists, each a participant in the Florence Program between
2003 and 2007, contribute a wide variety of work to the exhibition, working across varied media; painting, drawing, material arts, installation, book works photography, and video. When looking at this selection of work, the breadth, depth and variation suggests that perhaps its strongest commonality lies in the site of production: the shared studio space in Florence, Italy.
In association with:
PRONTO: Student Work from the OCAD Florence Program 2006-2007 Oct. 19 - Nov. 2, 2007
Ontario College of Art and Design
Great Hall, 100 McCaul St

Venue & Address: 
XPACE Cultural Centre 58 Ossington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario
Email: 
claire@xpace.info
Cost: 
Free

Pronto: Florence Program 2006-07 Exhibition

Florence, photo by Professor Peter Sramek
Friday, October 19, 2007 - 4:00am to Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 5:00am

This exhibition is comprised of the diverse student work completed in OCAD's
Florence Program during the 2006-07 academic year, under Professor
Sarah Nind's guidance in the Fall Semester 2006 and taught/coordinated by Ron Shuebrook in the Winter Semester 2007.
A limited number of copies of the
full color publication, PRONTO, that was produced by the students will be
available for purchase at approximatel $20 per copy. The publication includes short essays by Professor Nind,
Professor Peter Porcal, and an introduction by Professor Ron Shuebrook. In addition, each student
participant has two pages of reproductions and explanatory text dedicated to their work in the program. As their instructor and advisor to the project, Ron Shuebrook has
also contributed examples of his paintings completed while in Florence.

Venue & Address: 
Great Hall 100 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario
Cost: 
Free

Straordinario! Florence: an extraordinary place for transdisciplinary artistic discovery and practice

Cradle of the Renaissance, the ancient Italian city of Florence is the perfect place for developing your knowledge of almost any subject.

Over the centuries, it’s been home to some of the most significant scientific and mathematical discoveries. Likewise, painters, sculptors, writers and historians living and working here have expanded the frontiers of culture and society. Indeed, the transdisciplinary practices of artists such as Brunelleschi and Da Vinci involved astounding investigations and collaborations in the realms of physics, biology, chemistry, engineering and architecture.

Since 1974, OCAD University’s Florence Off-Campus Studies program has been drawing students like me across the Atlantic. At the time of this writing and for the three-and-a-half weeks that preceded it, I have been living and learning in this amazing terra-cotta Tuscan city with two fellow Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media and Design (IAMD) students: Annette Mangaard and David Salazar.
 


IAMD MFA group in front of Siena Duomo (Photo by Camila Justino) David Salazar (and son Bento), Annette Mangaard, Dan Soloman, Martha Ladly and Jill Price


Florentine crossroads

For me, one of the most enriching aspects of my time in Florence has been the opportunity to investigate the interconnectivity of the early Renaissance’s globalized economic and cultural landscape. I have gained a much more comprehensive understanding, for example, about how the guilds, merchants, banks and churches were financially interwoven.

I have also discovered that, despite rudimentary forms of transportation and communication, international trade was already occurring. This led to a dynamic exchange of natural resources, artistic skill sets and design aesthetics.
 

From life into art

Also check out emerging artist Alex Murphy’s Five best things about studying art in Florence.

For David Salazar, an award-winning sculptor who explores the animalistic behaviours of humans through the abstraction of form and narrative figuration, time in this city has had a direct impact on his art practice:

"Aside from the art that Florence is well known for, my experience is best reflected by the work I'm currently resolving, which involves sculpting maquettes of birds at the moment of impact with a wall. I have been greatly inspired by the pigeons that make their way through the city. Although they are viewed as pests, they also embody a sense of elegance as if posing for tourists cameras taking selfies."
 


David Salazar working on sculptures of pigeons in the OCAD U studios in Florence (Photo by Jill Price) David Salazar working on sculptures of pigeons in the OCAD U studios in Florence (Photo by Jill Price)


Nature and health

Annette Mangaard, a consummate traveller who has shown her work at film festivals and cinematheques around the globe, is researching the benefits of nature on human health. Planning to create an installation that offers audiences a simulated, natural environment, Annette says,

"I've enjoyed being in Florence, where I've been filming microscopic details of images of flora found within Renaissance paintings. I'll be compositing these with botanicals filmed within the surrounding gardens and courtyards to create layered media work."
 


Annette Mangaard shooting the flora of Florence (Photo by Jill Price) Annette Mangaard shooting the flora of Florence (Photo by Jill Price)


Why not stay here forever?

Given the treasure trove of art and culture that is Florence, it comes as no surprise that some visitors — including OCAD U students — choose never to leave. One such person with whom we have spent time is OCAD U alumna Allison Wooley. In addition to teaching out of her professional studio, Allison restores frescoes and gilding throughout the region, and procures large commissions designing and painting replicas of antique harpsichords.

I asked Allison what inspired her to stay in Florence after completing a post-graduate year of study here:

"At that time (the 1980s), the artisan community was flourishing. Almost every arch or doorway was an artisan studio making lovely things. I found the courage to start looking for work, and one studio eventually let me in. I learned so much there and continued to learn by inviting master artisans into my studio to teach."

These artisans are fun-loving and generous individuals. They have taught me and many others water gilding, egg tempera painting, true fresco, grisailles and other techniques and traditions unbroken since the Renaissance. Over the years, I have also learned the tenets of harmony, proportion and colour, while appreciating and absorbing both the natural and manmade beauty of Florence and Tuscany.
 

Buon viaggio


Jill Price rubbing the nose of the Florence boar (Photo by David Salazar) Jill Price rubbing the nose of the Florence boar (Photo by David Salazar)


It is with a heavy heart that I will leave this magical place. However, I will depart knowing what a rich experience I have had, and with the comfort that I will return. How do I know this? I rubbed the snout of Il Porcellinothe little pig — just to be sure. 

 

Andiamo a Firenze! Jills top 10 things to know if youre heading over to Florence to study:

  1. Grazie. Prego. Ciao! A little bit of Italian goes a long way. 
  2. It rains everywhere.
  3. State-of-the-art walking shoes are a must. 
  4. Rent a place with a small kitchenette. No one can afford to eat out in Florence three times a day.
  5. If you plan on touring a church: women must have their legs and shoulders covered to enter. I haven’t seen any men turned away yet, but I am assuming sleeves are a must. 
  6. Do not exchange your money at the airport in Florence! I repeat, do not exchange your money at the airport in Florence! 
  7. Don’t bring over your studio supplies. The art stores are well stocked, affordable and the staff are super friendly. Be sure to ask for your student discount if they don’t ask you first.
  8. Wifi is free in parts of the city, so you may be able to skip buying a SIM card by registering for FONGO, a free telephone service, and using Facebook messenger.
  9. Pack half the clothes you think you will need. The fashion rocks here!
  10.  Never say no to opportunities to tour in or outside the city. The books and studio will always be there when you get back.

 

Jill Price is the curator and education officer at Quest Art in Midland, Ontario. She is currently a student in OCAD UInterdisciplinary Masters in Art, Media and Design (IAMD) MFA program.

Author: 
Jill Price
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OCAD University's Florence Program Visiting Artist + Speaker Series welcomes STANZIE TOOTH

Image of painting in a gallery
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - 4:00am to Thursday, April 7, 2016 - 4:00am

APRIL 6 + 7  STANZIE TOOTH

OCAD University's Florence Program is hosting a Visiting Artist + Speaker Series which brings six international artists, critics and gallerists to our international campus to engage in artist talks, critiques and individual studio visits. This unique opportunity offers students insight into how a successful international practice is developed as well receiving critical feedback on their independent studio work. 

Stanzie Tooth is an MFA candidate at the University of Ottawa 2015. In 2007 she received her BFA  from the Ontario College of Art & Design with an award for excellence in painting. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across Canada including “60 Painters” at Humber College, an ambitious overview of contemporary Canadian painting. Stanzie is represented by General Hardware Contemporary, Toronto.  www.stanzietooth.com

The Series is organized by Linda Martinello, Assistant Professor / CLTA, Faculty of Art, OCAD University

 

 

Venue & Address: 
OCAD University Florence Campus
Website: 
http://www.florenceprogram.com
Email: 
lmartinello@faculty.ocadu.ca
Florence 2016 Speaker series poster, text on background

OCAD University's Florence Program Visiting Artist + Speaker Series welcomes ANNA ROSE

photo of fek=male figure with full body length of hair walking in the dunes
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - 4:00am to Thursday, April 7, 2016 - 4:00am

OCAD University's Florence Program Visiting Artist + Speaker Series welcomes ANNA ROSE

APRIL 6 + 7 ANNA ROSE

OCAD University's Florence Program is hosting a Visiting Artist + Speaker Series which brings six international artists, critics and gallerists to our international campus to engage in artist talks, critiques and individual studio visits. This unique opportunity offers students insight into how a successful international practice is developed as well receiving critical feedback on their independent studio work. 

Anna Rose (b. 1982, Massachusetts, USA) has lived and worked in Florence, Italy since 2004. She received her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute in 2014. Her work spans video, photography, costume and installation with a sensibility towards the relationship between body and environment, entering into conversation with historical, psychological, and cultural mythologies of place. She has recently exhibited her work in Munich (Das KloHäuschen), Salzburg (Periscope), Prato (Tuscan Art Industry), and Denver (Center for Photographic Arts Center) among others, and has been awarded artist residencies in Iceland (Gamli skóli) and Hungary (D’clinic).  www.annamrose.com

The Series is organized by Linda Martinello, Assistant Professor / CLTA, Faculty of Art, OCAD University

 

Venue & Address: 
OCAD University Florence Campus
Website: 
http://www.florenceprogram.com
Email: 
lmartinello@faculty.ocadu.ca
Florence 2016 Speaker Series poster text on background

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