ST. JOHN’S, NL – College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Textile & Apparel Design program is putting the finishing touches on its upcoming year-end graduation showcase set to debut tomorrow, Friday, June 4.
Because of the global pandemic, this showcase was previously moved from an in-person venue to an exclusively virtual platform. However, this year will feature a blend of opportunities – an in-person gallery, as well as an online component.
The exhibition, which will take place June 4-18 at the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Gallery (located at 275 Duckworth Street) in St. John’s, presents exciting and unique artwork through the areas of embroidery, quilt, apparel, weave, print, dye, knit, drawing and design.
Stephanie Stoker, an instructor with the Textile & Apparel Design program, explains this is the second year they will be implementing pandemic restrictions and public health protocols for their show. They took best practices from previous years to make this an accessible show for everyone.
“In 2020, students had to model their own pieces, or have a family member or roommate model, but we can have models again this year, with physical-distancing protocols in place, and will create a video which the Journalism program helps with,” said Stoker. “This is giving the graduates the opportunity to create a strong virtual/on-line presentation, as well as a physical gallery exhibition.”
Stoker says she is always proud of her program’s graduates and happy to see how skillfully these students were able to navigate the unique challenges presented by the pandemic.
“This year's graduates have overcome obstacles that they have not seen in this country during their lifetime,” she said. “I am so proud of their fortitude and faith in themselves, and thankful for their faith in us. As their Design instructor, I teach that good design is the solution to a problem, and they have shown they are all wonderful designers.”
Diversity
Bruno Vinhas, Craft Council NL’s gallery director, says he enjoys working with such a diverse group of artists.
“This year is the most inclusive and diverse show from the textiles program because there are so many international students,” said Vinhas, who is also a CNA graduate. “Each one of them brings their own culture and background into textiles.”
Vinhas says the Craft Council of NL prides itself on being an inclusive and accessible space and the upcoming graduation showcase is just another example of that.
“I hope that they see the new generation that is coming out of the textiles program,” he said. “People need to come and see this show and they need to come with an open mind.”
Brenda Tobin, Dean of the School of Academic, Applied Arts & Tourism, says she is so proud of the creativity, resilience, and adaptability of this group of students.
“Textile & Apparel Design is such a tactile program – the senses are such an important aspect of each unique piece,” she noted. “The fact that we have such wonderful collaborations with the Craft Council of NL allows us to showcase the distinct features of each piece of work this year. We are also so pleased with our collaborations with our Journalism program in the creation of an engaging video component. We wish our graduates the best of success and are confident they will apply what that they have learned during their time with us. We are so proud of everything that they have accomplished and believe in their talents, knowledge and skills as fine textile artists who will accomplish their exciting goals in future.”
For more information about the graduation show, visit
http://craftandapparelgrad.weebly.com (link will be live on June 4).
Video link about the graduates and their designs:
https://youtu.be/33rbb-ZoJNA
For more information about CNA programs, visit:
www.cna.nl.ca.
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Media Contact:
Ryanne McIsaac
Content Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709-643-7870
Ryanne.mcisaac@cna.nl.ca