The sculpture area includes instruction in a range of traditional and contemporary processes utilizing both specialized equipment and hand technologies. Students are taught various technical methods of stone carving, steel welding, textile construction, wood fabrication, mould making and casting, and clay modelling.
The intermediate six-week course provides an introduction to the basic concepts and techniques of sculptural practice through individual student research, technical demonstrations, discussion of readings, technical exercises, and hands-on project development, within the context of a collaborative studio environment. As well, students develop a critical and constructive approach to critiques, time management skills, a professional attitude toward creating and presenting sculpture, and creative approaches to problem solving. The first and second year course is taught in a large studio with shared workstations and storage cupboards.
In third year, the twelve-week sculpture course provide students with an opportunity to explore their individual interests through an in-depth focus on development of conceptual ideas and technical skill. Students will create artworks related to three-dimensional space and the exploration of contemporary artistic practices, as well as advanced sculpture processes combined with time-based media, such as video and sound, to create both discrete projects and installation.. Technical demonstrations will be conducted in more complex techniques and equipment use. Research of a social, cultural, historical and/or theoretical nature will accompany each project. This advanced course provides for individual student studio spaces and a separate work studio.
Facilities
The sculpture area has large classrooms devoted to teaching, as well as a well-equipped woodshop, metalshop and kiln. The woodshop has a wide range of floor equipment and hand tools. All Fine Art (Visual Art) program students share this facility. Across from the woodshop is a metal shop equipped for MIG welding, Oxy/Acetylene welding and cutting, Plasma-arc cutting and finishing of metal sculpture. Housed in the metal shop is a ceramic kiln.
The sculpture area also includes the TBM (TIME-BASED MEDIA) Room. The TBM is primarily used by Sculpture and New Media courses, and is a shared studio space used for class presentations and discussion, visiting artist presentations and the production of time-based work.