Image Credit: Logo concept and design by 2019 Graphic Design graduate and Wapatah Centre for Indigenous Visual Knowledge graphic designer, Mariah Meawasige.
OCAD University co-hosting virtual AICAD Symposium
From November 4 to 6, OCAD University is co-hosting the 2021 Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) Symposium, a virtual gathering that will attract more than 150 scholars, artists and designers from art and design universities and colleges from across North America.
This year’s theme, Must Give Us Pause: Diversity + Sustainability, will ground the presentations, which will be offered by the event’s 58 speakers. Together, symposium participants will examine how creative practitioners can think through post-pandemic paths forward, which are inclusive and attentive to the immediate challenges of our time including climate change and resource extraction.
“While the goals of sustainability often focus on environmental issues such as climate change and global warming, we need to understand the deeper implications that are affecting diverse and vulnerable populations and how these contribute to inequities in society that have been highlighted by the current pandemic,” explains Dr. Caroline Langill, OCAD U’s Vice-President, Academic and Provost and one of the co-organizers.
The symposium will provide opportunities for AICAD members to explore the depths of these global challenges and determine how art and design can assist in shaping a more equitable future.
“OCAD University is pleased to host the 2021 AICAD Symposium. The three-day event is an innovative platform to showcase the research currently underway at art and design universities and is an exciting opportunity to share and collaborate with thought leaders, scholars and creative practitioners from AICAD members across North America,” says Dr. Ashok Mathur, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Dean of Graduate Studies at OCAD U.
The symposium includes two keynote events
The first is a panel discussion titled, Must Give Us Pause, which will take place on November 4, from noon to 1 p.m. and will be led by Dr. Andrea Fatona, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Canadian Black Diasporic Cultural Production, in conversation with Toronto-based poet and lawyer M. NourbeSe Philip and Vancouver-based multimedia artist, curator and activist Cease Wyss.
This keynote panel is open to the public through the support of SiteLines, a diversity partnership between OCAD U and the Canada Council for the Arts. SiteLines supports BIPOC artists in presenting talks, performances, workshops and events that extend beyond the immediate OCAD U community.
The second keynote panel discussion, Once we agree equity and decolonization matter, how do we get there? features Stephen Foster, Dean, Faculty of Art; Dr. Ashok Mathur; Dr. Sarita Srivastava, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences; and Dr. Dori Tunstall, Dean, Faculty of Design and will take place on November 6 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
In addition to the symposium’s 26 sessions, Holding Space will be a virtual portal where faculty and students are encouraged to share their ideas, ask questions and submit time-based artworks that address the conference’s themes.
You can still register for the symposium via the AICAD website. OCAD U registrants are eligible for the $50.00 AICAD Member Registration.
Sessions led by OCAD U faculty, staff and alumni
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Keynote | Must Give Us Pause
12 to 1 p.m.
Dr. Andrea Fatona, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Canadian Black Diasporic Cultural Production, in conversation with Toronto-based poet and lawyer M. NourbeSe Philip and Vancouver-based multimedia artist, curator and activist Cease Wyss.
Why is it so Hard to Think About the Future?
1:15 to 2:15 p.m.
In this presentation, alumna Alexis Tennent examines the unique human ability of mental time travel, which is likely a key contributor to our evolutionary success. Tennent asks why then is it so hard to use this skill for climate change?
ArtWorksTO: Diversifying Creative Industries Through Access to Education and Employment
2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Evan Tapper, Director, School of Continuing Studies, Laura Metcalf from the City of Toronto and Angie Aranda from the Toronto Arts Foundation discuss ArtWorksTO, a program that supports creative youth entrepreneurs who face multiple barriers to employment and education. As an initiative partner, OCAD University plays a concrete roll in helping Toronto youth access the media arts and creative industries workforce through a new certificate program. Tapper, Metcalf and Aranda will discuss the collaborative process of delivering the program and strategies for the next cohort of students that will benefit from the program next year.
Mattering Materials: Relationships, Sustainability and Study
2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Professor Nicole Collins and Dr. Maria Belén Ordóñez present a roundtable that considers the ecological impacts of making. The conversation will be contextualized through Collins’ unique process of melting archived encaustic paintings.
International Online Residency Experiences (IORE): International Studio Collaboration in a time of Online Learning
3:45 to 4:45 p.m.
Jennie Suddick, Manager, International Projects & Partnerships, provides an opportunity for knowledge-sharing around ‘International Online Residency Experiences’ (IORE), developed by OCAD U International during the pandemic. IORE resulted from the need to support collaborative opportunities for students to reflect on and share the conditions of their various social geographies, including emerging social issues occurring in communities worldwide.
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Friday, November 5, 2021
Humane Capitalism: Designing a more equitable future
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Sarah Tranum, Associate professor, Social Innovation Design in the Faculty of Design shares insights gained through her research and conversations from the podcast series, Designing a Humane Future. She frames the concept of humane capitalism and explores how we can collectively redesign an economy built on the values of equity, regeneration and kindness.
Life is about Life: Environmental Agency in Artmaking
1:45 to 2:45 p.m.
Artists grapple with sustainability all the time, feeling the urgency to work thoughtfully through the conceptual and political means of environmentally sustainable artistic production. Faculty of Art instructors, Dr. Ayumi Goto, Natalie Waldburger and b.h. Yael will consider gentrification, biodegradability as methodology, climate anxiety and apocalyptic-thinking, among other topics, using faculty and student works to propel the discussion.
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Saturday, November 6, 2021
Keynote | Once we agree equity and decolonization matter, how do we get there?
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Featuring Stephen Foster, Dean, Faculty of Art; Dr. Ashok Mathur, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Dean of Graduate Studies; Dr. Sarita Srivastava, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences; and Dr. Dori Tunstall, Dean, Faculty of Design.
New Directions in Art & Design Education for Healthy Living in a Post-COVID World
1:45 to 2:45 p.m.
Professor Bill Leeming presents new directions to teaching art and design that involve a biosocial approach to health and well-being – syndemics – that move beyond existing neoliberal approaches to sustainability, resilience and economic viability. Syndemics considers the interconnected challenges of health inequality that arise with unequal social arrangements and human-caused environmental harms.
Impact and Allegory: Arts and Design Projects Towards Institutional Change
3 to 4 p.m.
OCAD U staff and faculty present arts-engaged and institutional projects that address climate anxiety and material sustainability. The discussion addresses balancing slowness, continuity and the allure of change. Participants may bring examples and discuss initiatives and approaches towards institutional and cultural transformation. Faculty of Art instructors, Natalie Waldburger and b.h. Yael will lead the discussion along with, OCAD U’s Sustainability Coordinator, Victoria Ho.