A Fine Idea
George Brown’s Fine Arts Building is truly one-of-a-kind
The fine arts are alive and well at George Brown College. So alive, in fact, that the School of Continuing Education has opened its first building dedicated exclusively to the arts. The building itself features four classrooms designed specifically for fine arts instruction, but it also has a nod to the city of Toronto’s fine arts renaissance – a built-in gallery space. “The gallery will also give our students the experience of running an exhibition,” says Stefan Galvanek, an instructor who has been with the school for 18 years and who helped design both the new space and the new courses that will go with it. “It will give our student artists a real art world experience and will give them a chance to meet the public, talk about their work and, hopefully, open doors to future exhibitions.” With the launch of a new building comes an expansion of the Continuing Education fine arts certificate programs. In George Brown’s Visual Arts subject area (which also includes cartooning and digital arts), the fine arts programs have been revised to include drawing, painting and sculpture certificates. As a result, 14 new courses – covering such varied topics as mixed media, landscapes, portraiture and murals as well as four aspects of sculpture – have been introduced. “Students have been asking for a broader range of courses, and the new building will let us introduce all of them,” says Galvanek. “In addition, a space entirely devoted to art will lead to a more productive and artistic environment.” There is another benefit to having a building exclusively for fine arts – and this has the potential to have the greatest impact on students. “We want to offer open studio time, so students can come in and work on their projects/pieces,” says Galvanek. “Not only will this allow students more time with their work but it gives them a chance to get input from other students – something that will have a significant effect on their work.” Better yet, because the building will be dedicated exclusively to Continuing Education, classes will not be limited to just the regular evening offerings; fine arts classes will now also be offered during the day. The Fine Arts Building is located at 207 Adelaide St. East, Suite 209. |