Held at the Living Arts Centre, Fête is a gallery exhibition celebrating the works of design students.
The event is primarily hosted to inspire students to enrol in design programs. The curator of the gallery, Lee Petrie, says that the featured artists have an international reputation despite starting at Sheridan. “The quality of the work is pretty tremendous,” she says.
Ziyad Bulbulia, a second-year student specializing in digital enterprise management and minoring in professional writing and communication says, “To me, [design] means being able to get people’s attention—making things look nice.” He believes the goal of design is also to “aesthetically improve people’s quality of life.”
“The people in the show are respected, incredible artists, and you know, [art] is a hard path to choose,” comments Petrie. Fête demonstrates the hard work and commitment of design students and their creative journey.
Personally, I found the flow of the area to be appealing. Each piece is unique and is grouped among other distinctive pieces. Some of the pieces included flame-worked glass entitled “Dream Pillow” by Tanya Lyons, and a photograph of The Women’s Monument made from pink granite in B.C. by Beth Alber. There is a variety of sizes, material, and style evident among the pieces.
In our digitalized modern world, design programs are essential.
Petrie said, “We think that technology solves everything, but it doesn’t. You have to understand the elements [of art] and the aesthetic process first.” She explains that there is a physical aspect to art which comes first, and then it can be applied through technology to create and inform its viewers.
Petrie mentions, “Creativity isn’t restricted to the arts. Having an open mind—that’s a skill you can apply to any kind of work you’re doing.”
Fête runs until October 29.
