School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa

NEW BLOG

2010-10-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa has a new blog!

http://spao613.tumblr.com/

please follow us there. :)

A SPAO National Gallery Visit

2010-09-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

So we're a week in at SPAO now, and for our first Projects and Presentations class with all 23 first- and second-year students, we made a big class trip to the National Gallery of Canada.

The Gallery was a great experience; we were able to see the Angela Grauerholz exhibition as well as the infamous Pop Life: Art in a Material World exhibition.

Angela Grauerholz's work is the main exhibition situated in the contemporary section of the NAG; we headed to it first to witness her various works. The first room is several groups of large scale photographs, all in black and white, some sepia-toned. The largest wall, and the one you see first when you enter the room, is occupied by a large group of portraits by Grauerholz. In the next room there is a number of multimedia work, including a huge projected sixteen-minute video by Grauerholz; there are also a number of books on display. The third room combines aspects from both previous rooms. Featured in the third room is one of Grauerholz's Sententia works, as well as a number of other photographs and her scan-o-gram work with burned books. The reaction to Grauerholz's work was mixed, and I am sure it will be the feature of many discussions in and out of class at SPAO this week.

Pop Life: Art in a Material World has definitely been the most hyped-up art exhibition of this past summer, and it lives up to expectations with a multitude of artists exhibited, different kinds of works, and the extent of work and dates it covers. The first room is an Andy Warhol room, full of his various works over years; it is a great introduction to the idea of Pop Art as Warhol is definitely the most well-known pop artist. Other artists featured in the exhibition include Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Takashi Murakami. This exhibition is huge and covers a lot of art; it's is definitely worth a look if you haven't already made it out, especially since it will be moving on after September 19.

This past Friday was definitely a great start to the year and I look forward to future Fridays.

Vincent Meurin: Artist in Residence

2010-07-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, SPAO has had the unique opportunity to host Vincent Meurin, a French photographer based in Montreal who is participating in Festival X, Ottawa’s biannual photography festival. An artist in residence, he completes his short term in Ottawa on Saturday, but will be back in September to attend Festival X and do a talk on the work he shot here in Ottawa, which will be exhibited at the Alliance Française.

Meurin became affiliated with SPAO after completing a photography program in Montreal in 2008, and being part of a group exhibition with Gabor Szilasi. The Ottawa Alliance Française contacted Meurin after seeing the group exhibition and viewing his website, and asked if he would be interested in doing some work in Ottawa, at SPAO, for Festival X. This is the first time the artist-in-residence program has been done at SPAO and Meurin said working as a SPAO artist in residence was great, because you didn’t need to worry about anything and that everyone was very helpful.

Meurin’s project is a body of work on veterans of World War II. The project is called Resistance, a play on the double meaning of the word: resistance in a conflict and the resistance of starving or being away from a family, and the resistance of the body through the years. The final work is “about body and memory” said Meurin. He plans to have a talk on the work during Festival X; some of the veterans he photographed may be a part of this talk. The opening of his show will take place on September 24th at the Alliance Française.

Michael Tardioli and Vincent Meurin at SPAO

Festival X Website

Vincent Meurin's Website and Blog

SPAO News and Events

2010-06-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Exposure Gallery's recent SPAO exhibition of graduates of SPAO has been reviewed by Peter Simpson on his blog, The Big Beat. Sarai Strikefoot and Greg Zehna, graduates, are discussed by Simpson.

The article can be found here.

Guerilla Magazine's latest article features the work of Erin Molly Fitzpatrick, another SPAO grad.

Her work and the accompanying article can be found here.

Out of Site, Out of Mind: Reflections

2010-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

The opening of the Out of Site, Out of Mind exhibition at St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts on June 21st was extremely interesting. The exhibition itself had great work; Laurence Butet-Roch and Magida El-Kassis, both SPAO grads of the 2009-2010 school year, had work up on the wall. However, the focus of the exhibition was a question of portraiture: while the site of the Canada Portrait Gallery is now non-existent because of certain political decisions, portraiture in Canada still exists, and will continue to exist and thrive. The exhibition itself proves this, with its exceptional showing of youth portraiture; with an excellent mix of painting and photography.

The discussion panel that occurred on the day of the vernissage featured Lily Koltun, the former director of the Portrait Gallery of Canada, and Michael Schreier, an artist and former director of the University of Ottawa visual arts program, as well as current teacher at SPAO. Penny Cousineau-Levine, current chair of visual arts at the University of Ottawa, moderated the discussion and added some points of her own. The panel discussion was very interesting; a discussion mainly on the state of portrait galleries and the future of Canadian portraiture as well as a kind of reassurance for future Canadian portrait artists; while portraiture may have been rejected by politicians, it is still very much at the forefront of the artistic world, and a portrait gallery has not been lost from the minds of Canadians.

2010-06-17T08:54:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
5:00pm - 10:00pm
Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts
310 St Patrick at Cumberland

Out of Site, Out of Mind:
a meditation on the state of contemporary canadian portraiture

Out of Site, Out of Mind is an exhibition comprised of Canadian portraits that will open on June 21st in downtown Ottawa. University of Ottawa student curators will explore Canadian identity and the vitality of Ottawa’s artistic community through an exhibition of local portraiture.

OPEN HOURS
June 21st - June 23rd
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

VERNISSAGE
JUNE 23rd, 2010
Free admission / Cash bar

DISCUSSION PANEL
@ 5:30pm - 7:00 p.m.
Join Lilly Koltun, former director of the PGC, Michael Schreier, artist, and Penny Cousineau-Levine, chair of Visual Arts at the University of Ottawa as they discuss the future of Canadian portraiture and the tumultuous existence of the Portrait Gallery of Canada.

RECEPTION and artist performance by Theo Pelmus
@ 7:00 p.m. - 10 p.m.

A catalogue accompanies the exhibition Out of Site, Out of Mind, including reproductions of the art work and essays by Jason Neil, Alix Sutton-Lalani and Clare Brebner. Paperback $20.

FOR MORE INFO:
outofsiteoutofmind2010.blogspot.com
outofsiteoutofmind@live.com
Confirmed Guests

Secret Garden

2010-06-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Secret Garden by Angelina McCormick is, on the surface, a collection of flower photographs spanning 5 years of obsessive imaging of dying and artificial flora. Assembled for the first time in the Red Wall Gallery, the resulting array of images is much more than a botanical collection.

This exhibition reveals how McCormick’s practice has evolved over time. The formal elements of her photographs have changed with each collection; passing through several film formats, camera types and production approaches to the most recent iconic 8” X 10” shot, large, clean images.

More significantly, the expressive content of her work has also evolved. Each successive grouping, although always of either real or artificial flora, conveys a different aspect of the artist’s search for self.

Early work tackles aging, sickness and also death as transformation. Images of this ultimate of changes from life to death are made by someone who describes herself as “ruined and living in both worlds”, and pose important questions about our perceptions of both states of being. McCormick’s Holga series is playful and made with deliberate misdirection. These photos of fake flowers cloak gallows humour in a seductive surface of candy colours and soft edges. The most recent works become larger and more iconic. Crisp and bright, they induce awe sometimes at odds with their unpretentious look at human relationships, personalities and archetypes.

Vernissage: Friday June 18th, 2010, 17:00 - 20:00

On View: June 18th – August 28th, 2010

Mon - Fri 10:00 -18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00

The SPAO Motto Exhibition

2010-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

This coming Thursday, June 10, Exposure Gallery at 1255 Wellington St. West will be hosting the newest SPAO exhibition from 18:30 - 21:00.

The motto of the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa is “Vision, Content, Craft”. Over the last 5 years, SPAO has become recognized as a place where individuals passionate about photography can pursue these ideals. Exposure Gallery has offered alumni and students of both the SPAO Part Time Studies Program and the SPAO Portfolio Program the opportunity to come together to exhibit work exemplifying this maxim.

The photographs will be on view from June 10th to July 27th. Please stop by and take a look!

Exhibition No. 5 is finally here!

2010-04-23T04:51:00.001-07:00

So, the day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived.

Exhibition No. 5 is finally here!

Please drop by at any point in the exhibition. The vernissage is tonight, April 23rd, from 15:00-21:00, and after that the show is on during the following times.

Sunday April 25th 10:00-18:00
Monday April 26th 11:00-19:00
Tuesday April 27th 11:00-19:00
Wednesday April 28th 11:00-19:00
Thursday April 29th 11:00-19:00
Friday April 30th 11:00-15:00

Several students will also discuss aspects of their work in artist talks on April 24th and 25th, from 12:00-14:00.

As always, we are located at 168 Dalhousie, at the corner of Bruyère, in the Market.

Come celebrate with us!

Busy busy!

2010-03-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

So it's almost April and here at SPAO things are starting to pick up. Classes are almost finished but the hardest work is just beginning...

This past Friday, Mark Roussel came to speak to us about his experiences in New York; he had lived there and worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as teaching at the International Centre of Photography. A pinhole photographer, he discussed his work of photographing the Met and artworks within it, while working there as an image production associate. His website can be found here.

Also, this coming Monday, the first years are taking a trip to visit the print and drawing room at the National Gallery. Very exciting!

The launch for the new edition of Push/Pull, our school magazine, is going to be on April 10th, at La Petite Mort Gallery, from 7pm-10pm. We'll be selling editions of the magazine that night for $5 each, and we'll be doing he draw for our raffle that night as well. It'll be a really great time, so everyone should come out! More info about the magazine and event can be found here.

And of course, the countdown begins...27 days until Exhibition No. 5!

Mauricio Ortiz & The Block

2010-03-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today the students of SPAO were treated to a visit and talk with Mauricio Ortiz, a fashion and travel photographer from Mexico City, living here in Ottawa. It was really interesting to hear his insights on "making it" in the photography business, and he gave us some great tips on how to get your name out there, especially in the international photography world. He also told us about some personal projects, as well as showing us some work that hadn't even been published yet! His website can be found here.

Today was also the final third year exhibition, The Block, which consisted of Matthew Higgins' work:

The Block by Matthew Higgins, documents in chilling detail, weapons made by the inmates of Kingston Penitentiary. Born of a fascination with prison life, this scanographic collection takes a look into the darkest corner of life behind bars. Through access to Kingston Pen’s evidence room, Higgins has documented the knives, pipe bombs, zip guns, and shivs made by convicts in all their alarming and fascinating detail. Many of these weapons have remarkable stories and as a group tell a tale of determination, desperation, violence and chilling creativity.

A extremely compelling series, it will be up until March 30th; viewing hours are Monday - Friday 10:00-18:00, and Saturday from 10:00-15:00.

Photo by Matthew Higgins.

THE BLOCK- Matthew Higgins- SOLO SERIES 2010

2010-03-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

Artist: Matthew Higgins
Vernissage: Friday March 19th, 2010, 17:00 - 20:00
On View: March 19th - March 30th, 2010
Viewing hours: Mon - Fri 10:00 -18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00
Sundays and late evenings by appointment or by chance.

The Block by Matthew Higgins, documents in chilling detail, weapons made by the inmates of Kingston Penitentiary.
Born of a fascination with prison life, this scanographic collection takes a look into the darkest corner of life behind bars. Through access to Kingston Pen’s evidence room, Higgins has documented the knives, pipe bombs, zip guns, and shivs made by convicts in all their alarming and fascinating detail. Many of these weapons have remarkable stories and as a group tell a tale of determination, desperation, violence and chilling creativity.

The Red Wall Gallery is located in SPAO at 168 Dalhousie, at the corner of Bruyère, in the Byward Market.

For more info contact: 613.562.3824 or info@spao.ca

Metaphorical

2010-03-08T13:53:00.001-08:00

Wesley Kirschner's Show

LINEAGE

2010-02-24T13:47:00.001-08:00

RED WALL GALLERY presents
LINEAGE- SOLO SERIES 2010

Start Time: Friday, March 5, 2010 at 5:00pm
End Time: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 5:00pm
Location: 168 Dalhousie Street

Artist: Magida El-Kassis
Vernissage: Friday March 5th, 2010, 17:00-20:00
On View: March 5th , 17:00-20:00 -March 16rd , 2010
Mon - Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00
Sundays and late evenings by appointment or by chance.

LINEAGE by Magida El-Kassis is both a photo study and typology of people who consider themselves of pure ethnicity.

These photographs serve as a form of preservation for future generations to look back and view the similarities and differences that each ethnic group possessed before integration proceeds even further.

The Red Wall Gallery is located in SPAO at 168 Dalhousie, at the
corner of Bruyère, in the Byward Market.
For more info contact: 613.562.3824 or info@spao.ca

2010-02-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

Start Time: Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 8:00pm
End Time: Friday, March 12, 2010 at 2:00am
Location: 340 Elgin Street

SPAO Presents SCHMOOZE!

Thursday March 11th 8 P.M.

Maxwell's Bistro & Club-340 Elgin Street.
$4 cover at door

Pick up some SPAO Swag!

All Proceeds go to SPAO Portfolio Program
Exhibition No. 5

Metaphorical Buzz

2010-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

The show Metaphorical currently on view at SPAO has gotten some buzz since opening last Friday. Both Ottawa photographer Tony Fouhse and Ottawa Citizen Arts Director Peter Simpson have mentioned the show on their respective blogs.

Tony Fouhse: http://tonyfoto.com/drool/

Peter Simpson: http://communities.canada.com/OTTAWACITIZEN/blogs/bigbeat/default.aspx

METAPHORICAL

2010-02-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

FACEBOOK EVENT

RED WALL GALLERY presents
METAPHORICAL - SOLO SERIES 2010

Artist: Wesley Kirschner
Vernissage: Friday February 12th, 2010, 18:00-21:00
On View: February 12th , 18:00-21:00 February 23rd , 2010
Mon - Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00
Sundays and late evenings by appointment or by chance.

The dresses fabricated by Wesley Kirschner are born of her imagination. She works with glass, newsprint, and piano wire to build an art piece to be photographed. By placing each dress in context, she allows the viewer to momentarily forget about the fashion and creates a setting and image that could be an editorial page in any fashion magazine. It is through this vision and imagination that she creates a visual metaphor for the fashion industry.

The Red Wall Gallery is located in SPAO at 168 Dalhousie, at the corner of Bruyère, in the Byward Market.

For more info contact: 613.562.3824 or info@spao.ca

Street Style

2010-02-04T20:24:00.001-08:00

SPAO student Shaun Robinson is showcasing pieces of his ongoing series "Street Style" at Canteen Art Shop and Gallery for the month February. Come check out his work as well as other up and coming artists. The opening is February 5th at 7PM.

See you all there

238 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa Ontario
Canada

2010-01-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

FRAGMENTS
SOLO SERIES 2010

Artist: Alli Asudeh
Vernissage: Friday January 29th, 2010, 17:00 - 20:00
On View: January 29th – February 9th, 2010
Mon - Fri 10:00 -18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00

Fragments by Alli Asudeh is a polaroid collection that explores the unspoken beauty in her everyday surroundings.

These photographs are the fragments of Alli Asudeh’s everyday life.
She finds serenity by viewing life through a camera lens. Intrigued by the ordinary, she explores her surroundings showing her audience the beauty of simplicity by using the medium of Polaroid to capture the bits and pieces that shape and form her life. These static images are tangible evidence that now become part of her memory.

The Red Wall Gallery is located in SPAO at 168 Dalhousie, at the corner of Bruyère, in the Byward Market.

For more info contact: 613.562.3824 or info@spao.ca

SPAO SOLO SERIES 2010

2010-01-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa is proud to present its third Solo Series from January 29th, to March 30th, 2010. Level 3 of the SPAO Portfolio Program is a directed research and production year in which a small group of selected students work towards solo exhibitions of their work in SPAO’s Red Wall Gallery.

Exhibition 1: Fragments
Artist: Alli Asudeh
Date: January 29th – February 9th, 2010
Vernissage: Friday January 29th, 2010, 17:00 - 20:00

Exhibition 2: Metaphorical
Artist: Wesley Kirschner
Date: February 12th – February 23rd , 2010
Vernissage: Friday, 2010, 18:00 - 21:00

Exhibition 3: Lineage
Artist: Magida El-Kassis
Date: March 5th – March 16th, 2010
Vernissage: Friday March 5th, 2010, 17:00 - 20:00

Exhibition 4: The Block
Artist: Matthew Higgins
Date: March 19th - March 30th, 2010
Vernissage: Friday March 19th, 2010, 17:00 - 20:00

Viewing Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:00-18:00, Saturday, 10:00-15:00,
Sundays and late evenings by appointment or by chance.

Red Wall Gallery at SPAO 168 Dalhousie
613-562-3824 info@spao.ca

Gabor Szilasi Visits!

2009-12-09T14:08:00.001-08:00

SPAO had the honour of receiving a rather unexpected guest last Friday... documentary photographer Gabor Szilasi stopped by the school after being invited by George Horton, one of SPAO's second year students!! We were all very excited to meet him and ask him questions about both his career in the photography industry and ones relating to the state of photography in our world today. With many of us having recently seen his exhibition entitled "The Eloquence of The Everyday: Gabor Szilasi" which currently on at the National Gallery of Canada, it was absolutely thrilling to meet him and to talk to him about his work.

“My subjects in photography really deal with every day life, mostly with people and their environment whether it’s indoors or outdoors and that is what always interested me. I like … how everything changes, how everything is in eternal flux … you know signs change, buildings are demolished, new buildings constructed, same thing with people. If you walk into an interior to take a photograph, if you come back the next day it’s not the same anymore. It might be just one object moved in the room but this constant change interests me and that’s one reason that I’m interested in social documentary.” Szilasi, November 2008.

Photograph: Caroline Tallmadge.

SPAO Print Sale!

2009-12-04T19:10:00.001-08:00

SPAO PRINT SALE

Saturday December 12th, 2009 11:00 - 16:00
Silent Auction: 12:00 - 14:00
Auction Preview: 11:00 - 12:00

The School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa is holding their second annual Print Sale. This is a fund-raising event for SPAO and the students of the SPAO Portfolio Program.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to buy original gifts!
Matted black & white and colour photographs by SPAO Portfolio Program and Part Time Studies students.
Photographs by established local and international photographic artists (by silent auction).

BAKE SALE of holiday snacks and goodies.

Silent Auction Artists Confirmed to Date:

David Barbour-http://www.davidbarbour.com/
David Cowles-http://www.drcowles.ca/
John Hewett Hallum-http://www.exposuregallery.info/
Joseph Jeremie Roy -http://www.photobyjer.com/Photobyjer/Joseph_Jeremie_Roy_Index.html
Karina Kraenzle -http://www.artengine.ca/kraenzle/
Angelina McCormick-http://www.amccormick.ca/
Michael Schreier-http://www.ottawaartgallery.ca/exhibits/2009/storyteller/index-en.php
George Steeves- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steeves
Michael Tardioli
Genevieve Thauvette -http://www.gthauvette.com/
Michelle Wilson-http://www.mwphotographs.com/

The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa is located at 168 Dalhousie, at the corner of Bruyère, in the Byward Market.
For more info contact: 613.562.3824 http://www.spao.ca/specialevents.html

Movie night!!

2009-12-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

SPAO presents: KOYAANISQATSI
Thursday December 10^th 2009, 19:00
Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank Street, www.mayfairtheatre.ca

The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa presents, Koyaanisqatsi. A visual feast for the eyes, this film offers a view of the world unlike any other. With hypnotic cinematography and a mesmerizing soundtrack Koyaanisqatsi takes us on a compelling journey through the world we live in with bewildering perspective.

This is a fund-raising event for SPAO and the students of the SPAO portfolio program. It is also an excellent chance to preview some of the work available to purchase at the upcoming SPAO Print Sale.

$9.00 non-members ~ $5.00 members

For more info contact: 613.562.3824 http://www.spao.ca/specialevents.html

2009-12-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I shot the cover for my good friend Laurent Bourque's record which was released a couple weeks back.

You should listen to some of the tunes online at: www.myspace.com/laurentbourque

His album is available on iTunes in the USA and Canada, and available in local retail stores such as Compact Music and End Hits.

-Jamie Kronick

Jamie kronick and sean connery as kanye west.

2009-12-01T15:40:00.000-08:00