Visual Arts Student Resources

Below is an outline of answers to some of the most commonly asked questions students have regarding departmental operations.  These answers relate to questions that future, current and senior students will have.

Special Note: Year 4 Applications - Students intending to complete an Honours degree in 2011/2012 must submit an application to the Registrar's Office by May 15, 2012. You can also book an appointment online to meet with the Visual Arts Academic Advisor as well for further information.

ACADEMIC/ADMINISTRATIVE/AWARDS INQUIRIES

How do I apply for a course override
Contact the Visual Arts Academic Advisor
Inquiries re. the VISA undergrad calendar
Information on Application for Year 4 Studies
Inquiries re. admissions, entrance requirements & concurrent studies
What is plagiarism?  Is it serious?
Can I appeal my marks? If so, how do I do this?
What are the application deadlines for Visa 3F99, 4F99 & 4F06 Honours studio?
Does the student body have representation at the departmental level?
Inquiries re. Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries

STUDIO FEES/ART SUPPLIES

How do my studio fees work?
Are all of my supplies provided by the department?
Do my studio fees cover all my supplies expenses for the year?
What do I do when I use up my studio fees?
If I dont use up my studio fees are these funds refunded at years end?
I have not used up my studio fees, do they carry forward to the next year?
What are the artstores hours of operation?
What is the difference between artist grade and student grade art supplies?

FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT

Where is the artstores located?
What are some additional locations I can find good art supplies?
Can anyone use the VISA workshop and equipment?
Can I use the workshop during the evenings or on weekends?
Can I work in the VISA studios on weekends or overnight?
Can I sign out equipment required for art production?

How do I apply for an override?

VISA Majors:
Visual Arts majors requesting course overrides are to contact Monika Lederich at mlederich@brocku.ca with their student ID number, the course(s) and section # that they wish overrides for. When the override is processed the student will be notified by email.

Concurrent Education Students And Non-Visa Majors:
Concurrent Education students and all von-VISA Majors must email the Visual Arts academic advisor, Alisa Cunnington with their student ID number, the course(s) they want, the sections they prefer (if applicable) and a short description of why they want to take the course. Students are then prioritized based on their program of study, year of study (those closest to graduation of course are the highestpriority), and reason for wanting the course. Alisa Cunnington, B.A., M.A., Academic Adviser, Faculty of Humanities
Office: MC A313 Phone: 905-688-5550 ext5279 Adviser for Canadian Studies; Classics; Dramatic Arts; English; Interactive Arts and Sciences; Studies in Arts and Culture and Visual Arts 

How do my studio fees work? Some courses have a studio fee in addition to tuition, this expense is similar to those incurred in acquiring textbooks for lecture courses. Your studio fee is deposited to a departmental account from which we purchase the required materials for your courses. These supplies are disbursed to you from the department artstores which is located in room EA214c.

Are all of my supplies provided by the department? No. Although the majority of your supplies are provided there are certain special materials you will need to acquire on your own. This is more often the case in advanced level studio courses.

Do my studio fees cover all my supplies expenses for the year ? No. Your fee is designed to cover the majority of your expenses, but not all of them. Given the nature of creative processes, personal choices and the trajectory of individual work on projects this is not possible.

What do I do when I use up my studio fee? You will be informed by the Facilities Technician when your fee has been used up. You are still able to obtain supplies from the department stores in one of two ways: through cash payment or running a deficit with the department. If you choose to run your studio fee account into arrears, you are required to reimburse the department with cash only no later than May 15th.

If I do not use up my studio fees can I get these funds reimbursed at the end of a course? No. All fees are used up for the purchase of supplies. Even though you may still have a fee amount remaining during the semester your fee money exists in the form of art supplies on the shelves. You can use up your remaining fee by purchasing supplies.

I have not used up my studio fees, do they carry forward to the next year? Yes.

Where is the artstores located? The artstores is located in East Academic building #2 in room EA214C, which is located in the painting and drawing studio in EA214.

What are the artstores hours of operation? The hours of operation are Monday & Tuesday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday & Thursday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., & Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. As the artstores is staffed by the Visual Arts Department Facilities Technician who periodically must attend meetings and run errands during these hours please be patient if you arrive during the above hours and find the artstores closed.

Can anyone use the VISA workshop and equipment? No. Only Visual Arts Students may use the workshop. Although the equipment in the workshop is a resource primarily aimed at students in painting sections anyone can use the workshop. Students in painting sections receive safety training prior to the commencement of working in the workshop. If you are not in a painting section but still wish to use the workshop you must arrange for a safety/orientation session with the Facilities Technician. Bear in mind that only 3 students at a time may work in the workshop and that students in painting sections have priority.

Can I use the workshop during evening hours or on weekends? No. Students may only use the workshop and power equipment while under supervision of an instructor or the Visual Arts Department Facilities Technician.

Can I work in the VISA studios and labs on the weekends, or overnight? Yes. To work in the EA214 Studio, see the Visual Arts Facilities Technician, you will be required to sign out access keys and leave a deposit to cover the replacement cost of any keys lost or not returned. Remember that weekend access to the EA214 studio does not include access to the workshop. To work in the GLN162 Studio, the Editing Suite or the Digital Arts Lab see the Visual Arts Administrator to arrange after-hours entry into 573 Glenridge Avenue.

Does the student body have representation at the Departmental level? Yes. The student representative is responsible for attending Departmental Faculty/Staff meetings and for keeping open the lines of communication between students and faculty. They are available to help students with problems or questions and inform them of news, Department policy, or changes that might affect them. The representative is a member ex-officio of the Festival of the Arts Committee and provides leadership in organizing the VISA Juried Student Exhibition. They may be appointed to other Departmental committees as necessary. The student representative is encouraged to take the initiative where all student activities are concerned and to form student committees to advance student events and interests.

Can I sign out equipment for art production? Yes...& no. Unfortunately you may not sign out any of the workshop or carpentry equipment. However you may sign out a wide range of electronic equipment related to our media courses. Items such as video cameras, audio recorders, microphones are all available for short-term loans. Please refer to the Student Handbook for the details on loans.

What are the deadlines for Visa 3F99, 4F99 and 4F06 Honours studio? The deadline for Visa 3F99 Independent Studies & 4F06 Honours studio is May 1.

3F99, 4F99 & 4F06 application form
3F99, 4F99 & 4F06 application checklist
3F99 outline
4F99 outline
4F06 outline

What is plagiarism?  Is it serious?  Plagiarism is the submission of work that is not your own, and yes it is EXTREMELY serious.  For a detailed outline of what plagiarism is and what penalties are involved if you have been caught submitting work that is not your intellectual property please refer to the Student Handbook.

Can I appeal my marks? If so how? If you wish to dispute a mark, an Academic Suspension, Academic Debarment, Academic Requirements and Decisions, or Charges of Academic Misconduct you can do this by visiting the Office of the Registrar in person, or clicking HERE.

What is the difference between artist grade and student grade art supplies? More often than not, the difference between these grades is NIGHT & DAY. There are of course rare exceptions but not often. The materials available to you in your Art Stores are all artist grade. Of course, with quality materials comes a corresponding increase in cost. However, this is off-set by the ease of working with quality materials that prepare you for creating works as a professional artist, and by the educational pricing we receive meaning your prices are quite a bit lower than retail prices.

What are some additional locations I can find good art supplies? The best locations for professional quality art supplies are unfortunately out of town. Below are a list of excellent sources for art supplies with each sources specific strengths.

Aboveground Art Supplies: Toronto. Massive selection, and by far best prices for artist grade supplies in Toronto. Extremely friendly and knowledgable staff.
74 McCaul Street
Toronto, ON. M5T 3K2
(416) 591-1601
1-800-591-1615
(416) 591-2171
info@abovegroundartsupplies.com

Woolfitt's: Toronto. Excellent selection and the best selection of paper in Toronto.
1153 Queen St. West
Toronto ON, M6J 1J4
416 536-7878
800 490-3567
djennep@woolfitts.com

Gwartzman's: Toronto. Smaller specialty store carrying top end materials including some harder to find specialty supplies.
448 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON. M5T2G8
416-922-5429
gwartzmans@rogers.com

Curry's: Hamilton & Toronto. Excellent selections and prices. 9 locations in Ontario.

2012/2013 Student Info Guide (WORD)

Workshop Safety and Stretcher Building Guide (WORD)

Brittany.jpg