College suspends fine arts program

BY HEIDI ULRICHSEN

A Greater Sudbury artist says the suspension last fall of Cambrian College's fine art program will hurt aspiring young artists.

Although the story has not yet been reported in the mainstream media, the college's board of governors voted Oct. 26 not to allow any more students into the two-year program because of declining enrolment.

There are currently eight full-time and three part-time students in the first year of the program, and seven full-time students in their second year. They will be allowed to complete their studies.

Both of the program's full-time instructors have retired within the past year, and the part-time instructors will be transferred to other programs.

Will Morin, who graduated from the program in 1990, says enrolment in fine art has been going down for years, but it really began to suffer two years ago when administration reduced the program's length from three years to two years.

Students interested in studying fine arts can still take the BA in Fine Arts program at Laurentian University.

People shouldn't underestimate the importance of arts programs, he says.

“The fine arts program at Cambrian is one of the few programs still offered within schools that provides students with creative problem solving,” says Morin. “It doesn't matter what field you choose to get into. Individuals that excel are those who have had exposure to the arts.”

The school has been trying for the past eight years to increase enrolment in the fine arts program, but in the end, it was too costly to continue with so few students, says Cambrian College president Sylvia Barnard.

“We changed some of our marketing strategies, we worked more closely with the secondary schools, particularly with the art teachers, to try to get the word out about the program,” she says.

“We changed the focus of the program, because at one time it was called fine arts and crafts, and had much more of a focus on crafts. We felt perhaps it needed simply to be a fine arts program. We also introduced digital arts.

“We introduced a number of things from the point of view of marketing and curriculum changes to attract students and ensure the program was going to provide students with a pathway to university or other opportunities in the arts, but it's a very small pool and we didn't get enough students interested.”

Students just aren't interested in becoming artists because other career opportunities like the skilled trades are being heavily promoted right now, says Barnard. Perhaps that should change, she says.

“The arts are a very big part of who we are as people. It would be very beneficial. Let's face it. If all we do is work, we'll become very boring people,” Barnard says.

“Unfortunately, there needs to be a much higher level of recognition at a societal level and a government level than what we're seeing."