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Bachelor of Fine Arts
Credit: Frances Grafton
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree offers an opportunity for students in
northern BC to study practical and theoretical dimensions of visual art
with the prestigious Emily Carr University while obtaining a university
degree at UNBC. This unique BFA connects creative writing with art
studio practice for the very first time in Canada.
Before this program was offered, students in Northern British Columbia
who were interested in pursuing university-level study of the fine arts
had to go to the lower mainland or out of province. The partnership
between ECUAD and UNBC offers students in Northern British Columbia
access to the most prestigious post-secondary art school in Canada
while allowing them to remain connected to their roots in the north.
The BFA also complements existing college programs at College of New
Caledonia (CNC) and Grande Prairie Regional College, allowing students
who have completed college courses in visual art to continue on to a
university degree.
The UNBC/ECUAD joint degree in Fine Arts and Creative Writing is an
interdisciplinary project-based degree that links creative writing and
studio practice within a critical context. Students enrolled in the
program will take ECUAD courses in art and art history as well as UNBC
courses in creative writing and English literature. The structure of
the program supports student learning by drawing on areas of expertise
in both institutions. The curriculum includes traditional courses in
studio, art history, English, and creative writing, as well as courses
involving new media and digital technology.
Studio courses within the degree ensure that students establish
foundational skills during their first year, and that they build
expertise within several different disciplines in their second and
third years. The fourth year of study focuses on work in an independent
studio environment. Concurrently, academic courses in theory and
creative writing provide a theoretical basis of understanding that
enhances and informs studio experience.
While many graduates may elect to pursue careers as practicing artists,
others may choose to apply for graduate degrees in English or Fine
Arts; to apply for professional degrees, such as law or education,
requiring highly developed critical thinking skills; to seek employment
in areas such as graphic design, web/computer design, and
information-based industries.
The program is administered jointly by the UNBC English Program
and the ECUAD. Students will complete one half of their degree
requirements (60 credits) under the auspices of each
institution. As noted above, all degree requirements can be satisfied
at the UNBC main campus in Prince George. ECUAD will offer their
courses for this program online or face-to-face in Prince George during
the fall or winter semesters. During the summer months, students will
have the option of completing studio courses at ECUAD.
Having spent the first half of my career teaching in art schools and
the second half in English departments, I can pretty much break it down
this way: art students function from the neck down. They need to touch,
experience, do — it's all hands on, but often lacks a head. The writing
students, on the other hand, generally function from the neck up; there
is no body involved. The ideal pedagogy, I think, attempts to re-attach
the head to the body.
--Ken Goldsmith
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