Degree Shows 2022

In the distant pre pandemic past it was always with great excitment that we would visit the degree shows across Scotland and on occasion, south of the border, to see whats happening in the various schools our graduates are going to or will be applying to. Keeping up to date with what is happening in the art schools is an essential part of what we do on CAP as it keeps us up to date with contemporary thinking and practices at undergrad and Masters levels. However it also gives us a chance to catch up with some of our own amazing graduates who have gone on to degree study. This year was the first opportunity since 2019 for us to get out into Degree Show land, so excitment was high as we jumped at the chance to get away from the screen and out into the world.

This year the majority of exCAPers were graduating from Glasgow School of Art’s Sculpture & Environmental Art course and we begin there with Niamh Mairead Cullen Dunphy:

Niamh’s Links: GSA Degree Show Artist Page Instagram

Next up Rachael Watson who responded directly to the restrictions encountered during the pandemic with a series of interventions into various public spaces using hand made posters to raise questions of authority and compliance.

Rachaels Links: Instagram

Coire Simpson‘s practice navigates a fear of the unknown, finding meaning through storytelling. She is interested in the ways in which we come in and out of being, drawing upon both personal and collective narratives of grief, loss, and healing. Recent work moves between physical and digital environments, using 3D animation and installation to explore the ambiguos nature of memory between virtal and real life spaces.

Coire’s Links: GSA Degree Show Artist pageInstagram

Nirver Kaur’s pots, clad in colourfully paterened knitted cosy’s conjour ideas of the domesticity and craft adopted and adapted by many during the pandemic.

Nirvers Links: Instagram

Heading beyond Scotland this year we had our first graduate from the University of the Arts London Camberwell School of Painting. Reueben Sian de Gourlay has produced impressive large scale allegorical works reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites, however as Rohena West explains in their review of Reubens work they go beyond any direct comparrison.

Reubens Links: Website Instagram

Unfortunately this year we were not able to get to all the degree shows we would have liked to for various reasons but here are some of the other works that caught our interest at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee:

DJCAD Dundee: Although there were no CAPalumni graduating this year Ben and I did catch up with wonderful exCAPers now living, working and studying in Dundee.

Edinburgh College of Art:

Glasgow School of Art:

CAP Alumni Degree Show 2019

From final assessments, end of year exhibitions and alumni degree shows, late May / early June is a hectic time in CAPetc… land and this year has been no exception.  Anyway more of our 2019 graduating artists in our next post but for now lets have a look at our amazing alumni and their fantastic degree shows.

As you might know we have been offline for a while and there is a lot to catch up on, so much as we’d like to, there is little time to do an in depth review of the degree shows so please click on all the links below including the artists names for more info on the individuals practice. There are also links to press reviews and the official degree show pages.

Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art was our first and busiest stop with 4 alumni shows to see and a surprise visitor:

It was great to see the varied and fantastic work by Jek McAllister, Elena Cheltsova, Dulcie McConville and Cloud Tanadynska who all graduated from CAPetc… in 2016 along with surprise visitor Freya May now studying anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.

Talking of the capital, our next stop was Edinburgh College of Art where CAPetc… class of 2016 were represented by Magdalena Gunkowska , Eve Watson and Becca Tarrant.

On Friday it was over to Glasgow and former home of Stow Further Education College where this years Glasgow School of Art degree shows were the first occupants of the newly acquired and refurbished building. Only one 2016 graduate to see among the multiple floors of exhibitions but a great one it was by Samantha Dick

We didn’t finished there though as it was a quick hop over the border to catch the final shows by 2017 alumni Yvonne Meek, Lauren Wilson and Aimee McCallum at University of Cumbria.

Degree Show Press: 

The Scotsman:

Art review: Duncan of Jordanstone Degree Show, Dundee : Featuring Elena Cheltsova and Jek McAllister

Art reviews: GSA Degree Shows: Featuring Sam Dick

Art review: Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show 2019  : Featuring Becca Tarrant

The Skinny:

Strangely Familiar: DJCAD Degree Show 2019

AIRetc… Residency Application OPEN!

APPLICATIONS FOR 2019-20 SESSION NOW OPEN 

DEADLINE: Thursday 20th JUNE 2018

The Artist in Residence programme (AIRetc…) at Edinburgh College is an innovative scheme which provides recently graduated / professional artists who has previously studied at Edinburgh College with the opportunity to develop their creative practice in a dedicated studio space and gain knowledge, skills and experience in Art education.

Now in our 8th successful year AIRetc… are currently looking for 2 artists to participate in the 2019-20 academic programme.

Please download the information and application for below.

air-information-for-applicants 19-20

air-application-form-2019-20air-information-for-applicants 19-20

Please note all communication should be via email provided and should include a delivery and read receipt request.

@edinburghcoll #CAPalumni pals win fellowship to Venice Biennale

HND Contemporary Art Practice graduates Lauren Wilson and Aimee McCallum have beaten off strong competition form across the country to  spend a month living and working in Venice at the worlds largest and most prestigious  contemporary art expo the Venice Biennale. 

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The pair who first met here at Edinburgh College while studying on the foundation course went on to join us on CAPetc… Graduating in summer 2017 they then took up their guaranteed places on the BAhons Fine Art course at the University of Cumbria as part of our articulation agreement.

Although they are currently working hard on their respective degree shows, both are looking forward to spending the month of July immersing themselves in this fantastic opportunity.

Find out more about what Aimee and Lauren will be doing and how they and their current lecturers feel about their achievement by clicking the link:

https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/about/news/articles/articles/fine-art-friends-win-prestigious-british-council-fellowships-for-world-famous-venice-biennale.php#

Pop up exhibition comes Out of the Blue

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“This will not re-occur” was an all too brief but altogether visually and conceptually rich experience of new works from recently graduated #CAPetcAlumni Donna Lauder, Georgia Sparkes, Daniel Twist, (2015) Kaitlyn Walker-Stewart and Joshua Waterson. (2014)

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Despite being located in the rehearsal studio of the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in leith the artists had little opportunity before the 3pm deadline to test their ideas and assess how the works cohabited in the space. A difficult problem given the range of work on show which included sculptural intervention, drawing, painting, video and 2 simultaneous live performances but it was a problem ably overcome.

Since graduating from Edinburgh College the group have moved on to art schools across the UK, Central Saint Martins, Glasgow School of Art, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Northumbria University.