North Glasgow College BA (Hons) Degree Show 2012 - Jewellery and Visual Arts

[The Justified Sinner]

Well, it is all over for another year. The work is done, the results are out and my students are off into the big bad world. Last night (Friday) was the first night of their degree show - which they shared with the BA Visual Arts students - and I have to say that I am very proud of their efforts.

For various reasons, notably the late-arrival of the all-essential bar, I've not had a chance to photograph everyones' work, so I will be posting later next week with updates of photographs of the work of those whom I missed.

The students have put together an online "poster" for the show. PLEASE come along for a look if you are in the area.

The opening of the show was announced by pipers, one of whom is Ainsley Wilkie, a fantastically talented printmaker (more later) and her friend who is not one of the students: 

The whole show was arranged by the students and this was an especially cool touch as it brought everyone to focus on the opening of the show, it being impossible to ignore - or talk over - two sets of highland pipes in an enclosed space!

There were various speeches - as there always are at these events - but we are fortunate in that our head of section, Iain Abercrombie and out Scheme Board Leader, Michelle, are smart enough to realise that nobody wants to listen to rambling speeches:

 

Our degree programme is somewhat unusual in that it is validated and awarded by an external body - North Glasgow College being FurtherEducation (what used to be called "a technical college") and Michelle is the representative Leeds Metropolitan University, the body which actually allows us to offer degree-level courses. This very happy marriage allows our degrees to be very skills-led, as opposed to being all about theory.

 

Margaret Johnstone talking to Colin and Lisa, some of her lecturers from a college she previously attended. It was really decent of them to come and keep up with how she is doing. Photographs of Margaret's work to follow later in the week.

 

Overview of the show in the lovely "Winter Gardens" space in the college.

 

Work by Alexs McIlwraith. One of our two First-class Honours Students.

 

Jay McLean setting up her Tres Demented Jewellery stand.

Ring by Jay McLean.

 

Donna Stewart setting up her display stand.

 

Work by Donna Stewart.

 

The stand of Lillian Docherty-Wightman, our second First-Class Honours student. Photographs of Lillian's work to follow later in the week.

 

Jacqueline Graham's fantastically fresh stand for her "Lah-di-dah" range of jewellery.

 

Work by Jacqueline Graham.

 

Anna Marion (Dunlop)'s stand for her "Oui Designs".

 

Work by Anna Dunlop.

 

Cara Dobson's stand. More photographs of Cara's work to follow in the next week.

 

Work by Stephanie Craig.

 

Work by Jera Edwards.

 

Over all, I am very, very pleased with the way in which the students have developed in terms of both ability and design. It has been a pretty stressful few weeks for everyone - I spent most of last week stuck in closed rooms marking or in meetings with external examiners and the exam board - and the degree show is a kind of release. I have to confess to going straight home and having an early night.

As I mentioned above, this was a joint show for the Jewellery Students and the Visual Arts Students. I didn't get a chance to take many photographs of the work of the Visual Arts students as I was mostly concerned with my own Jewellers. Two of the exhibits were worthy of mention, however. First of all, hanging in the same room as the jewellery were the marvellous prints by Ainsley Wilkie: 

 

 

Secondly, I was really taken by the paintings hung in an installation called "The Workshop" by John Wright. These are executed in rust and other mixed media:

 

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I like these pieces, of course, given my own fascination with industrial parts and rust!

 

 

 

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And that is it over for another year.

 

 

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I'm mulling over the crazy idea of following my own degree programme while I teach it next year with a view to "re-booting" my own practice. Everyone seems to think it is a fantastically nuts idea. I'm still not sure it will happen... 

 

[The Justified Sinner]

Thanks, Brigitte. There will be more soon.

[Brigitte Martin]

Wonderful work and really great displays!!