The Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Alastair Summerlee, Carleton University’s interim president, and vice-chancellor spoke at the event commemorating CUAG’s 25th anniversary on Sept. 11.
“It is my absolute pleasure to be here for the 25th celebration of the art gallery and I can’t tell you how impressed I am to see so many different people of clearly very different backgrounds and interests here tonight, because it speaks to the rich tradition of the importance of a gallery space in a university,” said Summerlee in his speech.
“Galleries provide an opportunity to challenge ourselves and our perspectives on how we see and perceive the world,” Summerlee said.
Sandra Dyck has been the director of the gallery since 2012, and was the acting director from 2003 to 2005.
She also worked as the gallery’s curator from 2005 to 2012 and as an administrator from 1997 to 2003.
“As director, I’ve been focused in particular on expanding our service to students and impact on campus, by creating art-based, student-focused public programming,” Dyck said.
The idea of an art gallery on campus was first discussed in 1970 after the creation of the art history department in 1966. The project came to a halt after the provincial government froze university funding in 1972 but the gallery later opened in 1992 after a fundraising campaign and a large donation.
Dyck said some of her favourite memories at CUAG come from working with Carleton students.
“It has been a great honour and privilege to offer them unique learning opportunities,” she said. “Many students who have worked at CUAG in various capacities have gone on to develop wonderful careers in the arts.”
Dyck also admitted that there wasn’t one CUAG exhibition that she’d call her favourite.
“I am often asked to identify my favourite exhibition, at which point I always say, ‘the current one!’” said Dyck. “Every cycle of exhibitions has so much to offer the Carleton and civic communities, because of the inventive, challenging and eye-opening work of the artists featured in our exhibition and public programs.”
Mohab Abdel, a Carleton computer science student and beatboxer, said he feels having a gallery on campus is an important part of his university experience.
Abdel said he has attended many events at the gallery, ranging from open mic nights, to spoken word and visual arts exhibitions.
“I love it because it’s one of the smaller better quality venues that’s on campus,” said Abdel.
“On top of that, one of my friends who is an art history major, it’s a phenomenal experience for her to be able to have a resource like that on campus,” Abdel said.
“So whenever art galleries have come up in conversation, a lot of times it refers back to the Carleton art gallery because that’s one of the most easily accessible places for students and on top of that it’s free as well so it’s financially accessible as well,” he added.
Dyck said she believes it’s important to have a gallery on campus for many reasons.
“In short, CUAG provides the campus and civic communities with creative, accessible opportunities for research, teaching, learning and discover through compelling experiences of original works of art,” Dyck said.
Photo by Angela Tilley
