SAVE UWS ARTS has been a very quiet blog of late however we have now returned to dutiful blogging for the year for the sheer purpose of maintaining dialogue about the situation facing fine arts and electronic arts. As the first semester of 2007 waits to commence there will be no new students scurrying around Z building rather second, third and honours years will be returning to the uncertainty of what will happen to their course, their facilities, their staff. This blog will continue to exist in order to report on any changes and news about UWS arts, please let us now if you see or hear anything, and forward news links etcetera.

Opinion Surveys

At the recent UWS graduation exhibition last November two volunteers kindly surveyed roughly 50 individuals at random about the about their thoughts regarding the ambiguity surrounding the new Bachelor of Contemporary Arts, as well as what they ideally would like to see in an art school specific to the region of Western Sydney.

Some of the points discussed about what a good art school needs to have included more opportunities for students such as a focus on building professional networks, access to business skills, training and mentoring, adequate funding, and diversity, to name just a couple of the points. Some of the interviewees suggested that there needs to be more community awareness of the arts within the Western Sydney region as well as implicit involvement from the community, as well as continual lively and critical discourse about arts west.

The full survey and a summery of the responses collected thus far can be viewed on:

http://blog.myspace.com/autonomousart

Please forward your own thoughts.

In addition the document ZED by Graeme Skimin can also be viewed in full at the same location, this compiled document is the result of conversations that Skimin conducted with thirty students from UWS, and became his Graduating artwork – a direct response to the circumstances he was experiencing within the institution. Below are a couple of excerpts from the 14 page document;

1. On perceptions of the ‘School’

1.1 In the week prior to the meeting of November 3, there were 14 students either currently enrolled, or graduates of the previous year performing or exhibiting work in the greater Sydney region (First Draft, Lanfranchi’s, Campbelltown Regional Gallery, Braemar Gallery). Many students commented that in any debate surrounding art education at UWS, a distinction must be made between the concerns pertaining to finances and the retention of students, and the history of the school in producing graduates who go on to play a significant role in world of contemporary art. The former was seen by many as an organizational problem to be overcome, the latter a success that should be recognized and celebrated.

6. On attracting students

Many students commented on the need for UWS to implement a well considered, specifically directed marketing campaign for the promotion of any future contemporary arts course.

Suggestions made by students in regards to attracting new students to a contemporary arts course:

# Specific advertisements positioned in media which has content directly related to the course at hand, Drum Media, 3D World, Realtime, Art Almanac.

# An annual ‘Open Day’ directed at senior high school students.

# ‘Vacation Schools’ directed at senior high school students, utilizing Zed building and conducted by third year and honours students.

# ‘Summer Schools’ that make use of specific facilities eg, Printmaking, Ceramics

# Emphasize the benefits and strengths of a contemporary arts course that truly allows for study ‘across the disciplines’. This should encompass both opportunities in ‘art practice’ (….that’s why I chose to come here….) and, if seen as advantageous by students, the possibilities of exploration in other areas of study e.g. humanities, politics, philosophy, science etc. (….much easier here to investigate an area of interest than the city art schools….).

10. On the new funding model

10.2 There appeared to be a significant degree of scepticism amongst many students in relation to the new funding model based on ‘floorspace rental’, and if the relationship between university management, and the faculties and their students, is being effectively reduced to that of landlord and tenant. Some students questioned the fairness of higher costs per department based on the design and building specifications of previous eras (….bad luck if you’ve got a really big foyer…. more than two hundred and fifty square centimetres and your asking for too much…will the end picture be students crammed into the smallest possible space and a whole lot of empty buildings….to meet management costs, does the uni just keep raising the rent…).

Indeed the point made by Skimin that students from UWS go on to make a valuable contribution in the arts is a crucial one, within the last week we have either heard about or attended the following exhibitions and initiatives involving past UWS students: Daniel Kojta exhibiting at Stills gallery; Andrew Gadow exhibiting at Firstdraft; and the new gallery At The Vanishing Point in Newtown due to open in early March as the initiative of Brendan Penzer (gallery director). Effectively UWS fine arts and electronic arts students are making their mark within the community, and unfortunately this is not always recognized nor valued, lets hope that through maintaining dialogue and openness about the issues facing art education within the university system we can make a difference.