Ciao Firenze

I can't believe how time has flown (no pun intended for those of you who might know what my thesis is about: flight, time and space).
The eight months I have been here have gone by so quickly. I can't believe I am leaving in two days. Critiques are over.. my thesis is published and handed in, final exam is tomorrow, spring is finally here...
It has not hit me yet.. It's all happened so quickly I keep denying that my time here is coming to an end.
It's been an amazing experience. For the Florence students coming here next year (I know youall get your acceptance letters soon) enjoy it. It is going to be the most influential, life changing experience you've been given the opportinuty to be part of.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and keeping up with all the things I've gotten to see and do. It truly has been an amazing experience. I'm off to Berlin for their Biennale, Holland, Denmark and Sweden before I head home.
Then It's back to Canada for the scholarship and Graduation exhibitions.
...and That's It Folks. Thanks for tuning in, but it's time to say goodbye. Keep in touch.
Over and out -- Shannon

Pic: Class of 2006, OCAD, Florence, Italy.

Critiques and End of Year Show

Ah yes. Critique week was this week gone.
It went very well. The Dean came from Toronto to be part of the panel. He had some great input for everyone.
No one cried, no one was voted off the island.. we all had amazing bodies of work to show for our year here.
The 4/5 critiques were of course a little tougher, but everyhone handled themselves well, and had good thesis/ research defenses to present.
That night some of us stayed at the studio until 12-1am hanging the show for the opening the next day.

Opening night was a big success. Lots of people attended the opening, we shot some video for the website (www.ocad.ca/florenceprogram) and had a band play. We closed around 10:30-11 and went to our professors house for dinner.

Pics: Prof. Michele White and our Dean of Art Blake Fitzpatrick; Shannon, Marco, Katie and Greame; and dinner by Michele (that's our Dean serving us wine in that pic).

Ireland

Ok so after slaving over my computer for the last week writing my thesis, I decided to make a "visitation" to Dublin. (By the way, if you're ever writing a thesis or any academic piece of work upwards of forty-fifty pages, don't trust your MAC to save it.. and instead of having a nervous breakdown when you realise it's not the paint fumes or cold medication you're on that caused you to just not save the thing properly,..walk out of your 14th century apartment and take a stroll down to Ponte Vecchio, and then visit the friendly waiters at Gilis for some gelato --oh right, then schedule a flight out of the country for a weekend to recover).

So the trip ! It was amazing. Ireland is so beautiful. I stayed by a friend who did a great job showing me around Dublin. We went down the Grafton strip and Templebar. There was also the Ireland Art Fair on this weekend for me to go and see (not so impressive after seeing the one in London), and of course I made a trip to the National Gallery there as well. I was impressed with their permanent collection (Caravaggio, el Greco, Rembrandt, Vermeer..) but did not get to spend enough time there (sounds like another trip...).

Anyhow I am now back in Florence for critiques. Things are okay here. I am sick AGAIN, but all is well. I am still trying to figure out when I am coming home. (You'll know as soon as I do. Promise.)

Pics: Ireland Art Fair, National Gallery, & Grafton street.

Those Who Go, Those Who Stay

Hi all. I know my posts have been shorter, and less frequent recently. I have been working hard as it is the end of the school year now, and this week is critique week. My thesis defense is on Thursday. I don't know where the eight months went.

The end of year exhibition opening at the studio, "Those Who Go, Those Who Stay", is on Friday and will be webcast. Those of you in Trinidad, Toronto and various other parts of the world that cannot be here with us, go to www.ocad.ca on Friday 7th (1pm Toronto time, 12pm Trini time) to see the show here Live in Florence.

Also there is an online catalogue of the exhibition already up: www.ocad.ca/florenceprogram
On that site there are pictures of the work in the show and short statements or punctums from each artist on their work.