What is this? If we were within an institution, this would be a Masters of Fine Arts. We keep the academic rigor and research, but we have the flexibility to serve our individual art practices. We engage lecturers that have content expertise, we research in depth, debate alternate positions and our artwork is informed. Members all have their own content expertise in addition to being professional artists.
Vision Creating artwork is research for artists
Mission Engaging with ideas and questions to inform our individual and collective art practices
Desired outcome Creating dialogue and sharing it with community. Considerations of space/place and beauty with the understanding that they mean different things to all of us.
Modules 2022 Scholars Without Institutions started with a modular timeline. Most modules were contained in a four-week period. There was a blended in-person and zoom facilitated option for attendance that allowed for challenges of distance and travel. Within the context of their expertise, lecturers were given the following guiding questions, What is it that identifiably associates an artist with a particular place? How does place nurture an artist's creative engagement with their community or with the land? How does an artist's creative engagement alter their community and its relationship to the land?2023 Activities Artists will focus on developing bodies of work from conceptual ideas generated during the modules of 2022. An exhibition of the Scholars without Institutions process show related to the 2022 modules will be held in all of the Kamloops Old Courthouse Galleries in October 2023.
Modules 2024 A modified lecture module model will continue in 2024. Rather than creating work to respond directly to lectures, the format will allow individual bodies of work to be informed by lectures. There will be fewer topics with greater depth and a focus on studio visits for sharing work.