October 20, 2021

Art and Design students at Medicine Hat College (MHC) have combined Halloween with a concept representative of recent times for the art exhibition on display at the One on One Gallery in the Cultural Centre.

“The Unforeseen” is a play on the pandemic mixed with the upcoming Halloween holiday, featuring approximately 41 pieces of intriguing artwork from first to fourth year Art and Design students.

“Our concept for the show and the title we selected was derived from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of that no one saw it coming – it was unforeseen. We decided to play with that concept to see what the students would come up with and we received a wide variety of crazy, unique things you wouldn’t normally see,” describes Peyton Erickson, Visual Arts Student Society (VASS) president.

“When you think of Halloween, you typically think of dark and gruesome. Surprisingly, a lot of students created humorous and/or brightly-coloured pieces. Not everyone stuck with a scary vibe and it was really interesting to see what was produced. The unforeseen works for anything.”

Erickson further explains that each student had the opportunity to submit up to two pieces if they wished and that all submitted pieces were included in the display.

“The response from students was great – we filled up the gallery. Anyone in Art and Design at MHC can submit their work as long as they have a VASS card which is easy to get. It’s a $10 digital card you sign up for via email and you also receive discounts at places such as the MHC Bookstore, Boylan Imaging, Samir’s Donair, and Nirvana 101.”

Erickson, along with three other students, are the four serving members of VASS, and are hoping to recruit more members from all levels of the Art and Design program.

The VASS team was responsible for the setup of the exhibition and created fun effects fitting of the spirit of Halloween to add to the experience.

“We changed up the layout and the design of the space to make it more visually engaging by incorporating walls at different angels, as well as spooky features for Halloween. Our intention was to create a whole different view and experience for our audience, original to our concept,” says Erickson.

Ian Richmond, Art and Design coordinator and instructor at MHC, invites the public to get in the Halloween spirit by visiting the exhibition before Monday, November 1st.

“I am very proud of the work produced by the talented students in our Art and Design program. For many, this is their first time curating a show and having their work on display. The pieces are sure to captivate the viewer’s imagination with their unexpected and unforeseen nature.”

Additional information on MHC’s Art and Design applied degree program can be found here.

Current students interested in becoming a member of VASS are encouraged to email vass@mymhc.ca.