by Megan Narsing
@Spider_Meg
The visual arts faculty is slowly become the invisible arts.
With more budget cuts, almost no support for more instructors and the little to no funding for graduate work the students in the visual Arts students like Jen SK are feeling the repercussions.
“I’m unable to register for classes because we don’t have anyone just yet to fill the positions.” SK, who is majoring in ceramics and sculpture said. “There are two profs who are going on sabbatical and until they find a replacement I’m kind of up in the air for classes.”
The university's three per cent budget cut across the board in fact shakes down to a 10 per cent base budget cut for visual arts, along with a 20 per cent loss of student assistants and a total loss of sessional lecturers, according to a report prepared by the faculty of fine arts for the March 6 University Council meeting.
“One of the number one ways people share culture is through art,” SK said. She disagreed that the arts department shouldn’t be considered an important field.
Despite the cuts, the program retains some strong supporters in the community. The Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery is one of them.
The Mackenzie Art gallery used to be a part of the University of Regina. It 1990 it separated from the school and became the separate entity it is today. However, it hasn’t forgotten about visual arts students and its relationship with the university.
“We have a long standing tradition of having the bachelors of fine arts and bachelors of media arts graduating exhibits hosted here at the gallery.” Jeremy Morgan the executive director for the gallery said.
With the latest budget cut it may not be possible for SK to continue her path here, she said.
“I chose Regina because the University of Saskatchewan basically has the same problem we are now running into here. I’m graduating next year. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” SK said.
