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Finding the art in science, math, language… and life
Message from the President David B. Smith
The hypothesis is simple: If you teach students to think critically and
creatively, they’ll apply these skills in the course of all their studies –
and throughout their lives.
Creation. Innovation. Discovery. It all starts with a question.
Whether that questioning happens at the laboratory bench or in the
artist’s studio, alone or in collaboration, the process of exploration and
discovery is the same. In a word, it’s research.
In this year’s President’s Report, we turn the spotlight on NSCAD
University’s growing influence as centre for academic excellence in
visual arts research. And we do so by focussing on its singular defining
feature: the creative process.
In its many forms and iterations, all creative practice is a journey:
one where the process is as instructive as the destination. Where the
tangents you take along the way lead to new perspectives, new possibilities
and new understandings. Where inspiration is made manifest.
This is where innovation lives.
As one of North America’s leading visual arts universities, we nurture the
creative process through studio practice and research. And we’re ideally
suited for the role. NSCAD is long-renowned as a creative crossroads:
a place where stellar faculty and leading critical thinkers come together to
shape new ideas and journeys. Our interdisciplinary tradition encourages
forward-thinking, collaborative inquiry across faculties - and beyond, with
other universities, institutions and organizations worldwide.
In the stories that follow, you’ll see the rigour of the creative process at
work. From transforming traditional disciplines to tackling urgent social
needs through design and education, NSCAD-driven research is helping
change the way the world thinks and acts.
In early 2012, NSCAD will put a public face on the creative process. Our new
Institute for Applied Creativity will serve as a collaborative hub, designed to
meet a growing realization that creativity is the foundation for all innovation,
which in turn drives productivity. Here, individuals and organizations from
outside the visual arts will work alongside NSCAD researchers, using a common
medium – creativity – for a common purpose: discovery.
And therein lies the power of the creative process.
“ I’ve always believed in the importance of
critical and creative thinking skills to learning,”
says President David B. Smith. “While
there’s anecdotal evidence demonstrating
how the arts increase learners’ engagement,
I wanted to prove that through a comprehensive
longitudinal research study.”
“ I want to make that link.”
Designed by Smith and authorized Western
Cape Department of Education in South
Africa, NSCAD’s Art in Schools Initiative is
a four-year study that measures the impact
of visual arts programming integrated
directly into the non-arts curriculum.
Launched in January 2011, the project
tracks a cohort of 360 students as they
progress from Grade 9 through to Grade 12
at Modderdam High School in Bonteheuwel,
an economically disadvantaged township in
the Western Cape.
“ We look at all the courses – math, science,
social science, Afrikaans and so on – and
pull out assignments that can be turned
into visual arts projects to enhance learning
and exercise the right side of the brain,
not just the left.”
Smith and his team will assess how creative
programming increases learning outcomes
and student engagement by measuring
results like test scores, final grades, class
attendance and graduation rates against
students in the years immediately preceding
and following the study group.
“ The students are already growing in selfesteem,
and we hope they’ll apply this new
confidence to life beyond the classroom.”
On behalf of the faculty, staff, students and Board of Governors of NSCAD
University, I am delighted to present my fifth President’s Report, for the
fiscal year ending March 31, 2011.
view video profile >
www.nscad.ca/report2011/profile-smith.html
NSCAD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2011