Central Technical School, 50 years Later

Richard Wessell, Mark Thurman, and me with Dustin Garnet, May 27th, 2016

Flash back to June 1963.  Barbara Tenny, Mark Thurman and me

Dr. Dustin Garnet wrote his thesis on the art education at Central Technical School, he has also been an art instructor there for the past decade. It was a supreme honour for me to be one of the ten people he interviewed for his thesis. My post on our interview is here. Just prior to meeting Dustin at the school this spring, I was delighted to receive a hard copy of STUDIES in ART Education, which includes his article Alice's Story: Insights to the Artistic Community of Central Technical School in the 1960s. 

Below is the building where we had our academic studies, reduced as they were to english, economics, science and physical education (in our final year) to accommodate our heavily weighted art subjects which included anatomy, history of art, commercial art, design, life drawing and painting, still life, illustration, lettering, research and museum. Yes museum, because the Royal Ontario Museum is a short walk from Central Tech. We had a half day painting at the ROM, once a week.

"The Main Building" as we called it is most impressive.  May 2016

Before the art building was completed art classes where held in six studios up in the very top of the tower.  Today they are mathematics classrooms. 

Climbing the steps to the tower studios, May 2016

The foyer of the old building is grand ...

It's hard to fathom that we graduated this amazing facility, 50 years ago. An impeccably timed highlight of Bill's and my Friendship Tour, to Ontario and Quebec in May/June (a story for another day) was having Dustin tour us, and two of my classmates, through all of the studios of what is now called the The Art Centre as well as the old, stone school which opened in 1915.

The Art Centre with its amazing north facing windows, May 2016

The foyer inside the front doors of the The Art Centre, May 2016

Dustin began the tour on the top floor of The Art Centre which was, in or time, Virginia Luz's class. We moved along into Dawson Kennedy's then Kathleen Kennedy's studio. In the last top floor studio, which I recall as being shared by Bob Ross and Doris McCarthy, life drawing is still instructed.

Life drawing studio

Here are some of my classmates back in April of 1966 ...

Barry Corston behind John Williamson (RIP) Sandra Ko, Ula Ahonen and Cynthia Jakubowski

 

There were times when models didn't show up and when this happened one of us students would pose. Here you have three former students hamming it up as models ...

Mark, myself and Richard

Me and Mark, life drawing April 1966 - oh how young we were!

Sculpture and print making was not a part of our curriculum. These studios were used by the special art students who studied only art. To enter the special art program, in the 1960s, students had to have previously achieved grade ten in a regular high school program. I did work in the sculpture studio but not until after graduation and as a night school student. 

Clay sculptures in the sculpture studio

The print making studio is a fully equipped masterpiece

Dustin's class back in January 1966.  Lisa Shallhase and Sally Simone working on a lettering project, Richard Wessell looks on

Dustin's studio/classroom today

From the very onset the tour took on a most surreal quality. As we made our way through the studios and halls all sorts of rich memories came flooding in making it difficult to be in the present. After a work week, in abnormally high temperatures without air conditioning (which hadn't been turned on yet) Dustin begged off joining Bill, Mark, Richard and me for a pub supper. I can't speak for the others, but I couldn't shake the sensation of travelling through time until I'd slept that night. 

What a wonderful gift you gave us, Dustin. Many thanks for a treasured opportunity to visit our alma mater with you.   

You may enjoy delving into Central Tech further. Here is the original blog post I wrote and some of the art I created while there. Here you'll see art by my classmates.

The Interview With Dustin Garnet

On April 21st, 2013, I received this email ...

Hello Alice,
My name is Dustin Garnet and I am an instructor in the Central Tech art program. I am also a PhD candidate writing my thesis on the history of the CTS art program.
I just came across your comments and pictures on the Internet about your experience at Tech. I was thrilled!!!  (He is referring to this post.) 
Would you be interested in having a phone or a Skype interview about your experience?
I've already interviewed a bunch of former staff and students and I think your story would be a great contribution!
Please let me know whenever you can.
Best,
Dustin 

I checked Dustin Garnet out online and promptly replied with a hearty "Yes"! The phone or Skype interview morphed into a live, in our own home interview. On the heels of a conference in Victoria, B.C., Dustin flew to Calgary, rented a car on June 8th, 2013, and drove the 130kms to Claresholm.

The video taped part of our day lasted a little over one hour

The moment he came through our front door I was endeared to him. Our first hour, becoming acquainted, was animated and forthright. He'd emailed me questions to ponder. Those of you who know me would know that I'd have questions of my own, and often among the first is "How old are you?" "Thirty-three" he responded. His obvious passion for Central Tech (where he's been on staff for six years) and easy manner made it easy for me to be my usual, unreserved self. Please view Dustin's art here. 

My vanity had me ask to see how I looked on camera

In lovely weather, we enjoyed lunch on our back deck, after which I took Dustin down to The Anne Frank Room. There he photographed my memorabilia and student art until it was time for him to dash back to Calgary for a 5 o'clock flight.

I happily watched as Dustin delighted in photographing everything from book covers of school projects, photos, to my diploma and report cards. He marveled at the fact that we were actually ranked according to our overall, average mark; i.e. 3 in a class of 15.

My final report card ... notice how heavily weighted art subjects were compared to the academic subjects

This fine letter, to the graduates, accompanied our diploma

       

  

And there I am, diploma in hand, November 18th, 1966

Dustin asked about student interaction. I was so honoured when he said that he could give a dissertation on me and my classmates. He wondered about how our teachers instructed. I felt (because art is so visual) that they had taught by doing and then left us to work it out. What they gave us was a desire to be like them. We could see that, as artists, they enjoyed a wonderful life both in and out of the classroom. I wanted that.

Design class, Dawson Kennedy, January 1966

 

My photo from the VULCAN, Central Tech's 1966 year book

When the four-year course was over I was not yet weaned from Central Tech and neither were other students from my graduating class. Some of us returned for night classes in life drawing. As well, I took sculpture which was not offered in the high school art program. 

Dustin wanted to know about work placement after school. To my recollection it was arranged behind the scenes. Sent off to be a cartographer, I lasted a week.  Good thing employment was easy to come by back then. Upon quitting I was hired, on the basis of my portfolio, at a division of Irwin Toy; Irwin Specialties. There, using a non-rotary x-acto knife, I hand-cut pro-film for silk screens (of my designs) to be printed as souvenirs. Pennants, t-shirts and tea towels. It was all very unglamourous (although it set me up for fine art, silk screen printing in later years) but it was a great deal more interesting than map making!   

    

How wonderful that Dustin came so far to spend a day with me! He gave me a tremendous opportunity to remember my school days, of some 50 years ago, with someone new. Someone who feels every bit as strongly about the institution as I do. I look forward to his transcript of our interview and to his final thesis presentation.  

Not to mention the book and the movie!