Diploma in Visual and Creative Arts

at Fleming College - Haliburton Campus Canada

In this program, you will develop a powerful focus throughout the process of looking, thinking, making, and talking about visual artworks. These skills are essential in art making, regardless of your choice of visual media and medium. Experiences in and outside the classroom will expand your perspective on both current art practices, and your pathway into that world. This perspective allows you to make the best choices in your pursuit of future careers in your own studio practice, in the fine art or cultural sector, or in a commercial art enterprise.

You will develop your portfolio and artist’s documents in the VCAD program, which will provide you with a gateway to more advanced studies through our articulation agreements with major Canadian art education institutions.

In this three-semester Integrated Design diploma program, you will earn both a two-year Ontario College Diploma (two semesters) and one-year Ontario College Certificate (one semester), while discovering what kind of designer you are meant to be. Our accelerated program is equivalent to two years of study at other Ontario colleges.

Integrated Design is the only foundational design program of its kind in Canada where students can discover and begin to understand the complexities and challenges of our new Digital Age, and find integration and new forms of expression in their work through the machine-made, the handmade and the otherworldly.

This is an innovative and intensive program where you will be introduced to the breadth of design and design thinking through a series of inspirational lectures, collaborative and individual exercises, problem-solving assignments, and hands-on material research. The program is structured around five design principles that form the foundation for a career in any design discipline—Dream (big… and then dream a little bigger), Communicate (effectively… efficiently and with conviction), Collaborate (with the best… but don’t forget the rest), Experiment (with life… but take responsibility for your actions) and Apply (yourself now… make it happen).

Foundational learning acquired in semester one builds to semester two. Semester two is where you will use the extensive studio time to experiment with different kinds of materials and methodologies to find new ways of working while developing your design processes, methodologies, and a culminating design thesis project.

In the final semester, you'll have time to fully explore and focus on a specific discipline. Choose one of our accelerated 15-week Ontario College certificates (equivalent to two semesters of study at other colleges) to complete your diploma:

• Artist Blacksmith
• Ceramics
• Digital Image Design
• Drawing and Painting
• Fibre Arts
• Jewellery Essentials
• Glassblowing
• Moving Image Design
• Photo Arts

Throughout the program you will be exposed to a broad range of material practices and design categories including material culture/sustainability; communication/graphic; fashion/ textile; exhibition/environmental graphic; interiors/architecture/landscape architecture and mixed media/public art.

While further education will be needed to advance in a chosen design discipline, graduates will have developed hands-on material experience, their own design voice and a unique skill set that they can parlay into a small, independent art, design or craft practice/business.

Some graduates have turned their design thesis projects into viable design businesses after leaving the program. In this ‘gig’ economy, it is important that students learn entrepreneurial skills, in addition to digital and hands-on skills. Design entrepreneurship is an integral component of the program which prepares graduates to launch successful independent careers.

WHY CHOOSE FLEMING
Futurists predict that within the next ten years, over five million jobs will be lost to automation (and robots). Skills that you will acquire in this program, including creative thinking; problem-solving; and empathy for humanity, other species and the well-being of the planet will be key to your success.

Incorporating our studio-based Ontario College certificates means we are able to provide a one-of-a kind program that weaves together design thinking and material culture in a deep and meaningful way. You'll understand the balance of thinking/making skills, along with sustainability practices, which is not generally offered at an undergraduate level program.

Integrated Design is delivered at Fleming College's Haliburton Campus, located in central Ontario's spectacular Haliburton Highlands region. Haliburton is a welcoming, vibrant community known for its amazing scenery, and is home to an eclectic population of resident artists, designers and craftspeople. You will have the opportunity to get outside your everyday experience, escape the urban world and immerse yourself in your creative practice in a truly unique way.

Our campus is designed for creative people and focuses on providing the best possible studio experience for our students. Class sizes are small, and all our programs are delivered in dedicated, fully-equipped, spacious studios.

You will learn from a large roster of instructors who are all current practitioners and experts in their chosen design fields, including Barr Gilmore (graphic design, environmental graphic design and sculpture); Chris Bahry (Tendril… motion graphics, animation and live action); Joseph Clement (Designland… landscape architecture and documentary filmmaking); and JP King (Paper Pusher… material culture and printmaking); and Jeremy Laing (fashion and industrial design); amongst others.