Help save the Textile Arts Program

///UPDATE/// sadly, the program has since closed.

My former school, Capilano University, has threatened to discontinue a number of programs due to lack of funding, since the government scaled back funding for many post secondary institutions (wtf?!).  One of those programs is the Textile Arts Program I attended.  I am angry, sad and appalled to say the least.  The Textile Arts program changed my life course for the better in so many ways, and I know that is true for many other alumna.  It is such a valuable program. There is no other program in North America (and perhaps the world) that offers such a rigorous and meaningful education in this field. 

It wasn't until my time in the Textile Arts program at Capilano University that I knew what my vocation was; to work in the field of textiles as an artist and educator. The program instilled in me an appreciation for handwork, shared knowledge and community, as well as a new appreciation for all aspects of history in the context of textiles.  The faculty are some of the most interesting and inspiring people I've met, and all put forth a curriculum that is both extremely challenging and fulfilling. Future students would be hard-pressed to find a better education in this field.

In the past weeks, since the university announced the cuts on April 24th, there has been an uproar by students, faculty and the wider community.  Letters are being written and all the artwork on campus was shrouded in black or damaged.  That was apparently not enough.  We bought some time when the board granted the university a few more weeks to fundraise, but we need to convince the liberals to fund these programs again, and the president of the university to create a more creative budget strategy (or to resign).  

To get up to date on the issue here are some links, and there is an online petition HERE.

A facebook page has been started:
https://www.facebook.com/CapUArtEviction

and a web site gives additional information
http://savecapstudioarts.webs.com/

NorthShore News
Board delays Capilano University cuts
Union plans CapU cuts injunction Move aims to delay May 14 board decision
Programs fall under the axe at Capilano U 

CBC News
Programs cut as Capilano University faces $1.3M shortfall

Vancouver Sun
Capilano University puts course cuts on hold
Court injunction sought to delay cuts at Capilano University
Students need to fight for university funding
Capilano University plans program cuts to balance budget 

Writing letters helps, so here is a list of contacts and their emails.  Write away!

Capilano University President, Kris Bulcroft:
[email protected]

North Vancouver Seymour Mla- Jane Thornthwaite – BC Liberal Party
[email protected]

North Vancouver Lonsdale Mla - Naomi Yamamoto – BC Liberal Party
[email protected]

West Vancouver Capilano Mla - Ralph Sultan – BC Liberal Party
[email protected]

West Vancouver Garibaldi Mla - Joan Mcintyre – BC Liberal Party
[email protected]

Minister of Education: Honourable Don Mcrae
[email protected]

ALSO...

Here is a copy of a letter sent from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design Faculty Association President to Dr. Kris Bulcroft:

Dear Kris Bulcroft,

We are writing to urge you to find a way to keep Capilano's Studio Art and Textile Arts Programs running for students.

It was extremely disappointing to hear of the decision to eliminate these programs without consultation, discussion, or option. This goes against the values of access, transparency and fairness that should guide post-secondary education.

Specialized facilities such as the bronze foundry and the digital loom are incredibly rare in Canadian post-secondary institutions, and this closure is a loss to artists at a time when the arts and creativity urgently need to be protected and respected.

We have heard spokespeople from Capilano state that your art programs are available elsewhere, chiefly at Emily Carr. This is mistaken; we have no textile art program and have been partnering with Capilano for some years to provide our students opportunities in this discipline.
Likewise the studio art program with its small size, multidisciplinary focus, and atelier model, has no equivalent in the BC education system. Because the studio art program is only a two year course, we receive some of our best students into third year from Capilano.
Elimination of these programs will deal a significant blow to the survival of regional art and culture in BC.

Please reconsider this short-sighted, destructive decision and open a dialogue with the department faculty, staff and students that respects the value of what they contribute to creative communities in British Columbia and beyond.

Sincerely,

Rita Wong
Emily Carr Faculty Association President

cc.Sandra Ferens, Head of Department, Studio Arts Board of Governors, c/o Frances Corlett Mark Battersby, Capilano University Faculty Association President

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And some alumni testimonies...

I would like to extend my most sincere sympathy in regards to the proposed dissolution of the textile art program and how this will affect all of the faculty, students and prospective students.

It is difficult for me to find the words to properly express my sadness, disappointment and anger at the proposed threat to the textile art program. This unique program is rooted in the powerfully anti-capitalist agency in making. The peer to peer dissemination of knowledge that occurs within handcraft communities is strikingly egalitarian when compared to contemporary educational structures.

As an MFA candidate at UBC who got their start in this program I can honestly state that I have never received a more rigorous or challenging education then the one I received from the dedicated faculty in the department. It is unique in Canada and with a systematic deskilling of artists and with movements toward non medium specificity this education is increasingly valuable for those interested in pursuing it.

Fibre art is a beautiful practice that creates a magic space between mind and body. It employs and enchantingly auratic presence of the hand. Fibre art has ties to a revolutionary feminist history that challenges a traditional art hierarchy. The loss of this program is a loss for the community at large.

"For storytelling is always the art of repeating stories, and this art is lost when the stories are no longer retained. It is lost because there is no more weaving and spinning to go on while they are being listened to." - Walter Benjamin.

Marie Horstead

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I continue to be dismayed at the proposed cuts to the Capilano University budget. Despite vocal and fierce lobbying, the inability of the administration to enter dialogue on the topic is shockingly poor; the attitude of President Bulcroft is scornful and dismissive. I am ashamed of my school.

Although my dearest wish is for Textile Arts to retain its diploma status, please consider this letter to be in support of all the programs included in the proposed cuts. They are each unique, intrinsic, and necessary to the learning community at CapU.

I graduated from the Textile Arts Diploma Program in 2010, and have been pursuing my studies as a degree transfer student at Emily Carr University. If the program is eliminated, I will never be able to finish my degree, as I am required to complete a certain amount of credits through CapU; ECU is not in any way fitted with hardware or resources for textile art, and I don’t see the value of completing a degree if I cannot use my chosen medium.

I have seen statements suggesting that the programs considered for elimination are those that have “no future” or that are dead-end activities; they are by no means useless, but you are rendering them such by refusing them house-space.

A main reason cited for cutting Studio Arts and Textile Arts, in particular, are its costs. I understand that because of their forty year histories and successive grandfathering though several academic iterations, they have always been fully funded with supplies and materials. It is, however, common practice for any secondary visual arts program to charge fees for studio supplies, and for students to provide their own materials. Has this even been considered at CapU as a partial solution to our programs’ large budgets?  I know that I would gladly pay a materials fee in addition to tuition for future classes in textiles, and I feel very blessed and grateful to have been spared that expense previously.

I have never encountered a more unconditionally inclusive group of people than textile artists. Previous graduates go out of their way to be generous and helpful to newer CapU grads; local guilds and associations welcome us eagerly and provide infinite support. Everyone who graduates from Textile Arts is imbued with the pleasure of performing work that has been practiced for thousands of years, and we are all eager to share our knowledge with successive students. This 40 year-old program is essential to the continuance of that tradition; its very longevity is testament to its rightful place at CapU.

I took a quick look at the CapU financials for the past few years (you have records and financial statements back to 2006 on the website). The provincial operating grants and contractual funds have hovered at or around $39 million each year, and did not increase despite its designation as a university in 2008. I consider it a shocking dereliction of duty in President Bulcroft and the previous president that they did not  have the wherewithal to demand university-level funding from the provincial government, and that revenue has remained static in that time. Money is clearly available, as the $113 million gift to Emily Carr University earlier this year indicates; Presidents Bulcroft and Lee demonstrated a resounding failure of opportunity and  responsibility to serve their offices. Students of Capilano University should not have to suffer for their incompetence.

I will close with the words of President Bulcroft in her primary address to the community in 2010:

“[...] Capilano has earned an international reputation as a place where students feel valued as individuals and are supported in their learning. [...] [W]e will continue our commitment to our college roots.We will continue to provide open access for our students, ensure small class sizes at all levels, offer support services and a campus ethos that tells students that success is for everyone, and continue to find ways to support faculty in best practices in teaching and learning. Additionally, we will continue to offer certificates and degrees that have real-world relevance and that provide students with experiential learning opportunities while on their way to earning their credentials.”

Vertical cuts are in direct opposition to this philosophy. Please keep our school intact.

Stacey Lobin