Four Secrets of the Faculty of Fine Arts

Photo by Spencer Pickles

Life as a Fine Arts student isn’t always a walk in the quad. In fact, it’s quite literally not a walk in the quad. Three of the main buildings that play host to the Faculty of Fine Arts—the Fine Arts Building, Visual Arts Building and the Phoenix Theatre—are located just outside Ring Road. Maybe you’ve noticed that the west campus crosswalks seem to host more septum rings, more bright coloured hair, and an excessive amount of  bulky, black portfolios.

While we may sometimes seem like an odd bunch, and it might confuse you that we spend more money at Opus Art Supplies than we do at the Bookstore, there are actually some pretty rad little secrets tucked away in our corner of campus that you could be missing out on.

1. Arts Place

Looking for a great cup of coffee without the Bibliocafe line up? Look no further than Arts Place. Lovingly dubbed “Farts” by those in the know, this cafe serves up all your favourite coffees, along with Degrees Catering’s array of soups, and sushi to go.

The next time you find yourself craving a caffeine fix, come say “hi” to Bradley and Geraldine!

2. Student Alternative Theatre Company

The Student Alternative Theatre Company, or SATCo, is a student run organization based out of the Phoenix Theatre. Each term SATCo runs a season of student directed plays, featuring student actors, designers, and technicians.

If you were into theatre in high school and find yourself missing the fast-paced, collaborative art form, SATCo might be the place for you. As well, a SATCo show might be the perfect place to take that cute person you’ve been messaging with on Tinder.

A typical season has four SATCo shows, which have three performances each, from 12:30-1:30 on the Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The most recent show was Foundation, a devised theatre piece directed by Megan Chandler which explored the impact of Euro-centric beauty standards on people of colour.

3. The Audain Gallery and Atrium

Okay so you went to the SATCo show with that Tinder babe of your dreams, but you’re just not ready to end the date yet. Have no fear, because just next door in the Visual Arts Building you can pop in and check out what student and professional artists alike have been cooking up in The Audain Gallery and Atrium. Whether it’s art and poetry paired up in conversation about the human body, or it’s an actual naked human body writhing in a pile of dirt, there’s always something new going on here. Oh, and did I mention it’s totally free? Hell yeah.

4. Halloni

If you enjoyed visiting The Visual Arts Building, do I have news for you. The best Halloween party on campus happens here every year. Halloni is an all ages party that takes place in the entire first floor of the building.

Studio spaces and galleries are emptied out to make room for bands, DJs, dancing, beer, and food. Oh, and the costumes are always top notch. Trust me when I say that Fine Arts students know how to throw a party. And just in case you already had plans for Halloween, the party is held the Thursday before the holiday (because Halloween really should be a week long holiday).

So the next time you find yourself with a free minute in between labs and lectures, take a wander down to the edge of campus!