Farewell to Faculty and Staff 2012-13
A number of faculty and staff members from the Faculty of Fine Arts are leaving Concordia by the end of the 2012-13 academic year. Please join Dean Catherine Wild in acknowledging and thanking the following people for their many contributions to the success of the Faculty:
- Gisele Amantea, Studio Arts
- k.g. Guttman, Contemporary Dance
- Kat O'Brien, Design and Computation Arts
- Ann Tanner-McDonald, Communications
Their achievements as teachers, scholars, practitioners, administrators and members of the larger cultural community have supported and enhanced Concordia's reputation as one of the foremost universities in Canada for the study and creation of fine arts.
Retired on January 1, 2013
Gisele Amantea, Studio Arts
Gisele Amantea is a triple threat, according to one colleague: she's a great artist, a great teacher and a great colleague. A multidisciplinary artist known for being highly organized, Amantea took on ARTX when it was young and developed it into a dynamic cluster of courses. In her own work, she uses materials and formats drawn from popular culture to explore questions related to women, class, nostalgia, history and memory. Her installations have been featured in group and solo exhibitions across Canada and abroad, including Oh, Canada at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art that ended in April 2013. A number of public collections in Canada feature her work, and she's recently had major commissions in Vancouver. She particularly likes working with flock, because of its tactile nature, its physical intensity and its reference to cultural identity. Kicking off her retirement with a six-month residency in Rome, for the foreseeable future Amantea plans to spend more time on her art and to see more of the world. She and her husband are avid travellers, and especially like long road trips. Amantea, who hails from Calgary, joined Concordia's faculty in 1995 and retires as an associate professor.
Resigning on June 1, 2013
k.g. Guttman, Contemporary Dance
After five years thoroughly enjoying teaching at her alma mater, k.g. Guttman is leaving to pursue her art and performance practice through various residencies and projects. She is working towards a PhD in artistic practice as research program through Leiden University and the Royal Academy for Art in the Hague. A 2007 graduate of the MFA (Open Media) program, Guttman's practice intersects the disciplines of dance, choreography, performance, video, drawing and installation. Her recent activities include dancing in Karine Denault's new work Pleasure Dome, which premiered in Montreal in February 2013; performing her piece Escorte in the group exhibition Ça et Là in Paris last year and in Visualeyez 2012 (Edmonton), and presenting her piece Desk for One Line, at Recyclart, Brussels in 2011. Her artist book Elapse I & II (2007) was purchased by the Library of the National Gallery of Canada and by the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec. Wherever possible Guttman transmitted to her classroom experiences gleaned from her research-creation projects. Her 2009 choreographic co-commission by the Canada Dance Festival and Dancemakers (Toronto), for example, provided an important instance to link back into classroom study.
Retiring on August 1, 2013
Kat O'Brien, Design and Computation Arts
New York-born and -bred Kat O'Brien joined Concordia's design art program as a faculty member in 1990. She received her MFA in ceramics, graphic design and photography after completing a BA in English at the University of Alabama; later studies included film production and screen writing. She previously taught as an assistant professor at the universities of Alabama and Minnesota, Washington University and Oberlin College, teaching in most of the different disciplines she studied. A prolific artist, O'Brien's exhibitions, multimedia installations, performances and art collections have travelled as far as China, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Argentina and the Dominican Republic. At home and abroad, she is the recipient of over 20 research grants and artist residencies, including ones at the Guldagergård International Ceramic Research Center, the Irish American Cultural Institute, United Nations' 4th World Conference on Women (China), the PS 1 Museum/Artists' Studios (New York City), National Endowment for the Arts (Washington, D.C.), the Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta, and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. O'Brien retires as an associate professor.
Resigning on July 5, 2013
Ann Tanner-McDonald, Communications
After six years as communications manager, Ann Tanner-McDonald is bidding adieu to Concordia. A veteran communications professional who has worked with major regional cultural organizations such as Vancouver Opera and at international events such as EXPO 86, Tanner-McDonald joined the Faculty of Fine Arts at a time when changes were afoot. "Ann was instrumental is developing a communications structure and in creating pathways with the departments and individual faculty members to encourage them to communicate their achievements," says Dean Catherine Wild. "She provided advice and support, and ensured that the messages from various departments aligned with the overall strategic communications of the department and the faculty." An early achievement was supporting a major overhaul and upgrade of the websites for the Faculty and departments, and encouraging departments to use their sites actively as an important tool in sharing their accomplishments and, through this, recruiting new students. Tanner-McDonald has always been keenly interested in the activities of faculty members, students and staff of Fine Arts, participating in events and enjoying their successes. She is also known for being very organized; even her suitcases for holidays would be packed well in advance of the departure date. A native of Halifax who came to Montreal via Victoria, Tanner-McDonald's next adventure will take place in Ottawa.