Imagining Iceland
An interdisciplinary, mixed-level (BFA to PhD) Special Topics course where students develop individualized and interdisciplinary artistic projects in a variety of media including textiles, photography, video, performance, drawing, environmental art, graphic novels, book arts, writing, or academic work on themes of museum studies, community development, tourism, and hospitality studies.
Kathleen Vaughan: Imagining Iceland field School Summer 2018
About the Program
The Iceland Field School (IFS) is an interdisciplinary, mixed-level (BFA to PhD) Special Topics course (3 credits), sited at the Icelandic Textile Centre, an academic research centre and artistic residency in Blönduós, Iceland, during the endless daylight of the month of June. Students develop individualized and interdisciplinary artistic projects in a variety of media including textiles, photography, video, performance, drawing, environmental art, graphic novels, book arts, writing, or academic work on themes of museum studies, community development, tourism, and hospitality studies. We learn using a place-based, post-humanist lens, and consider environmental issues important to Iceland, Canada, and the world. We aim to give back to our host community as well as receive. The Iceland Field School is sited at the renowned Icelandic Textile Centre (textilmidstod.is/en), where students have double occupancy accommodation in two buildings, and in each share kitchen, laundry, and bathroom facilities. The Centre provides a large multi-use shared studio, weaving loft and looms, natural dye shed, and a digitally enabled classroom/meeting room.
Coursework includes workshops with Icelandic experts in tapestry weaving, spinning wool, and natural dyeing with locally foraged plants, plus a talk by a notable Iceland-based artist. Students learn with place as they focus on their independent creative work.
The Iceland Field School is designed and led by Kathleen Vaughan, Concordia University Chair in Art + Education for Sustainable and Just Futures and Professor of Art Education.
Program dates & course
Dates: June 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024
Undergraduate/ Graduate courses: ARTE 398/660/850
Estimated cost
Program fee: Concordia will charge program participants 3 credits of Concordia tuition and a program fee $3650. This fee includes housing at the Icelandic Textile Center in Blönduós, Iceland, workshops in weaving, knitting and traditional Icelandic embroidery and entry to the Icelandic Textile Museum.
Students are responsible for selecting and paying their transportation to/from Blönduós; mandatory health and travel insurance; meals; spending money; any required travel documents and other miscellaneous expenses associated with travel. Students also pay for and supply their own materials.
Available funding
Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Award
The Faculty of Fine Arts invites applications for the Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Awards. The Award offers an amount of $1,300 for thirty (30) eligible Fine Arts undergraduate or graduate students accepted to a Field School hosted by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Please consult the Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Award webpage for application instructions.
Bursary
To offset the costs for students of going abroad, Concordia International offers a bursary to students who qualify. To qualify, you must be a Concordia student enrolled in a Concordia Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree program and approved to participate in the field school.
- Field school applicants do not need to submit a bursary application as it is part of the on-line field school application, and you will automatically be considered for the bursary.
- The bursary will be applied to student accounts. Details on the payment of the bursary will be sent to successful applicants.
Contact Concordia International if you have any questions on your eligibility for funding.
Host institution
Textíllistamiðstöð, or in English, The Icelandic Textile Center, is situated in the scenic seaside northern town of Blönduós. The Icelandic Textile Center aims to promote or develop Icelandic and international textiles and to encourage research as well as education in the field of textile art and design. The Icelandic Textile Center’s Residency provides visiting students, scholars, and artists with working spaces to conduct their artistic practice, research, and study-trips within textiles.
Accommodations
Students will have accommodation and studio facilities at the Textile Center. Accommodations are shared 2-person rooms in the refurbished Women’s School (Kvennaskóllin), with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Students will share a large studio with a view over the Húna Bay, suitable for table-based work. A weaving loft has looms for experienced weavers and a dye-shed provides facilities for natural dyeing.
Application Process
To be eligible to participate in the field school, you must meet one of the following criteria.
- Be enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program, with a minimum 2.7 cumulative culmative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 24 credits toward your current degree program by the time you leave for the program.
- Be enrolled in a Master’s degree program, with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 9 credits toward your current degree program by the departure date.
- Be enrolled in PhD degree program, have a 3.7 cumulative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 9 credits toward your current degree program by the departure date.
All students interested in applying to this program must attend an information session given by Concordia International prior to submitting an application.
January 16, 2024 information session recording: Iceland Field School 2024 - Briefing on Vimeo
- Submit the Concordia Field School Abroad Application by the application deadline of February 16, 2024. The application can be accessed through the Concordia International CSEP Mobility Portal.
- Your application must also include:
- A copy of your most recent transcript (whether from Concordia or another institution). An unofficial Concordia transcript.
- A letter of intent of 500-750 words describing why you wish to participate in the Iceland Field School and the kind of work you hope to accomplish while there. You should also make mention of what strengths or contributions you think you will bring to the group.
- A sample of your creative or scholarly practice. This could be either (or a combination of both):
- 5 images of artwork, plus image list (dates, dimensions, media) and artist’s statement.
- A sample of scholarly or creative writing, minimum 5 pages double-spaced.
- Final admissions decisions will be made by the program monitor, Dr. Vaughan.
- By March 19, 2024, admitted students must make a $500 deposit on their Concordia student account towards costs to hold their position in the Iceland Field School. If a student withdraws from the program, the $500 deposit will be credited to their student account and applied against their future tuition.
- The Icelandic Textile Centre requires all participating students to read the Centre’s rules and policies and sign a waiver (will be provided to participants admitted to the program).
Students admitted to the program will have to attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting held by Concordia International through the following Zoom link: https://concordia-ca.zoom.us/j/83010441979
pwd=MUJKM2k5MkM1VG5FeU1kM1BIMlhrZz09on May 6th 2024 at 2:45 pm.
- Students admitted to the program will have to attend two preparatory meetings in early spring 2024 and then while in Iceland, a total of four three-hour group meetings in addition to textile workshops.
All information on this website is subject to change without notice. The program is subject to cancellation at any time and for any reason. 16 participants will be selected to participate in the program.
Academic Inquiries
Professor, Department of Art Education