Postgraduate exhibitions showcase cream of creative talent

Nadwa Esfandnia- Letterpress Enthusiast

A number of exhibitions from postgraduate artists, designers and conservators will be open to the public throughout September, showcasing the future of UK creative talent from the University of Lincoln.

The Postgraduate Art and Design 2013 Degree Shows will feature final collections from students of MA Fine Art, MA Design, MA Conservation of Historic Objects and MA Contemporary Curatorial Practice, many of whom have already displayed their work across prestigious international platforms.

The shows will open with a preview evening on Friday 13th September, and will be free to view from 14th – 20th September and 23rd – 25th September 2013, from 10am – 4pm.

Under the title Menu, an exhibition from 23 MA Design students will be the first to open in the Lincoln School of Art and Design Building on the University’s Brayford Campus.

The showcase will offer the public an exclusive chance to view a new genre film taking the movie industry by storm. Created by MA Design graduate and Lecturer in Creative Advertising at the University of Lincoln, Justin Tagg, the short feature film has already secured significant financial backing after being presented at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Mouse-X is set for official release next month, with Lincoln’s Postgraduate Degree Shows representing its first UK public screening before it goes on tour to film festivals worldwide throughout 2014.

Other works on show will include a successful graphic design project that formed part of the innovative Portas High Street Project in Market Rasen, a unique costume design for a contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare’ s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, proposals for a system of urban farming in Thailand and a collection of jewellery made from rubbish and detritus.

John Stocker, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for MA Design, said: “Here at Lincoln, we have an extremely dynamic group of students and we are very much looking forward to celebrating their hard work at our 2013 Degree Show. We look forward to welcoming staff, students and the public to enjoy our Menu.”

Postgraduates completing the MA Fine Art programme will showcase their work at Thomas Parker House alongside Ashleigh McDougall, the first student to graduate from the new MA in Contemporary Curatorial Practice programme. In a celebration of their study, the Strata exhibition will demonstrate a range of media, from installation and sculpture, to photography and drawing. There will also be a unique performance on Friday 13th September, when a preview evening will take place from 6-9pm.

Andrew Bracey, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for MA Contemporary Curatorial Practice and MA Fine Art, said: “These final exhibitions represent a vital part of the journey for our postgraduates, as they mark an important transition from student to artist. The Degree Shows offer an important opportunity for our students to demonstrate the results of their hard work, and we are looking forward to showing the public how many talented up-and-coming artists we have here at the University of Lincoln.”

Also showing in Thomas Parker House will be work from students of the MA in Conservation of Historic Objects. Alongside a display of current research being undertaken as part of the students’ final dissertations, the exhibition will include a series of images and photographs charting the progress of their practical conservation projects on historic landmarks.

For more information on the Degree Shows, visit the blogs for the Lincoln School of Art and Design (www.lincolnschoolofartanddesign.blogspot.co.uk) and the Strata exhibition (www.strata2013.tumblr.com).