The annual Victoria College Art Gala showcases some of U of T’s best student photography, multimedia, and design works. This year’s event — inspired by the theme “Underground” — will take place on March 11 and offers cash prizes to the winners in each of its six categories: Portraits, Landscapes, Vic Life, Travel, Arts and Culture, and Exclusion and the City. To learn more about the gala, The Varsity sat down with co-president of VicXposure, Thomas Lu and president of Victoria College’s Arts and Crafts Club, Ella Gorevalov.
The Varsity
Victoria College hosts an Art Gala every year. What are the goals of the event?
Ella Gorevalov
Basically, the Gala is a way for students to show off their artwork in a relaxed environment, away from the structured, formal academic world. It also provides a way for students to showcase different mediums of art, whether it be photography, design, or painting.
Thomas Lu
The Gala also aims to be interactive, and to have a non-competitive atmosphere, even though there are prizes to be won for first place finishers.
The Varsity
What inspired the “Underground” theme for this year’s gala?
Ella Gorevalov
We wanted it to be mysterious.
"Nature's Christmas" by Shijie Zhou
Thomas Lu
The theme changes every year. “Underground” seemed like a good way to add a sense of intrigue to the Gala, and inspire some alternative artworks.
The Varsity
VicXposure — Victoria College’s photography club — is one of the three groups hosting the gala. How does the club help students improve both their photography skills and chances of placing in the gala?
Thomas Lu
"Pow Wow" by Ian Poon
VicXposure … basically helps students get better and more confident in their photography skills. The club is open to anyone — amateurs or people who have previous photography experience. We even have a camera rental program, where students borrow slrs, film cameras, as well as a variety of lenses. We also go on a lot of photo walks around Toronto, mostly to obscure places that the average person wouldn’t come across so that our students get a wide range of subject matter to photograph. We also offer classes on how to use your camera or shoot different subjects. Once they’re confident in their photography skills, we send our students to different events around campus, like Frosh Week and pub nights.
The Varsity
Vic’s new Arts and Crafts Club is also involved in organizing the event. What is the focus of this club? Can students involved in the Arts and Crafts club contribute to the Gala?
Ella Gorevalov
[Arts and Crafts was] initiated this year and [is] run out of Old Vic. Basically it’s a drop-in club where students from every college get together and make whatever they want out of the materials we provide for them. Initially, the gala was intended for photographers who wanted to showcase their talent, but in recent years we’ve been seeing a lot more non-photography submissions, like formal artwork and even multimedia installations.
The Varsity
What do the judges look for when determining winning submissions?
Ella Gorevalov
All four judges are students at Vic, along with one prof, to help eliminate any biases. So the judging is pretty fair and consistent.
Thomas Lu
There aren’t a lot of judging criteria. They’re basically looking for the submission that best fits a category.
The Varsity
What is the most rewarding aspect of being in VicXposure and the Arts and Crafts Club?
Ella Gorevalov
It really takes my mind off studying and reading — basically boring academic stuff. The thing I love most about A&C is that there are no set rules; you’re free to create whatever you want, as opposed to the strict, regulated academic world. I’ve also gotten to meet some of the most creative and innovative students on campus, who have some of the craziest ideas!
Thomas Lu
"Zhouzhuang, China" by Ian Poon
I’m not really into the ‘artsy’ type of photography — photojournalism is more of my passion. What drew me to photography initially, and what I enjoy the most, is that it’s another medium of telling a story, other than just the written word.
The Varsity
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers and crafters who want to get more involved on campus and get their work “out there”?
Thomas Lu
Submit! Send your work — whether its photography, videography or design — to anyone and everyone. There are so many campus publications that are always in need of photographers to capture events happening around campus.
Ella Gorevalov
For anyone who’s interested in A&C, check out the Gardiner Museum. They always have exhibitions on contemporary art, and even offer pottery-making classes. As to where to submit your work, start with next year’s Gala! Profs have even been known to bid on their favourite artworks.
The Victoria College Art Gala runs from 6-9 pm at Old Vic on Monday, March 11. The dress code for the event is semi-formal.
