Mount Allison University and l'Université de Moncton welcome Artist-in-Residence Karen Trask as their second artist-in-residence.

A multidisciplinary artist and native of Ontario, Trask will serve a two-year term shared between the two universities thanks to a donation of $500,000 from Casino New Brunswick.

“We are very happy to announce Ms. Trask’s term at l'Université de Moncton. We have a number of partnerships with Mount Allison University, but we are particularly proud of this one, which allows us to articulate and express the value and importance of the development of arts and culture in our area,” says Raymond Théberge, President and Vice-Chancellor of l’Université de Moncton.

“Fine Arts has been part of Mount Allison for more than 160 years and students have many opportunities for hands-on learning — from creating their own pieces in the studio under the guidance of our faculty to staging exhibitions of their work at local galleries to working with a conservator at the Owens Art Gallery,” says Mount Allison President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Campbell. “The artist-in-residence program is a wonderful addition to these existing opportunities, giving students access to a fresh perspective from a working artist while building ties with l’Université de Moncton.”

“Casino New Brunswick’s goal is to show its support for the arts, education, and cultural development in southeast New Brunswick. We are proud to make our community a better place to live, work, and play, supporting the collaboration between Karen Trask with two of the country’s most noted universities, Mount Allison and l’Université de Moncton,” says Kate MacDonald, general manager, Casino New Brunswick.

Under the new program, Trask will divide her time and expertise between l’Université de Moncton and Mount Allison University. Throughout her residency, she will work with students, faculty members, and a variety of community stakeholders, giving talks, making public presentations, and undertaking research and artistic collaborations.

“The artist-in-residence is a priceless resource in the creative life of a contemporary artist and the Casino New Brunswick residency is a perfect model,” Trask says. “To my knowledge, it is the only one of its type and other universities should take note. Creating takes an enormous amount of concentration — and also a lot of time. These two things are becoming more and more rare these days. I admire the intelligence, courage, and creativity of Casino New Brunswick, l’Université de Moncton, and Mount Allison University in establishing this innovative project. This project is very important not only for the artist — who benefits from support for the creation of their work — but also for the students who will have the opportunity of observing artistic creation on a daily basis.”

Trask has been at l’Université de Moncton since January and will remain until the end of June. She will then be based at Mount Allison University from September to December 2017. The same cycle will be in place for 2018.

Photo caption: From left to right, Jean-François Thibault, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, U de M; Julie-Pier Friolet, chair of the student council of the Department of Visual Arts, U de M; Julie Forgues, director of the Department of Visual Arts, U de M; Raymond Théberge, President and Vice-Chancellor, U de M; Karen Trask, Casino NB Artist-in-Residence; Robert Campbell, President and Vice-Chancellor, Mount Allison University; Thaddeus Holownia, head of the Department of Fine Arts, Mount Allison University; Kate MacDonald, general manager, Casino New Brunswick; and Jolaine Thériault, director of marketing, Casino New Brunswick.