Weekly travel for art's sake

BY ANGELA CROMPTON

Classes on campus start with a long commute to Nelson for four Blenheim art students working towards a diploma in art and design.

The Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology closed its Blenheim art department this year but gave each fulltime Marlborough art student a $2000 scholarship so they could complete their studies from Blenheim.

Angie Ficagna, 25, Deone Greer, 43, Hannah de Castro, 23, and Danny Knox, 28, must juggle their course assignments with home study, a couple of weekly video-conference classes and two trips each week to the Nelson campus.

NMIT art and design programme leader David James describes the arrangement as "a fantastic opportunity" for the Marlborough students to continue their studies.

He is unsure if scholarships will be available to other students unable to shift to Nelson, but says they are "over and above" what other institutes offer.

Mr James taught the four students in a drawing and design class last term. "They're a fantastic addition to the class," he says. "We've known each other via video-conferencing and to have them in the studio, working alongside us, has been of benefit to us [Nelson arts department members] as well as them."

How? "Through discussion, throwing ideas around. They are interesting people, interesting students."

And Ficagna, de Castro, Knox and Greer say they love the energy and inspiration they get at the Nelson campus, where 42 people are studying art.

"It's awesome, being around that many creative people," Greer says. "The most we ever had in Blenheim was nine." But Ficagna says she misses the interaction with others when she is working alone at home in Blenheim.

The others agree.

"You miss out on remarks from tutors," de Castro says.

"You miss out on those ephemeral moments you get when different creative minds are around," Greer says.

They are each in their third year at art school and should receive a diploma at the end. An extra year's study will give them each a bachelor's degree.

Ficagna says she is totally focused on her art this year; Knox and de Castro juggle their studies with part-time jobs and Greer manoeuvres hers around the responsibilities of 11-year-old twins.

It is difficult finding room in their respective homes for easels, large canvases and the range of art materials they all work with and the students wish they could use the now-vacant art studio at Blenheim's Budge St campus.

Students in Nelson can use the art department spaces there at any time, provided they are in groups of at least two people.

The Blenheim students are envious but say being able to use the Nelson facilities even twice a week is one of the art department merger highlights.

Days in Nelson start when their alarm clocks go off between 5.30am and 6am. By 7am, everyone is up and dressed and one of them has picked up everybody else for the 90-minute journey.

They arrive in Nelson at 8.30am, early enough for a cup of coffee before the art student meeting that starts each campus day.

Mr James says the Marlborough students are "more than keeping up" with their Nelson counterparts.

"I'm really pleased with the results they are getting in their studies and the work they are doing," he said.

"I want to commend them for taking on the travel and all of that. It's going to be great to see where they go in the future."

- The Marlborough Express