July 7 – August 6, 2016

Warden and McNicoll

Simone Jones

In 2015, the Office of the UTSC Principal and University of Toronto Vice-President made acquisition funds available for VPSC53H3 Curatorial Perspectives II—a course offered within the Department of Arts, Culture and Media.

Students enrolled in the course learned about U of T’s Collections Policy and procedures, responded to assigned readings, conducted research and studio visits, and attended lectures by guest curators. A short list of artists who have significant roots, past or present, in the eastern GTA, or whose work reflects Scarborough’s cultural landscape, was provided. The students presented their research in advance of the studio visits, and reconvened and reviewed the experience after each studio presentation. As a result of their final summation, Simone Jones’s Warden and McNicoll was selected for acquisition.

The students chose Warden and McNicoll for its explicit yet thoughtful consideration of this community, while also demonstrating a momentous artwork within the artist’s practice. The acquisition of this work marks the legacy of the substantial participation of UTSC students toward the cultural heritage of the campus for many years to come. Other works in this tradition include Kim Adams’s Scarborough Lights and Will Kwan’s This Archipelago, acquired after the artists completed residencies while working closely with students. As part of the UTSC Permanent Art Collection,Warden and McNicoll will be available for exhibition, research and loan to other institutions.

VPSC53H3 was taught by Ann MacDonald, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, and Director/Curator of the Doris McCarthy Gallery. The students who worked diligently to make the right choice for the UTSC Permanent Art Collection are: Sydney Cabioc, Pedro Chan, Shelley Gu, Celeste Hamilton, Zhaoyi Kang, Elyse LeDren and Kristina Zaja.