New exhibit showcases work from New Brunswick College of Craft and Design students

Students at New Brunswick College of Craft and Design have pulled off a gallery showing while learning and creating from home.

"Normally, when you're getting ready for a gallery show, you have months of being able to get ready for it but it just seemed right to give them this challenge. I think it brought a spark of excitement,” said Jamie Bergin, NBCCD 3D Digital Design Studio Head.

Bergin says the students wanted to name the show something that would embody the last semester.

"We were really feeling like it’s been a heck of a year, a really long year, and ‘Debacle’ really seemed to speak really loudly to us," he said.

It’s been a rocky two years for the students who have constantly had to pivot and have spent the last two weeks in New Brunswick’s Level Three lockdown.

"We were supposed to be in-person learning and then we had to go online. Some of the students caught COVID, there's just been any number of obstacles that you can think of,” said Karen Ruet, with the George Fry Gallery.

Bergin says the 14 second-year students were able to use their creativity to overcome the challenges.

"They don't have access to the software and the computers and the technology that maybe they needed, so we challenged them. You have one week to create something absolutely brand new that you can put on these walls and let how you're feeling kind of lead you,” said Bergin.

Student Wren Swim says it's been two years since he's been able to show his work.

His project is a 3D printed robot dinosaur.

"In 2021 we didn't have a chance to, but 2022, seeing these peoples’ works for the first time on a wall in a traditional gallery space is really special,” said Swim.

The students’ creations will also be shown in a virtual gallery that can be found on the George Fry Gallery website.

"It means the world to the students to be able to get out there, sometimes for the very first time, to show everyone what they're doing and what they're learning," Ruet said.

Debacle is showing at the George Fry Gallery until Feb. 23.