Peter Morin in his thesis exhibition, 2010
Peter Morin graduated with an MFA in Visual Arts. In an interview, Peter admits that he was initially drawn to UBCO as part of a bigger mission. Peter was employed as a Youth Worker at a local library when he noticed one of the younger students, while playing Monopoly, was struggling with very basic reading skills: “He was a kid that should have had no problem reading the basic writing on Monopoly cards. I think about this moment a lot because here was a kid that the system overlooked. My idea to get a Master’s Degree at UBCO was to address this moment, or moments like this. If I could get into the institutions and teach the teachers, for example, then we would start helping kids with similar issues.”
While at UBCO, Peter made ample use of the facilities located on campus, which include a darkroom, greenroom, painting studio, printmaking studio, wood shop, 3D studio, and more. However, for Peter, “the real gift was the instruction. I took several classes in support of my degree and benefited greatly from being in contact with these professors.” Furthermore, “the program overall was great. It suited my needs as a working professional who wanted to move beyond my Bachelor’s degree. I had the privilege of working with Stephen Foster. Stephen was a great support to my work. The research component of the degree really helped me to develop the performance skills that I use now. The research skills that I developed for my degree continue to help me to develop my projects and, these days, the same research methodology that I used to develop my Master’s Thesis exhibition is what I teach to my students at Brandon University.”
Peter Morin
Peter’s experience at UBCO and the FCCS were vital to his professional development. However, additionally, Tahltan.org notes that Peter “uses his training in painting, printmaking and drawing to tell visual stories of his Tahltan culture and who draws on art to help first nations youth reconnect with their culture and traditional practices.” Therefore, the skills that Peter refined at UBCO were invaluable to both his career and the greater community, which is something that the FCCS takes great pride in fostering.
In closing, Peter noted: “I found the program to be flexible and supportive. I also found that the faculty’s knowledge was very rich and diverse. This knowledge supported my research and my drive to complete my best work. I was working within a supportive environment, one that was responsive to my needs as a working professional, and this helped. It helped me finish my degree. It helped me to push past my own limitations. And, finally, it helped me continue to make the work that I do today.”
This story was written by Brandon Taylor, English major in FCCS. Brandon is a Research Assistant in FCCS, contacting alumni to find out about their experiences here at UBCO.