Nuture – Curiosity – Steward – Connect

When 3rd year student Fern Pellerin saw a presentation on NSCAD while in high school, one of the major selling points was the Port Campus. “When I saw Port Campus I was like “oh that’s beautiful!” they say. But with their current interdisciplinary studies in textiles, illustration, and art history Pellerin currently spends most of their time at the downtown Fountain Campus. While missing an ocean view, and concerns about the building’s accessibility, Pellerin has also come to love the spaces in Fountain. “I like the studio spaces even though it’s a maze, I do like exploring. And the textile wing is one of my favorite little homes.”

Fern Pellerin is the recipient of the Walker Wood Foundation Undergraduate Award and the Allan Clark Fleming Memorial Scholarship.

University students can end up spending the majority of their time at school, so for Pellerin NSCAD’s homey feel is a big plus. “NSCAD lends itself to be able to be modified into a second home,” says Pellerin, a quality which they say can help students strike a work-study balance.

The personal relationships students can form with teachers have also been vital to Pellerin’s time here. When Pellerin lost their father last year it was the community at NSCAD that helped them cope, with teachers like David Armstrong offered them the support they needed. “It doesn’t feel like school, it feels like family in a way.” says Pellerin. “I feel like everyone in textiles, everyone in illustration, everyone’s really good at coming together to support one another.”

While the demands of third year can certainly be overwhelming, Pellerin also finds the work itself can help them cope with the pressure. “I find textiles so different than drawing; painting… it’s a nice stress relief. It’s a good healthy coping mechanism. Working in textiles was important to me after my father’s death. He did a lot of textiles.”

The scholarships Pellerin has received have also been a huge help with the stress of school. “It’s been amazing,” says Pellerin, “just having the opportunity to have help financially can help me focus on education, on art, on what I want to do in the future, without the added anxieties and stress of being able to financially live… it’s a really big privilege that I’m very honoured to have. It’s definitely been a life saver.” But more than that, Pellerin says being awarded a scholarship is validating: “You put in a lot of work, you strive to do your best, and I don’t necessarily look for praise but having that when someone sees the work that you’re putting into your school and everything, it’s like a pat on the back.”

In this season of giving, we hope you will consider renewing your support for NSCAD by making a gift of any amount. All contributions to the NSCAD Annual Fund directly benefit our young artists, primarily in the form of scholarships and bursaries.

Many thanks and happy holidays from all of us at NSCAD!