President Champions Student Art with Launch of <em>The Row - Student Art Gallery</em>

(November 4, 2011 " Thunder Bay, ON) Today, as part of a Board of Governors and Senate annual reception, President Brian Stevenson launched The Row " a new student art gallery. This presidential initiative devotes the hallway walls outside some of Lakehead University's senior administrative offices to the display of student art.

"This is a wonderful way for student art to be noticed by staff, students, and visitors to Lakehead," says Lakehead Visual Arts Chair Roland Martin. "It's a great way to feature and promote, year-round, the very good work of our visual arts students."

Visual arts professor Mark Nisenholt coordinated the project and asked Visual Arts faculty to help select the student artwork. Once chosen, Professor Nisenholt gathered and installed the pieces to create The Row.

"I think one of the excellent features of The Row," says President Brian Stevenson, "is that all the works are for sale. I already purchased a number of student art pieces for my own home this year and wanted to give others in our community and region easy access to a wide range of student pieces that they can enjoy and purchase. The Row is one way that Lakehead University can incorporate, validate, and support student achievement."

Elizabeth Hoskin, fourth-year visual arts student at Lakehead, fully agrees with President Stevenson's approach: "The Row works on many levels " students get prominent exposure for their art, the Department of Visual Arts is on permanent display, the community benefits from a public display of art, and student art careers are advanced through the sale of our work."

The Row " Student Art Gallery occupies the hallway above Lakehead University's Agora, extending from the President's Office to the Office of Institutional Analysis. All members of the community are welcome to view and purchase the student pieces.

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Media: For more information please contact Janine Chiasson, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. Over 8,280 students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards.