Brett Jasch – “If you’re all about visual art and growing your practice, you’ll find what you need at AUB”

Further work in art school had always been on my mind, but there were barriers that I couldn’t overcome; living in an isolated community on the Canadian west coast and working full time made any kind of academic endeavour challenging at best. I came across AUB’s online programme through a friend who had studied nearby, saying it was an excellent school. I didn’t know anything about it, but as I browsed the website and saw the opportunities available, a small bud of hope started to blossom.

MA Illustration (Online) is part time and asynchronous – you work on it when you can, and it’s built with the understanding that you have other things going on. As a later-in-life creative, this fit perfectly with what I needed. Working full time as a teacher meant I could do theory work after hours and then tune in for the weekly tutorial to talk about what we’d learned. The time shift took some getting used to, but seeing so many other international students made it feel welcoming.

I am a traditional artist, so working online felt daunting – how would I adapt my physical works to an audience I only know virtually? The course is structured such that it doesn’t matter how you produce art, only that you can. The coursework requires you improve your skillset and branch out in different directions; I pushed hard into traditional media like airbrush and watercolour.

My final thesis for the MA is a picture book made with watercolour, pencil and ink. I am investigating the role of empathy in animal/human interactions, mediated through anthropomorphism. I contend that anthropomorphism in visual media can be used as a tool to generate empathy for otherwise unliked animals. This is all currently “in progress”, but the tutorial structure provides the support necessary to get the work done.

Throughout the entire course of study, the teaching staff have been the standout element that makes this work. They are curious, excited and enthusiastic about their work, but also your work. They watch you grow and provide specific, tailored feedback that really hits home where you can improve and develop. As you work, they get to know you and start conversations with “Have you seen this? I think it’s relevant to you” – so many leads in my research have come through incidental conversations with the tutors outside of class time.

If I could suggest one thing about AUB, it’s that the more you share of yourself, the more you’ll get back. By being open about your skills and interests, you’ll end up with more coming back to you along those lines – the experience is what you make it.

Don’t hesitate. If you’re all about visual art and growing your practice, you’ll find what you need at AUB.