How Holland College students are having their annual art show at the Confed Centre despite COVID-19

Instructors at the Holland College School of Visual Arts in Charlottetown have created a virtual art gallery so students can showcase their work in a show called All About Hue,despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students from the graphic design, fundamental art, video game art and animation and photography and videography programs usually display their work in the Confederation Centre of the Arts art gallery, but not this year due to the pandemic, the space has been closed since March 16.

"In many ways this is the most important event in their entire time at Holland College," program manager Liam Corcoran told CBC Radio: Mainstreet P.E.I.'s Matt Rainnie.

"It's where they go to showcase the best of what they've done for everybody. So once this whole situation happened and you know there was the fear that there wouldn't be the show. That was a huge blow to them.

"It's a great partnership and a really big deal for them to have their art in a national art gallery."

Corcoran said the programs' instructorsrallied around students when it was clear the showcase could not go ahead in the physical space.

"On top of doing their distance teaching, they've also been working tirelessly to get all the students' work into this virtual space," he said.

"Tiffany Baxter kind of took the lead on the video game side. She essentially created a little video game that looks exactly like the gallery. Each program has their own section where the students have put up the best work."

Corcoran warns that since it is a video game, it will be challenging to use on mobile devices and some computer systems, but said there are also PDF versions if people have trouble gaining access.

"There's something for everybody there, fans of visual art," he said.

"I think it's going to bring a lot of joy to people at this time, and of course ... It's the start of their professional career, especially those that are graduating ... it's the beginning of their professional portfolios."

All About Hue can be accessed through Holland College's website.

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