Research for the exhibition began about 5 years ago. Minimal documentation existed about the activities and work of the Applied Arts students. Interviews with former students and their families gave us important research material that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Visits with former students and their families were memorable because we were seeing their work for the first time. Material for the exhibition quite literally unfolded with each visit and each phone call. It was exciting and challenging to build the exhibition piece by piece and artist by artist.

During the last 15 years of the Applied Arts program (1945-60), classes were all held in the basement of the gallery while Fine Arts classes remained on the main floor. The Applied Arts students rarely went upstairs except to assemble their graduation exhibits at the end of their final year. It seemed fitting, so many years later, that these same items were displayed here again—but this time within a featured exhibition that occupied the entire main floor of the gallery.

Communication with the artists and their families throughout the process made this exhibition a ‘group effort’. Everyone had something important to contribute and to lend for the exhibition. The exhibition had personal significance for all the artists and their families. I was very honored to work with them on this project.

The Applied Arts students followed many different paths after graduation.  Several of them returned as teachers to the Applied Arts program at Mount Allison and others went to teach at different schools. Many combined their craft skills with occupational therapy work in hospitals-- with injured soldiers in particular. Some of the graduates worked in interior design or operated their own businesses. No matter what they did after graduation, the students continued throughout their lives to be influenced by their Applied Arts training and experience.