Andrew Morrow (BFA '98)

My years at Queen's were a formative time in my ongoing practice as a visual artist. I started there in 1992, thinking I was going to be a doctor, but quickly realized that a four year degree in the Life Sciences wasn't for me. Towards the middle of my second year in what was then pre-medicine, I started spending less time in the lab, and more in the visual arts building on Ontario Street. There was something magical there. Having very little background in art, I was awed by the things taking place in the studios. During the day the studios were often quiet, and so between science or math class I would sneak in to look at the art. Because it was the early 90's, installation art and sculpture were everywhere. I was fascinated by these strange objects scattered around the building. Queen's had a strong painting program, also, and it was there that I would eventually find my place.

By the winter of 1993, I had dropped out of science and was accepted in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. While I would always feel somewhat out of my element and scrambling to catch up, I was thrilled to be in a creative environment. I remember a feeling of great freedom, partly because of the nature of art, but also due largely to the structure of the program. At its core, it provided space, materials, time to produce work, and the means to dissect it - all tempered by a commitment to experimentation and individual expression. These are the bread and butter of any art practice and continue to be the fundamentals of my practice as it stands today. This was a transformative and intense period of my life, and one for which I will always be thankful.

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