One of the earliest decisions OCAD U had to make when the pandemic hit almost one year ago, was what to do about our upcoming graduating student exhibition, GradEx. The show, one of our most cherished annual traditions, normally features installations of work by some 8 or 900 students, and hosts tens of thousands of guests over several days. Obviously with physical distancing, states of emergencies and closure of the vast majority of in-person activities, it just couldn’t happen. Not in the usual way.

This past December, GradEx 105 was launched instead in an online format. You can check it out at www.ocadu.ca/gradex and you can see content regularly on OCAD U LiVE. Very soon, we’ll be showcasing some physical installations that we can tell you more about in the very near future.

To activate the online exhibition, OCAD U’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers has been showcasing highlights of the show, hand-picked by notable professional practitioners, including folks like OCADU alumna and painter Erin Loree (@erin_loree), photographer Daniella Zalcman (@dzalcman), Textile Museum Curatorial Director Sarah Quinton (@quinton.sarah), Curator Anik Glaude of the @varleyartgallery,  Director of Service Design & Innovation at @telus, Judy Mellett (@judymellett), Editor-in-Chief of @booooooom Jeff Hamada, and so many others. Follow along @ocaducead to check them all out! Here are a few samples to get you started:

Featured image: Work by 2020 Digital Painting & Expanded Animation graduate Annaliisa McConville @completelygarish