Early Monday morning, students walking through the Bahen Centre lobby were greeted by a 20-foot tall T-Rex skeleton. The skeleton, made out of large pieces of plywood, was just one of an array of art installations at the second annual Skule ™ Arts Festival (SAF).
The week-long festival, which ran from February 13-17, gave U of T Engineering students a chance to showcase their artistic talents, from photography, to painting, to singing.
“This year is particularly exciting,” said Catherine Phillips-Smith (ChemE 1T3), SAF Chair. “To start, we’re excited to have an installation by Eyes of Hope in the Bahen Centre lobby. They’re a student outreach group that uses art to connect with at-risk youths. They’ve painted several umbrellas to represent shelter from the elements.”
Also located in the Bahen Centre was a series of photos by the Engineering Photography Club that portray a day in Toronto. Across the street, at the Sanford Fleming atrium, students found three more installations by Skule ™ ’s Blue & Gold committee.
Events such as SAF are not only an opportunity for students to work together to express themselves, they highlight the artistic side students need in order to be an engineer. “Art is important for engineers, as engineers must innovate,” said Phillips-Smith. “After all, what is a new car if not a different type of art. By doing art, any type, an engineer can utilize and exercise their creativity, which would help them when they want to design the next big thing.”
