Kruti Buch, a 2021 graduate of our Arts Education and Community Engagement program, has always been drawn to art. “My grandmother was an artist and art educator for 30 years, and a huge inspiration to me growing up,” she shares. Upon completing her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, she worked in the field of art education in India for over six years as a Curriculum Designer and Facilitator, and as a freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer. However, Kruti wanted to expand her studies and pursue further education to build upon the skills she obtained from her existing experience.
“There were a lot of interesting programs out there, but Centennial’s Arts Education and Community Engagement program stood out the most to me for a variety of reasons; the wide range of subjects that were covered during the program, the fact that they were preparing you for future employment as well as the community aspect of the course - an area I didn’t have a lot of experience working in prior to this. It was the best decision I ever made because the program set me on a path that I never would have imagined for myself,” she shares.
Throughout the program, Kruti explains there were many aspects that she enjoyed, which she largely attributes to the coordinator and instructors. “My facilitators did a wonderful job in making it a well-rounded, immersive experience. I was apprehensive about doing the course entirely online, so I think credit goes to them for putting so much effort into making sure that we were engaged during class despite being separated by computer screens. They were extremely supportive, and I still can’t believe that I haven’t even met all of them face-to-face! They all had unique ways of approaching the subjects, drawing from their experiences as working professionals. Through them, I was able to see the different ways I could use what I learnt to shape my future career.”
PREPARING FOR THE INDUSTRY
Within our post-graduate programs at the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design, industry preparation is a major element that helps guide the material taught to students. Kruti echoes this as she shares, “I think the program did an amazing job of getting us prepared for the industry. Our facilitators were all working professionals, and what they taught us was invaluable. Despite the program being entirely online, we had a lot of opportunities to interact and connect with other professionals in the industry and even had the opportunity to interview some of them. I found these to be really inspirational, and the people I spoke to were so generous with their time.”
In terms of the courses she took, she shares, “The courses were really comprehensive, balancing practicality with essential values that are so important to learn. I discovered a new side of myself, someone who was passionate about ethics and social justice as well as the impact public art has on local communities. Some of the practical tools we learnt were how to put together our resume, portfolio, and how to present ourselves in mock interviews.”
The majority of programs on our campus take part in Storyworks, a course that provides students with bite-size industry experience as they work with real industry professionals on a variety of projects. Kruti says this, along with the program’s field placement, were great ways to learn what it was like to work with organizations and gain lived experiences, which she immensely valued since it was within a work environment in which she was not very familiar.
Kruti obtained several lessons from the various components of the program, as she says, “Networking was a word that kept popping up throughout the program. While initially a bit nervous about reaching out, I found talking to people in the industry about the work that they do and listening to their experiences was helpful when deciding what I wanted to do post-program. Another key lesson I learned was when it came to choosing my Storyworks project and field placement. As a newcomer, it is not always the easiest to put yourself out there and find a job in our field. This is where networking and these projects were really great; I was able to choose a place to intern at based on my previous interactions throughout the program. I decided to do both at STEPS, a public art organization, which later became a job opportunity once I graduated.”
“I came [into the program] thinking I would pursue education and curriculum design, but through it, I realized that I had a passion for community-engaged work through public art. This program changed the trajectory of my life, and I look forward to seeing where else it takes me.”
Since graduating, Kruti has been working at STEPS – a charitable organization that activates public spaces through art and community engagement. “I help with the social media, marketing and communications for the organization. I love that I’m constantly learning new things while still being able to draw on what I learnt in the program,” she adds.
As she reflects on the arts education and community engagement industry as a whole, she shares, “Something I’ve realized is that the industry is a small, close-knit community, and chances are you will be interacting with people you meet along the way when you start work as well. It’s great to be able to have those prior connections created through the program with them.” She continues, “I think that the pandemic has changed the definition of public art and community engagement, especially with so many organizations having to pivot online. Now that things are opening up, I look forward to seeing how the landscape changes to a blended form of what existed before and how things are now. I definitely think that there are going to be a lot of unique job opportunities in the field as a result of this shift.”
Congratulations, Kruti, on your well-deserved success within this industry! To find out more about the Arts Education and Community Engagement program, be sure to check out the main page and program highlights.
Article by: Alexandra Few
To read more grad profiles and uncover other great stories happening around the Story Arts Centre campus, check out the latest edition of our Storyteller newsletter.
