Launching in January 2023, the Visiting Scholar program provides a creative, dynamic environment for a visiting artist to build and accelerate their practice. They will participate in the NBCCD community by teaching a class or taking on a creative or educational assignment, and interacting with students during the academic year. 

“The Visiting Scholar program has the potential to energize and enrich our College community, as well as the wider cultural life of New Brunswick,” said College Director Jared Peters. 

 NBCCD encourages applications from creative workers and educators whose achievements have been recognized as demonstrating extraordinary promise in any area of craft and design practice and teaching. 

Chris Donovan joins the NBCCD community this year as a visiting scholar. Donovan is a PhD student at Toronto Metropolitan University and will be conducting a research project focused on photographic pedagogy in the field of documentary photography and photojournalism.

Donovan is a documentary photographer whose work has been recognized internationally by the World Press Photo Awards (Netherlands), Pictures of the Year International (University of Missouri), the Alexia Grants (Syracuse University), the Ian Parry Grants (United Kingdom), the National Newspaper Awards (Canada), and the Scotiabank New Generation Photography Awards (Canada), among others. His work has been shown in group exhibition in more than 40 countries and in solo exhibitions across Canada. He works regularly as a photographer for The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and Macleans Magazine.

In addition to pedagogical fields, Donovan’s research explores visual representations of community and industry with a particular focus on Atlantic Canada and the American Midwest.

During his time at the college, Donovan will be presenting a photography lecture series on a monthly basis, and will be available in a per-case basis as a guest lecturer on topics including representation in media and art, critical landscape studies and the politics of space and place, and a number of other fields both within and outside of the medium of photography.

“I have been involved with the community at NBCCD for a few years now in various capacities starting with an exhibition at the George Fry Gallery in 2022. Last school year, I had the pleasure of mentoring photo/video grads in the ASP program and I am very happy to be involved in a new capacity this year as the visiting scholar. I will be working closely with the photo/video faculty to examine ways to further integrate photo project development and photojournalism into the existing curriculum. Leaning on my doctoral studies in media and design innovation, I will be exploring ways to build upon the tradition of innovative pedagogical approaches already being implemented at this institution, which I believe to be a leader in craft and design education in Canada. I am also looking forward to engaging with the faculty and student body more broadly at the college and my door is always open to both students and faculty who would like to chat.

I am looking forward to continuing to learn from the wonderful faculty, staff, and students at this college which, although relatively new to me, I hold very dear to my heart.”