TFS - Canada's International School

Mental health and well-being are just as important as all the other things you need in order to be a successful person. Artist, curator and educator, Jessica almann's work has been shown at the Aperture Foundation, the International Center for Photography, Humble Arts Foundation, VIVO Media Arts Center, Museum of Contemporary Art, Harbourfront Centre, and in many other group exhibitions across New York, Toronto and Vancouver. She was commissioned to create a permanent public sculpture and mural which will be featured at the Bank of Montreal's flagship branch at the Eaton Centre. As an educator, she has taught at the International Center for Photography, MacLaren Art Centre, Toronto School of Art, Gallery 44 and the Ci College of New York, and has been an artist in residence at the renowned Banff Centre for Arts and Creativi and the Southern California Institute of Architecture. almann is the recipient of various grants from the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, and received an MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College and a BFA in Visual Arts from York Universi. TFS: Can you describe the impact TFS had on your career path? Jessica: The school made me open- minded. I really developed a curiosity about other people, other places, other perspectives and an empathy for others. Empathy was what I mostly connected to and still connect to as a photographer. I seek to learn and empathize with other people and other places. I'd also say community was a big thing. That like- minded community, DIY bohemian kind of spirit was very active when I was a student. I was in every club you could imagine. I did student council one year. I did dance committee. I ran the student newspaper. I worked on the yearbook every year. I took part in the Dance Show. So giving back to the community is something that I still continue in my professional practice. I sit on boards of nonprofits or artist-run centres. I donate artwork to charities like Buddies in Bad Times Theatre or Casey House. And I teach community workshops. I try to be heavily involved in various aspects of the art world. I continue that kind of community spirit that TFS was really great at instilling. TFS: How did your education influence the person you've become? Jessica: TFS was an extremely academically rigorous environment. I didn't necessarily fit into those parameters all the time. I knew what I wanted to do at a young age and I was always encouraged to have freedom of expression. The attention I received from passionate teachers is something I carry with me still today. I try to incorporate that into my own teaching practice. I try to encourage and meet my students where they are and say what they need to hear in that moment. TFS: What did you learn as a student that you continue to apply today? Jessica: There was a class with Miss Julia Beck. She was the librarian at TFS for a long time. And she taught us some really incredible research skills. It's so invaluable for understanding the work I do every day. I've worked in museums where I've had to manage a collection and there's a lot of things I learned that were a strong foundation for all the research and conservation tools that I use. TFS: What advice would you give students studying at TFS today? Jessica: Try to relax. Don't focus on the pressure. Take time to explore who you are. You've done a lot. You've achieved a lot. It doesn't mean you should rest on your laurels, but it's okay to enjoy yourself. And it's critical to balance all the work with play, ensuring you take care of yourself. Mental health and well-being are just as important as all the other things you need in order to be a successful person. TFS: Tell us about a teacher who had an impact on you. Jessica: Definitely Mr. Brian Wickers, who was my English teacher. He taught the Writer's Craft class. There weren't enough registrants for it and I desperately wanted to take it. And I was so upset! When I was in my last year, he took his own time, outside of class, to read and proof and review and give me feedback on my own poetry and creative writing. He was just so important and vital in dedicating some time outside his actual work to encourage me. Also Mr. Doug Doughty, who was the head of the yearbook. I still remember sitting in the computer lab in 2002 when he taught me how to lay out things using InDesign. And now, more than 20 years later, I'm professionally using InDesign on almost every single one of my projects. Finally, Ms. Vesna Markovic, the visual arts teacher. She was so supportive and sweet and understanding. I remember having a really hard time in Level III. I had a death in the family and I flowed a lot of my grief into the weird art that I would make and she let it happen without judgment. Her patience and understanding were really important to my development as an artist. Those three teachers are still very memorable. 59 TFS

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