SACKVILLE, N.B. – Mount Allison University and l’Université de Moncton welcomed one of their most known alumni back to campus today. Canadian writer, artist, and former New Brunswick lieutenant governor Herménégilde Chiasson has been named the first Casino New Brunswick artist-in-residence, a three-year appointment shared between the two universities. Casino New Brunswick donated $500,000 to establish the program.
Chiasson says, “I am so pleased to have this opportunity to work with students and faculty at two of Canada’s best universities. Mount Allison University and l’Université de Moncton are both important academic, cultural, and artistic institutions in Atlantic Canada, and I look forward to collaborating with students and faculty.”
The new program will see Chiasson dividing his time and talents between Mount Allison and l’Université de Moncton. Throughout the residency he will engage with students, faculty, and community members in anumber of ways including public talks and presentations, and research and artistic collaborations with students and colleagues at both institutions.
Craig DeMarta, general manager for Casino New Brunswick says, “One of Casino New Brunswick’s goals is to make our community a better place to live, work, and play. In supporting the collaboration between one of the region’s most celebrated artists, Herménégilde Chiasson, with two of the country’s most noted universities, Mount Allison and l’Université de Moncton, our organization is showing its support for the arts, education, and cultural development in southeast New Brunswick.”
Chiasson began his residency at the l’Université de Moncton in January 2013 and the official announcement was held at Mount Allison’s Owens Art Gallery, which holds several pieces of his work in its permanent collection.
