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Last August, Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts Associate Professor Karen Stentaford took a group of eight Fine Arts students to Fundy National Park near Alma, NB for five days to experience an intensive hands-on learning studio practice course as part of 91����’s A-Term, just before the Fall Term began. The course continued through the Fall Term with students focusing on a singular work to showcase in an end-of-term exhibition.  

“I loved being at Fundy for the week with the class,” says Stentaford. “It is always so exciting to have new experiences and learn together outside of the classroom setting.” 

The foundation of Studies in Site and Place is based on opportunities to explore ideas of cultural experience and retreat in relationship to the natural environment through investigations in various media in combination with light sensitive media. 

Fine Arts student Jacob Puffer from Trenton, ON says his takeaway from the course has been a renewed sense of community. 

“The experience of being together in Fundy with a group of my peers entailed a kind of kinship that is present at the campsite breakfast table...it encouraged me to draw connections between place, community, belonging, artistic practice, and ecological considerations.” 

Fine Arts major Emma Neilson from Sackville, NB took the opportunity to bridge her minor in screen studies with her Fine Art practice.  

“Art residencies are not always available to students, so I’m very grateful to have had this chance to work in the field and experience what a creative practice can look like beyond the studio. This was one of the best experiences of my degree.” 

Fine Arts student Avalon Hamilton from Moncton, NB says this course influenced their creative practice and reinforced the importance of connecting with nature. 

“I now know I don’t need to have a concrete step-by-step plan and follow it religiously,” says Hamilton. “It's okay to change things up or discard some ideas...it's okay for things to not be set in stone at the beginning because it limits you. This also gave me an opportunity to use a medium that I had not worked with before this course — cyanotype — that is now one of my favourite ways of working.” 

Stentaford and the students made another 91���� connection while at Fundy — partnering with Interpretation Supervisor Daniel Sinclair (’04), a biology and environmental studies alumnus.  

“Collaborating with the 91���� Fine Arts program has come full circle for me,” says Sinclair. “Together, we create hands-on, immersive experiences that invite students into the natural world — encouraging exploration, inquiry, and connection. Being part of this work has been deeply fulfilling...I remain inspired by the same belief that first drew me to interpretation: that hands-on, meaningful experiences can shape curiosity, creativity, and a lasting sense of responsibility for the world we share.” 

In November, the class held an exhibition of the work captured during the week at the Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts, complete with camping food, like hot chocolate and S’mores.  

This fall, Stentaford’s third-year photography class will also visit Fundy National Park for a weekend work session. Studies in Site and Place is planned to be offered again in August 2027.