York fine arts grad is a motion designer and entrepreneur

Lifelong Ajax resident and multi-disciplinary artist Dave Zak (BA Spec. Hons. ’10) has decided he will no longer make fine art to sell, wrote DurhamRegion.com July 7. Trying to make a living from his mixed media collages is just a bad model for art making, he declares. And, besides, it takes all the fun out of being creative.

Lucky for him that, at his relatively young age, he is firmly established as a multimedia advertising designer with an impressive and long list of clients that includes BlackBerry, Nike, Walmart, Chrysler and Bank of America, for starters. He operates as art director for teams of copywriters, editors and designers who produce videos used online and in-store to promote products and services.

Zak’s postsecondary education began with multimedia design studies at Fanshawe College in London, continued with a two-year course in animation at Durham College and just ended with him completing a fine arts degree at York University. All of this groundwork led him to practise what he calls motion design, the interweaving of disciplines as diverse as music, video, digital imagery, collage and painting into his commercial art and fine art products.

Cobourg legal clinic hires Osgoode grad

The Northumberland Community Legal Centre will be better able to serve residents in need with the addition of a student position, wrote DurhamRegion.com July 7.

The centre was able to hire articling student Kulvinder Deol (JD ’10), a student of York’s Osgoode Hall Law School, for a 10-month position thanks to $14,996 in Career Focus funding from the federal government.

Hollow-inspired artist opens exhibit

Local artist Kailey Bryan (BFA Spec. Hons. ’10) returns for another solo art exhibition, wrote InsideHalton.com July 7.

Bryan grew up in Georgetown, steps from Hungry Hollow, and attended Georgetown District High School where she participated in numerous coffee houses and local art shows, and received the Millennium Award for Visual Arts. She just received her bachelor of fine arts from York University, and has returned to draw inspiration from the town’s friendly folks, beautiful ravines and calming rivers.

Jazz pianist returns to Kincardine

A hot New York City jazz pianist with Kincardine roots is back in the London region this weekend, wrote the London Free Press July 8.

Andy Milne (BFA Spec. Hons. ’90) plays a solo concert Saturday at 8pm at Exeter’s Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church.

After studying in York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, where his teachers included Oscar Peterson, Milne spent five years in the 1990s with US sax star Steve Coleman. He formed his own NYC-tied group in 1998.

On air

  • Saeed Rahnema, a professor of political science and public policy & administration in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, spoke about BP Oil’s historical connection to Iran, on C-FAX 1070 Radio in Victoria, BC, July 7.