How Shane launched a career in fine art

Equipped to push boundaries

Shane developed his skills across different mediums in a variety of spaces, including the Fine Art Studios at Britannia Mill. Shane says: “The amount of space you are given allows you to test work out with ease, so nothing is off limits.”

He has been impressed with the blend of equipment available for students to use, from traditional to modern. He says the range of workshops and shared facilities, such as the print hub, wood workshop and Digital Design Hub, “really helped to push ideas within my own work”.

And he feels indebted to our technical services team, who support students to confidently use equipment and facilities. He says: “The knowledge of the print technician really helped my prints to evolve.”

Inspirational course content

One part of the course Shane felt he really benefited from were the opportunities to visit exhibitions on a national and international scale. This allowed him to broaden his horizons by being exposed to work from different artists and discuss with fellow students and tutors.

He was also able to gain an insight into the lives of professional artists who visited the course as guest speakers and detail their routes of progression as a practising artist. As well as 1-2-1 tutorials with artists, Shane was able to receive constructive feedback on his work from tutors. He says: “They always challenged me and pushed me to reach my potential.”

A career springboard

The highlight of the course for Shane was the final-year exhibition. He says: “Knowing that all the hard work, effort and time has paid off and feeling proud as people walk around the exhibition.”

The Degree Show is a showcase of final-year student work from across the School of Arts and held across our Markeaton Street, Britannia Mill and Chandos Pole Street sites. As well as a platform for students to showcase their work, it’s a chance to network and build contacts as graduates prepare for their careers.

Shane is currently exhibiting at the Derby Print Open 2022 and is planning for the next opportunity to showcase his work.