Camosun College Visual Arts alumni Lana Jamieson and Shauna Davis are finalists for a national contest to help save a heritage building. The Next Great Save is a competition put on by The National Trust for Canada where 10 teams apply to save a heritage building; the winning team will then receive $50,000 for the renovation. If Jamieson and Davis’ team win they would complete a renovation on Rossland’s historic Drill Hall.
Reminiscing back on her time at Camosun in the Visual Arts diploma program, Jamieson (who graduated in 2004; Davis was in 2002) has many fond memories. From her teachers to the architecture of the Young Building, her educational journey will always remain a special memory for her.
“I really enjoyed the diploma program. I got a lot out of it. I thought it was a really high-level program with great professors and great teachings,” says Jamieson. “I can’t say enough about the quality of teachers at Camosun. But, you know, it was such a special time to have studied in the Young Building, which is another historic building, and to kind of know that it had lived all those other lives before as well.”
If Jamieson’s team wins the competition, they plan on using the Drill Hall as a space where artists in the community can create.
“Everybody said that they wanted a larger collaborative space to make art,” says Jamieson. “So, this is really a community-driven project. We’re just answering what the community is kind of suggesting or crying for because all of the housing in Rossland is so small, people are really crammed into their houses and trying to make studios in their basements or attics. It’s a challenge. Because an arts and innovation centre can encompass so many different groups and clubs and organizations into one space, it just kind of makes sense that we kind of manage that building as a non-profit.”
Jamieson and Davis first stumbled upon the Fire Hall while completing a few morning tasks; it seemed to have fallen into their hands in fairly good condition.
“We had dropped off [Davis’] kids at daycare one morning; the Drill Hall is just across the street from our daycare, and we thought, oh, let’s just go take a little walk around it and take a look through the windows, because I was kind of surprised that there was a very large building in relatively great condition that wasn’t being used,” she says. “Everything seems kind of perfect, like almost move-in ready. So, we started to make inquiries about the building at that point.”
While it may be difficult for a current Camosun student to envision what lies beyond the certificates, diplomas, or degrees, a success story like Jamieson’s offers encouragement for all students wondering what’s next.
“It definitely feels full circle, like having a Visual Arts background was a support for me when we started this project, but if you’d asked me 10 years ago if I envisioned myself founding an art centre society, I would say no, this seems really outside of my specializations,” she says. “I’m not a strong grant writer. I’m not a strong community organizer or leader. But, I think we took on those roles out of necessity because that is what needed to happen.”
The team is hopeful for a win even though they come from a small community, which can be detrimental to a vote-driven competition (see nationaltrustcanada.ca/what-you-can-do/nextgreatsave to vote and for more info on the contest).
“You know, I think we could be the underdog that can come out and win this competition, just because we were a little bit late to get into promoting and getting the word out about our project. But you know, we’re not just trying to save a building,” she says. “We have a real purpose and a real need for that space that maybe not all of the other projects have. I think that kind of sets us apart.”