For over a decade, The Sarjeant Co. Design Project has been a highlight of the MacLaren Art Centre. We thought you might be interested in seeing where some of our past winners are now.
Image: Victoria McCartney
Victoria McCartney was a 2011 winner. “Since winning the Design Project, I graduated from Bradford District High School and moved to Ottawa to pursue a Bachelor’s degree (2016) and Master’s degree (2018) in Architecture at Carleton University. For my Master’s degree thesis, I developed a prototype emergency modular housing solution called Tinderbox, which was featured on CBC. The project received 2nd place at Carleton’s 3 Minute Thesis public speaking competition, as well as the CUSA Giving Tuesday Award. Between my degrees, I had the opportunity to work abroad in Amsterdam at Marlies Rohmer Architects and Urbanists (MRAU). During my time at MRAU, I was involved in designing Maggie’s Centre Groningen cancer care centre—co-founded by renowned landscape architect and architectural historian Charles Jencks. Currently I am living in Ottawa, working for a local architecture firm, RLA Architecture, and studying for the ExAC architect licensing exams. In my free time, I like to stay creative through baking—specializing in cake artistry. At the moment I am developing my baking portfolio in anticipation for applying for The Great Canadian Baking Show in 2021.”
Image: Emma Shular
Emma Shular was a 2016 winner. She is a graduate of Georgian Bay District Secondary School. Since the design competition, Emma has moved on to pursue a post-secondary degree in Integrated Business and Humanities at McMaster University. “When working on the design competition, I had the chance to learn about Métis art and culture. I designed my piece to express Métis values. My experience with the Sarjeant Design Co. Project and the MacLaren Art Centre has strengthened my philosophy on learning and diversity, allowing me to succeed as a student.”
Image: Kendra Michie
Kendra Michie of Barrie North Collegiate was a 2011 winner. “Since winning the Design Project I have moved to the west coast of Vancouver Island and gone to school for Holistic Nutrition while working at a small vegan eatery in Tofino. When I’m not at work, I’m usually hiking, skateboarding or teaching myself how to play the harp. Lately I have been learning to make my own clothes, but typically I always seem to have a different art project on the go.”
Image: Danielle Carruthers
Danielle Carruthers was a 2015 winner. “Since winning the Sarjeant Co. Design Project in my Grade 12 year at Stayner Collegiate Institute, I have completed the Interior Decorating program at Sheridan College. I am currently working at Deans Carpet One Floor & Home as a Design Consultant. I have been with Deans Carpet One for almost two years now at their Duntroon location. I am still living in Stayner. My hobbies consist of hiking, camping, boating and beach volleyball at Sunset Point in the summers and Broomball on the Creemore Women’s League in the winters.”
About the Sarjeant Co. Design Project
Since 2011, the MacLaren Art Centre has partnered with The Sarjeant Company for The Sarjeant Co. Design Project. Through this programme, high school art students in the Muskoka and Simcoe regions are invited to create a unique rotational design to decorate the drum of a Sarjeant Company concrete truck. Each year, new artwork is selected from students at three high schools for three of the company’s trucks. So far, more than 650 students have entered their artwork into the competition, with 34 designs featured on the Sarjeant’s fleet of concrete trucks.
As part of the programme, the MacLaren recruits a professional artist from the region to assist the students in creating artwork that is suitable for the competition. The students learn how to create a vibrant 360 degree design that will work on a rotating drum. When the artwork is complete, a jury comprised of staff from the MacLaren and the Sarjeant Company select the winning designs for the year. All artwork entered into the competition is displayed in the MacLaren’s Molson Community Gallery annually.
