‘The After Show’ Spotlights Student-Led Exploration of Works by Class of 2025

A recent student-led exhibition celebrated the work of a group of graduating students who had spent years in conversation throughout their degree studies.

The After Show showcased nine artists from across painting, sculpture and photography in a storied gallery space near Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) in what co-organizers Katherine Langdon (BFA 2025) and David Macgillivray (BFA 2025) describe as an extension of The Show, ECU’s annual exhibition of works by graduating students.

“With hundreds of artists in the grad show, we’re understandably limited to one piece each,” David says. “We wanted to share more of the work we’ve been developing over the past few semesters as a continuation of our grad pieces.”

In addition to Katherine and David, The After Show featured Ariadne Asturiano Vera, Paloma Ruiz Chong, Sima Fabricant, Josh Koole, Laura Perry, Parumveer Walia and Jesse Ward, all of whom graduated from ECU’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program in 2025 and exhibited work in The Show.

The After Show took place at 274 East 1st Avenue in Vancouver, a space which for years played home to esteemed commercial gallery Catriona Jeffries and later to Trapp Projects, the long-running independent curatorial platform led by curator and ECU faculty member Patrik Andersson.

The nine artists met through classwork at ECU, bonding over a mutual recognition of a surpassing commitment to their practices. Throughout their time at ECU, they’d visit each other’s studios, stretching conversations that began casually in the classroom into years-long dialogues.

“These are all artists who are unusually ambitious, making a lot of work and very large-scale work,” Katherine says.

“When you see that another artist cares about their work or shares your sense of dedication, you want to join forces to take the art beyond the university and keep the conversation going,” David adds.

The group secured the gallery space through relationships they’d built with faculty over the years. They approached Patrik Andersson, who reached out to Ian Penn and Sandy Whitehouse Penn, the owners of the space on East 1st Avenue. Through this network of support, the students were granted the opportunity to showcase their work in the historic exhibition venue, a gesture for which both Katherine and David noted their enduring gratitude.

“This building may not be an art space in the future, so it feels a little like the end of an era,” Katherine says. “We’re just really thankful.”

The After Show was self-curated, and despite the inclusion of nearly 30 works, the room felt thoughtful and unhurried, offering no sense of crowding or overwork. Katherine notes this is also because final decisions were made in the gallery, meaning the curation unfolded primarily in response to the space itself.

“It was somewhat spontaneous, kind of in the spirit of artist-run shows we’ve seen,” Katherine says. “In some ways, the space is running the show more than we are.”

David adds that The After Show ultimately reflects a time-honoured truth: a career in the arts begins with community.

“Opportunities can be hard to come by, and we don’t expect anything to be handed to us,” he says. “We know it’s up to us to take the initiative, especially early on. And you do that with the people around you – your classmates, your peers.”