Cambrian College can write, draw, design, paint, entertain, cook and bake. It can also host a well-attended gala celebrating the creative program it offers.

On Feb. 15, future students, current students, graduates and community members attended the first of what organizers believe will be many evenings celebrating creative career choices.

The campaign, designed by Ron Beltrame, co-ordinator of Cambrian's graphic design program, featured words like “I” and “we” in front of a gas can, symbolizing “I can” or “we can.”

Beltrame said the point of the evening was to create a “rallying point” for jobs in the creative sector.

“There is a ton of us working in the field, and no one really realizes it,” he said.

According to stats presented at the gala, Ontario has the third-largest creative sector in North America, trailing behind California and New York. By 2016, 42 per cent more creative jobs are expected to become available in the province.

With other professions and job markets constantly in the news, Beltrame said it's important that the community knows the value of creative jobs. Letting students know they can acquire the education they need to apply for these jobs in the coming years is key too.

“We want to position the art and design programs as a choice of quality,” he said, and not a choice of convenience.

Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk, who is a Cambrian graduate, was one of the guest speakers at the event.

She said she learned the value of “thinking outside the box” when she was a student at Cambrian, and is glad to see that students are still being taught the same valuable lessons.

Matichuk said Sudburians should “count (themselves) fortunate to enjoy cultural assets” like the ones Cambrian students bring to the workforce with them.

Kayla Phair, a Grade 12 student at St. Charles College, was one of the guests at the event. She said she plans to attend Cambrian's animation program next year.

“It's been the thing I've wanted to do since Grade 6,” she said.

While she's certain of her decision, she said attending the gala helped her familiarize herself with the College, its professors and classrooms. Having the opportunity to chat with her future professors, she said she was able to think about developing a strong portfolio to ensure her acceptance next September.