Roy Henry Vickers awarded Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
Roy Henry Vickers is a celebrated Indigenous artist, author, printmaker and storyteller of Tsimshian, Haida, Heiltsuk, Wuikinuxv and English descent. He is a Member of the Order of Canada, the Order of BC and a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2019,...
Music grad finds confidence and success through voice study
Nadia Lurie points to a sticker of Snoopy on one in a row of bright yellow lockers. “The infamous yellow lockers in the Music building," she explains. "I will miss you, Snoopy!” During the five years of her Bachelor of Music study in the School of Music, award-winning...
A perfect GPA means Writing student Caitlin Pierce wins the Victoria Medal
Each year, Fine Arts presents the Victoria Medal to the student who earns the highest grades. This year, we are pleased to honour Caitlin Pierce, who not only graduates with a BFA in Writing but has also achieved a 9.0 grade-point average: in other words, a perfect...
Eeman Masood’s digital tree grows in New York City
New York City’s “Midnight Moment” is the world's largest and longest-running digital public art program. Since 2012, over 100 contemporary artists have presented their work to millions of viewers on one of the most iconic public canvases: the electronic billboards of...
Conference marks Canadian Association for Theatre Research’s 50th anniversary
Keynote speaker Nininsky Lee AquinoOur Department of Theatre was proud to support the 50th annual Canadian Association for Theatre Research conference, which took place at UVic from May 26-29 and welcomed an exciting mix of theatre artists, scholars and researchers...
Three instructors earn teaching accolades
Congratulations go out to three Fine Arts instructors who earned accolades for their teaching this month: Ambreen Hussaini (left) won the Andy Farquharson Teaching Excellence Award at UVic's REACH Awards, while Michael Reed received the Fine Arts Award for Teaching...
Research funding focuses on Indigenous artistic responses to plastic pollution
While there is a growing awareness of the global impact of plastic pollution, the most ubiquitous visuals we have of the harms of litter and microplastics alike may be of tropical sea turtles, polluted beaches, and damaged coral reefs. Few consider the critical impact...
Music sponsors national choral conference
The School of Music is excited to be sponsoring PODIUM 2026, Canada’s national bilingual choral Conference and Festival! Co-chaired by Music professor Adam Con and presented by Choral Canada and the BC Choral Federation, this multi-day celebration runs from May 14-17...
Research funding focuses on developing innovative Indigenous robotic technologies
Carey Newman working on his Totem 2.0 system developed with Camosun Innovates (photo: Camosun College)Department of Visual Arts and Art History & Visual Studies professor Carey Newman was announced on May 13 as the recipient of new funding from the Social...
New Phoenix season of plays announced
Exciting news: our Phoenix Theatre has announced their new season for the 2026/27 season, and it features a mix of a Tony-winning musical, a beloved classic and a bold new play. But did you know Phoenix productions also serve an integral academic part for students...
Visual Art MFAs exhibit featured at downtown gallery
Art by Visual Arts MFA Moozhan Ahmadzadegan at the Hourglass (photo: Shay Ball)Back in February, we announced that Visual Arts is now a partner with the new Hourglass studio developed by Vancouver Island Visual Arts Society, who also run downtown's ambitious 80-artist...
Naming A Crisis uses art to address overdose deaths
Organizers Stephanie Harrington (left) & Amanda Farrell-Low in front of Laura Dutton's installation Tuesday April 14 marked 10 years since BC declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency, and more than 18,000 people have died from toxic drugs: a decade...
Annual BFA exhibit showcases student success
While the spring semester is ending, graduating art students are busy transforming the Visual Arts building into a gallery for their annual BFA exhibition, this year called Say When — a title chosen by the BFA class themselves. Sarah Massey, a student on the exhibit's...
Visual Arts joins new downtown studio
We’re excited that UVic's Visual Arts department is part of Victoria's newest collective studio and gallery space: The Hourglass. Developed by Vancouver Island Visual Arts Society (who also run downtown's ambitious 80-artist Rockslide Gallery), with support from the...
The research behind the curtain of In My Day
By focusing on BC’s historical HIV/AIDS crisis, the new UVic production In My Day highlighted collaboration between researchers, community and performance-makers Neon lights, club beats, a generation on the edge of disaster: when UVic’s Phoenix Theatre staged the...
New competition prize for School of Music
Let’s say it’s 1912 and you’re a young, musically inclined girl who enjoys whistling . . . but your father says it isn’t “ladylike“ to whistle: what do you do? If you’re Eleanor Gray, you embrace the song in your heart and pursue singing lessons instead. Fast-forward...
Gregory Scofield at national repatriation event
After more than a century in the Vatican collection, a Métis model dog sled from the 1920s was repatriated on February 25, with Writing professor Gregory Scofield as the lead expert on the identification and return of the model to its community of origin. The story...
Take our Spring 2026 student survey!
1969 was a year of transformation: the moon landing, the Stonewall riots, Woodstock, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre opens, Margaret Atwood publishes her first novel, Canada becomes officially bilingual . . . amidst that time of change, Fine Arts emerged as UVic’s...
Paul Walde on how art can shape our relationship with the environment
Weather is one of the forces that shape our daily lives, yet we rarely think of it in terms of art. But for award-winning intermedia artist, composer, curator and University of Victoria Department of Visual Arts professor Paul Walde, weather is so much more than just...
Win $1,000 in the Community Impact Award!
Who wants to win $1,000? You do, of course!! Since 2021, we've given out over $15,000 to 13 students in our annual donor-funded Fine Arts Community Impact Award! If you're a UVic Fine Arts undergrad (any year) who has been creatively active outside of your classes,...
In My Day brings verbatim HIV/AIDS experiences to the stage
The cast of Phoenix Theatre's In My Day (Photo: Dean Kalyan)On March 12, the Phoenix Theatre opened their final mainstage production of the semester, In My Day, written by Rick Waines. Waines is a Victoria playwright whose work uses autofiction and verbatim material...
Orion guest artist Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie
All are welcome to hear visiting Orion Series visiting artist Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, a professor at the University of California, speak on “The Concreteness of Imagination”: 6:30pm Thursday, March 12 in room A162 of the Visual Arts Building. Free & open to all....
Orion Guest: poet Kaie Kellough
All are welcome to hear visiting Orion Series poet, sound artist and writer Kaie Kellough when he speaks on “Self Inside Sound”: 7pm, Wednesday March 4, in the New Student Lounge, main floor of The Mearns Centre – McPherson Library. Free & open to all. Kaie...
Bringing Regalia to Life Community Feast
AHVS professor Mique'l Dangeli with a piece of new regalia (photo: Claudia Phillips)Have you ever seen Indigenous regalia danced into life? On March 5, the Indigenous dance group Git Hayetsk (People of the Copper Shield) will be performing in the Indigenous Law wing...
Visiting professor Mike Ananny reckons with Generative AI
Faster than many predicted (or wanted), Generative Artificial Intelligence is upon us. It brings a mix of emotions, a shared sense of uncertainty and a persistent question of what we can and should do — individually and collectively — about technological change that...
T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss speaks at Activism & the Arts lecture series
Save the date for our annual donor-funded Lehan Family Activism & the Arts Lecture Series: this year, we present ethnobotanist, artist and community-based educator T’uy’t’tanat- Cease Wyss speaking on the topic of “Diaspora of Ancient Technologies and the Future...
Black History Month in Fine Arts
From left: Shane Book, Junie Desil, Wayde ComptonFebruary is Black History Month. It provides an important opportunity to explore and celebrate the historical and current contributions of Black people in Canada. At UVic, we recognize the many achievements of Black...
Mixing myth & reality on the Phoenix stage
One mother’s determination. One child’s future. One extraordinary world. What can you expect from a mythic tale where sheep’s wool becomes rain clouds? Though it may sound whimsical, A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain is a bold and haunting fable that confronts the...
Small data Gen-AI workshop
Training the Muse: A workshop on small data Gen-AI for artistic practices Generative AI tools have become increasingly visible in artistic practice, however, most artists encounter AI through large-scale corporate platforms trained on massive, opaque datasets. These...
Join us for student wellness day Feb 9
Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Need a break between classes? Don't miss Fine Arts Student Wellness Day, running 8:30am-4:30pm Mon, Feb 9. Everything's free! Activities and events will be happening around the Fine Arts complex, so drop in for whatever best works for...
Sounding Grounds festival debuts
Sounding Grounds is a gathering of new music, experimental sound and interdisciplinary art. Running Jan 30-Feb 1 at UVic's School of Music, this multi-day festival is a meeting place for UVic’s most adventurous creators. Featuring student and faculty composers,...
Upcoming Indigenous events & workshops
Fine Arts Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator Karla Point has been busy organizing her latest series of workshops, lunchtime talks and special guest visits for the Winter semester. Here's what's coming up, but more will be added as details get solidified. Fine Arts...