Congratulations go out to artist and scholar Hayalthkin’geme Carey Newman on being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
UVic’s Impact Chair in Indigenous Art Practices and a professor in both Visual Arts and Art History & Visual Studies, Carey Newman makes regional, national and international impact by combining art and Kwakwaka’wakw knowledges to address Indigenous and environmental injustice. His projects — like The Witness Blanket and Seedling — transform conversations around reconciliation and decolonization across social, institutional and political paradigms, driving innovation and collaboration that challenge status quo approaches to research in the arts, climate, leadership, transsystemic law, collections management, conservation, technology and more.
“Transformative change involves reaching hearts and minds. So, when I make artwork about specific issues, rather than telling people what to think or how to feel, I want them to engage with it on their own terms and take ownership of their thoughts and realizations,” explains Newman. “When something becomes personal it becomes important, and once it is important we are more willing to change our ways. Art has this power.”
Announced on September 3, Newman is one of five new UVic appointments: Ryan Rhodes (Education), Janelle Jenstad (Humanities) and Lin Cai (Engineering) are also newly elected Royal Society Fellows, while Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark (Human & Social Development) is the newest member of the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Royal Society Fellows are Canada’s most eminent scholars who make remarkable contributions in academia and Canadian public life. Members of the College are academics less than 15 years from the date of their PhD. There are currently 2,524 Fellows and 436 members of the College of New Scholars in Canada. UVic is continuing its strong representation of scholars recognized by the Royal Society of Canada. Since 2020, 32 UVic professors have been elected as Fellows or members of the College of New Scholars — including nine in Fine Arts.