Call for grad student proposals: ONC ArtScience Fellowship Program

by | Dec 2, 2024 | Art History & Visual Studies, Award, Graduate, Research, School of Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Writing

Call for grad student proposals: ONC ArtScience Fellowship Program

2021 ONC Artist in Residence Dennis Gupa

UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) are calling for graduate student applications for the paid 2025 ONC ArtsScience Fellowship program.

Note: the application period closes on December 23, 2024

The ArtScience Fellowship strengthens connections between art and science that broaden and cross-fertilize perspectives and critical discourse on today’s major issues, such as environment, technology, oceans, cultural and biodiversity, and healthy communities. This program is open to all current Fine Arts graduate students who have completed most of their course requirements with practice in any visual, written, musical or performance media, or art historical research. Co-led and sponsored by Fine Arts and ONC, the Artist-in-Residence program receives additional financial support from UVic’s Faculty of Science to a maximum of $14,000.  

About the ArtScience Fellowship

The ArtScience Fellowship (previously known as the ONC Artist-in-Residence program) will ignite cross-disciplinary exchanges, interacting with Fine Arts faculty members and scientists & staff at ONC, as well as with other individuals using ONC’s world-leading ocean facilities. This program is inspired by the ArtScience Manifesto of 2011, and numerous references to this concept in the literature. The Fellow will learn from and engage with the current research, connecting it to their own practice, and to wider societal and cultural aspects, creating work for public presentation at the end of the residency. The Artist will also be invited to contribute as a lead or co-author in scientific conference proceedings and/or journal articles.

The selected Fellow will actively engage with researchers on a variety of ocean science themes that may include:

  • Deep Sea Ecology
  • Seabed-Ocean Exchanges
  • Coastal Ocean Processes
  • Marine Natural Hazards
  • The Ocean Soundscape
  • Arctic Ocean Observing
  • Ocean Big Data

The ONC ArtScience Fellowship program is established to:

  • explore the potential of the arts or alternative cultural practices in the area of the visions, challenges, philosophical, aesthetic, and ethical aspects of the ocean and the impacts humans have on it;
  • add a complementary artistic and creative perspective to ocean science, the societal ramifications of its exploitation, and its cultural aspects;
  • create opportunities for potential new research questions, experimental approaches and knowledge synthesis resulting from interaction between the arts and science; and
  • help envision and communicate the potential long-term impact of ocean changes on humanity.

Learn more about previous ArtScience Fellows 

Previous ONC ArtScience Fellows include Megan Harton (School of Music, 2024), Neil Griffin (Writing, 2023), Colin Malloy (School of Music, 2022), Dennis Gupa (Theatre, 2021) and Colton Hash (Visual Arts, 2019).

2024 ONC ArtScience Fellowship holder Megan Barton

Financial provision for the Artist

The residency period can start anytime between 1 February 2025 and 31 October 2025 and last for up to four months. A cost-of-living stipend of $3,500/month will be paid to the selected Fellow, with limited additional funds to support production or materials.

At the conclusion of the residency, the Fellow will plan and deliver a public exhibit and/or event sharing the fruits of the fellowship, which will be promoted by ONC and the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Proposal Submission

Interested applicants are to email ONC at dwowens@oceannetworks.ca with the subject line “Ocean ArtScience Fellowship,” and attach:

  1. the artist’s CV
  2. a concise portfolio of previous relevant artistic work;
  3. a letter of motivation outlining the project proposal for the Fellowship, and
  4. a 500-word project proposal with a separate project-costs budget.

The application period closes on December 23, 2024. Applications will be reviewed by representatives of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada. Artists may be contacted for an interview or to supply further information before a decision is made.

Public Exhibit or Event

At the conclusion of the Fellowship, the Fellow will host a public exhibit or event within a specified budget agreed to during the residency and depending on the type of project to be exhibited. Assistance for marketing and/or ticketing could be made available from other UVic departments (Visual Arts, Theatre, etc.).

About Ocean Networks Canada

Established in 2007 as a strategic initiative of the University of Victoria, ONC operates world-leading ocean observatories for the advancement of science and the benefit of Canada. The observatories collect data on physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of the ocean over long time periods, supporting research on complex Earth processes in ways not previously possible. The observatories provide unique scientific and technical capabilities that permit researchers to operate instruments remotely and receive data at their home laboratories anywhere on the globe, in real time. The facilities extend and complement other research platforms and programs, whether currently operating or planned for future deployment. 

The ArtScience Fellowship was initiated by ONC’s late Chief Scientist Kim Juniper, whose leadership and transdisciplinary approaches continue to inspire many in the ArtScience space.

About the Faculty of Fine Arts

With experiential learning at its core, the Faculty of Fine Arts provides the finest training and learning environment for artists, professionals, and students. Through its departments of Art History and Visual Studies, Theatre, Visual Arts, Writing and School of Music, the Faculty of Fine Arts aspires to lead in arts-based research and creative activity and education in local, national, and global contexts by integrating and advancing creation and scholarship in the arts in a dynamic learning environment. As British Columbia’s only Faculty exclusively dedicated to the arts, UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts is an extraordinary platform that supports new discoveries, interdisciplinary and diverse contributions to creativity, and the cultural experiences of the students and communities UVic serves.

With thanks also to the Faculty of Science for their support.

UVic Symphony Orchestra: From Darkness to Light

by | Nov 19, 2024 | Award, Faculty, Graduate, School of Music, Undergraduate

When the UVic Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Giuseppe Pietraroia, presents the captivating evening of music From Darkness to Light on November 29, they’ll not only be  blending  drama, passion and rhythmic vitality, but will also feature a memorable performance by our 2024 student Concerto Competition winners.

As part of the concert, Jiran Miao — a fourth-year piano student at UVic studying under Music professor and esteemed concert pianist Arthur Rowe — will perform Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, op. 15 with the UVic Orchestra. Originally from Shaoxing, China, Jiran started playing piano at age five and has since dedicated herself to her craft, winning awards from the CDMF, Vienna International Classical Music Competition, Don Chrysler Concerto Competition, and Rocky Mountain Music Competition. She has also performed in cities around the world, including Vienna, Salzburg, Shanghai, and Vancouver, and has given solo recitals in her hometown.

When Professor Rowe first suggested she take on Brahms’ concerto, Jiran was hesitant due to the short preparation time ahead of the competition date. However, her love for Brahms and his “gentle portrait of Clara Schumann” in the second movement motivated her to complete the work. Jiran expresses deep gratitude for the support of her UVic professors, especially the mentorship of Professor Rowe, which has greatly shaped her growth as a musician. “From the day I first stepped into UVic for my audition, I knew I wanted to study here,” she explains.

Looking ahead, Jiran plans to pursue advanced studies, aiming to blend her musical insights with composers’ intentions and, as an international student, to eventually share her knowledge and experiences with other musicians in China. Her performance of the Brahms’ Piano Concerto — considered a masterpiece of the Romantic era — will offer powerful orchestral textures and intricate piano passages that will take you on a memorable journey from turbulent passion to serene introspection.

The concert will also include Franz Schubert’s Fierabras, D. 796: Overture and will conclude with Antonín Dvořák’s lively Slavonic Dances, Op. 72. Inspired by the folk traditions of Dvořák’s homeland, these dances brim with infectious rhythms, vibrant melodies, and the spirit of Czech folk music, promising a joyous and exuberant finale to the evening. Also, be prepared for turn at the baton by Arturo García Cuéllar, our Graduate Assistant Conductor.

Don’t miss this unforgettable concert that showcases the beauty and power of orchestral music and emerging student performers at their finest!

Coming up in 2025 will be two more performances by our other two Concerto Competition winners: second year Master of Music soprano Olivia Charette, performing W.A. Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate (Exult, rejoice), K. 165 with the UVic Symphony Orchestra on February 13, 2025; and second-year music education student Spencer Leong Cowie, who will perform his winning concerto with the UVic Wind Symphony in our 2025-26 season.

Jeannette Armstrong and Lina de Guevara awarded Honorary Doctorates

by | Nov 10, 2024 | Alumni, Award, indigenous, News, Theatre, Writing

The Faculty of Fine Arts is thrilled to announce that Jeannette Armstrong will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) and Lina de Guevara will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) at the Fall 2024 Fine Arts convocation ceremony.

You can watch as part of the UVic convocation livestream starting at 10am Tuesday, Nov 12 (Armstrong) and 2:30pm Wednesday, Nov 13 (de Guevara). 

Armstrong

About Jeanette Armstrong 

Jeannette Armstrong is an associate professor in Indigenous Studies and the coordinator of Interior Salishan Studies Centre at UBC Okanagan. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada and an Officer of the Order of Canada. Born on the Penticton Indian Reserve in the Okanagan, Armstrong is a multi-faceted writer, visual artist, researcher, educator, leader and activist.

She received a Diploma in Fine Arts from Okanagan College, then earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Victoria in 1978. In 2009, she received her doctorate in Indigenous Environmental Ethics from the University of Greifswald in Germany.

Armstrong is one of the founders of the En’owkin Centre (originally named the Okanagan Indian Curriculum Project) to provide students with strong cultural and academic foundations for success. The Centre includes Theytus Publications, the first Indigenous-owned publishing house in Canada.

The En’owkin International School of Writing, founded by Armstrong in a partnership with UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts, has served Indigenous artists and writers for over 40 years. Armstrong was a co-founder of En’owkin’s Certificate in Aboriginal Language Revitalization which operates in partnership with UVic’s Department of Linguistics serving Indigenous communities throughout Canada.

As an influential advocate for Indigenous peoples’ rights, Armstrong has been a force of change and widescale community impact through her artistic, research and educational vision.

de Guevara

About Lina de Guevara 

Lina de Guevara’s career as a director, writer, actor, and teacher has left an indelible impact on Canada’s theatre community. As the founder and former artistic director of Puente Theatre, she dedicated 25 years to sharing the stories of immigrant and refugee communities.

Having fled a military coup in her native country of Chile before settling in Victoria in 1976, de Guevara drew upon her own lived experiences to produce dozens of critically acclaimed plays and collaborations that have toured nationally and internationally.

Visionary productions such as I Wasn’t Born Here, Crossing Borders and Familya shed light on issues such as discrimination, social justice, and employment barriers. By exploring these themes, de Guevara’s work has both entertained and educated audiences for decades.

Trained at the Instituto del Teatro (University of Chile), she has used her skills to teach, mentor, and create space for emerging Indigenous artists and artists of colour across Vancouver Island. As a workshop facilitator at the University of Victoria and instructor at institutions like Royal Roads University, Camosun College, and the Canadian College of Performing Arts, de Guevara has left an enduring legacy on the national theatre landscape through her active support of the next generation of artists.

2024 Student Impact Award winners

by | Nov 7, 2024 | Award, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts

Since 2021, the Fine Arts Student Community Impact Awards have recognized individual achievements or outstanding efforts made by full-time Fine Arts undergraduate students beyond their traditional studies. Open to submissions from across the faculty, these juried awards are then presented annually as part of the Greater Victoria Regional Arts Awards, this year held November 6 at the Baumann Centre. Including this year’s recipients, Fine Arts has now given over $13,000 to 11 students in the last four years — all thanks to the generosity of our donors.

Congratulations go out to the recipients of our fourth annual awards: Rebecca Fux, Thomas Moore and Claire Jorgensen, each of whom receives $1,000 for their individual projects.

 

Connecting through art

Claire Jorgensen (Visual Arts) receives the award for winning a competitive commission to create a new large-scale mural embodying themes of diversity, community and wellness for UVic’s Island Medical Program — titled “A Dream of Vitality” — which she then painted live over the course of a month in the lobby of the Medical Sciences building.

As Visual Arts chair Megan Dickie points out in her nomination letter, “Over the period of two years, I have seen Claire develop into both an incredible artist and a very caring individual who participates in community development.  Creating an artwork that reflects community, diversity, wellness and place is not easy, yet Claire has produced a place for the mind and eyes to wander, explore and discover. Her mural reflects nature and its power to spark consideration of place and personal past, while also welcoming contemplation and a sense of community and wellness.”

Claire painting “A Dream of Vitality”

For Jorgensen, engaging with the community through her arts practice both encourages reflection and promotes discussion. “My art has provided me opportunities to become involved within the community and allows me to feel connected to the university,” she says, pointing to opportunities like the annual Jamie Cassel Undergraduate Research Awards, her EQHR painting commission “Scenes of Knowledge” and her leadership role in the Visual Arts BFA graduation exhibit Silver Bullets.

“In fourth year. I knew I wanted to push myself further,” she says. “I knew I had a passion for art and wanted to find more opportunities to share this, so I said yes to every opportunity . . . I developed my practice, workflow and discipline. I learned how to write applications, and put myself out there.”

Currently on a year-long academic exchange in the UK, Jorgensen appreciates the financial support this award brings. “I would like to acknowledge and recognize the donors who funded this award as patrons of the arts, for whom I have immense gratitude. I appreciate their contribution as they have made a tangible impact and difference in my life — not only with their generous financial contribution but the validation and recognition that my efforts within art and the community has been seen,” she says. “In the UK, the currency exchange rate is almost double, so this award is incredibly helpful!”

Connecting through performance 

Thomas Moore (Theatre) receives the award for his work directing and producing three shows with Timetheft Theatre Society — Of Theseus at the Victoria One Act Play Festival, the independently produced Horse Girl, and Carpet at the 2023 Fringe Festival — all of which provided opportunities for young queer and neurodivergent artists.

As Theatre alum, producer and sessional instructor Matthew Payne points out in his nomination support letter, “Thomas demonstrates a skill set that is versatile and strong. His passion for theatre work and his ability to devise complex thematic material has set him up as a key player in the Victoria theatre scene — at the ripe old age of 21. As someone who started a theatre company after university, I cannot imagine having the gumption and chutzpah to start my professional career before leaving university, yet Thomas seems fearless in this regard.”

Thomas (right) in Horse Girl

For Moore, the title of this award is particularly meaningful. “Theatre work — especially indie theatre — is all about community,” he says. “Without having meaningful connections to artists and audiences in the community none of the shows Timetheft produces would be possible. As much as we want to produce theatre to develop our own artistic practice, we are also always thinking about what audiences want to see or what hasn’t been seen.”

This award also reflects the skills he’s learned in UVic’s Theatre department. “Being given the opportunity to learn about all the different departments in theatre has allowed me to organize and develop show teams that can work together,” he explains. “Theatre history classes have also deepened my understanding of the art form and enabled me to be more confident in my directing choices.”

Connecting through artist-run centres

Rebecca Fux (Visual Arts) receives the award for her work mounting two exhibits of new paintings at separate local artist-run centres during her final year of studies: You Can Cry In Front of Me at Xchanges Gallery, addressing aspects of grieving and healing for young women after sexual assault, and The Weather Inside at the Fifty-Fifty Arts Collective.

As gallery coordinator Cindy Wright emphasizes, “Xchanges is unique in that artists are required to stage and sit their own exhibitions over three consecutive weekends as well as being on-hand for the opening reception. Young artists who are still doing their BFA or in the early stages of their careers sometimes struggle with these commitments, but Rebecca was able to meet her deadlines and stage her exhibition without difficulty. And considering we had 27 proposals for the space, which were assessed by three independent jurors, Rebecca’s work clearly stood out.”

UVic Chancellor Marion Buller (left) with Rebecca & one of her BFA show paintings

Artist-run centres have played an important role in Fux’s development as an artist. “I first experienced community in the arts at the Vernon Community Art Centre in 2019,” she explains. “They provided me with invaluable experiences such as mentorships, a residency, employment as an art instructor and were instrumental in my decision to pursue a BFA at UVic. In 2023, I made a goal to once again insert myself into my community, and positively impact local organizations.”

Fux is also proud of the impact her exhibits had on the local arts community. “Women over 50 were fascinated by my comfort in addressing sexual trauma in young girls, and excitedly shared their thoughts with me and others,” she explains. “Many expressed that they could have benefited from the #metoo movement when they were my age. I gained so much from visitors’ generosity with their feelings and I believe their visits to the gallery allowed for the same.”

Congratulations to all!

Other related winners at the 2024 GVRAAs included Theatre alum Kathleen Greenfield, who won the ProArt Mid-Career Artist Award for her work with the local SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles, while current UVic Symphony instructor Giuseppe Pietraroia earned the John Mears Achievement in Music Award for his work with Pacific Opera Victoria, the Victoria Symphony and so many other local organizations. Also among the winners were the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival (CRD Regional Impact Award), currently co-led by Theatre alumni Francis Matheu and Willow Hayes (plus Maddy Hooson-Kirstein) — which has a very long history of being led by and hiring Theatre students and alumni — plus the Pacific Opera Victoria production of Die Walküre  (JAYMAC Outstanding Production Award), which was directed by AHVS alumna Glynis Leyshon.

Interested in applying for the 2025 Student Community Impact Awards? Watch our social feeds for the application call in Spring 2025.

Fine Arts Dean Allana Lindgren presenting the awards at the GVRAAs on Nov 6

Kathryn Mockler wins Victoria Book Prize

by | Oct 23, 2024 | Award, climate, Faculty, Writing

The Writing department’s 2024 Victoria Book Prize finalists (from left): Tim Lilburn, Ali Blyth, Kathryn Mockler, Arleen Paré 

This year, October should be renamed the “Month of Mockler”, given how much Department of Writing professor Kathryn Mockler has been popping up. Not only was she announced as a shortlister for — and eventual winner of — the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize (more on that later), but she was also one of three jurors for the 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry, appeared as part of the Wild Prose literary roundtable “Alice in Monsterland: Alice Munro and other ‘art monsters’” and was one of the featured readers at the Department of Writing’s Faculty Reading Night.

But it was her Butler Book Prize win for her new story collection Anecdotes which really gave her cause to celebrate.

Named the winner at the annual public gala at the Union Club on October 16, Mockler was originally announced as a finalist alongside recently retired Writing professor Tim Lilburn (Numinous Seditions: Interiority and Climate Change) plus Writing alumni Ali Blythe (Stedfast) and Arleen Paré (Absence of Wings), as well as local poet Shō Yamagushiku (Shima).

It was a notable indicator of excellence that four of the five finalists were connected to our Writing department and, in her acceptance speech, Mockler noted that she was “humbled to be in the company of these finalists and their beautiful books”.

Prize money to charity  

While the win may have been a surprise to the author, her donation of the $5,000 prize money to three local charities was likely a surprise to the event’s audience. Yet such a move was not surprising for Mockler, who describes the act of writing as being “inherently political”.

“No matter how solitary the act of writing can feel, a writer is always addressing a collective, shared world — describing, analyzing, critiquing, redefining and expanding it. Writers cannot ignore the world that shapes their words nor the world that receives them,” she noted in her acceptance speech.

“In Anecdotes, I use personal experiences to grapple with violence, oppression and the climate crisis, and I am accepting this award at a time in which a genocide is being perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians with the support of the US, Canada and many European states—the same colonial forces responsible for the genocide of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island.

“While Canada makes me complicit in these crimes through its arms sales and moral failure, I am deeply grateful to the judges and the Victoria Butler Book Prize for enabling me to donate the entirety of this award money to the following:

She concluded by saying, “I encourage anyone appalled by these atrocities to seek out groups like ArmsEmbargoNow and World Beyond War.”

About Anecdotes

Mockler’s sixth book, Anecdotes is her latest collection of characteristically disruptive writing (see also the 2020 anthology Watch Your Head: Writers and Artists Respond to the Climate Crisis, which she co-edited) and is described as a hybrid collection of “dreamlike stories and dark humour” which examines the pressing realities of sexual violence, abuse and environmental collapse.

A finalist for four other awards (2023 Danuta Gleed Literary Award, 2024 Trillium Book Award, 2024 Fred Kerner Book Award, 2024 VMI Betsy Warland Between Genres Award), Anecdotes was also recently reviewed in subTerrain Magazine.

Estate gift highlights All-Steinway anniversary

by | Sep 12, 2024 | Award, donor, Graduate, School of Music, Undergraduate

Minsoo Sohn giving a masterclass at the School of Music (Beth Bingham photo)

Fifteen years ago, the School of Music was named Canada’s first All-Steinway School and, while there are now over 200 All-Steinway schools globally, UVic is still the only one in Canada — a significant designation currently being celebrated with both a new $300,000 estate gift and a signature concert series.

“Steinways are recognized worldwide for their excellence and are by far the most preferred concert piano in the world,” says piano professor Arthur Rowe.

But keeping 63 pianos ready for daily student use also requires constant tuning and repairs, which makes the new Martha Cooke Fund so important. Named for the late Public Archives Canada curator, Cooke’s legacy earmarks $200,000 for essential piano maintenance. “These pianos are now 15 years old, so this gift comes to us at a critical time,” says Rowe. “Maintaining our excellent instruments is crucial, so these funds will help ensure the longevity and excellence of our Steinways.”

The Martha Cooke Fund also sets aside a further $100,000 for at least three years of annual concerts and masterclasses with internationally renowned Korean-American pianist Minsoo Sohn, who performed at UVic in both fall 2023 and spring 2024, and offered masterclasses with our students.  

Known for his musical intelligence and masterful virtuosity — qualities that have earned him worldwide acclaim — Sohn’s readings of the works of Rachmaninoff, Bach and Beethoven have placed him among the elite in this repertoire, and the inspired ingenuity of his performances of orchestral repertoire have earned him many accolades.

As the winner of many prestigious competitions and a teacher of renowned pianists himself, Sohn’s concerts and masterclasses demonstrate his own pursuit of musical excellence for the benefit of UVic students. This continues to be an extraordinary partnership that transports audiences to a realm of emotion, virtuosity and musical brilliance.

Minsoo Sohn returns to UVic with a public performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations on Oct 7, followed by his latest masterclass on Oct 8.