Fine Arts an important partner in new RBCM climate change gallery

by | Sep 26, 2026 | climate, indigenous, Research, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

UVic’s Climate Disaster Project and a team of Fine Arts faculty and students are proud to have significantly contributed to the Royal BC Museum’s reimagined natural history gallery, Climate Change: Everything is Connected, which opened on September 11.

Originally created in 2005, the gallery has now been redesigned and retitled to better tell the story of how climate change is reshaping British Columbia. Now on view in the Everything is Connected gallery are a series of short documentaries created by Climate Disaster Project students, as well as an interactive display by students in our Digital Interactive Media & the Arts (DIMA) program plus a presentation about the Indigenous-led Totem 2.0 project.

Through interactive displays, archival photographs, scientific instruments and specimens, visitors can discover how human activities are changing Earth’s climate and what those changes mean for BC’s climate, people, wildlife and landscapes.

“The evidence for human-caused climate change is clear,” says Dr. Victoria Arbour, RBCM’s Manager of Research & Collections and Curator of Palaeontology. “In this new exhibit, we’re not just telling the story of what might happen, but what is and has been happening, and how the people of BC will need to adapt.”

Activating climate research

Fine Arts participation in the RBCM project was led by Sean Holman, founder of the Climate Disaster Project and our Wayne Crookes Professor of Environmental & Climate Journalism with the Department of Writing.

“The climate conversation in this province has included nearly everyone except the people it happened to,” said Holman at the opening. “That needs to change. Our students worked with the Royal BC Museum and five climate disaster survivors across BC to share their experiences and wisdom as part of the museum’s refreshed climate gallery.”

Holman worked with fellow Writing and DIMA professor David Leach plus Visual Arts/AHVS professor and UVic Impact Chair Carey Newman to develop and place content in the new gallery, offering their teams of students a valuable opportunity to see their video and visual presentations included in such a prestigious institution.

“We know that museums are among the most trusted institutions in our society — institutions that play a crucial role in telling and sharing our stories,” noted UVic Vice President Research Alex D’Arcy at the opening. “That’s why I’d like to thank the Royal BC Museum for inviting the University of Victoria to collaborate on this important reimagining of the climate gallery.”

Sean Holman at the exhibit opening

The Royal BC Museum is just one of the partner institutions participating in Holman’s six-year, $2.5-million SSHRC Partnership Grant, “From Catastrophe to Community: A People’s History of Climate Change”. By including museums and galleries across Canada, Holman’s research will ensure the stories of climate-impacted communities aren’t forgotten.

From left: the Climate Theatre, Carey Newman with his Totem 2.0 display, the diatoms in 3D 

What you’ll find at the RBCM

Everything is Connected offers a fresh look at our changing climate, exploring how human choices — including burning fossil fuels and removing forests — have contributed to climate change, and how communities have worked together to respond.

The gallery brings personal experiences of climate change into the museum by having a dedicated Climate Theatre, created in partnership with the Climate Disaster Project. Here, visitors can hear stories shared by five climate disaster survivors across BC who experienced wildfire, extreme heat and flooding in 2021: Jane Armstrong (New Westminster), Chris Harley (Vancouver) and Arzeena Hamir (Comox Valley) all speak about the Western North America heat wave, while Edith Loring-Kuhanga (Lytton) reflects on the devastating Lytton Creek fire and Graham Zillwood (Hope) narrates his experience with the dramatic Southern BC floods.

“Too often the stories we have told about climate change have been stories about the future and about our environment,” says Holman. “And those stories are important, they’re vital . . . but it’s also meant the people who have been impacted by climate change in the present, in our neighbourhoods, in our communities, in our lives, have not been part of the climate conversation.”

From left: Jane Armstrong, Chris Harley, Edith Loring-Kuhanga, Graham Zillwood & Arzeena Hamir each lived through
a BC climate disaster in 2021 & each worked with UVic students to record their account. Their micro-documentaries
now appear in the Royal BC Museum’s refreshed climate gallery. (Photos by Chad Hipolito, Jimmy Jeong & Troy Moth.)

Another feature of the gallery is Carey Newman’s Totem 2.0 project, a ground-breaking technology bridging traditional Indigenous art practices with modern engineering solutions, enabling totem pole carving using sustainable second-growth cedar. The innovative apparatus, originally imagined by Newman and engineered by the team at Camosun Innovates, is captured in video and a large-scale photo of the final project. Titled “Ḵ̓a̱mtila – To write a new song”, this sustainable option to traditional carving is constructed from 14 beams carved on a remarkable spinning harness and lit from within by LED lights: you can see it outside Pacific Opera Victoria’s Baumann Centre here in Victoria. 

Also on view is “Tiny Glass Heroes”, an immersive three-dimensional spatial reality display about diatoms, created by Leach and his team of Visual Arts, Computer Science and Science students — including Nick Patterson, Nathan Inbar, Edith Skeard and Annie McLure — using custom equipment provided by SONY Canada, installed by RBCM staff, and supported by UVic Research & Innovation. Microscopic algae found in the world’s oceans, waterways and soils, diatoms produce upwards of a quarter of Earth’s oxygen and are a good example of how climate change also impacts invisible systems. 

From left: Nathan Inbar, Nick Patterson & David Leach with Writing chair Lee Henderson 

Partners in action

As one of the oldest continually operating museums in Canada, the Royal BC Museum remains a vibrant centre of learning and research which strives to broaden our understanding of the province through collections, exhibitions, outreach and community engagement. By combining the research and creative activity of UVic’s Fine Arts community with the RBCM’s resources and legacy, this new opportunity allows us to tell the continuing story of climate change in new and dynamic ways.

“This is what partnership looks like: this is the power of bringing the academy together with public education and the memorialization and celebration of life . . . even when, especially when, the impact of our world threatens all that we hold dear,” says UVic’s D’Arcy. “The work that Sean Holman, David Leach and Carey Newman and their teams have done demonstrate the power that happens when students and scholars in Fine Arts partner with people who have lived and learned experience with the impact of climate change to share their stories.”

 

UVic’s Alex D’Arcy at the opening

While there is more to come thanks to his new SSHRC Partnership Grant, Crookes Professor Sean Holman is very pleased with the end result of this current project.

“I am incredibly grateful to the Royal BC Museum for making the experiences and knowledge of those people part of this climate conversation that we are having here today, and part of the ongoing climate conversation that will be taking place in the gallery.”

Climate Change: Everything is Connected is located in the Natural History gallery on the third floor of the Royal BC Museum and is included with admission (top & bottom photos by Shane Lighter)

Truth & Reconciliation Week in Fine Arts

by | Sep 22, 2026 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Faculty, indigenous, Visual Arts, Writing

The university community will come together with care during National Truth and Reconciliation Week (Sept. 21-30). At UVic we are guided by ʔetalnəw̓əl̓ | ÁTOL,NEUEL — respecting the rights of one another and being in right relationship with all things. These teachings remind us that reconciliation is not a destination, but a practice that lives in our words, our actions and our commitments for Survivors, Indigenous students, staff, faculty, Elders and community members and for one another.

UVic will recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day during a special gathering from 1:30-2:45pm on Tuesday, Sept 29, in UVic’s Centennial Stadium. You are invited to wear an orange shirt as a symbol of remembrance and commitment: orange t-shirts, along with buttons and pins designed by Fine Arts (Visual Arts/AHVS) professor and artist Nulis, Hayalthkin’geme, Carey Newman (Kwakwaka’wakw/Coast Salish), are available through the UVic Bookstore, with proceeds supporting the ITOTELNEW̱TEL ȽTE: LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER, The Elders Engagement Fund and the Witness Blanket Project. If you already have an orange shirt, please consider donating to the Elders Engagement Fund this year.

The campus gathering on Sept 29 will include speakers, reflections and poetry, alongside drumming singing and cultural protocol. We will hear from speakers including Chief Robert Joseph, Shauntelle Dick-Charleson, Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate and a member of the Songhees Nation and vice-president Indigenous Dr. Angela Jaime. Together, we will create space to honour Survivors and those who did not make it home while recognizing the ongoing strength of Indigenous Peoples, families and communities.

But Fine Arts is also involved in a number of other events ahead of Sept 30 (when the university will be closed).

UNDRIP, UNDA & DRIPA Human Rights Legislation workshop 
11:30am-12:30pm Thurs, Sept 24 • Fine Arts room 106 • Free

Join Karla Point for this monthly workshop on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act (UNDA) and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act (DRIPA). In this workshop, the facilitator (who has a UVic Law degree), seeks to alleviate some of the confusion about UNDRIP, UNDA and DRIPA, especially on how these rights may impact people, government and industry. This workshop seeks to provide clarity on what the legislation is and ideally to create a better understanding about these Declarations.

Karla Point

Witness Blanket in VR & “How to Colonize” exhibit launch

Sept 28-Oct 2 in Mearns-McPherson Library Student Lounge
Free • Details here

UVic Libraries will host a virtual reality version of the Witness Blanket, a physical work of art created by UVic Impact Chair and Fine Arts professor Carey Newman/Hayalthkin’geme to honour the children and Survivors impacted by the Indian Residential School system. The installation weaves together hundreds of items from residential schools, government buildings, and churches across Canada. Everyone is welcome to interact with the collected objects through VR headsets and bear witness to the damaging legacy of Canada’s residential schools.

This event will also feature the “How to Colonize 101” art project by MILR candidate Shirina Evans, which reveals how historical media narratives of “free” land were used to entice able-bodied European settlers to Canada. This exhibit, curated with Lorilee Wastasecoot — Curator of Indigenous Art and Engagement, University Art Collections — launches on September 28 with food and conversations with the artists.

Carey Newman (right) demonstrates
his Witness Blanket VR experience 

Film screening: The Lesser Blessed

6:30-9:30pm Friday, Sept 25 • First Peoples House • Free • Details here

Join UVic’s Indigenous Storyteller-in-Residence, Richard Van Camp — also a Dept of Writing Distinguished Alumni — for a free screening of this 2012 film, directed by Anita Doron and adapted from Van Camp’s bestselling 1996 coming-of-age novel.

Written while the author was a BFA student in the Writing department, The Lesser Blessed follows Larry Sole, a Tłı̨chǫ teenager living in a remote community in the Northwest Territories while dealing with life as a high school student. Refreshments will be provided and a Q&A with the author will follow.

Richard Van Camp

Haa Huupa talk with Ry Moran

12:30-1:30pm Mon, Sept 28 • Fine Arts building room 106
Free • Details here

Organized by Fine Arts Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator Karla Point, Haa huupa — meaning “to share the teachings” in Nuu chah nulth — offers a chance to digest some Indigenous knowledge along with our food. This latest gathering features UVic’s Ry Moran (BA ’02), who was instrumental in advancing the Truth & Reconciliation Commission process in Canada, serving as the Director of Statement Gathering, and founding Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Ry Moran

Ry returned to UVic the Fall of 2020 as the inaugural Associate University Librarian – Reconciliation. His focus is to encourage others down a path of healing, reconciliation and human rights. The knowledge he brings to the position includes an academic background in political science and history at UVic, a gap year abroad and ten years doing the work of truth and reconciliation. He extends his work beyond academia, as he continues to engage with music production and recording to support the healing and empowerment of residential school survivors.

A multifaceted person with a rich history of service and leadership, Moran’s journey has not been a straight line. He recently served as the interim CEO of the Royal BC Museum, and he continues to contribute to music, education and reconciliation and he is dedicated to fostering understanding and healing within communities. His work continues to inspire and influence those who seek to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. He is a member of the Order of Canada (2026) and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 2024. He is a sought out speaker, commentator and writer.

Artist talk: Mike Dangeli on Reflections on Self-Decolonization as Reconciliation

5-6:20pm Monday Sept 28 • David Turpin Building Room A120 • Free

Mike Dangeli is a visual artist, singer, composer, dancer, educator and the current artist-in-residence with UVic’s Centre for Studies in Religion & Society. His talk is titled, “Lugyetga’nu Da Na Goadu (Returning Home to my Heart): Reflections on Self-Decolonization as Reconciliation” and problematizes the idea of reconciliation as a process that must always be inclusive of both Indigenous peoples and settlers. Through an ongoing process of self-decolonization, Mike has learned that if we are to ever to reach reconciliation, then more time, love and attention needs to be placed on our journeys to confront and heal from the effects of colonization individually and collectively as Indigenous peoples. Decolonization in, with, and for our own peoples is much needed before the process of reconciliation can begin.

Mike Dangeli is of the Nisga’a, Tlingit, Tsetsaut and Tsimshian Nations, and is in line to be a hereditary chief and has trained under the chiefs and matriarchs since his childhood. A renowned wood carver, painter, and designer, he began studying and creating his people’s art at an early age through traditional apprenticeships. His work is collected and exhibited throughout the world. For the past 20 years, Mike and his wife — AHVS professor Mique’l Dangeli — have trained three generations of dancers, singers and drummers in their dance group the Git Hayetsk. He has carved hundreds of masks and headdresses and made hand-painted leather regalia danced in the performances of Git Hayetsk as well as by many Nations and dance groups along the Northwest Coast.

Mike D’Angeli

Arts & Culture keep Canada strong

by | Aug 10, 2026 | Alumni, Events, indigenous, Writing

If you’re looking for a quick indicator of the global, social and economic impact of Canadian arts & culture, look no further than Heated Rivalry.

A Canadian TV series developed by Canadian creators, starring Canadian actors, filmed in Canada, soundtracked by Canadian bands and based on books by a Canadian author, Heated Rivalry hit the zeitgeist in a way rarely seen. With just six episodes, the first season generated over a billion dollars via the combined sales of books, music, tourism, fashion, streaming services and actual hockey tickets, which saw a whopping 40% surge in demand.

That it also managed to marry the seemingly disparate worlds of professional hockey and queer culture is as remarkable as the fact that Canadian arts & culture is still seen as expendable in times of economic hardship.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, the arts make a vital contribution to our economy: a 2025 report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found arts & culture contributed $131 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024 and supported over a million jobs nation-wide. And, since 2011, arts-sector spending growth has outpaced all other sectors — including oil and gas, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and both wholesale and retail trade — generating $17 billion in federal and provincial taxes.

As the popularity of shows like Heated Rivalry, Schitt’s Creek and the Disney+ series Washington Black (co-
produced and based on the award-winning bestseller by Fine Arts alum Esi Edugyen) continue to prove, it’s our cultural icons who keep Canada strong internationally, with Canadian exports of cultural goods and services hitting an all-time high of $27.1 billion in 2023 — twice that since 2011.

Yet, as former MP and Deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps noted in her April 2026 Hill Times opinion piece, the Federal government’s economic conversation still
primarily focuses on boosting Canada’s fossil-fuel, auto
and construction sectors. Ironically, this ensures jobs for primarily male-dominated industries, while government spending on arts & culture strongly benefits women, youth and IBPOC / 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Numerous studies have also proven how participation in arts & culture boosts democracy and civic engagement, increases the academic performance of students, and improves the overall health and wellbeing of Canadians.

UVic remains an essential part of that story: home to BC’s only stand-alone fine arts faculty, we’ve been training generations of arts practitioners, cultural leaders and creative researchers for nearly 60 years, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in our fast-changing world.

With political uncertainty south of the border, we do need to keep our elbows up . . . but it’s also essential to drive home the impact and relevance of Canada’s diverse and vibrant arts industry. UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts continues to bring over 20,000 people a year to campus thanks to our 300+ cultural and scholarly offerings — making us UVic’s largest and most consistent academic unit for public engagement.

Keep up on our events throughout the year by subscribing to our monthly e-news via finecomm@uvic.ca

Roy Henry Vickers awarded Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts

by | Jun 9, 2026 | Art History & Visual Studies, Award, indigenous, Visual 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, he was even nominated for a Grammy Award for his design work on a Grateful Dead CD box set.

Now, he is the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, presented as part of the Fine Arts convocation ceremony on June 10, Vickers studied at UVic before joining the Saanich Fire Department, he then left to study and graduate from the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art. As noted in this Sooke News Mirror story, his former Oak Bay High teacher — and early UVic Theatre department designer — Bill West encouraged him to “paint what you see”. Vickers remembers the teacher saying, “Your colour blindness is an advantage because you simplify all the colours out there and paint what you see.”

Clearly, West was on to something, as Vickers’ internationally acclaimed artwork reflects the landscapes, wildlife and people of British Columbia. Characterized by clean lines and vivid colours, his distinctive artistic style blends his Indigenous heritage with a contemporary design, creating timeless and evocative pieces. Vickers’ influence is felt throughout the province — from founding his Eagle Aerie Gallery in Tofino to designing the Salmon Totem Pole for the 1994 Commonwealth Games. He also played a pivotal role in shaping the artistic direction of Vancouver International Airport’s new terminal, where his work remains prominently displayed.

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Vickers continues to leave a lasting legacy through his art and storytelling — sharing powerful messages of Indigenous self-determination, resilience and healing.

Conference marks Canadian Association for Theatre Research’s 50th anniversary

by | May 29, 2026 | Alumni, Events, Faculty, indigenous, Research, Theatre

Keynote speaker Nininsky Lee Aquino

Our 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 from across Canada plus Phoenix students, faculty & alumni.

Co-chaired by Theatre professor Sasha Kovacs & University of Toronto’s Sarah Robbins, CATR50 brought together over 200 people to investigate questions of inheritance, transition, transformation and change. The conference was highlighted by passionate conversations — kicked off by keynote speaker Nininsky Lee Aquino — and performances by Git Hayetsk dancers, Theatre SKAM’s Aster Brae plus drag performances at The Vicious Poodle. Other highlights included the conference exhibition, panel, roundtable, praxis workshop, seminar and working group contributions.

The Canadian Association for Theatre Research was originally created in 1976 under the name “The Association for Canadian Theatre History.” Since its inception it has been the principal catalyst for expansion of theatre research in Canada, as evidenced by the change in name in 1990. It aims to shape Canada’s theatrical present and future by preserving and interpreting our theatrical past and investigating areas of contemporary theory and performance. Specifically, the Association works to promote research and publication of the results of this research into Canadian theatre and drama, to encourage the collection and analysis of Canadian theatre materials, and to maintain a communications network for the exchange of information and research in progress.

Sasha Kovacs & Sarah Robbins

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Connections grant program, the Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories Partnership, Canada’s Theatre Museum, Playwright’s Guild of Canada, Playwright’s Canada Press, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, Talon Books, Belfry Theatre, the Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre plus numerous other departmental and community sponsors.

Special appreciation to Kurt Archer and previous co-chair Kara Flanagan for facilitating community artist engagement in this year’s event, Jenn Boulay for supporting accessibility plus all members of the incredible programming and local arrangements team for contributing to this memorable gathering!

Act 2 continues online June 11-12. See the CATR website for more info to join the digital act of the event.

Students & volunteers participating in Git Hayetsk performance

Research funding focuses on Indigenous artistic responses to plastic pollution

by | May 15, 2026 | Award, climate, Faculty, indigenous, Visual Arts

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 it has on Northern regions, where microplastics contaminate oceans and sea ice, the landscape, and even the food chain, posing a threat to community health and biodiversity.

Now, $475,000 in new funding from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) offers Department of Visual Arts professor Heather Igloliorte the opportunity to create a series of new art-science collaborations while also increasing national awareness around the issue of plastic pollution in rural, remote, Subarctic and Arctic regions.

Titled “As It Melts: Northern Indigenous Artistic Perspectives on Plastics Pollution”, this two-year project will be led by Igloliorte — who is also UVic’s Canada Excellence Research Chair in Decolonial & Transformational Indigenous Art Practices — and Kirsty Robertson (Western University’s Canada Research Chair in Museums, Art & Sustainability) in partnership with the Inuit Art Foundation.

Announced on May 11, As It Melts will bring together a diverse group — including Indigenous artists, Indigenous and settler scientists, plastics and arts-based researchers, students, museum professionals, community members, Elders and knowledge keepers — to address the presence of plastic pollution in and around Indigenous communities, through the lens of contemporary art research-creation.

For this ambitious project, Indigenous artists will work with and learn from plastics pollution researchers and scientific labs across Canada, participate in knowledge exchange workshops, and ultimately create major research-based artworks, culminating in a nationally significant public exhibition and symposium aligning with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“This project is truly a testament to the strength of our collaboration, and the significance and urgency of the work before us,” says Igloliorte. “By harnessing the power of art to investigate plastics pollution — while also informing communities and the broader public of its harms — As It Melts will help people imagine cleaner, safer and more sustainable futures for our lands and waters.”

Fine Arts also recently announced $250,000 in funding from SSHRC’s New Frontiers in Research Fund and the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) for Visual Arts professor Carey Newman’s two-year project focused on “Robotic Carving to Augment and Preserve Intergenerational Kwakwaka’wakw Knowledge Transfer.” Both these projects engage innovative new creative technologies to address concerns around the environment and the ongoing climate crisis while also forefronting Indigenous knowledge and practices.

Heather Igloliorte (photo: Julie Grenier)

“These grant successes by Carey and Heather highlight the remarkable trajectory that Fine Arts is on,” says Kirk McNally, Associate Dean Creative Activity, Research & Administration for UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts. “They build on our reputation for excellence in creative activity and research that explores the potential of creative technologies, and our deep engagement with the environment and the climate crisis. They also highlight UVic’s commitment to Indigenous-led scholarship and creating an environment where Indigenous ways of knowing and being can thrive.”

By engaging with community-monitoring of plastics pollution and on-the-land research in Northern, remote and rural Indigenous communities, As It Melts intends to dramatically shift both awareness of and response to the impacts of plastic pollution on wildlife, the environment and humans in Canada. This project will effectively respond to Phase 2 of the Canada-Wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste, while also establishing decolonial methods for further research.

As It Melts will be guided by an advisory committee made up of Indigenous community leaders and arts professionals. It will also be supported by innovative partnerships with organizations and labs across the country — including UVic’s Taqsiqtuut Indigenous Research-Creation Lab and Western University’s Centre for Sustainable Curating — in parallel to Indigenous knowledge and artistic and cultural approaches, linked with lived and embodied experience of the impacts of plastic pollution.