Doing our part

by | Apr 23, 2020 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Graduate, News, School of Music, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

Doing our part

Welcome to issue six of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.

Another inspiring message about the arts appeared as an op-ed in the April 26 edition of the Times Colonist. In addition to pointing out the vital importance of the arts during this crisis, Pacific Opera Victoria CEO Ian Rye also noted the role our community will play in the difficult months ahead. “We will need the arts more than ever when we emerge from this crisis and rediscover the power of live song and story and the importance of coming together as a community,” he writes. “When that time comes and we can once again share those extraordinary moments of live music, drama and meaning, the arts will be there. We will celebrate together.”

While many of us have been struggling to maintain a relatively normal end-of-semester life with course completion, marking and other administrative duties, a number of our faculty colleagues have also been adding to the community effort during the current health crisis:

  • Visual Arts alum Libby Oliver has organized a phone campaign for seniors in care-home lockdowns as part of her current position as Listener-in-Residence at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, assisted by AHVS alum and AGGV assistant curator Regan Shrumm
  • Theatre instructor Bryn Finer contributed Theatre’s 3D printer to UVic’s overall face shield initiative
  • Art History & Visual Studies PhD candidate Ambreen Hussaini created a series of short video updates with her family, and also contributed a message to UVic’s Kind Mail campaign
  • Theatre’s head of wardrobe Karla Stout and Visual Arts instructor Laura Dutton have been sewing and donating face masks 
  • Fine Arts communications officer John Threlfall has been delivering groceries weekly as part of the Fernwood NRG’s increased community Good Food Box program
  • Current theatre student Nathan Harvey has been using his home 3D printer to print necessary parts for plastic face shields for front-line workers
  • Writing professor and poet Tim Lilburn has been asked to contribute to a new anthology, tentatively titled COVID-19 Diary: World’s Anthology of Poetry, organized by poet Dr Christopher Okemwa, who teaches literature at Kisii University in Kenya.

But whether it’s live-streaming your work, checking in on elderly neighbours, banging pots at 7pm or simply practicing proper social distancing, we’re all doing our part in these strange times.  

As always, please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca.

Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week. 

Visual Arts alum Libby Oliver has been organizing calls to seniors in care homes

John Threlfall: communications officer by day, delivery driver by choice 

News

Livestreaming this week

Fine Arts alumni continue to be active in National Arts Centre’s ongoing #CanadaPerforms series: in addition to the likes of previous performers Charles Ross and Meg Braem (Theatre), Clare Yuan and Stephanie Chua (Music), Marjorie Celona and current MFA candidate Kim Senklip Harvey (Writing), this week sees two more alumni stepping into the national spotlight:

  • Writing/Theatre alum and current sessional instructor Mark Leiren Young is hosting a triple book launch at noon PST on Friday, May 1, for his set of new books for young readers: Orcas of the Salish Sea, Big Whales, Small World and Orcas Everywhere, all from Orca Books—and eager young readers can even post questions to his Facebook page in advance and Mark will answer them during his reading
  • Writing MFA alum Sally Stubbs is presenting a livestream performance of her play Our Ghosts Collective, starting at 5pm EST on Saturday, May 2 (interestingly, the same play also received a live online reading on April 11 as part of The Canadian Play Thing series, hosted by fellow Writing MFA Janet Munsil).

But this week’s livestreaming doesn’t end there. In addition to the ongoing UnoFest Online performances of Visual Arts alum and current Fine Arts Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator Lindsay Delaronde (Gemini to May 3) and Music alum Isaiah Bell (The Book of My Shames, to May 3), there are a number of other performances happening in the week ahead:

  • Our colleagues at Pacific Opera Victoria are offering their latest Listening Party Podcast at 4pm Friday, May 1, with School of Music repetiteur and sessional instructor Kinza Tyrrell as a guest, alongside host Rebecca Hass plus Rachel Fenlon and Doug MacNaughton—expect to hear Kinza chat about her “Karaoke with Kinza” project, where vocalists send song requests for her to perform, then she returns the track for them to sing along to; Her latest episode features Music alum Joé Lampron-Dandonneau in a gorgeous performance of Schubert’s “Nacht und Träume”
  • Recent Theatre & Writing alum Nicholas Guerreiro is having a livestream reading of his new play The Milkshake Duck at 7:30pm Friday, May 1, as part of the Canadian Play Thing
  • Rising Music alumni folk trio West My Friend (Eden Oliver, Jeff Poynter, Alix Rempel) were thrilled to release their latest album In Constellation album last fall, but they recently had to cancel their planned European tour because of, well, you know; now, they’ll be hosting a livestream concert on their Facebook page at 11am PST Saturday, May 2—the concert is timed for an evening show in Europe, but you can enjoy brunch here in BC
  • Theatre alum Charles Ross is livestreaming a performance of his widely acclaimed One Man Star Wars Trilogy, starting at 5pm PST Monday May 4 (as in May the Fourth be with you); more than just a great show, this is also a fundraiser for the UVic Student Relief Fund—tune in to his Facebook page to watch.
  • Finally, Music alum and Victoria-raised tenor Josh Lovell will be featured as part of the weekly “Acoustic Afternoon” series from Pacific Opera Victoria. Josh will be singing from his home in Vienna in a stream that will be available starting at 1pm Friday, May 8.  

Be sure to tune in for some (or all) of these if you can!

Writing alum Sally Stubbs presents Our Ghosts 

School of Music alumni trio West My Friend

Theatre alum Charles Ross uses the force to fundraise for UVic’s Student Relief Fund

Now incubating at the Belfry

Our colleagues at the Belfry Theatre just announced participants for their 2020 Incubator Program. While the full list also includes local theatre artists Rick Waines, David Elendune and Jo Leslie, the majority of the participants are all Fine Arts alumni (mostly from Theatre): 

  • Anna Marie Anderson & Ellery Lamm of Collectivus Theatre, further developing their award-winning play Summer Bucket List
  • Molly Beatrice, Emily Hay, Hailee Jake Friesen & Alexander Moorman, developing The Fear Project
  • Andrew Barrett & Patricia Reilly of Impulse Theatre, developing The Soft Spaces
  • Nicholas Guerreiro, Annie Konstantinova & Julie McGuire of Bragi Theatre, developing Tricky Gylfi
  • Hannah Mariko Bell, developing Momotarō 
  • Sarah Pitman, developing Remarkable Engines
  • plus former students Monica Ogden & kp dennis (formerly Ann-Bernice Thomas) of Rage Sweater Theatre, developing 100 YT Guys in an Hour.

Incubator participants receive the use of the Belfry’s studios, mentorship from artistic director and Theatre sessional Michael Shamata and recent Theatre PhD alum Taiwo Afolabi—now the Belfry’s artistic and community liaison—as well as administrative mentoring from executive director Ivan Habel and other members of the Belfry staff. They’ll also get use of the Belfry Tower as a writing studio, and participation in the Belfry’s newly formed Playwright’s Unit, facilitated by Governor General’s Award-winning playwright and Writing professor Kevin Kerr.

Watch for the Belfry to feature these works-in-development at their first “mini SPARK festival”, which will throw a spotlight on the creative projects being developed by the participants of the New Incubator Project and the Playwright’s Unit. 

Got an idea for Incubator 2021? Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2020. Priority will be given to applicants from diverse communities, applicants wanting to challenge their traditional artistic practice, and projects that provide participants with opportunities to explore new creative territory. Click here for full details.

A scene from Collectivus Theatre’s Summer Bucket List, which won awards for Best Drama and Best Original New Work at the 2019 Victoria Fringe Festival

New publications

Writing MFA alum Melanie Siebert has just launched her new book, Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health, with Orca Books. Aimed at youth 12 & up, Heads Up features real-life stories of people who have found hope and meaning in the midst of life’s struggles. Described as a “go-to guide for teenagers who want to know about mental health, mental illness, trauma and recovery”, Heads Up highlights innovative approaches such as trauma-informed activities like yoga and hip-hop, police mental health teams and peer support for youth.

Our colleagues at the Victoria Arts Council have launched a new online magazine titled UNTIL. Co-created by VAC director Kegan McFadden and Visual Arts alum Leah McInnis, the theme of issue one is “Interconnectedness” and features contributions by Visual Arts alumni Randie Feil, John G Boehme, Cassia Powell, Mike McLean, Rachel Kiers and current sessional instructor Todd Lambeth, as well as Theatre alum Matthew Payne. Issue two looks at the idea of “tender” with contributions by AHVS student Monic Liu, Visual Arts alumni Katie Brown and Cassidy Luteijn, plus sessional instructor Emily Geen and professor Daniel Laskarin. Is there a piece you could contribute to a future issue? “Resilience” is the theme of issue 3, and contributions are being accepted until May 6.  

Recent Writing MFA and sessional instructor Troy Sebastian / nupqu _a·k_am_ has just been announced as a double-nominee in the National Magazine Awards: his stories “The Art of the Snag” and “Raptors Revolution”—both for The Walrus—have been nominated in the “short feature” and “essays” categories respectively. Winners will be announced in early June.  

Resources

Digital Scholarship Commons

Thinking ahead to the fall semester? Keep in mind that the Digital Scholarship Commons in UVic Libraries offers a variety of tools, resources and training. Even now, their digital scholarship librarians and staff are available for online consultations and teaching. 

The Digital Scholarship Commons is there to assist faculty, students and staff in learning digital tools and methodologies which will help you pursue your passions and tell your research stories in engaging ways. Their services help the UVic community become well-versed in digital information fluency through training, workshops, digital curriculum development advice, tools, software and more. Their schedule for May workshops has just been posted. 

Looking for somewhere to start? Check out their online podcasting 101 workshop.

Virtual Fitness

Concerned about flattening the ever-increasing curve around our collective waists? UVic’s Vikes Active Living program is offering a new virtual fitness membership. You can do a workout from anywhere, anytime, with your six different CARSA instructors and a variety of classes. All you need is 30 minutes, a bit of space and a computer, phone or tablet.

For just $20, you’ll receive 21 workouts starting May 1, available at 7am daily. Classes include Booty Bootcamp, Restorative Flow Yoga, Muscle Hustle, Core 30 and Functional Fitness, with more being added. Just pick a playlist, start your workout . . . and prepare to get sweaty.

Project quarantine

As well as being an invaluable resource for artists, curators, art writers and gallery staff right now, the editorial team at Canadian Art magazine are looking to share the work of Canadian artists who may have had exhibits cancelled by COVID-19 in the “Agenda” section of their website.

As such, Canadian Art is encouraging artists and gallerists to submit social-distancing-friendly events, online gatherings, projects and launches. Each exhibition or event posting can include one image, a list of artists, curators, start/end dates and a 150-character text about the project you are promoting. 

 

Paying artists during crisis

Speaking of exhibits, as the national voice of Canada’s professional visual artists, Canadian Artists Representation Le Front Des Artistes Canadiens (CARFAC)  has released this list of recommended practices for paying artists during the COVID-19 crisis. If you’re an artist who was at any stage of negotiation with presenters when the crisis hit—signed contracts, verbal agreement or something more informal—you should expect presenters to honour these agreements.

CARFAC also encourages presenters to support artists to the best of their abilities and to consider the financial pressures many self-employed artists are currently facing—including compensating artists for additional labour if exhibit formats change from physical to online, screening, etc. Their guidelines are designed to help the visual and media arts community establish procedures for paying artists when exhibitions, screenings, and other opportunities are disrupted due to cancellations or postponements.

Vocal Jazz in the spotlight

This week’s musical break features the UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble in their 2019 Autumn Showcase. Recorded in the School of Music’s Phillip T Young Recital Hall on November 24, it was sadly the final concert of the academic year by the group, as their Spring Showcase was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Under the direction of Music professor Wendell Clanton, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble has established a reputation for artistic excellence, stylistic flexibility and performances of original and inspiring arrangements. (You can check out the Vocal Jazz blog for more details.) “May any temptation to disappointment at the cancellation of the Spring Showcase be accompanied and transformed by the recognition of your artistry and enthusiasm, your skill and achievement which is undiminished by adversity,” writes Clanton to the ensemble. “Please take a moment for yourselves to reflect on the joy you have brought to others through your music.”

Members of the 2019/2020 Vocal Jazz Ensemble include Aaron Ruddell, Allie Bertholm, Andrew Wolf, Anton Sokalski, Ben Mendes, Brendan Ciccone, Brittnie Spriel, Cassidy Stahr, Clay Dowdell, Chris Clarke, Connie Goetz, Davey Bastin-Decaste, Dilly Cooner, Fionalee Lustado, Ila Zbarsky, Ken Kosowick, Katherine Allen, Lindsey Bellman, Megan Handley, Noah Mellemstrand, Odyn Mulder, Patrick Schjelderup, Sophie Groves andVictoria Jackson. Special guests at the Autumn Showcase included James Waddell, Rachel Burtman (bass), Noah Mellemstrand (violin) and Allie Bertholm (trumpet).

The Vocal Jazz Ensemble, from their 2019 Autumn Showcase program

The Vocal Jazz Ensemble opening for The Real Group and the Fifth Street vocal quintet in October 2019 at The Farquhar (photo & wide shot: Leon Fei)

The Way You Look Tonight

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Begin The Beguine

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Georgia

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

When I Get Low I Get High

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Bluesette

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Nature Boy

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Words

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Since You've Been Gone

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Sous le Ciel de Paris

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Call Me

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

A Child Is Born

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Take On Me

by UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Exhibit closed, video live

Like so many artists right now, all of the current exhibitions by Department of Visual Arts professor Kelly Richardson are currently closed—and, for Richardson, that translates to the loss of three international exhibits, both solo (Attenborough Art Gallery at the University of Leicester) and group (Trondheim International Biennale for Art and Technology, Hestercome Gallery).  

But fortunately, the Hestercombe Gallery in Taunton, England, have produced this video that speaks to the work and context of their now-closed exhibition Most Admirably Improved By Art, which was due to run until June 28, 2020. Richardson’s “Orion Tide” was featured alongside work by Charlotte Hodes, Rebecca Partridge and Fiona Hingston, as well as original works by 18th century English artist Coplestone Warre Bampfylde (Hestercombe’s former owner). The exhibit was intented to build links between Bampfylde’s Georgian endeavours and the concerns of artists today.

As Art Toronto noted, “Drawing from the aesthetics of cinema and dystopian stories, Orion Tide presents a Roswell-esque desert with spurts of light and smoke repeatedly taking off into the dark night sky, resting somewhere in the territory between science fiction and biblical wraths.”

While Richardson’s HD video installation may seem an unusual juxtaposition alongside paintings, sculpture and ceramic installation, Most Admirably Improved by Art brought together four contemporary artists who, like Bampfylde, began their careers drawing and painting, and now through a range of media respond to the landscapes and the environment of today, inspired through the history of art.

You can watch the eight-minute video here.

Kelly Richardson’s “Orion Tide”

Most Admirably Improved by Art, Hestercombe Gallery, 01.03.20 – 28.06.20

Writing student readings

Among the many, many end-of-year events cancelled in Fine Arts this spring was the annual launch party for issue 18 of This Side of West, UVic’s undergraduate writing journal. But since the live readings couldn’t happen, four of the contributing Department of Writing majors—Brianna Bock, Chloe Cookson, Bryant Linton and Tosh Sherkat—took the plunge and offer at-home digital readings of their work instead. Click on the playlist to watch them all.

No word yet on whether the new issue made it to the printers in time, but it’s usually for sale at the UVic Bookstore.

Gateway to art—and art history

If you’ve ever wondered what it is that art historians actually do, the Department of Art History & Visual Studieshas kicked off a new website aimed at exploring exactly that: Gateway to Art offers a layperson’s look at the objects and ideas that inspire UVic’s art historians. But while the idea had been germinating with AHVS chair Marcus Milwright for a while now, ironically it took the COVID-19 crisis to bring it to fruition.   

“I’ve always been interested in finding ways for people to engage with art history, but this came about because I was stuck at home and was trying to think what I could do with a laptop and the objects I’m interested in,” says Milwright.

The new website also features a section titled Talking About Art, a series of short audio explorations of objects reflecting the various areas of research and teaching in AHVS. Ranging from the everyday (bricks, coins, maps, bowls) to the more esoteric (medieval architecture, an ancient act of iconoclasm), each 7-10 minute talk explores the central idea of what art is trying to tell us.

“We can draw out narratives from objects—what they were made from, who made them, the context of why such things were done,” explains Milwright, who is both an archaeologist and art historian. “Simple objects can be really fascinating when you pull out the details; it’s not just about the practical things they do.”

He points to an inscribed ceramic jug from Raqqa as an example. “Someone chose to write an entire section of the Koran around the surface of it in ink, and then it becomes something entirely different—it transforms.”  

Still in its early days, Milwright is working on a set of contributor guidelines for his teaching faculty and is considering future contributions from the likes of frequent AHVS colleagues in UVic’s Legacy Gallery, Special Collections and possibly the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

“The whole point is showing why the arts are important, whether studying it or creating it.”

Watch for further developments to Gateway to Art in the months ahead. But for now, be sure to take a crack at Milwright’s Stay-at-Home art history visual quiz on the site: it’s sure to keep you puzzling while you attempt to solve it.

Unglazed ceramic jug excavated in Raqqa, Syria. Late eighth or early ninth century. Raqqa Archaeological Museum

An Inscribed Ceramic Jug from Raqqa

by Marcus Milwright | Talking about art

Creative placemaking 

From the nation’s capital to one of the world’s leading creative spaces, the career of Department of Theatre alum Nathan Medd (BFA ’01) has gone far and fast since his graduation. Named the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for the Faculty of Fine Arts, Medd has been making a name for himself as one of Canada’s brightest young arts leaders.

Devoted to developing the performing arts in Canada, Medd is currently Managing Director of Performing Arts for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity—the nation’s largest arts training institution and incubator of new works—a position he took up in August 2018. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director of English Theatre at the National Arts Centre, where his team successfully championed Canadian creators and initiated a new national stage for Indigenous performance. 

But prior to those key positions, he was Managing Producer of Vancouver’s Electric Company Theatre, where he produced original works for Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad and co-founded Progress Lab 1422, the performing arts creation studio in East Vancouver, in 2009. And before that, he was the Operations and Development Manager for Victoria’s Intrepid Theatre, where he co-founded Metro Studio — still a flagship venue for Vancouver Island — and also held positions with both the BC Arts Council (programs officer and policy analyst) and the Belfry Theatre (front of house manager), where he started right out of university.

In this video about the importance of creative placemaking (recorded in the Bishop Theatre in February 2019 as part of UVic’s Alumni Week activities), Medd is joined by fellow Theatre alumni and Metro Studio co-founders Ian Case and Janet Munsil, plus Writing professor Kevin Kerr, co-founder of Vancouver’s Electric Company.

“My work these past 10 years has been about building infrastructure and altering practices that were built in the 1960s but no longer serve everyone who wants to work in or attend the arts,” Medd explains. “It’s not just a question of physical space, but programmatic space too . . . we’re making space for communities I wasn’t thinking of 10 years ago. With NAC, it was the idea of becoming the living room of the capital: you start with the idea that we’re all artists and we all need a space to be creative.”

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Nathan Medd

More to come weekly

We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!

Short student film

Watch “Witch Doctor”, hot off an indie film festival

Laura Dutton

“Night Comes On” talk

Lea Fetterman

Music student recital

Dust & Bones

Indigenous artifacts documentary

No fear, only courage

by | Apr 23, 2020 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Graduate, News, School of Music, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

No fear, only courage

Welcome to issue five of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.

Department of Theatre professor Brian Richmond recently offered an inspiring message about the endurance of the arts in his role as artistic director of the local Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, and the importance of facing fear and uncertainty with hope and courage. It’s worth taking a minute to watch the short video, and to reflect on our faculty’s role as leaders in the Greater Victoria arts community. What more could we all be doing to make a difference, here and now?  

As always, please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca.

Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week. 

Theatre professor Brian Richmond

News

Alumni activity

Department of Writing BA/MFA alum Jason Jobin has been shortlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for his story, “Provenance”. As the Times Colonist reported on April 21, the Yukon-raised Jobin joins 20 writers from more than a dozen countries on the short list, but is only one of five stories competing in the regional category of Canada and Europe—and is one of only two Canadians on the short list (alongside Toronto’s Marcia Walker). Regional winners will receive £2,500 (announced June 2), while the finalist will receive £5,000 (announced July 7). The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is the world’s most global literature prize, awarded to a writer each year for the best piece of unpublished short fiction. 

Theatre alumni certainly have been busy during the COVID-19 crisis. Laura Jane Wallace has created the Today, I’m Bored! channel on YouTube, where she offers creative DIY projects for families like making a string of colourful three-dimensional hearts in a window or painting a fun rock monster. And Theatre SKAM artistic and managing producer Matthew Payne has been working with his son Munro on a series of updates called Mo’s Daily Briefing’s (up to Day 21 as of this writing). Mo was also recently featured on UVic’s The Great Indoors project, alongside a shout-out to this very blog.

Writing alum Jason Jobin

School of Music alum Isaiah Bell is presenting his solo performance piece The Book of My Shames as part of Intrepid Theatre’s UNO Fest Online from April 28-May 3. Described as a “comic, wrenchingly personal tour-de-force” that fuses opera, stand-up comedy and the cabaret-confessional, singer-composer Bell explores a history fraught with shame and longing to reveal our universal potential for transformation in this funny and tender solo show. As a rising tenor star, Bell has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the National Arts Centre, and is directed here by Sean Guist, founding Curator of Intrepid’s OUTstages queer theatre festival. The Book of My Shames had a sold-out premiere at Tapestry Opera as part of Toronto Pride in 2019.

Isaiah Bell in The Book of My Shames

The latest episode of the local arts podcast Check the Program features Theatre alum Britt Small discussing the latest episode of the long-running cabaret Atomic Vaudeville, which shifted online in response to the health crisis, and recent Writing MFA alum and playwriting instructor (and Theatre alum) Janet Munsil talking about her new online initiative, The Canadian Play Thing. Now in its second year and on its 35th episode, Check the Program is a podcast project spearheaded by John Threlfall and includes current Writing student Brianna Bock among its six-person team of contributors.

Financial aid for students

As part of their ongoing aid packages, on April 22 the federal government announced $9 billion in financial aid will become available for post-secondary students during the COVID-19 crisis. Students will be eligible for $1,250 a month from May through August, or $1,750 if the student is taking care of someone or has a disability. The benefit is available also to students who have jobs, but are making less than $1,000 a month.

UVic has also created the COVID-19 Emergency Bursary to provide support for students—domestic or international, undergraduate or graduate—who are experiencing emergency financial need as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This initial allocation of $200,000 will help students facing challenges such as job loss, access to housing, food, tuition, or technology to facilitate online/remote learning, mental health services, child care, transportation, and more. 

Recently, the UVic Alumni Association has generously pledged $50,000 in matching funds to this emergency fund: donations to the fund will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the support for students in need. One of the best ways we can help students right now is through the COVID-19 Emergency Bursary. If you are able, please consider joining us in supporting students through this crisis by making a gift today.

Resources

New Canada Council digital initiative

The Canada Council for the Arts has partnered with CBC/Radio-Canada on a new digital initiative, Digital Originals, which will support Canadian artists and arts organizations to reach Canadian audiences online during the COVID-19 crisis by enabling them to adapt their work for digital dissemination.

This new opportunity offers $5,000 micro-innovation grants for selected projects that CBC/Radio-Canada will then curate and feature in a digital showcase. Digital Originals will support artists and arts organizations in finding new ways to connect with audiences online during this difficult time.

The Canada Council recognizes the significant impact of COVID-19 on the Canadian arts sector, with countless performances, exhibitions, screenings, tours and festivals being cancelled or delayed due to necessary public health restrictions. With that in mind, Digital Originals is open to artists, artistic organizations and groups across the country (with a validated Canada Council profile), in all fields of practice—including new and early career artists—to adapt existing work or create new work for sharing online. No prior digital experience will be required. Note that organizations currently receiving core funding will not be eligible.

The grant application portal will open mid-May and applications will be accepted until June 15, 2020. Visit the Digital Originals web page or follow #DigitalOriginals2020 for the latest news.

A gala of go-to galleries 

Getting bored with staying indoors? Missing those regular trips to art galleries and museums? You’re in luck: the new Field Trip: Art Across Canada initiative opens Canadian galleries—including the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, among other notable institutions like the National Gallery, Power Plant, Museum of Contemporary Art and over a dozen others—for online visits and activities.

But if you’re looking to virtually visit further afield, you can check out digital tours of some exhibits at The Louvre or this collection of 14 museums in Paris that have recently made digital copies of 100,000 artworks freely available to the public—including work by the likes of Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, Cézanne, and thousands of others. Or visit this collection of 12 virtual tours that includes destinations like the British Museum, the Guggenheim, the Musée d’Orsay, the Rijksmuseum, Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology or Seoul’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, to name but a few.

Lindsay Delaronde at UNO Fest Online

It’s a busy week for current Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Visual Arts MFA alum Lindsay Delaronde, as she prepares for her solo performance showcase as part of Intrepid Theatre’s April 28-May 3 UNO Fest Online.

Originally hired by Intrepid as the Indigenous Curator for UNO Fest, Delaronde had to pivot sharply when the current health crisis changed both the nature and delivery of the festival. She quickly shifted from curator to performer, with the result being a new performance piece, Gemini. Using the land environment and Indigenous expressions of culture through drum, song and ritual, she has created this unique piece now delivered via a video filmed in her backyard.

Delaronde, who also holds a Masters degree in Indigenous Communities Counselling through UVic, was the City of Victoria’s inaugural Indigenous Artist in Residence (2017-2019). Her artistic practice focuses on Indigenous theatre, land-based/site-specific performance art, collaborative practice, cultural resurgence and social/political activism through the arts. You can get a taste of her work in this 2019 performance piece titled I See You (videography by Lyle Almond).

“My journey as an artist over the past two years has focused on collaborative practice and collaborative performances that reflect on reconciliation as a participatory action that involves bearing witness and observation that puts discussions of perspectives and values into action,” she says. “I have sought to take a critical stand regarding how art contributes to reconciliation [and] have explored reconciliation through working with non-Indigenous and Indigenous groups of people to co-create artworks that symbolized unity, integration and respect.”

In this telephone conversation with Fine Arts communications officer John Threlfall, Lindsay Delaronde talks about her art practice, Indigenous resurgence, learning from others and being creative in a time of crisis. 

Lindsay Delaronde, Gemini - UNO Fest

by John Threlfall | Phone Interviews

This week’s musical break

This week’s musical break is brought to you courtesy of the Sobremesa Saxophone Quartet, whose members are a mix of School of Music students and alumni. Formed in September 2017, Sobremesa—a Spanish term referring to “the intimate conversation that often occurs after dinner”—is currently comprised of current students Todd Morgan (tenor saxophone) and Karsten Brewka (baritone), plus alumni Matt Ficther (alto) and Connor Stairs (soprano).

Here, they perform the “American” String Quartet Op. 96 No. 12 by Antonin Dvorak, as arranged by Connor Stairs), recorded in February 2020 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster, BC. This was part of their “Mountain Roads” tour, which saw the Sobremesa perform at six different concerts around the Lower Mainland.

“It was a great experience in learning how to establish your own opportunities,” says Morgan. “We did most of the advertising, poster and program creation, budgeting and logistics for each event. We even made money on it all!”

The Sobremesa Saxophone Quartet’s YouTube channel also features three other recent performances: “Three Short Tales of the Sea” by Rika Ishige, “Quatour pour Saxophones” by Pierre-Max Dubois and “Milonga del Angel” by Astor Piazzolla—all of which are well worth a listen.

Sobresema Saxophone Quartet

Artists in dangerous times

As part of the AGGV’s Field Trip initiative, Visual Arts professors Cedric Bomford and Rick Leong, current facility and production manager Hollis Roberts and alum Michael Andrew McLean, along with Camosun College’s legendary art professor Ralph Stanbridge, are featured in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s “In Conversation” series. Released on April 22, it’s part of the AGGV’s participation in the national Field Trip initiative. 

Their wide-ranging conversation looks at what it’s like to be artists, professors and technicians in the times of COVID-19. As active members of Victoria’s art community through their respective and varied practices, these artists have already seen how current world events are shifting the way they, their colleagues and students are working.

The politics of art 

Quite possibly one of the most iconic pieces of 20th century art, Pablo Picasso’s 1937 painting “Guernica” was his reaction to the Nazi’s bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during Spanish Civil War. But since we can’t get to Madrid’s Museo Nacional Centro de Arte to see this massive 3.5 metre by 7.8 metre piece right now, we can instead listen to Art History & Visual Studies professor Allan Antliff’s thoughts on “Guernica: A Political Odyssey”, which was originally aired on CBC Radio’s Ideas series in March 2007.

In conversation with host Paul Kennedy, Antliff discusses the politics of Picasso’s arguably most famous work of art, from its inception in the crucible of the Spanish Civil War to the covering of a replica of the painting at the UN in 2003.

“Guernica” (1937), by Pablo Picasso

Guernica - A Political Odyssey

by Allan Antliff / Paul Kennedy | CBC Ideas

And, given Antliff’s position as the Director of UVic’s Anarchist Archives, his 2002 Ideas episode on “Art, Anarchy, and Activism” explores the interface of the arts with anarchist activism on the cusp of the 21st century.

A Canada Research Chair (2003-2008), Antliff has taught courses on activism and art, anarchist aesthetics, Russian Constructivism, New York Dada and a host of other subjects dealing with modernism and contemporary art.

As Director of the Anarchist Archive, he is involved in archival acquisitions and the development of the collection’s digitization centre and virtual archive. He is also art editor for the interdisciplinary journals Anarchist Studies and co-editor of Anarchist Developments in Cultural Studies.

Both these recording, along with a good deal of other content, can be found on the new AHVS Gateway to Art site. 

AHVS professor Allan Antliff

Art, Anarchy & Activism

by Allan Antliff / Paul Kennedy | CBC Ideas

What time is it?

While there’s no shortage of online distractions these days, notice should be paid to the weekly StoryTimes livestream by local Collectivus Theatre, co-founded by current Writing MFA candidate Ellery Lamm and Theatre alum Anna Marie Anderson. Perhaps best known as the company that presented the award-winning productions of Lamm’s Summer Bucket List (in 2019) and The Fitting Room (2018), Collectivus were fast out of the gate with their livestream offerings almost as soon as the shelter-in-place notices went out.

StoryTimes—which just completed its seventh episode as of this writing—offers a range of music, poetry, comedy, character scenes and more. It’s well worth tuning in at 5pm Wednesdays weekly.

Participants in a recent episode of Storytimes

Looking to witness

If you’re looking to mix books with audio and video, consider this Witness Blanket double-play:

  • listen to Writing sessional instructor Kirstie Hudson and Visual Arts Audain Professor Carey Newman discuss their recent book Picking Up The Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket in this April 17 episode of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter with host (and UVic Chancellor) Shelagh Rogers
  • then watch this free streaming of the documentary of the same name, directed by Carey Newman and Cody Graham, presented by the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (where the actual Witness Blanket is on permanent installation).

Celona at the VFW

Finally, you can catch celebrated author and Writing alum Marjorie Celona when she discusses her latest novel, How a Woman Becomes a Lake, with Vancouver Writers Fest Artistic Director Leslie Hurtig in a special livestream conversation at 1pm Saturday, April 25. This presentation with the National Arts Centre offers a glimpse inside one of the most hotly-anticipated titles of the season.

How a Woman Becomes a Lake is an unorthodox crime novel with overlapping viewpoints of characters, trapped by mistakes from their past and cycles of abuse. In an enthralling discussion with Vancouver Writers Fest Artistic Director Leslie Hurtig, Celona will explore her work, the depths of our human experience and the secrets we lock away—and what they reveal about us in our moments of greatest vulnerability, especially in times of crisis.

You can also listen to Celona in this March 2020 episode of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter talk about how cold, cold weather influenced the development of How a Woman Becomes a Lake. 

Visiting playwright Marcus Youssef 

Back in January, Fine Arts was fortunate to host acclaimed Canadian playwright, director and writer Marcus Youssef as part of our ongoing Orion Lecture Series. In addition to his engaging and entertaining public talk, “The Drama of Working Across Difference”, Youssef spent a week on campus working with students in our departments of Writing and Theatre.

The recipient of more than a dozen national and international awards—including the $100,000 Siminovich Prize and a Governor General’s Award nomination—Youssef is the artistic director of Neworld Theatre in Vancouver, artistic advisor to the National Arts Centre, editorial advisor to Canadian Theatre Review, senior playwright in residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and a Canadian Fellow to the International Society of Performing Arts. His award-winning plays include Winners and Losers, Leftovers, Ali & Ali and the aXes of Evil, and his work has been performed at theatres and festivals across North America and around the world.

Enjoy this recording of his January talk, introduced by Writing professor Kevin Kerr.

More to come weekly

We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!

Short student film

Watch “Witch Doctor”, hot off an indie film festival

Nathan Medd

Distinguished Alumni Nathan Medd

Kelly Richardson

Kelly Richardson’s “Orion Tide”

Vocal Jazz

Student pop concert

Never more than now

by | Apr 17, 2020 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Graduate, News, School of Music, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

Never more than now

Welcome to issue four of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.

If you haven’t yet seen the recent video message from UVic president Jamie Cassels, it’s nice to note that, in the midst of such an unprecedented crisis happening both in the world and on campus, he takes time to mention by name the artist in front of whose painting the video is being recorded—”Beaver Pond” by local painter and Theatre sessional instructor Jeremy Herndl—and why that painting matters to him. “It’s one of my favourite paintings in our UVic collection, because it reminds me of the topography of my youth and brings back some very happy memories,” says Cassels.

Cassels’ comments highlight why the arts matter so much—every day, yes, but specifically at this point in history, as people turn to the arts for relief from the stresses and worries of daily life. Paintings, books, concerts, films, plays . . . not only do they offer people an escape but also provide a different way of thinking about life, of processing the world around us.       

Please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca. Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week. 

UVic president and art appreciator Jamie Cassels

News

Music alum rock for relief

Local band Carmanah—which counts Music & Computer Science alum Mikey Baker among its members, alongside fellow UVic alum Laura Mina Mitic, Pat Ferguson and Marek Olsen—has been announced as part of the lineup for the April 17 CHEK TV benefit concert, Rock for Relief: A Living Room Concert for Vancouver Island.

Also featuring performances by the likes of David Foster, Randy and Tal Bachman, Jesse Roper, Trevor Guthrie, The Tenors and City of Victoria Artist in Residence Kathryn Calder, Rock for Relief aims to raise money to support residents throughout Vancouver Island who are most in need during the pandemic. Watch for a special Zoom performance by combined members of The Choir and The Chorus, which includes a number of Fine Arts faculty (as well as Fine Arts communications officer John Threlfall). 

This Island-wide fundraising effort is a joint initiative between CHEK, the Victoria Foundation and the Nanaimo Foundation, with donors able to direct their funds to either the Rapid Relief Fund, supporting Greater Victoria and the Cowichan Valley, or the Island Response Fund, supporting communities north of the Cowichan Valley.

“The effects of this pandemic are unprecedented,” says Levi Sampson, CHEK Media Group board chair. “CHEK can play an important role at this time, bringing together Islanders who are feeling isolated with some of the Island’s most celebrated performers who are all giving of their time for a vital cause.”

Rock for Relief will be broadcast and streamed without commercial interruption at 8pm Friday, April 17, on CHEK (Shaw ch. 6, Bluesky ch. 109/ Telus Optik ch. 121) as well as the CHEK TV Facebook page and their YouTube channel.

Carmanah

Resources

Showcase BC launched to support musicians

Working together with Creative BC, the provincial government has now created a new funding program to support musicians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with new grants for livestreaming. The new ShowcaseBC initiative provides immediate support in the form of micro-grants to eligible emerging and established BC musicians who have been affected by the pandemic. A total of $750,000 worth of one-time micro-grants of $500 to emerging artists and $2,000 to established artists will be awarded to support livestreaming, songwriting and professional development to eligible artists who have previously applied to Amplify BC programs. The resulting online performances will be free and available to the public at Showcase BC or through the hashtag #ShowcaseBC. 

 “Music has the power to lift us up and give us hope in times of crisis,” says Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “BC’s music industry responded swiftly by embracing opportunities to livestream and bring people together online. Today, we’re stepping up to support their efforts.” 

UVic Resource Toolkit

To better help us all adjust to working at home, UVic has put together an online toolkit full of resources. While not all of it applies to all people, there’s sure to be something of use to everyone:   

Take a few minutes to see if there’s anything here that can make your life and work a little easier right now. 

 

Yep, there’s an app for this

And in case you haven’t tracked it down yet, the government of Canada has created a COVID-19 support app, which will let you receive the latest updates and trusted resources, as well as allow you to self-assess any symptoms you may have. It’s also available as a web version too.

CBC Creative Relief Fund

A reminder that the deadline for the new CBC Creative Relief Fund is Friday, April 24. CBC has earmarked $2 million for new content in a variety of familiar CBC programming areas (scripted content, podcasts, documentaries, etc.), as well as a special funding stream for playwrights. Funds are being distributed via three key streams:

  • the Innovation Stream, which offers support for big, bold ideas that are innovative and take creative risks, to be considered for multiple development and production opportunities on all platforms—both established and emerging creators are invited to apply in areas ranging from scripted and unscripted to kids & tweens, youth & young adult, and podcasts
  • the Playwright Pilot Stream, which is open to playwrights with at least one produced play to submit either new concepts or existing plays for adaptation on all platforms (comedy, drama, episodic, serialized, pilots) for either 30 or 60 minutes 
  • or the Short Docs Stream, which invites documentary filmmakers from across Canada to showcase their unique perspectives on what’s happening in the world during this time of COVID-19—they’re looking for stand-alone, immersive documentaries under 40 minutes intended for a digital audience, which can be produced and delivered within three months or less, with filmmakers adhering to all local and national COVID-19 safety guidelines. 

BFA exhibition shifts to an online catalogue

Normally, this week would see the opening of the annual Visual Arts BFA grad exhibition, one of the most highly anticipated events of the Fine Arts academic year—but, of course, there’s nothing normal about the world these days. Instead of being able to come and enjoy the work of nearly 30 emerging artists in the exhibition Suggested Serving Size, however, we’re pleased to still be able to present their work via this online catalogue.

Ranging from performance, animation, video and photography to installation, painting, drawing and sculpture, supervising faculty member Richard Leong describes the work planned for the BFA exhibition as “a dynamic exchange of ideas”—and, as an undergrad alum of the very department in which he now teaches, he should well know.

“In my experience leading this year’s Art 401 Professional Practice and BFA Exhibition class, I came to see the next generation of artists come into their own,” he says. “This was not only reflected in the quality of their work . . . but also in their demonstrated leadership and teamwork. Their collective drive and commitment to their disciplines and each other was inspiring, and gave me great hope for the future.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by BFA curator and graduating student Christian McGinty. “Looking at the work this group has made, I have found that there is a hope and solace about the future throughout the works, despite the anxious times we’ve found ourselves in,” he writes in the catalogue foreword. “The artists in the 2020 graduating exhibition have worked extremely hard to showcase our works to you nonetheless . . . . Despite the uncertainty of what’s to come, Suggested Serving Size shows that regardless of a tumultuous future, we will be able to weather it, even if it isn’t always what was on the on menu.”

And while this isn’t the splashy grad exhibition and party everyone was expecting, Leong feels some good has come of it. “I believe we all bear a great disappointment in not being able to witness how their hard work and critical discourse was realized in unique and engaging ways,” he concludes. “One of the remarkable things that they were able to accomplish this term was the development of their BFA exhibition catalogue, which highlights the culmination of each student’s research over the last four years.”

Please enjoy the exhibit in this digital format, and take the time to explore the extraordinary work and ideas of this year’s graduating Visual Arts students.

A quick selection of graduating artists in the 2020 BFA exhibition—be sure to visit the online catalogue to see all the artists

Christina Lee

“Caketopia” (2019)

Kirsten Yu

“Bus Station #1” (2020)

Meghan Crow

Untitled (2019)

Rudra Manani

“Get Your Om On” (2020)

Georgia Tooke

“The Portraits” (2018)

Malak Alraygi

“Disquieted Minds” (2019)

Nada El-Shaarawi

“UnSEE”

Xinyue Ling

“Green Whale” (2019)

Christina Lee

“Caketopia” (2019)

Kirsten Yu

“Bus Station #1” (2020)

Meghan Crow

Untitled (2019)

Rudra Manani

“Get Your Om On” (2020)

Georgia Tooke

“The Portraits” (2018)

Malak Alraygi

“Disquieted Minds” (2019)

Nada El-Shaarawi

“UnSEE”

Xinyue Ling

“Green Whale” (2019)

This week’s musical break

This week’s musical break is brought to you courtesy of the UVic Wind Symphony, under the direction of School of Music professor Steven J. Capaldo. Back on February 7, 2020, the Wind Symphony presented what would unintentionally become their final concert of the season at The Farquhar: Sea and Song, a collaboration with the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, conducted by Lieutenant Catherine Norris.

For the past seven years, the Wind Symphony has developed a unique collaboration with the Naden Band, one of six regular force military bands of the Canadian Forces and the official musical unit of the Canadian Forces Maritime Forces Pacific Command. In operation since 1940, the Naden Band is comprised of 35 professional full-time musicians whose primary role within the Royal Canadian Navy is to support Naval Operations, ceremonial events and public outreach initiatives. Indeed, many School of Music alumni have gone on to perform with Canadian Military ensembles—including the Naden Band.

Sea and Song featured a range of pieces inspired by the ocean: Franco Cesarini’s “Blue Horizons”, David Bedford’s “The Sun Paints Rainbows Over the Vast Waves”, Alex Shapiro’s electroacoustic work “Liquid Compass” and the classic Claude T. Smith fantasy “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”, based on the traditional British mariner’s hymn of the same name.

Also in this concert, you’ll hear Music student Jesse Johnson—winner of the 2019 UVic Wind Symphony Concerto Competition—take centre stage for Ney Rosauro’s “Concerto for Marimba and Wind Ensemble”.

Proceeds from this concert benefited the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific Scholarship in Music Performance, awarded annually to second- and third-year School of Music students who demonstrate excellence in brass, woodwind and percussion performance.

"Sea & Song" (part one)

by UVic Wind Symphony with the Naden Band

"Sea & Song" (part two)

by UVic Wind Symphony with the Naden Band

The UVic Wind Symphony in rehearsal (photo: Leon Fei)

Members of the Wind Symphony and the Naden Band backstage before the concert 

Students working with students

The second part of the Urban Regalia exhibit—Westshore Stories—opened at UVic’s downtown Legacy Gallery in January 2020 and was scheduled to continue until April, but its run was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Curated by the Art History & Visual Studies students of professor Carolyn Butler Palmer and featuring original button blanket designs by the Westshore Colwood Campus high school students of Yolonda Skelton (whose Sug-ii-t Lukxs Designs were featured in the first part of the Urban Regalia exhibit), the exhibit was a rare opportunity to pair student artists with student curators and share learning experiences and emerging connections between UVic and Westshore classrooms.  

Yet while the exhibit was forced to close early, they were still able to have an opening gala on February 4, where the Westshore students were able to mix with the Art History and Visual Studies student curators. Westshore Stories provided the high school students with the opportunity to tell stories from their lives by making connections to the land using ovoids, u-forms, s-forms, melton wool fabric and buttons. The design of each robe is based on the individual students’ stories and connection to the Esquimalt and Songhees territories, where they live and learn. 

In the early stages on this curatorial project, AHVS students developed the exhibition’s texts based on the oral histories collected from Westshore students; the UVic students worked collaboratively to write the introductory panel, object labels, exhibition layout and select objects for inclusion.

“Being part of this research project with professor Carolyn Butler Palmer and her students has been wonderful,” says Skelton. “I enjoyed teaching both my students and her students the traditional art form of button blanket making [and] providing a safe, creative, respectful environment for reconciliation to be fostered and nurtured through art.”

Parenting amidst a pandemic

While we may all be avoiding reading anything more about COVID-19, we would encourage you to check out Writing professor David Leach’s column in the April/May issue of Island Parent magazine: the aptly titled “Love in the Time of COVID-19” (with a sly nod to Gabriel García Márquez).

“I’d planned to write this column about our family’s new puppy,” writes Leach. “I was going to confess how, against all good parenting advice, we gave in to our kids’ lobbying efforts and adopted a mixed mutt a week before Christmas. I’d describe in comic detail how bringing home an eight-week-old pup felt like we’d become new parents again: the sleepless nights, the random poops and pees, the worry we were raising her wrong—and the sheer joy of watching this new life wiggle her way into our hearts. Then everything changed.”

Leach has been chronicling his adventures in family life with Island Parent magazine for a while now, and his planned puppy column is yet another creative casualty of the pandemic. Instead, however, his latest piece finds him in a more philosophical mood, searching for a sense of peace in the crisis at hand. 

“I only hope that we all act on what we learn during our time in collective quarantine,” he writes. “I hope our temporary loss of in-person contact reminds us to strengthen the true social networks—with our friends and neighbours, with local businesses and the strangers we’ve had to step away from—that make a community livable and help our kids to blossom. I hope that the resiliency we discover in our own families, in the face of global tragedy, can help us to rebuild our shared institutions to be twice as durable as before.”

Read the full article here. 

David Leach

All pride, no prejudice

Looking for some online viewing that offers a bit of class with a dose of sass? Check out celebrated Theatre alum Charles Ross as he livestreams his acclaimed One-Man Pride and Prejudice at 7pm Pacific on Saturday, April 18, as part of the National Arts Centre’s #CanadaPerforms series.

While known worldwide for his continuing series of One-Man shows (Star Wars, Batman, Lord of the Ring), Ross is still Victoria-based and will be performing his Pride and Prejudice live from the stage of the Roxy, home to Theatre professor Brian Richmond’s Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre.  

While a one-hour, one-man rendition of this Jane Austen classic (yes, we did say one “man”) may seem a bit more of a stretch than, say, something as crowd-pleasing as Star Wars or Batman, consider this five-star review (“an intelligent, funny and professionally delivered show”) Ross received during his 2018 run at the Edinburgh Fringe:

“It takes real bravery to present an hour-long version of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice—condensing the numerous scenes and chapters into a cohesive highlights reel—yet even more to do so as a one-man show. Madness, perhaps? Fortunately, in this instance it’s a stroke of genius . . . . As well as being a proficient dramaturg, Ross shows himself as an adept performer in taking on almost every character in the book without ever venturing into farce, or needing props and costume . . . . Overall, this production just oozes confidence in the base material and mastery in performance.”

And if his April 18 Pride and Prejudice performance leaves you wanting more, take a minute to read this 2018 interview with Ross from UVic’s Torch alumni magazine. 

You can also see a list of all upcoming #CanadaPerforms events here.

 

More to come weekly

We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!

Marcus Youssef

Orion guest lecture

Lindsay Delaronde

UnoFest Online

Sobremesa Quartet

Alumni concert

Short student film

Watch “Witch Doctor”, hot off an indie film festival

Art for our times

by | Apr 8, 2020 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Graduate, News, School of Music, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

Art for our time

Welcome to week three of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis.

As well as the stories listed below, a number of people in the Fine Arts community made news this week, including:

Please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca. Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week.

Current Writing student, Martlet staff writer and Vikes athlete Josh Kozelj penned an op-ed for CBC this week on the differences between physical and social distancing

News

New CBC Creative Relief Fund

CBC has launched a new Creative Relief Fund to provide immediate, urgent support to Canadian creators. This unprecedented new fund will provide $2 million in development & production funding for a diverse range of innovative, original Canadian storytelling—including scripted comedies and dramas, unscripted entertainment, kids & young adult programming, podcasts, play adaptations and short documentaries.

“In this time of challenge and change, we are working as quickly as we can to provide much-needed support to Canadian creators with this initiative that will immediately open up new funding across a range of storytelling,” says CBC Executive Vice-President Barbara Williams. “As we all look for programming to inspire, entertain and connect us during this period of physical distancing, we want to recognize the incredibly important role our artistic and creative communities serve and provide them with urgent funding to innovate and tell their stories in entirely new ways.”

The application period runs April 9-24, with eligible applicants being notified of their project’s status starting on May 8. Full details at this link.

Latest #CanadaPerforms update

Add another $100,000 to the National Arts Centre’s short-term relief fund series #CanadaPerforms, which grew to $700,000 this past week. They’ve also announced they are now continuing their scheduled performance series through to May 31, and are extending the application period to April 20, so there’s still time to apply with your 45-to-60-minute online performance concept and join the likes of current Writing  MFA candidate Kim Senklip Harvey, Music alum Clare Yuan (as half of the Meeks Duo) and Theatre alum Charles Ross, who will be offering a livestream production of his One-Man Pride & Prejudice on April 18.

You can see a list of all upcoming #CanadaPerforms events here.

The Great Indoors project

As individuals we’re confined to our own spaces these days. But as a community we can exchange ideas, start conversations, and be there for one another online. With that very thought, UVic launched The Great Indoors on April 6 as a place to experience the vibrancy of UVic’s active academic community from the safety of home.

As the project description notes, The Great Indoors “reflects what happens when we bring together a diverse mix of faculty, staff, students and alumni in a labour of community-love. We hope our content and conversation educates, entertains, inspires and connects.”

Following the format of an online magazine, The Great Indoors offers different sections with different content. You’ll find three pieces involving members of the Fine Arts community in the “Culture Club” section, two of which are drawn from UVic’s Research Reels archive:

If you have something you’d like to share on The Great Indoors, they’re adding content regularly and looking for new posts to share from the UVic community. Email thegreatindoors@uvic.ca with your ideas.

Resources

YYJ Arts United

Much like this blog, YYJ Arts United is another initiative of Acting Dean of Fine Arts, Allana Lindgren. This new Facebook group is conceived as a convenient, one-stop online option to help fill the cultural gap during the current health crisis by sharing online and livestream content from across Victoria’s diverse arts community.

An intentionally cross-discipline initiative, YYJ Arts welcomes posts from any Victoria-based cultural organization or individual artist interested in sharing their creative practice with the general public during these difficult times. Theatre, music, dance, film, opera, literary arts, visual arts, performance art, museum exhibitions . . . all are welcome, as all of Victoria’s arts organizations must stand united.

Micro-loans for artists

If—like so many artists at this time—you’re feeling financially stretched thin, you can explore this option for micro-loan for artists. “Artists of any discipline can request a one-time, no-questions-asked, micro grant of $75 for groceries, food and other essentials,” notes Toronto-based performance company Bad New Days. “Grants will be first come, first served and we’ll keep giving them out as long as the money lasts.”

To apply, simply email Bad New Days and identify that you are an artist in the message. That’s it! No further info is required. They do ask, however, that if you’re in a position to donate anything—no matter how small—please do. “This is a very small action we can do as a community to immediately offer some aid to those who need it,” says BDN’s Adam Paolozza and Victor Pokinko. “If you can give, please do! If you’re in need, please ask!”

Mental health resources

As we look ahead to at least another month of physical distancing, the BC Alliance for Arts & Culture offers an extensive list of mental health resources for artists, ranging from the very specific (“A Guide to Caring for your Coronavirus Anxiety”) to the general (a collection of calm meditations).

And remember, it’s normal to feel stressed, sad, confused, scared or angry in a time of uncertainty and unpredictability. If you’ve noticed an increase in anxiety, be kind to yourself—you’e not alone. All UVic faculty and staff can find support through the employee and family assistance program, while Counselling Services offers free support to current UVic students over the phone at 250-721-8341. You can also call Multifaith Services at 250-721-8338.

Podcast start-ups

While there’s no shortage of free content to peruse right now, why not make time work for you? If you’ve ever thought about starting a podcast, Medium.com offers this fantastic guide to quickly creating a podcast specifically for museums and galleries, big or small.

 

All’s quiet at the Phoenix Theatre these days

Master of Music Performance candidate Jorge Eduardo Flores Carrizales

“Dream” recital offers echoes of Mexico

Nothing is more stressful for a student musician than a graduation recital—but having your recital upended by a global health crisis adds a whole other level of stress to the process. Consider international Master of Music Performance candidate Jorge Eduardo Flores Carrizales, who was scheduled to present his live performance to his grad committee on March 30, headed by his supervising School of Music professor Arthur Rowe.

“As you know, the School of Music was closed weeks before students were expecting classes to end,” explains Rowe. “A number of students worked especially hard to move their recital dates up for completion. The School in all cases provided an audio technician to record the recitals, which took place in our recital hall with no one else but the technician there.”

Those audio-only files were then sent to the various committees for evaluation, but Carrizales—who Rowe describes as “a wonderful person, and personality, [who] has contributed a great deal to the School of Music”—was eager to take things a step further.

“Since the end of his first year he has been excited about planning his graduating recital, in which he wanted to focus on music and composers of his native Mexico,” explains Rowe. “Fully a year ago, he showed me a map of the country as well as where the composers whom he would chose had lived. Along with this, he planned to display artwork that was representative of the place and time by means of a screen and computer; he had even planned to bring his guitar to play a song that one of the composers used.”

But despite everything changing so dramatically over the past few weeks, Carrizales was reluctant to give up his dream of presenting “this complete picture of his program”. Instead, he hired a videographer at his own expense to record alongside Music’s audio technician on March 30, and then spent his own time editing the recital together.

The resulting concert “Echoes of Mexico” offers, as Carrizales notes in his program, “an anthology of works by Mexican composers that synthesizes more than a century of the history of piano music in the country. The variety of styles presented in this program takes us from Porfirio Díaz’s pre-revolutionary Eurocentric Mexico, to a country in search of a national identity, and finally to the variety of modern styles of the present. [This] program invites you to travel through the diverse landscapes of Mexico, giving you not only a musical perspective, but also broader cultural experience.”

Jorge Carrizales was born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. At 17 he met the pianist Sergio Peña, with whom he started to study music. Seven months after initiating his piano lessons, Jorge performed his first piano recital at the Ted Sadlowski Music Hall. In 2010, and after the passing of Peña, Carrizales was given a special award to pursue a formal music education in the interior of Mexico. In 2016, he obtained a Bachelor of Music with honours from the University of Guanajuato, where he studied with Elena Podzharova. During his career, Carrizales has given recitals in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

“I think his program is unusual and beautifully presented,” concludes Rowe. “It is also a wonderful representation of the spirit of so many of our students in the face of this enormous difficulty and disruption.”

If you’re moved by his performance (watch to the end for a final flourish), you can reach Jorge Carrizales directly via email.

AHVS grad student challenges isolation

Current Art History & Visual Studies graduate student Ashley Riddett is currently working with Oak Bay’s Gage Gallery Arts Collective to create an online artwork sharing platform and blog series called Challenging Crisis with Creativity.

“We are encouraging anyone from the Greater Victoria area to send along an image of their works,” says Riddett. “These could be painting, drawings, poems, or however one expresses their reactions within our new reality. The goal is to create a space where we can share our works with others and help to foster community outreach and help all of us to realize that we are not alone in this new time.”

Challenging Crisis with Creativity offers shifting weekly themes like “Social Distancing” and  “Reconnecting with Nature”, and offer a place for local artists to connect, reflect and share their current work.

“This is essential to my well being, and for other people as well to have that connection,” says Riddett in this April 11 Times Colonist story about the community-building project, which she says, is aimed at inspiring non-artists, “people who aren’t normally asked to participate in gallery exhibitions.” The project was also covered by the Oak Bay News.

You can contact Ashley Riddett via email.

Laughter is still the best medicine

Like most authors launching books this spring, award-winning writer, playwright and Writing/Theatre alum Mark Leiren-Young has had his schedule upended. But while the author of two recent books on orcas—The Killer Whale Who Changed the World and the children’s book Orcas Everywhere: The History and Mystery of Killer Whales—plus two brand-new kids books (Orcas of the Salish Sea, Big Whales, Small World) has had to put his promotional plans on hold, he is continuing to produce his popular podcast Skaana: Orcas and Oceans.

But Leiren-Young is also well known as a humourist: winner of the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for his memoir Never Shoot A Stampede Queen: A Rookie Reporter in the Cariboo and one-half of the long-running satirical comedy duo Local Anxiety, he was also the 2014 Harvey Stevenson Southam Lecturer in the Writing department, offering a course titled “Finding the Funny”.

In addition to delivering a public lecture in his role as the Southam Lecturer (“You Can’t Say That!? Comedy, Censorship and Sensitivity in the 21st Century”), Leiren-Young also adapted his course for this episode of CBC Radio’s Ideas, which features excerpts from that public lecture as well as a conversation with host Paul Kennedy.

And while the whole idea of comedy right now seems both dangerous and necessary, Leiren-Young was clearly ahead of his time in exploring what happens when a joke goes too far and actually cross “the line”? But what defines “the line”: individual taste, or social convention? Clearly, he’s got the right idea, as he continues to teach courses in both humour writing and TV writing at UVic.

You can also enjoy this separate pre-show talk about the Phoenix Theatre’s 2019 mainstage production of 7 Stories. In this talk from March 15, 2019, he discusses the significance, history and secret origins of Morris Panych’s modern masterpiece 7 Stories in celebration of the play’s 30th anniversary.

"Seven Stories about 7 Stories"

by Mark Leiren-

The world of today, tomorrow

Join us for an informative lecture prior to our performances on the first Friday. For Comic Potential, we welcome Dr. Edwin Hodge who will discuss the importance of sci-fi and other speculative fiction in exploring the human condition.

Dr. Edwin Hodge is an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology at the UVic and a research fellow at the Centre for Global Studies. In his role as an educator, Edwin has produced several special topics courses, including ones that examine extremist social movements in North America, but his most enjoyable course has been his course on the Sociology of Star Trek, which examined the cultural impact of the Star Trek franchise.

35-minute pre-show lecture about speculative fiction

by Edwin Hodge

See this art

Last year, Visual Arts professor Daniel Laskarin was selected to participate in the City of Victoria’s juried Storefronts Victoria Exhibition Program, which tasked local artists with animating six vacant downtown storefronts with dynamic art installations. These site-specific works—all located within the 700 block of Douglas Street—were installed with the intent to engage the public both during the day and at night. Four of the six chosen projects involved members of the Visual Arts community, including Laskarin. His installation—titled “to see again”—comes from an interest in how we see and how we construct ideas from our perception.

“Things are known as images more than as the things themselves,” explains Laskarin. “Here, the public will have both: original sculptures and a fragmented video image of them as they are revealed and hidden by the moving camera. The work provides a dualistic experience: a thing (actually two) and an image of the thing, or the real, and its representation. At the same time, from around the corners of the video panels the mechanism for creating this dualism will also be visible.”

With a background as a helicopter pilot and an MFA from UCLA, Laskarin has produced and exhibited his work across Canada and internationally. Recent projects are evolving into work that finds possibilities for reclamation within conditions of collapse, decay or ruin; alongside his studio practice, Laskarin has been involved with set design, public image projections and large scale public art commissions in the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to Laskain, three Visual Arts alumni were also involved in the Storefronts exhibition: Libby Oliver, Maddy Knott and Laura Gildner.

Daniel Laskarin’s “to see again”

A song for everyone

Posted by Daniel Laskarin on Friday, April 3, 2020

More to come weekly

We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!

2020 BFA Show

Online-only grad exhibit

Eden Robinson

Celebrated Writing alum

Nathan Medd

Distinguished Alumni talk

Urban Regalia

Part 2: Westshore Stories

A creative community

by | Mar 31, 2020 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Faculty, Graduate, indigenous, News, School of Music, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

A creative community  

Welcome to week two of The Fine Arts Connector, your weekly listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from the Faculty of Fine Arts, specifically compiled for distribution during the current health crisis. 

One thing we’re all increasingly aware of these days is the vital importance of the arts when it comes to a sense of community. While a vast and varied range of socially distant arts options continue to flourish online, and people are discovering the quirky joys of things like choir practices via Zoom, we are still being rocked by news of event cancellations now stretching into the summer—like the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, originally scheduled for June 18-28, and all of Edinburgh’s festivals through to the end of August . . . including the fabled Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

But we’re continually heartened by the collective outreach efforts of our Fine Arts community—consider recording stars and School of Music Distinguished Alumni Twin Kennedy, who have pivoted #TheHomeboundTour they had planned for this spring into a series of Facebook live performances from their living room. 

Please enjoy—and circulate—this collection of material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can also help by keeping us in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have online material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about: just email either fineartsevents@uvic.ca or johnt@uvic.ca. Finally, you can sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week. 

Catch alumni recording stars Twin Kennedy live from their living room

News

#CanadaPerforms update

The funding for the National Arts Centre’s admirable short-term relief fund series #CanadaPerforms is now up to $600,000, thanks to additional donations of $200,000 each from the RBC Foundation and SiriusXM Canada. They’re currently scheduling content by professional Canadian performing artists through to April 30, so you’ve still got until April 13 to apply with your 45-to-60-minute online performance concept. #CanadaPerforms was originally launched with a pair of $100K donations by each Facebook Canada and Slaight Music, as a way for the NAC to ease the financial strain for Canadian artists impacted by the closure of performance venues across Canada related to COVID-19, and to lift the spirits of Canadians during the crisis. 

In related news, the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that “Netflix has donated $1 million to the Toronto-based Actors Fund of Canada for emergency financial relief to reach out-of-work artists in Canadian film, TV, music, theatre and dance. Netflix also gave another $500,000 to The Fondation des Artistes, which supports Quebec artists in need.”

 

Germany invests in their artists

Looking for an inspiring national story during these trying times? As noted in this story on ArtNet.com, Germany’s federal government has announced a €50 billion aid package for the country’s creative and cultural sectors. The €50 billion will be provided specifically to small businesses and freelancers, including those from the cultural, creative, and media sectors. “Artists are not only indispensable, but also vital, especially now,” says Germany’s culture minister, Monika Grütters.

Compare that to the $300 million US the American government is giving to arts organizations—a small fraction of the overall $2 trillion recently approved bailout package, which saw $500 billion going to big business—or the £160 million earmarked by Arts Council England for arts relief efforts. 

Resources

Heads-up for Phoenix students and recent grads

Canada’s National Theatre School is earmarking $60,000 in financial help for theatre school students and recent graduates during the current health crisis—regardless of what theatrical institution they attended. NTS will award 80 Art Apart bursaries of $750 each to young and emerging actors, playwrights, directors and designers, who will present a piece of art online. Selected applicants will also get their work disseminated through the school’s social networks with the hashtag #ArtApart.

“There are a lot of folks in theatre programs with cancelled plays, readings, end-of-year performances,” says Gideon Arthurs, the chief executive officer of NTS, said in this Globe and Mail interview. “Our fund also is open to students who have graduated in the last five years . . . . All those part-time jobs [many emerging artists] rely on are evaporating as well.”

 

BC Arts Council administers $3 million relief fund

Recent news that BC’s provincial government is setting up a $3 million fund comes as a bit of relief for eligible arts organizations, who will receive up to $15,000 to help pay their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Times Colonist is reporting. Administered by the BC Arts Council, the fund will provide 50 percent advances on 2020-21 funding for arts groups. Workers in the arts sector who have lost income because of COVID-19 are also eligible to apply for a one-time payment of $1,000 under the B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers.

For more information, see the BC Arts Council’s COVID-19 FAQs for Arts and Culture Grant Recipients & Applicants—where you can also find answers to questions about travel, performance gatherings, cancellations, pending applications and more.

 

CBC Arts a key resource 

If you’re not subscribed to the weekly CBC Arts newsletter, you really should be. Each week it offers an invaluable roundup of specifically arts-related news, profiles and funding options for these difficult times. Their latest issue lists over 22 arts advocacy groups and more than a dozen emergency funding sources for writers, musicians, LGBTQ2S artists, technicians and others.

All’s quiet at the Phoenix Theatre these days

A scene from the 2014 Phoenix Theatre production of Unity (1918), written and directed by Kevin Kerr (photo: David Lowes)

Kevin Kerr’s Unity (1918)

Inspired as it was by the global Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, Department of Writing professor Kevin Kerr‘s 2001 play Unity (1918) is an apt example of the oft-repeated phrase “art imitates life”—but, as we’re seeing with the current health crisis, it’s also a good example of how life sometimes imitates art, now that we’re faced with another flu pandemic just a century later.

Set during the final few weeks of World War I, Unity (1918) sees the Spanish Flu spreading across the country and has the entire town of Unity, Saskatchewan, under siege from an invisible enemy . . . more horrifying and deadly than the war. Seen through the lives of the charming, eccentric townsfolk—including several young women driven by their dreams of finding true passion—this gothic romance explores human needs of love, sex and faith, during their desperate embrace of life at the edge of death.

While Kerr’s play won the 2002 Governor General’s Award for its touching, intensely human and darkly comic portrayal of a forgotten chapter in Canadian history, the 2014 Phoenix Theatre mounting was ironically rocked by a flu outbreak during its run, with a number of cast and crew falling ill—to the point that Kerr, who also directed this production, had to step in and act in some performances.

Developed as part of Touchstone Theatre’s Playwright-in-Residence Program during the 1999/2000 season, and originally produced in March 2001 at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Unity (1918) has since become a staple in the Canadian theatre scene. Most recently, it was presented by our colleagues at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in November 2019, where it was directed by Distinguished Alumni Glynis Leyshon. The leads of that production were interviewed in this March 28 Victoria News article about the show’s parallels to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

“Basically, all fun things were canceled then too,” said actor Darren Saretsky. “The town people were quarrelling with one another, not because of illness, but because of fear of illness.”

 

Listen to Kevin Kerr’s 35-minute pre-show lecture about the play.

Unity (1918) writer & director Kevin Kerr backstage at the Phoenix production

Short films by Writing students

While UVic’s Department of Writing is well-known for producing outstanding authors, poets, playwrights and journalists, it has also been producing some fantastic filmmakers over the past decade. Case in point? Connor Gaston, who completed both his BFA and MFA with Writing and is currently building a name for himself as a feature film director (The Devout) while helping to develop the next-generation of talent as a sessional instructor in Writing. We’re happy to present here a pair of short films Gaston directed, featuring the talents of Writing students.        

The first, 2013’s ‘Til Death, was penned by Writing alumni Ryan Bright, produced by Writing professor Maureen Bradley and created with the talents of the Writing 420 film production and screenwriting class. After losing his soul mate in a fatal bicycle accident, 10-year-old Zachary sets out on a journey to bring Samantha back to life in this magical, modern fairytale. 

Til Death won a number of awards, including “Best Student Short” at the Montreal World Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival and Vancouver Short Film Festival, plus “Audience Choice” at the Victoria Film Festival and “Best Screenplay” at the Vancouver Short Film Festival. 

’Til Death

 

The second, 2012’s Bardo Light, was written, directed and edited by Gaston, and features the talents of a number of UVic alumni, including actors Shaan Rahman (Phoenix Theatre) and Chris Mackie (Law), and producer Sandi Barrett (Writing). Accused of murdering his father, a young inventor maintains his innocence, claiming the real culprit was a modified television set.

Bardo Light was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival and film festivals in Newport Beach, Sedona, Victoria and the Short Circuit festival.

Bardo Light

Jazz up your day

Looking for some new sounds to liven up your day? School of Music professor Patrick Boyle has a brand new album out: Swivel features 10 solid tracks with Boyle on trumpet and flugel, plus Lorne Lofsky on electric guitar and Sean Drabitt on double bass. A chance meeting between the three musicians at one of the most famous recording studios in the world—Vancouver’s fabled The Warehouse—led to Boyle inviting Lofsky and Drabbit to spend an afternoon together playing a few originals and standards.

Listen to Swivel now at this Bandcamp link—where you can also pick up a digital or physical copy of it. And if you buy the CD, it features album art representing both the old and new blue bridges here in Victoria, with photography by Boyle as well. That same link also features a link where you can buy all six of Boyle’s releases on Bandcamp and save a whopping 50 percent. (“Almost all my records are on Spotify, too,” Boyle reminds us.) 

Also, you can get a taste of Boyle’s talent in the classroom via this archived performance of the UVic Jazz Ensemble, of which he is the director (far right in the picture below). This concert was recorded on March 16, 2019. This concert features music by Horace Silver, Jimmy Giuffree, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown and more. 

This version of the UVic Jazz Ensemble includes students Baylie Adams, Karsten Brewka, Matthew Gannon, Adam Jaseniuk, Todd Morgan & Michael Vielguth (saxophones); Espen Lyngberg, Sophia Olim, Ben Pakosz, Darius Pomeroy & Will Quinn (trombones); Anthony Shackell (trumpet); Taya Haldane (flute); Dante Andre-Kahan, Lachlan Barry, Cole Burns, Rachel Burtman, Owen Chernikhowsky, Will Lynch & Isley Owens (percussion).

"Four Brothers"

by Jimmy Giuffre, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"Strollin'"

by Horace Silver, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"My Little Suede Shoes"

by Charlie Parker, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"Adam's Apple"

by Wayne Shorter, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"Strasbourg St. Denis"

by Roy Hargrove, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"All The Things You Are"

by Jerome Kern, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"Red Clay"

by Freddie Hubbard, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

"The Blues Walk"

by Sonny Stitt, as performed by the UVic Jazz Ensemble

Step inside this student art project

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Department of Visual Arts is simply walking through the building and discovering what students are working on. One of the busiest undergrads this past year has to be Josh Franklin, whose various projects were remarkable in both scale and concept. As well as being the recipient of a Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Award (JCURA) for his project, “Holon Inc: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of Holistic Process Based Art”, Franklin was also recently named the recipient of the $1000 Pat Martin Bates Legacy Award at the 2020 Victoria Visual Arts Legacy Society Awards.  

Working under the supervision of Visual Arts professor Rick Leong, Franklin describes his JCURA project “Holon Inc” as “a durational, multimedia, performance-based, installation project where I will live within a self-built and site-specific structure for seven days and while in it, complete a finite number of pre-dictated tasks. The main objective and or explorative aspect of this performance are to present an unadulterated experience of viewing what occurs from a projects genesis to its dynamic resolution.”

Franklin feels that by exhibiting his my own body in the action of building an environment, the viewer will be given the opportunity to watch and contemplate the work that must be undertaken to actualize the project. 

Now the fun part—you can take a self-guided 360-degree walking tour of “Holon Inc” simply by clicking on the image on the right and then using your mouse or keyboard to navigate your way around it. 

And once you’ve gotten the hang of that, you can take the same kind of virtual tour of Franklin’s 2019 project, “A Paradox in Connection (Walk-In Structure)”. 

Take a self-guided 360-degree walking tour of Franklin’s “Holon Inc”

Josh Franklin’s 2019 project, “A Paradox in Connection (Walk-In Structure)”

A glimpse inside Urban Regalia 

Last fall, the first part of Urban Regalia: An Exhibition in Two Movements opened at UVic’s downtown Legacy Gallery. Curated by Art History & Visual Studies professor Carolyn Butler Palmer, it offered a stunning collection of Indigenous couture by Gitxsan designer Yolonda Skelton, whose Sug-ii-t Lukxs Designs mixes the aesthetics of Gitxsan button blanket robes with a twist of Audrey Hepburn’s style.

“I started to make different things, because you can’t wear your regalia out,” Skelton explains in this CBC article about the exhibition. “It’s [the regalia] for the feast. It is for special ceremonial purposes . . . you don’t walk around town wearing it. So, I start to think, OK well, I need to start to make things that can show who I am and where I come from.” 

Skelton grew up learning her Indigenous culture from her relations in Haida Gwaii, but her designs have since appeared on fashion runways in both Paris and Vancouver.

“Colonialism had and continues to have a devastating impact on indigenous peoples all over the world,” says Skelton. “My hope is that a step towards de-colonization is possible, by learning about each other’s cultures through the medium of art. Peoples of the world want to glimpse the true essence of other cultures and to respect the people they are learning about. They want to understand the impact of colonization and do their part to change it—and I would like to do my part and help them.”

As the name suggests, Urban Regalia was conceived as a two-part Legacy Gallery exhibit; the first part, featuring Skelton’s designs, ran September 28-December 21 2019, while the second part—Urban Regalia: Westshore Stories—opened on January 18 and was still up when the COVID-19 health crisis closed the galleries. Curated by Butler Palmer’s AHVS students and featuring button blankets by Skelton’s students at the Westshore Centre for Learning and Training-Colwood Campus, Westshore Stories offered a dynamic pairing of students on both sides of the gallery process. (Watch for a gallery of images of that exhibit next week in this space.)

Enjoy these images of the first part of Urban Regalia, taken by current Fine Arts student photographer Leon Fei. 

 

Gitxsan designer Yolonda Skelton’s artist talk at Legacy Gallery on October 10

More to come weekly

We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!

Daniel Laskarin’s “Storefront” project

Explore local public art

Funny business with Mark Leiren Young

Is laughter the best medicine?

AI & pop culture (photo: Dean Kalyan)

Edwin Hodge explores speculative fiction (photo: Dean Kalyan)

Wind Symphony

Listen to a performance by UVic’s Wind Symphony (photo: Leon Fei)

The show can go on

by | Mar 25, 2020 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Faculty, Graduate, indigenous, News, School of Music, Theatre, Undergraduate, Visual Arts, Writing

The show can go on

When the Phoenix Theatre’s season-ending production of The Children’s Hour closed on its March 12 opening night due to the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic, it signalled the swift cancellation of all public programming in the Faculty of Fine Arts. End-of-the-year performances by our School of Music ensembles and the annual graduating BFA exhibit in Visual Arts matched the closure of performance venues and galleries around the city and across the world.

Yet we’ve also started to see a remarkable flourishing of online content and sharable resources while we practice social distancing and self-isolation. And while our Fine Arts faculty and students have been shifting to completing the academic year online—a particularly challenging scenario for a faculty rooted in hands-on learning—our greater Fine Arts community is already helping to bridge the cultural gap.   

“The wonderful accomplishments of our colleagues and students in the Faculty of Fine Arts remind us that the arts can raise our spirits during uncertain times,” says Acting Dean, Allana Lindgren. “Creativity is always an assertion of hope.​”

With that in mind, we will now be offering the Fine Arts Connector—a weekly update of activities, resources and archival material featuring our faculty, students, alumni, staff and guests as a way of both sharing what our creative community is up to and keeping us connected in this difficult moment in history. You can help us by keeping faculty communications officer John Threlfall in the loop if you’re working on a live-streaming project, have archival material to share or are involved in something you’d like people to know about.  You can also sign up here to receive automatic notice of The Connector each week. 

“During this time, I am reminded of the important role that universities play in the lives of individuals and communities through education, research and public engagement,” says UVic president Jamie Cassels. “Despite the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves, we continue to play that role. We have offered our facilities, resources and capabilities to others, and we continue to challenge ourselves to find new, creative ways to continue to serve our students and communities.” 

phoenix theatre set

Theatre student Emily Friesen’s set of the “The Children’s Hour”

Resources

While our colleagues across the arts spectrum continue to create and offer innovative solutions to fill the cultural gap during the current health crisis — like the Social Distancing Festival started by Toronto theatre artist Nick Green, which offers an incredible number of daily viewing options — we are also starting to see valuable information-sharing happening.

This CBC Arts page list a wide range of resources for artists and cultural workers during the current shutdown, ranging from emergency funding and advocacy groups to online resource for training, health & mental health, and temporary/remote job listings.

The BC Alliance for Arts & Culture’s resource list is a treasure trove of links leading to arts-specific resources (including the likes of the Canada Council and the BC Arts Council), digital tools for the arts sector (live streaming options), data (COVID-19 impact surveys) and general resources during the health crisis (“care for your coronavirus anxiety”).

#CanadaPerforms

The National Arts Centre has also launched the $200,000 relief fund #CanadaPerforms, a short-term relief fund that pays Canadian artists for their online performances. Launched via a pair of $100K donations by each Facebook Canada and Slaight Music, the NAC is looking to ease the financial strain for Canadian artists impacted by the closure of performance venues across Canada related to COVID-19, and to lift the spirits of Canadians during the crisis. 

You can apply until April 13, 2020, if you’re a Canadian performing artists interested in streaming 45 to 60-minute performances from home— including musicians, comedians, dancers, singers, theatre artists and ensembles of less than 10 people. Selected artists will receive $1,000 and their online performance will be broadcast on the NAC’s Facebook page. You can apply by email to the NAC at CanadaPerforms@nac-cna.ca with a description of your performance, when you wish to share and on what platform. 

Follow #CanadaPerforms or the NAC’s social media channels to find out what’s coming up—including the award-winning play Kamloopa by current Writing MFA candidate Kim Senklip Harvey on March 27 and a live reading of Theatre alum Meg Braem‘s play Flight Risk on March 29 (see below for details on both).

The monumental installation The Witness Blanket, by Carey Newman

The Witness Blanket

While the original version of Visual Arts Audain Professor Carey Newman’s heartfelt and emotionally powerful installation The Witness Blanket is being restored at its new permanent home at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, a high-end reproduction is currently touring around Canada.

You can learn more about the creation and intention of The Witness Blanket via this short curated online narration with Newman and Alberta’s CKUA radio, done during the Blanket’s current appearance at Calgary’s Mount Royal university, where it is on view until April 30.

The tour is also scheduled to include stops at the Winnipeg Airport (June 1–Aug 31), the Simcoe County Museum in Minesing, Ontario (Sept 28-Nov 30) and Brantford’s Woodland Cultural Centre (Dec 21-Feb 26, 2021), with future appearances at Ontario’s Nipissing University in North Bay (2021), BC’s Fraser Fort-George Regional Museum (2022) and Whitehorse’s Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre (2022).

Kamloopa on #CanadaPerforms

Have a laugh on the ride to Kamloopa—the largest powwow on the west coast—as you hang with the matriarchs of Kamloopa at 4pm PST Friday, March 27, as part of the new #CanadaPerforms partnership with the National Arts Centre and Facebook Live.

Written by current Writing MFA candidate Kim Senklip Harvey, this high-energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless trickster who face the world head-on as they battle to come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from.

As Harvey describes, “Kamloopa is not restricted to the four walls of theatre but instead invokes our ancestors to embody their true selves throughout the story. In developing matriarchal relationships and shared Indigenous values,Kamloopa explores the fearless love and passion of Indigenous women reconnecting with their homelands, ancestors and stories. This boundary-blurring adventure will remind you to always dance like the ancestors are watching.”

The March 27 livestream will feature excerpts from the play and a romping good chat with members from the creative team, the Fire Company: Kim Senklip Harvey, Yolanda Bonnell, Samantha Brown, Kaitlyn Yott and Emily Soussana. 

Nominated for eight Jessie Richardson Awards and four SATAwards, Kamloopa won the 2019 Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement for Decolonizing Theatre Practices and Spaces, and was also the first Indigenous play in the award’s history to win Best Production. Kamloopa is also the recipient of the Sydney J Risk Prize, a SATAward and was published by Talonbooks.

Livestreaming recitals

While all year-end performances by the School of Music‘s large ensembles have been cancelled—including the UVic Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Chamber Singers, Sonic Lab, Don Wright Symphonic Winds and Vocal Jazz Ensemble—alongside final concerts by faculty and guests, there are still some graduating recitals scheduled to be livestreamed via Music’s website.    

Upcoming livestream recitals can be heard at 8pm Thursday, March 26 (BMus Jeanel Liang, violin) and at 3pm Friday, March 27 (BMus Todd Morgan, saxophone). 

While much of the world is just tuning into the idea of livestreaming, the School of Music has actually been doing it for years now as a way of connecting our performers with audiences who can’t always make the concerts. You can also listen to any previous livestreamed events for up to 30 days on Music’s dedicated Listen Live! site—including a number of recent degree recitals, faculty pianist Bruce Vogt‘s recent Steinway concert, the Emerging Steinway  Stars student concert, and our annual Thank You Concert, which features a range of students showcasing their talents.   

The Canadian Play Thing 

Celebrated playwright, Theatre alum and current Writing sessional Janet Munsil has put her years of experience as the former artistic director of the Victoria Fringe Festival to use by creating The Canadian Play Thing—a virtual theatre that seats 100 and offers live readings of new and under-performed Canadian plays online. 

Designed to fill the void of empty theatres, The Canadian Play Thing launched on March 22 with Dave Deveau’s Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls. The idea, writes Munsil, is to “celebrate the work of playwrights and to stay in touch with our theatre family . . . artists and audiences around the world welcome.”

Performed for free on Zoom Webinar, the “seating” is limited to 100 people and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Next up is local playwright David Elendune’s The Loved One, running at 7pm on Thursday, March 26. “Bring your drink, your crinkly wrappers, your cat, wear your pjs, leave your phone on . . . say hi to your friends and chat in the comment box,” says Munsil. 

Follow their Facebook page to keep up to date with what’s coming next. 

Meg Braem on #CanadaPerforms

Also happening this week, Governor General’s Award-nominated playwright and Phoenix Theatre alum Meg Braem is presenting a live reading of her play Flight Risk at 6pm PST Sunday, March 29, as part of the National Arts Centre’s #CanadaPerforms series.  

Flight Risk explores aging, grief and death through the unlikely friendship between Hank, a WWII tail gunner, and Sarah, a nursing student completing course requirements in his nursing home. Seemingly opposites, Hank and Sarah find common ground in navigating personal tragedies that have kept them isolated from the world. Told through humour and honesty, Flight Risk is the story of finding exactly who you need when you least expect it. 

Braem—currently the Lee Playwright in Residence at the University of Alberta and Artist-in-Residence at the Calgary Arts Academy—was featured in Phoenix’s Spotlight on Alumni back in 2009 with her play, The Josephine Knot.

Exploring artifacts

While you won’t be able to sit in on a class with him right now, you can still learn about the material research of Art History & Visual Studies chair Marcus Milwright via this short video exploring the history of a late 19th/early 20th century Syrian slipper (or clog). 

A world-renowned expert and author of a number of books, Milwright’s research focuses upon the archaeology of the Islamic period, the art and architecture of the Islamic Middle East, cross-cultural interaction in the Medieval and early Modern Mediterranean, the history of medicine, traditional craft practices, and the architecture and civil engineering of southern Greece during the Ottoman sultanate. 

This particular video was shot while he was in residence at the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design in Hawaii. 

More to come weekly

We’ll be posting more content from our faculty, students and alumni each week—be sure to check back!

Josh Franklin installation

Explore a 360-degree tour of Visual Arts student Josh Franklin’s work

Wind Symphony

Listen to a performance by UVic’s Wind Symphony (photo: Leon Fei)

AI & pop culture (photo: Dean Kalyan)

Edwin Hodge explores speculative fiction (photo: Dean Kalyan)

Short movies

‘Til Death