Stories from the Creative Edge
Alumni
Victoria artist Rick Leong joins Visual Arts faculty
When the call went out in search of a new professor for the University of Victoria’s Department of Visual Arts, applications came in from across the country — yet the latest person to join the celebrated teaching faculty is an alumni artist who ultimately came from our own backyard. Starting July 1, 2018, the Victoria-based Rick Leong will become UVic’s new assistant professor in painting and drawing.
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Call for Artist-in-Residence Ocean Program
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, are sponsoring an Artist in Residence program. The concept strengthens connections between Art and Science to broaden and cross-fertilize perspectives and critical...
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Southam Lecture presents filmmaker Judith Pyke
From the frozen lands of the High Arctic to the scorching streets of Liberia, filmmaker Judith Pyke has never shied away from diverse and challenging locations. Currently the 2018 Southam Lecturer in Journalism and Nonfiction for UVic’s Writing department, the...
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Grand “Finale” for Wind Symphony Maestro Gerald King
It’s doubly fitting that the upcoming concert by UVic’s Wind Symphony is titled “Finale” — not only is it the final Wind Symphony concert of the 2017/18 season, but it will also mark the final bow for beloved conductor and highly respected music educator Dr. Gerald King.
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Theatre & Writing students ignite at Belfry’s SPARK Festival
One of the best parts of being a Fine Arts faculty in an arts-rich city like Victoria are the opportunities available to current students through our associations with local cultural institutions. From Pacific Opera Victoria and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria to...
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Lunchtime artist talks on contemporary Indigenous art practices
Interested in contemporary Indigenous art practices? Excited by some of the dynamic and engaging work being created and exhibited both locally and nationally? Wondering how contemporary artists respond to important issues like Truth & Reconciliation, and Murdered &...
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Latest Southam Lecturer Judith Pyke talks docs
When it comes to narrative filmmaking, it’s hard to beat a good documentary. The form of visual storytelling most closely related to journalism, documentaries have unparalleled power to not only connect us with their subjects in remarkably personal ways, but to also...
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Three Music alumni win CBC’s Music Class Challenge
Some people train for years to achieve Olympic glory, but two local school groups are already sounding like gold thanks to the efforts of three local music teachers — all of whom are School of Music alumni. When the results of the annual CBC Music Class Challenge were...
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Fine Arts grads shine during Alumni Week
UVic's annual Alumni Week is back, and Fine Arts is well-represented in the various events happening across campus and around the city from February 1-7. 2018 marks the 11th annual celebration highlighting the achievements and impact of our alumni, and offers everyone...
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Exhibition reframes Innocence of 1960s artists
In 1963, National Film Board director Léonard Forest travelled from Montreal to the west coast to direct a documentary about artists and poets working in Vancouver and Victoria. Forest said he came here with “zero idea” of what he would find and made the resulting 27-minute film, In Search of Innocence, with what he called an “innocent eye.” Now, the latest Legacy Gallery exhibit pairs the original NFB documentary with work by artists featured in the film.
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It’s twice the charm for 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award winners, Twin Kennedy
It’s only been 10 years since sister duo Twin Kennedy graduated from the School of Music, but during that short decade, the acclaimed country/roots duo already released two albums, toured across North America, moved to Nashville and won the hearts of country radio...
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New Music & Digital Media Festival
The landscape of new and experimental music in Canada has been greatly influenced by the creative individuals who have taught and studied at the UVic School of Music. From February 2-4, this dynamic community spanning five decades — from former faculty to current students — will converge for a New Music & Digital Media Festival as part of the School’s ongoing 50th anniversary season.
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Iconic literary journal celebrates 50 years of excellence
It's said nothing succeeds like success, which is an aphorism well-appreciated in the offices of The Malahat Review. Currently celebrating both its 50th anniversary and 200th issue, UVic’s venerable and revered literary journal has served as a springboard for some of...
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Top 10 Fine Arts stories of 2017 – part two
What else happened in Fine Arts in 2017? More than we can mention in one blog post, so here's part two of our top-10 stories of the year. International attention Considering we're based on an island at the edge of the continent, it's surprising how much international...
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Top 10 Fine Arts stories of 2017 – part one
There’s no easier measure of just how creative the activity is here in the Faculty of Fine Arts than by looking back at what happened over the previous year. From classes and guest lecturers to concerts, exhibits, plays, readings, seminars and our core research and...
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Two Visual Arts grads win national art prize
Two 2017 Visual Arts BFA graduates are gaining some national attention this month, thanks to their selection as prize winners in the annual BMO 1st Art invitational competition.
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Music alum Rodney Sharman wins Excellence in the Performing Arts prize
Celebrated School of Music alumnus Rodney Sharman was announced as the recipient of the $50,000 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts on November 20. Awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Walter Carsen Prize recognizes the highest level...
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School of Music celebrates 50 years of sparking the musical imagination
When Maestro Timothy Vernon raises his baton at the School of Music’s 50th Anniversary Gala concert on December 2, it won’t simply be in recognition of the Honorary Doctor of Music he received at spring convocation. Instead, his performance with the UVic Chorus and...
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Life skills assist Visual Arts grad on journey from worker to working artist
While university may be the logical choice for many high school students, not everyone finds their path right after graduation: many opt to spend some time working or traveling before deciding on a specific field of study. Brandon Poole made just such a choice,...
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Expert panel celebrates a decade of inspiring journalists
For the past 10 years, students in UVic’s Department of Writing have benefited by learning from veteran journalists and authors, thanks to the Harvey Stevenson Southam Lecturer in Journalism and Nonfiction. Named for UVic alumnus Harvey Southam — who, before his...
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A fresh crop of book prize nominations
Fall is traditionally book prize season and, as with most years, our Department of Writing has a fresh crop of alumni and faculty currently up for prizes.
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Tim Lilburn becomes first Canadian to receive international award
Distinguished poet and respected Department of Writing professor Tim Lilburn has become the first Canadian to receive the European Medal of Poetry and Art. Commonly referred to as the “Homer Medal,” Lilburn was presented with the 2017 prize by visiting Beijing poet...
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Phoenix alumni are making history
Each fall, Phoenix Theatre's Spotlight on Alumni offers the chance for returning alumni to share their experiences with both audiences and current students alike. This year's spotlight features a pair of performers who are currently living their dreams, every day, as...
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French Connections concert unites community
Music and food have a way of bringing people together — colleagues, friends, communities — and the Faculty Chamber Music concert and dinner on October 14 is no exception. Faculty and alumni will join on stage with some special guests for a 50th anniversary celebratory...
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Remembering Erich Schwandt
Whether they realize it or not, generations of graduating UVic students have been touched by the music of Dr. Erich Schwandt. Professor Emeritus of Musicology in the School of Music, Dr. Schwandt passed away in Victoria on August 2. A native of California, he attended...
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Busy fall for Visual Arts faculty
It’s a busy season for our Visual Arts professors, a number of whom have exhibits of new work on view, both locally, nationally and internationally.
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Art History alumni fuel Integrate Arts Festival
It's not often you find an off-campus arts event that's almost exclusively organized by Fine Arts alumni and students, but that's exactly what you'll find when you peak behind the curtain at 2017's Integrate Arts Festival. Originally dubbed the Off-The-Grid Art Crawl,...
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Your guide to Fine Arts Fringers
No question, the annual Fringe Fest is one of Victoria's best-loved festivals of any kind. Now in its 31st year, the Victoria Fringe Festival offers 330 performances of 58 shows by 350 artists in nearly a dozen venues around town — as well as a number of free...
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A summer of Visual Arts
It’s been a busy summer for Visual Arts faculty, students and alumni — thanks to a number of new projects, installations and exhibits happening locally, nationally and internationally. Here’s a quick round-up:
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Legacy Art Galleries does the Wright thing
2017 marks the 150th anniversary of celebrated US architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth. It is also the year UVic will return seven Wright-designed stained glass windows to their original setting in Buffalo, New York.
UVic acquired the windows only five years after the university was founded and nearly 10 years after the death of Wright, and has made good use of them as a highlight of our significant arts-and-crafts collection.
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Swimming into the past
Despite unseasonably cold winds and unusually choppy waves, intermedia artist Paul Walde dove into the waters of Algonquin Park’s Canoe Lake on July 8 and, after months of preparation, completed the first stage of The Tom Thomson Centennial Swim.
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Canadian comedy star & Phoenix alum Chris Wilson joins Air Farce
Celebrate Canada 150 with Department of Theatre alumnus Chris Wilson, who is one of two new cast members of the veteran Canadian comedy ensemble Air Farce. Wilson, best known as one-half of the multiple award-winning comedy duo Peter N’ Chris, describes his new role in Air Farce as “a dream come true.”
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