Stories from the Creative Edge
Awards
Visual Arts student Laura Gildner wins Victoria Medal
No question, Department of Visual Arts undergraduate student Laura Gildner has been having a great year: not only was she shortlisted for the 2018 Lind Photography Prize—for the second year in a row—but she also had a solo exhibit of recent work at Vancouver’s Polygon...
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Posthumous international award for Patrick Lane
The late award-winning poet and novelist Patrick Lane will receive one final honour when he is posthumously presented with the European Medal for Poetry and Art on June 7. Beijing-based poet Dr. Zhao Si Fang, vice-president of the award, will make the presentation at...
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Three Fine Arts alumni receive Pro Art awards
Anyone looking for the continued impact of Fine Arts alumni on Victoria's vibrant arts scene needs look no further than the winners of the 2019 ProArt Regional Arts Awards—all three of whom are Fine Arts alumni. On May 9, members of the Greater Victoria arts community...
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Distinguished Alumnus Nathan Medd reflects on the state of the arts
From the nation’s capital to one of the world’s leading creative spaces, the career of Department of Theatre alumnus Nathan Medd has gone far and fast since his graduation with a BFA in 2001. Now named the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient for the Faculty of Fine Arts, Medd has made a name for himself as one of Canada’s brightest young arts leaders.
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Top 10 Fine Arts stories of 2018
There was certainly no shortage of Fine Arts news in 2018, given that we tracked nearly 300 local, national and international media stories about the creative activities of our faculty, alumni, students and staff . . . and those are just the stories we know about....
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Writing alum Esi Edugyan wins second Giller Prize in seven years
Internationally acclaimed Department of Writing alumna and Greater Victoria-based author Esi Edugyan has won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize for her latest novel, Washington Black. Edugyan wins $100,000 on this, the 25th anniversary of Canada's richest literary...
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Leader in Art Song performance receives honourary degree
One of the world’s great interpreters of the German art song tradition known as Lieder and one of the most frequently recorded lieder singers of modern times, Mitsuko Shirai is acclaimed worldwide for her extraordinary performances and recordings of songs by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Hugo Wolf, and others.
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Benjamin Butterfield named to Royal Society of Canada
Three University of Victoria faculty members have received the country’s highest academic honour, named 2018 fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). Among those elected to the RSC's distinguished ranks are School of Music professor Benjamin Butterfield, one of...
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New donations benefit students
Never underestimate the impact a donation can have for students. For many, both undergraduate and graduate, it can make all the difference in their academic career. “As a student from a rural town and a lower income family, this scholarship will go a long way in...
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Bequest welcomes Cuarteto Chroma to a uniquely Canadian degree program
As the final notes vibrated through the concert hall, the first violinist stood to address the audience again. “Any other ideas for where we should sit?” he asked. Hands of audience members shot up, and a young student offered, “How about cello and viola at the front,...
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Paul Walde wins REACH Award
The 2018 recipient of UVic’s REACH Award for Excellence in Artistic Expression is Visual Arts chair Paul Walde, whose Requiem for a Glacier performance and subsequent gallery installations have earned him international attention.
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Concert debuts results of Guggenheim Fellowship
It was big news last year when internationally acclaimed School of Music professor Dániel Péter Biró was named the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship — one of North America’s most prestigious awards. Biró’s intention was to use the one-year award (worth $50,000 US)...
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When Art Meets Science
Ever wanted to have an intimate, interactive moment with a baby orca? A new student-created sculpture allows viewers to have just that, while also learning something about the threats currently facing our local killer whale population.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Sandra Meigs joins Canada’s academic elite
Contemporary artist and newly retired Visual Arts professor Sandra Meigs has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC)—Canada’s highest academic honour.
The title has been bestowed on only 2,000 Canadians in the 134-year history of the RSC, and has just one criterion: excellence. The peer-elected fellows of the society are chosen for making “remarkable contributions” in the arts, humanities and sciences, and Canadian public life.
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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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Maestro Timothy Vernon becomes Honorary Doctor of Music
When this year's group of graduating Fine Arts students cross the stage of UVic's Farquhar Auditorium on June 13, they'll find themselves in the presence of a true master — or maestro — as Timothy Vernon will also be receiving an Honorary Doctor of Music (DMus) on the...
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Music research leads to REACH Award
She has helped uncover the forgotten works of suppressed composers and played alongside the likes of the National Orchestra of Taiwan and the Moody Blues. Now, the research and creative practice of School of Music flute professor and music scholar Suzanne Snizek is...
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Composer uses Guggenheim Fellowship to explore global migration
Internationally recognized composer and School of Music Associate Professor Dániel Péter Biró can now add one of North America’s most prestigious awards to his list of honours — the Guggenheim Fellowship. And he’ll be using the one-year award worth $50,000 US to...
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MFA Lindsay Delaronde named Victoria’s Indigenous Artist in Residence
The city’s visual arts scene became even more inclusive with the March 8 news that Lindsay Delaronde has been named Victoria’s inaugural Indigenous Artist in Residence. Delaronde, an Iroquois Mohawk woman born and raised on the Kahnawake reservation outside of...
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Phoenix frequent among 2016 Critic’s Choice winners
The 16th annual Victoria Critics' Choice Theatre Awards were announced on CBC Radio's On The Island at the end of December and, as always, there were plenty of Fine Arts alumni among the 2016 nominees and winners. We've got a breakdown of the awards below, but you can...
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Creating a culture of giving
Many people like to ease into a new job — not so Samantha Krzywonos. As the new Fine Arts Development Officer, Krzywonos spent her first month establishing the largest donor-funded endowed award in UVic’s history: the Jeffrey Rubinoff Scholar in Art as a Source of...
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