Stories from the Creative Edge
Awards
Victoria Wyatt Wins REACH Award
As anyone who has ever benefited from one well knows, having an inspirational teacher or teaching mentor can make all the difference in an academic career—for both students and instructors alike. Those who know her will not be surprised to learn that Art History &...
Writing grad Kai Conradi explores words, life and how they fit together
While it’s not unusual for a Department of Writing student to get their first publishing credit while still an undergraduate, it is rare when their story gains national attention and a shot at a $10,000 prize. But as an emerging poet and short-story writer, there’s no...
A new & different academic year
A new (and different) school year Welcome to issue 13 of the Fine Arts Connector and the start of a new academic year—one that we can definitely say will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. With only about 3,500 students on campus and the majority of classes...
Chelsea Kutyn sings for life
When graduating School of Music soprano Chelsea Kutyn decided to film a rehearsal for her graduation recital this spring, she had no idea that it would soon lead to national press coverage as a result of a life-threatening health risk. As the campus started to shut...
Writing prize nominations feature alumni, instructors
Along with the start of classes, September also sees the start of the annual book awards season—and so far, we're looking at a bumper crop of nominations for Fine Arts alumni and instructors. Journey Prize Kicking off the awards season is the $10,000 Writers' Trust...
Graduation celebration
Graduation celebration Welcome to issue 11 of the Fine Arts Connector, your regular listing of news, resources, activities and other shareable content from UVic's Faculty of Fine Arts. It's a handy way of keeping up with student, faculty and alumni activity while...
Theatre professor Mary Kerr wins prestigious national award
While the prestigious Molson Prize may not ring any immediate bells, a quick glance through the list of previous winners reveals a who’s-who of Canadian culture: Margaret Atwood, Glenn Gould, Richard Wagamese, Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Bill Reid, Mary Pratt, Jack...
Restart me up
Restart me up Welcome to issue seven of the Fine Arts Connector, your biweekly 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 Premier John...
Theatre researcher named top SSHRC Storyteller
Department of Theatre PhD candidate Lara Aysal has been named one of the top 25 “Storytellers” in an annual competition announced on May 5 by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. SSHRC’s 2020 Storytellers competition celebrates the best in research...
Star Wars performance supports COVID-19 student fund
Department of Theatre alum Charles Ross will livestream his popular interstellar romp The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy at 5pm Monday, May 4, to help support an emergency fund for students experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coordinated...
The story is the boss for 2020 Distinguished Alumni recipient Richard Van Camp
He’s written in almost every genre imaginable and seen his work adapted for film. He’s won multiple awards and inspired a new generation of writers. He’s been a student and a teacher, and now internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author Richard Van...
Grad student call for Ocean Networks Canada Artist-in-Residence program
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) at the University of Victoria are sponsoring an Artist-in-Residence program. The concept strengthens connections between art and science to broaden and cross-fertilize perspectives and critical discourse on...
2019 in review: part two
From our amazing alumni and stellar students to new creative spaces, a $1 million-plus donation and the passing of a literary legend, here are the final five top Fine Arts stories of 2019. Active alumni It was a good year for Fine Arts alumni, with School of Music...
2019 in review: part one
2019 was another exciting year in Fine Arts, with the spotlight turned on our faculty, students and alumni locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. Here are just a few of the top stories from the year that's gone by. Orontes Quartet completes their...
Visual Arts undergrad Austin Willis the only Canadian winner of US student sculpture award
There may have been 325 nominations from 139 institutions in 4 countries — but, out of the 11 overall winners, there was ultimately only 1 Canadian recipient of the US-based International Sculpture Center's 2019 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary...
REACH Awards honour 2 professors
Two Fine Arts professors were honoured at UVic's 2019 REACH Awards on October 10. The third annual awards celebrate UVic scholars for their extraordinary contributions in research and teaching, showcasing how recipients lead the way in dynamic learning and make a...
Donor’s gift benefits film production classes
When it comes to hands-on learning and real-world experience, it’s hard to top the Department of Writing’s film production course, Writing 420. An integral part of UVic’s interdisciplinary Film Studies program, this popular course sees students create a short film...
New scholarship honours alumna Avis Rasmussen
On her 82nd birthday, Visual Arts alumna Avis Rasmussen sits in her living room with a cup of tea, excitedly explaining her latest painting. “Playfair Park is beautiful this time of year,” she says, pointing to a canvas of bright purple and pink flowers. “I love...
UVic surpasses fundraising goal by $3 million
As the last act wrapped, Department of Theatre undergraduate student Fiona Donnelly-Rheaume looked around the great hall of UVic’s First Peoples House with tears in her eyes. “I still get choked up thinking about it,” she says. “Elder Vic Underwood, a residential...
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...
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...
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...
2019 Distinguished Alumni winner 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.
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....
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...
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.
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...
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...
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,...
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.
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)...
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.