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	<title>UM TodaySchool of Art &#8211; UM Today</title>
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		<title>The Free Press: Singular footsteps on a shared path</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/the-free-press-singular-footsteps-on-a-shared-path/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:43:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alumni]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exhibition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=225238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[School of Art Alumna Ekene Emeka Maduka carves a personal signature out of broad social themes. Young Winnipeg painters are having an exciting moment. For the past six weeks or so, Dee Barsy’s signature aqua blues have washed over the 300,000 people who daily visit Toronto’s Union Station, which is decorated with a dozen of [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Singular-footsteps-on-a-shared-path.jpg-120x90.png" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" /> School of Art Alumna Ekene Emeka Maduka carves a personal signature out of broad social themes.  Young Winnipeg painters are having an exciting moment.  For the past six weeks or so, Dee Barsy’s signature aqua blues have washed over the 300,000 people who daily visit Toronto’s Union Station, which is decorated with a dozen of her bird-themed murals, buoying Toronto Blue Jays fans during the World Series.  Last month, artist, curator and writer Chukwudubem Ukaigwe was shortlisted to represent the Prairies region for the Sobey Art Award 2025 — Canada’s largest prize for visual artists, which will be handed out on Saturday.  Ukaigwe is perhaps best recognized for his paintings, often colourful to the point of psychedelic while refined in their details and lifelikeness, blending elements of realism, pop art and surrealism.  The artist is among a small group of artists around 30 or under, many of whom went to art school together at the University of Manitoba, and who may appear — at least at first glance — to be working in similar directions.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>School of Art Alumna Ekene Emeka Maduka carves a personal signature out of broad social themes.</h3>
<p>Young Winnipeg painters are having an exciting moment.</p>
<p>For the past six weeks or so, Dee Barsy’s signature aqua blues have washed over the 300,000 people who daily visit Toronto’s Union Station, which is decorated with a dozen of her bird-themed murals, buoying Toronto Blue Jays fans during the World Series.</p>
<p>Last month, artist, curator and writer Chukwudubem Ukaigwe was shortlisted to represent the Prairies region for the Sobey Art Award 2025 — Canada’s largest prize for visual artists, which will be handed out on Saturday.</p>
<p>Ukaigwe is perhaps best recognized for his paintings, often colourful to the point of psychedelic while refined in their details and lifelikeness, blending elements of realism, pop art and surrealism.</p>
<p>The artist is among a small group of artists around 30 or under, many of whom went to art school together at the University of Manitoba, and who may appear — at least at first glance — to be working in similar directions.</p>
<p>Two others are painters Bria Fernandes and Ekene Emeka Maduka, who sat down to discuss their work in a public conversation at the University of Winnipeg in mid-October.</p>
<p>Fernandes opened by discussing a piece on which she had collaborated with Maduka in art school in an obvious Renaissance style, before moving on to more recent works.</p>
<p>One of these appeared at the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s <em>Threads of Kin and Belonging: A Trinnipeg Live Mixtape Project</em> show last year, while others were the basis for Gallery 1C03’s <em>Things Left Unsaid</em> exhibit, which ran in September and October.</p>
<p>To read the entire article, please follow the link to <a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2025/11/06/singular-footsteps-on-a-shared-path" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Free Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Free Press: Pulling focus Through, and through a green, green lens</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/the-free-press-pulling-focus-through-and-through-a-green-green-lens/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:34:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exhibition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faculty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=225235</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If there’s a seed from which Sarah Ciurysek’s artistic practice sprouted, it’s buried deep in the dirt, under a willowy canopy, on her family’s grain farm near Peace River, Alta. That would explain why the photographer’s lens is typically trained at the roots instead of angled toward the treetops. By nature and through nurture, Ciurysek’s [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Pulling-focus-Through-and-through-a-green-green-lens-120x90.png" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" /> Compelled to touch grass — to silence urban and technological distraction to reconnect with the natural world — Ciurysek often heads to the forest, an environment that served as an inspiration for her solo exhibit Through, and through, on view at the Platform Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts (100 Arthur St.) until Nov. 15.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If there’s a seed from which Sarah Ciurysek’s artistic practice sprouted, it’s buried deep in the dirt, under a willowy canopy, on her family’s grain farm near Peace River, Alta.</p>
<p>That would explain why the photographer’s lens is typically trained at the roots instead of angled toward the treetops.</p>
<p>By nature and through nurture, Ciurysek’s practice is terrestrially bound.</p>
<p>“I have more of a familiarity or comfort with being outside, just lying down on the ground. I always had a desire to put my hands in the dirt or just lie down in the grass,” says Ciurysek, an associate professor in the School of Art at the University of Manitoba.</p>
<p>Compelled to touch grass — to silence urban and technological distraction to reconnect with the natural world — Ciurysek often heads to the forest, an environment that served as an inspiration for her solo exhibit <em>Through, and through</em>, on view at the Platform Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts (100 Arthur St.) until Nov. 15.</p>
<p>At Platform on Friday at 6 p.m., Ciurysek will be joined in conversation by hannah_g, a local writer and the curator of the Galerie Buhler Gallery, to discuss the exhibition as part of Platform’s active research lecture series. The event is free to the public.</p>
<p>To read the entire article, please follow the link to <a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2025/11/05/pulling-focus-through-and-through-a-green-green-lens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Free Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>Honouring the life and work of artist and MFA alumna Monica Mercedes Martinez (1974–2025)</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/honouring-the-life-and-work-of-artist-and-mfa-alumna-monica-mercedes-martinez-1974-2025/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:06:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=225224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Monica Mercedes Martinez (January 26, 1974, to October 22, 2025) It was with great sadness that the School of Art at the University of Manitoba learned of the passing of Monica Mercedes Martinez on October 22, 2025. Monica was one of the first students to receive her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Monica-Mercedes-Martinez-Softening-the-Line-2014-120x90.png" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Monica-Mercedes-Martinez-Softening-the-Line-2014-120x90.png 120w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Monica-Mercedes-Martinez-Softening-the-Line-2014-800x600.png 800w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Monica-Mercedes-Martinez-Softening-the-Line-2014-768x576.png 768w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Monica-Mercedes-Martinez-Softening-the-Line-2014.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /> The School of Art at the University of Manitoba mourns the passing of artist and alumna Monica Mercedes Martinez (MFA ’12), whose powerful and poetic works explored memory, identity, and belonging.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="151" data-end="215"><strong>Monica Mercedes Martinez (January 26, 1974, to October 22, 2025)</strong></p>
<p data-start="217" data-end="632">It was with great sadness that the School of Art at the University of Manitoba learned of the passing of Monica Mercedes Martinez on October 22, 2025. Monica was one of the first students to receive her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Manitoba. She and three others made up the first cohort of graduate students in fine arts when the new MFA program began in 2010. Monica Martinez graduated in 2012.</p>
<p data-start="634" data-end="1622"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-225230 alignright" src="https://news.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Monica-Mercedes-Martinez.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="346">Monica’s thesis exhibition, installed in the School of Art Gallery in ARTlab in 2012, was powerful and poignant. Referencing her Chilean background Monica created hundreds of porcelain bones wrapped in red earthenware clay and stacked them up into a mountain-like shape on the gallery floor. Her thesis exhibition titled <em data-start="955" data-end="997">everyone is fallen except for us fallen…</em> represented the skeletons of those tossed out of helicopters above the Atacama Desert during the reign of Augusto Pinochet, military dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990. Monica moved from Chile to Alberta when she was three years old. She talked about inherited generational trauma, and her thesis exhibition allowed her to dive deeply into reflecting on her cultural history and the impact it had on her family. “As a Chilean who grew up on the Canadian Prairies, she uses her practice to discuss the historical foundations that influence how we define who we are and where we belong” (<a class="decorated-link" href="https://returnatacama.com/whoweare/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="1585" data-end="1620">returnatacama.com/whoweare</a>).</p>
<p data-start="1624" data-end="1992">After graduating Monica helped found a group of female Latino artists who called themselves Mujer Artista, a new initiative in 2014 designed to develop opportunities for local Latin women artists in Winnipeg. Monica Martinez participated in several group exhibitions and performances at Ace Art Inc. in Winnipeg’s Exchange District under the auspices of Mujer Artista.</p>
<p data-start="1994" data-end="3206">In 2016 Monica travelled to Chile with a group of women artists known as CONSTELACIONES with the intention of burying her MFA thesis exhibition in the Atacama Desert, performing “a ritual of return, remembrance and witness” (<a class="decorated-link" href="https://returnatacama.com/performance/chile/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="2219" data-end="2263">returnatacama.com/performance/chile</a>). Six large boxes filled with sculptural forms created by Monica to honour and remember the lives affected by the 1973 coup in Chile were returned to the desert in a performance piece titled <em data-start="2455" data-end="2472">Return Atacama.</em> “Returning these symbols of grief, violence, and time to Chile completes a journey that began with Monica’s family’s exile . . . ” (<a class="decorated-link" href="https://returnatacama.com/performance/chile/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="2605" data-end="2649">returnatacama.com/performance/chile</a>). One of the participants in the performance states of her experience: “Return Atacama dramatizes trauma memory as it is evoked by Martinez’s sculptural figures, abstract forms embodying the tension between disappearance and trace, resuscitating the bones of the desaparecidos. Their material hybridity—red terracotta and white porcelain—and textured surfaces are inscribed by her personal and collective memories that speak to her ‘mestizo identity’” (<a class="decorated-link" href="https://returnatacama.hemi.press/chapter/return-to-atacama-an-incomplete-alphabet-of-bearing-witness/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="3103" data-end="3204">returnatacama.hemi.press/chapter/return-to-atacama-an-incomplete-alphabet-of-bearing-witness</a>).</p>
<p data-start="3208" data-end="4055">While studying in Winnipeg Monica formed many professional and personal relationships. Her warmth, kindness, and generosity was felt by the art community as she shared her inventive and unique art practice presenting work that was deeply provocative, challenging, and often interactive. Monica’s public interventions, such as <em data-start="3534" data-end="3554">Softening the Line</em> (2014), where she encased a wrought iron fence in Winnipeg’s north Main Street area in red clay, brought attention to social and cultural lines that demarcate unspoken boundaries not to be crossed. An image of Monica pinching plugs of wet red clay onto the fence in the red-stained snow around her appeared on the cover of the Winter issue of <em data-start="3898" data-end="3938">Cahiers métiers d’art = Craft Journal,</em> wherein Monica also contributed a review of an exhibition titled <em data-start="4004" data-end="4016">Saves Nine</em> at the Manitoba Craft Council in 2013.</p>
<p data-start="4057" data-end="5334">In 2021 Monica Martinez was included in a chapter written by Heidi McKenzie in <em data-start="4136" data-end="4156">Craft is Political</em> (edited by D Wood, Bloomsbury Press). In her essay McKenzie wrote about the work of three Canadian mixed-race ceramic artists of colour, “Liminality: The Work of Monica Mercedes Martinez, PJ Anderson, and Habiba El-Sayed.” In the essay Monica is quoted saying, “The conversations I’ve had with the curious, the confused and the outright hostile people who observe my work are essential because, to me, art is a living thing that should make you question. When I develop new work, these conversations revolve in my mind” (email correspondence with the author, October 2019). In an exhibition at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario she performed <em data-start="4822" data-end="4834">containher</em> (2019). Standing inside a cage, pressing wet, red clay into the chicken-wire enclosure, Monica gradually disappeared from the viewer’s gaze as she continued to work from the bottom up. It was important to Monica to draw attention to the messiness of the making process by performing it publicly, standing in stark contrast to the orderly presence of the finished artworks pristinely displayed in the space around her. Monica’s legacy will live on in the thought-provoking artworks she leaves behind.</p>
<p data-start="5336" data-end="5754">Of Monica’s premature passing, Dr. Oliver Botar, Associate Director of the Graduate Program at the School of Art states, “I remember well her quiet yet powerful presence and the stunning depth of her thesis exhibition. As part of the first cohort in the MFA Program, it is particularly poignant that she should have left us so soon. As Associate Director responsible for Graduate Studies, I wish to honour her memory.”</p>
<p data-start="5336" data-end="5754">Monica’s graduate program advisor Prof. Grace Nickel fondly remembers Monica’s resolve and dedication, and her unconventional approach to working with clay. “I’ll never forget how Monica broke all the ‘clay rules’ in her approach to the medium and how, once constructed, she transported hundreds of forms produced for her thesis exhibition with great determination and perseverance across uneven terrain and treacherous ice in the winter to move them from her studio in the Art Barn to the kilns in the Ceramics and Sculpture Building.” A breezeway now connects the two buildings, but at the time the graduate program was blessed to have a student with the generosity and kindness to not complain and make it work. This attitude encapsulates Monica’s giving spirit and deep commitment to those whose lives she touched.</p>
<p data-start="6576" data-end="7426">Monica Martinez often shared her artwork in clandestine ways, breaking down conventional notions of exhibiting in galleries. Prof. Nickel remembers, “one day when I arrived at the studio, I noticed a red line encircling the entire Ceramics Building, red earthenware clay pressed into the mortar in a single line all along the outer periphery of the nondescript single-storey structure, as if to say <em data-start="6975" data-end="7012">I was here and I’m leaving my mark.</em> I’m reminded of Monica every time it rains because there is a beautiful cascade of red clay softly washing down the walls of the building as it runs down to return to the earth.” In another project she surreptitiously placed small stacks of figurative bricks throughout the university campus waiting for the lucky finder to take one home as a memento. These found works will now hold even more meaning and memory.</p>
<p data-start="7428" data-end="7534">Monica’s quiet yet powerful presence will be deeply missed by many. Condolences to her family and friends.</p>
<p data-start="7536" data-end="7639">Monica’s obituary can be found at <a class="decorated-link cursor-pointer" href="https://www.trinityfuneralhome.ca/obituary/monica-mercedes-martinez/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="7570" data-end="7638">trinityfuneralhome.ca/obituary/monica-mercedes-martinez</a></p>
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		<title>Creating Space for Connection: Indigenous Student Space Opens at the School of Art</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/creating-space-for-connection-indigenous-student-space-opens-at-the-school-of-art/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:07:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indigenous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=227199</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week marked an important milestone for the School of Art with the opening of the new Indigenous Student Space (ISS) at 491 Taché Hall—a long-anticipated project shaped by collaboration, care, and community. The opening gathering brought together students, staff, faculty, and community members to mark the occasion. The event included opening remarks and a [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-11-120x90.jpg" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="Students and community members gather in the Indigenous Student Space for opening remarks, surrounded by a mural." style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> Last week marked an important milestone for the School of Art with the opening of the new Indigenous Student Space (ISS) at 491 Taché Hall—a long-anticipated project shaped by collaboration, care, and community.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="0" data-end="219">Last week marked an important milestone for the School of Art with the opening of the new <strong data-start="90" data-end="124">Indigenous Student Space (ISS)</strong> at <strong data-start="128" data-end="146">491 Taché Hall</strong>—a long-anticipated project shaped by collaboration, care, and community.</p>
<p data-start="221" data-end="732">The opening gathering brought together students, staff, faculty, and community members to mark the occasion. The event included opening remarks and a smudge led by <strong data-start="385" data-end="437">Knowledge Keeper Barb Blind (Brandon University)</strong>, followed by a community beading circle that invited conversation and connection. The afternoon also featured the unveiling of a new mural by artist <strong data-start="587" data-end="604">Mike Valcourt</strong>, adding a powerful visual presence to the space and reflecting the values of creativity, storytelling, and cultural continuity.</p>
<p data-start="734" data-end="1085">Designed as a welcoming and supportive hub within the School of Art, the Indigenous Student Space offers a place for Indigenous students to gather, study, rest, and connect with Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The space is intended to support both everyday student needs and future programming that centres Indigenous ways of knowing, making, and being.</p>
<p data-start="1087" data-end="1408">The ISS came together through the efforts of many contributors across the School of Art and the broader university community. Special thanks are extended to <strong data-start="1244" data-end="1263">Katherine Boyer</strong>, <strong data-start="1265" data-end="1287">Dr. Suzanne McLeod</strong>, and <strong data-start="1293" data-end="1310">Lori Blondeau</strong> for their leadership, guidance, and sustained commitment throughout the development of the space.</p>
<p data-start="1087" data-end="1408"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-227200" src="https://news.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-19-800x533.jpg" alt="Community members participate in a beading circle in the Indigenous Student Space, with a mural visible behind them." width="800" height="533" srcset="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-19-800x533.jpg 800w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-19-768x512.jpg 768w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-19-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> &nbsp;<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-227202" src="https://news.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-17-800x533.jpg" alt="Beading tools, materials, and small containers arranged on a table during the opening event.
" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-17-800x533.jpg 800w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-17-768x512.jpg 768w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-17-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/indigenous-student-space-opening-school-of-art-tache-hall-2025-17-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p data-start="1723" data-end="1865">Students are encouraged to stop by, say hello, and spend time in the space. More programming and events will be announced in the coming weeks.</p>
<p data-start="1867" data-end="1928">For inquiries, please contact: <strong data-start="1898" data-end="1928"><a class="decorated-link cursor-pointer" rel="noopener" data-start="1900" data-end="1926">soaindigenous@umanitoba.ca</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Wally Dion: a thousand tiny prayers opens at the School of Art Gallery – Nov 6</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wally-dion-a-thousand-tiny-prayers-opens-at-the-school-of-art-gallery-nov-6/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:44:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arts and culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exhibition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art Gallery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=224489</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The School of Art Gallery presents a thousand tiny prayers, a solo exhibition by Saskatchewan-born artist Wally Dion, whose work explores strength, resilience, and interconnectedness through acts of making. Wally Dion: a thousand tiny prayers November 6, 2025 – February 14, 2026Curated by Blair FornwaldSchool of Art Gallery, 255 ARTlab, University of ManitobaOpening Reception: Thursday, [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Wally-Dion_School_Of_Art_University_of_Manitoba-4-120x90.jpg" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> Wally Dion: a thousand tiny prayers opens at the School of Art Gallery]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="499" data-end="713">The School of Art Gallery presents <em data-start="534" data-end="559">a thousand tiny prayers</em>, a solo exhibition by Saskatchewan-born artist <strong data-start="607" data-end="621">Wally Dion</strong>, whose work explores strength, resilience, and interconnectedness through acts of making.</p>
<h3 data-start="255" data-end="298"><a href="https://umanitoba.ca/art/thousand-tiny-prayers"><strong data-start="259" data-end="298">Wally Dion: a thousand tiny prayers</strong></a></h3>
<p data-start="299" data-end="497"><strong data-start="299" data-end="339">November 6, 2025 – February 14, 2026</strong><br data-start="339" data-end="342"><strong data-start="342" data-end="371">Curated by Blair Fornwald</strong><br data-start="371" data-end="374"><strong data-start="374" data-end="435">School of Art Gallery, 255 ARTlab, University of Manitoba</strong><br data-start="435" data-end="438"><strong data-start="438" data-end="460">Opening Reception:</strong> Thursday, November 6, 5:00–8:00 PM</p>
<p data-start="715" data-end="1155">Dion’s textile-based portraits and star blankets examine the generative and communal power of plaiting, stitching, and assembly—processes that bind individual elements into something stronger and more beautiful than their parts. Drawing on the interwoven nature of communities and ecosystems, Dion’s works also reflect on Indigenous identity, cultural resistance, and solidarity across global struggles for justice and self-determination.</p>
<p data-start="1157" data-end="1513">Vibrant, luminous, and intricately detailed, Dion’s quilts and composite portraits merge synthetic fabrics, floral scarves, and translucent papers into layered reflections on care, strength, and connection. His recent works incorporate rose motifs—symbols shared across Indigenous, Ukrainian, and Palestinian communities—as gestures of empathy and unity.</p>
<p data-start="1515" data-end="1800">Dion, a member of Yellow Quill First Nation (Saulteaux), has exhibited widely in Canada and the United States. His work is held in the public collections of the Remai Modern, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, the Portland Art Museum, and the Autry Museum of the American West, among others.</p>
<h3 data-start="1807" data-end="1829"><strong data-start="1811" data-end="1829">Related Events</strong></h3>
<p data-start="1831" data-end="2049"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/quilting-workshops-with-wally-dion-tickets-1762329447819?aff=oddtdtcreator"><strong data-start="1831" data-end="1869">Quilting Workshops with Wally Dion</strong></a><br data-start="1869" data-end="1872"><em data-start="1872" data-end="1912">November 1–6 | Studio 460 (460 ARTlab)</em><br data-start="1912" data-end="1915">Drop in throughout the week to design and create patchwork quilt faces using the bright, iridescent fabrics featured in Dion’s work. <strong data-start="2052" data-end="2076">Artist-led sessions:</strong> November 1, 3, and 5. All supplies provided. No experience necessary — just curiosity and creativity.<br data-start="2179" data-end="2182"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/quilting-workshops-with-wally-dion-tickets-1762329447819?aff=oddtdtcreator">Register to attend</a></p>
<p data-start="2206" data-end="2549"><strong data-start="2206" data-end="2237">Artist Talk with Wally Dion</strong><br data-start="2237" data-end="2240"><em data-start="2240" data-end="2291">Thursday, November 6 | 12:00–1:30 PM | 468 ARTlab</em><br data-start="2291" data-end="2294">Join the artist in conversation about his practice, cultural influences, and the ideas behind <em data-start="2388" data-end="2413">a thousand tiny prayers</em>.<br data-start="2414" data-end="2417">Also live-streamed on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@schoolofartgallery">School of Art Gallery YouTube channel</a>.<br data-start="2485" data-end="2488">ASL interpretation and YouTube closed captioning available.</p>
<p data-start="2556" data-end="2691"><em data-start="2556" data-end="2593">Wally Dion: a thousand tiny prayers</em> invites viewers to imagine a world strengthened by connection, compassion, and collective care.</p>
<p data-start="2556" data-end="2691">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-start="2693" data-end="2795"><a href="https://umanitoba.ca/art/gallery"><strong data-start="2696" data-end="2721">School of Art Gallery</strong></a></p>
<p>255 ARTlab, University of Manitoba<br />
Free admission | All are welcome</p>
<p>Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm or by appointment</p>
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		<title>Honorary degrees celebrate vision, creativity and community impact</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/honorary-degrees-celebrate-vision-creativity-and-community-impact/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:09:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Teri Stevens]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convocation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[convocation 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[convocation2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honorary degree]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=224090</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As graduands cross the stage during Fall Convocation 2025, they will be joined by two honorary degree recipients whose inspiring careers and personal journeys are being recognized by the University of Manitoba. An honorary degree is the highest honour UM can bestow upon an individual for achieving pre-eminence in science, culture, scholarship or public service. [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025FallConvocation-HDs-UMT-120x90.jpg" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="Dr. Mary Kerr and L. Kerry Vickar" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> Two honorary degree recipients are being recognized by the University of Manitoba at Fall Convocation 2025]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As graduands cross the stage during <a href="https://umanitoba.ca/convocation">Fall Convocation</a> 2025, they will be joined by two honorary degree recipients whose inspiring careers and personal journeys are being recognized by the University of Manitoba.</p>
<p>An honorary degree is the highest honour UM can bestow upon an individual for achieving pre-eminence in science, culture, scholarship or public service. This fall’s recipients are business leader L. Kerry Vickar and theatre designer Mary Kerr.</p>
<h3>A visionary leader</h3>
<p><strong>L. Kerry Vickar<br />
</strong>LL.B. (Manitoba)<br />
<strong>Wednesday, October 22 at 3pm</strong><br />
Doctor of Laws (<em>honoris causa</em>)&nbsp;</p>
<p>L. Kerry Vickar is an accomplished business leader, philanthropist and mentor, recognized for his integrity, civic engagement and commitment to stronger communities.</p>
<p>After earning his law degree from UM in 1980, he transitioned from law to business, leading Gravure Graphics Ltd. to significant growth before founding CorrFlex Graphics, a North American leader in retail displays. His business ventures continued with the transformation of an insolvent equipment rental company into the largest Hyundai heavy equipment dealer in North America and the world’s largest Bell Truck dealer. He now serves as Executive Chairman of an injection mold manufacturing firm.</p>
<p>Mr. Vickar’s philanthropic legacy is equally profound. Through the Kerry and Simone Vickar Family Foundation, he supports health, education, and the arts, including endowed chairs at Cedars Sinai and the Levine Cancer Institute, and a Civic Centre in Melfort, Saskatchewan that bears his name. At UM, he established the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic, offering free legal services to underserved entrepreneurs while providing experiential learning for law students.</p>
<p>In recognition of his visionary leadership, philanthropy and enduring commitment to education and community, L. Kerry Vickar will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.</p>
<h3>An innovative designer</h3>
<p><strong>Mary Kerr<br />
</strong>BFA (Hons) (Manitoba), DCL (honoris causa) (St. John’s College, Manitoba)<br />
<strong>Thursday, October 23 at 3pm</strong><br />
Doctor of Letters&nbsp;(<em>honoris causa</em>)&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dr. Mary Kerr is a visionary artist, designer and educator who has earned international acclaim as one of Canada’s pre-eminent theatre creators. For more than four decades, she has transformed the worlds of theatre, ballet, opera, film, television and special events with her conceptually inventive and striking designs. Born in Winnipeg, she earned a BFA (Hons) in sculpture and literature from UM before pursuing graduate studies at the University of Toronto’s Medieval Centre, where she realized the world of theatre was where she could combine all the arts she loved.</p>
<p>Her award-winning career includes credits at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada, the Danny Grossman Dance Company and the Paris Opera Ballet. Her work was showcased globally at Expo 67, Expo 86, and the 1994 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies.</p>
<p>Dr. Kerr is the only theatre designer elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. As a mentor and educator, she has inspired generations of designers and championed equity for women production designers in Canadian theatre art.</p>
<p>For her remarkable achievements in performance design, her leadership in advancing the art of Canadian scenography, and her enduring commitment to mentorship and collaboration, Dr. Mary Kerr will receive a Doctor of Letters, honoris causa.</p>
<h4>Other special honours and awards</h4>
<p>During Fall Convocation, the university will also honour five faculty members:</p>
<ul>
<li>Warren Cariou, Lisa Lix and Joerg Stetefeld will be appointed Distinguished Professors.</li>
<li>Jocelyn Thorpe will receive the Dr. and Mrs. H.H. Saunderson Award for Excellence in Teaching.</li>
<li>Wan Wang will receive the Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Excellence in Teaching.</li>
</ul>
<p>Learn more about the recipients in the <a href="http://umanitoba.ca/convocation/fort-garry-convocation-october-23-2025-3-pm#honorary-degrees-awards-and-citations">Convocation program</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>School of Art Gallery Presents Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next – Oct 15</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/school-of-art-gallery-presents-robert-archambeau-one-leads-to-the-next/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2025 16:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emeritus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exhibition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art Gallery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=223823</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[October 16 – November 14, 2025Curated by Candice RingSchool of Art Gallery – Collections Gallery, 255 ARTlab, University of Manitoba Reception &#38; Keynote with Robert Harrison: Thursday, October 30 &#124; 5:00–8:00 PM(Keynote Presentation &#38; Slideshow: 6:00 PM &#124; Room 366 ARTlab) The University of Manitoba School of Art Gallery is pleased to present Robert Archambeau: [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/School–of–Art–Gallery–robert-archambeau-one-leads-to-the-next_school_art_university_manitoba-e1760457754542-120x90.png" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> The School of Art Gallery presents Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the life and work of one of Canada’s most influential ceramic artists, on view October 16 – November 14, 2025.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="153" data-end="305"><strong data-start="153" data-end="187">October 16 – November 14, 2025</strong><br data-start="187" data-end="190">Curated by <strong data-start="201" data-end="217">Candice Ring</strong><br data-start="217" data-end="220"><strong data-start="220" data-end="303">School of Art Gallery – Collections Gallery, 255 ARTlab, University of Manitoba</strong></p>
<p data-start="307" data-end="456"><strong data-start="307" data-end="352">Reception &amp; Keynote with Robert Harrison:</strong> Thursday, October 30 | 5:00–8:00 PM<br data-start="388" data-end="391">(Keynote Presentation &amp; Slideshow: 6:00 PM | Room 366 ARTlab)</p>
<p data-start="463" data-end="904">The University of Manitoba School of Art Gallery is pleased to present <a href="https://umanitoba.ca/art/robert-archambeau-one-leads-next"><em data-start="534" data-end="576">Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next</em></a>, a retrospective exhibition honouring the life and work of one of Canada’s most influential ceramic artists. Featuring a selection of key works in clay and on paper, the exhibition traces Archambeau’s six-decade career as an artist, educator, and mentor whose impact continues to resonate in studios across Canada and beyond.</p>
<p data-start="906" data-end="1444">Working in clay for more than sixty years, Archambeau developed a body of work recognized for its refinement, restraint, and technical mastery. Deeply influenced by the ceramic traditions of Japan, Korea, and China, his vessels reveal a devotion to form and process that merges discipline with intuitive experimentation. <em data-start="1227" data-end="1250">One Leads to the Next</em> brings together groupings and variations that illuminate his ongoing investigation of the vessel—its endless potential for reinvention—and the quiet dialogue between surface, shape, and fire.</p>
<p data-start="1446" data-end="2167">Born in Toledo, Ohio, Archambeau served in the U.S. Marine Corps before completing his BFA at Bowling Green State University and an MFA at Alfred University. He taught at the Rhode Island School of Design before joining the University of Manitoba’s School of Art in 1968, where he shaped generations of ceramic artists until his retirement in 1991. His contributions to the field earned numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts (2003), the Manitoba Arts Council Award of Distinction (2014), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (2008). Archambeau was named Professor Emeritus in 2004 and passed away in Winnipeg in 2022.</p>
<h3 data-start="2174" data-end="2205">About the Keynote Speaker</h3>
<p data-start="2206" data-end="2814"><a href="https://robertharrison.co"><strong data-start="2206" data-end="2225">Robert Harrison</strong></a> is a practicing artist based in Helena, Montana, whose 40-year career spans large-scale architectural sculpture and studio ceramics. A graduate of the University of Manitoba (BFA) and the University of Denver (MFA), Harrison is a Fellow of NCECA and a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, the World Association of Brick Artists, and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. His projects, exhibitions, and publications—including <em data-start="2661" data-end="2702">Sustainable Ceramics: A Practical Guide</em> (Bloomsbury/ACS, 2013)—reflect a sustained commitment to material innovation and environmental consciousness.</p>
<h3 data-start="2821" data-end="2844">About the Curator</h3>
<p data-start="2845" data-end="3280"><strong data-start="2845" data-end="2861">Candice Ring</strong> is a studio potter from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the Ceramics Studio Technician at the University of Manitoba. A former studio assistant and longtime friend of Archambeau, Ring brings a personal perspective to this exhibition. She holds a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Manitoba and an MFA in Studio Art from Arizona State University, and has exhibited her work throughout North America, Australia, and China.</p>
<h3 data-start="3287" data-end="3311">Exhibition Details</h3>
<p data-start="3312" data-end="3629"><strong data-start="3312" data-end="3356">Robert Archambeau: One Leads to the Next</strong><br data-start="3356" data-end="3359"><em data-start="3359" data-end="3391">October 16 – November 14, 2025</em><br data-start="3391" data-end="3394">Curated by Candice Ring<br data-start="3417" data-end="3420">School of Art Gallery – Collections Gallery, 255 ARTlab<br data-start="3475" data-end="3478"><strong data-start="3478" data-end="3523"><a href="https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/schools/event/reception--keynote-robert-archambeau--one-leads-to-the-next/">Reception &amp; Keynote with Robert Harrison</a>:</strong> Thursday, October 30 | 5:00–8:00 PM<br data-start="3559" data-end="3562"><strong data-start="3562" data-end="3601">Keynote Presentation and Slideshow:</strong> 6:00 PM | Room 366 ARTlab</p>
<p><a href="https://umanitoba.ca/art/robert-archambeau-one-leads-next">umanitoba.ca/art/robert-archambeau-one-leads-next</a></p>
<p data-start="3631" data-end="3666">Free admission · Everyone welcome.</p>
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		<title>Exchange as a Symmetrical Gesture caps the Visiting Curator Program with readings, curatoral panel, and publication launch</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/exchange-as-a-symmetrical-gesture-caps-the-visiting-curator-program-with-readings-dialogue-and-a-publication-launch/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:31:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cailyn Harrison]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arts and culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gallery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art Gallery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=223068</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Thursday, October 16, 2025 &#160;&#124; &#160;7:00–9:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM)Desautels Concert Hall, University of Manitoba Light refreshments • Cash bar • Free admission • Registration required The School of Art Gallery (SOAG) invites the UM community and the public to Exchange as a Symmetrical Gesture, an evening that celebrates the culmination of SOAG’s multi-year [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/OS_37-120x90.jpg" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> The School of Art Gallery (SOAG) invites the UM community and the public to Exchange as a Symmetrical Gesture, an evening that celebrates the culmination of SOAG’s multi-year Visiting Curator Program with a reading, a curatorial panel, and the launch of three new publications.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="121" data-end="312">&nbsp;</p>
<p data-start="121" data-end="312"><strong data-start="121" data-end="182">Thursday, October 16, 2025 &nbsp;| &nbsp;7:00–9:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM)</strong><br data-start="182" data-end="185"><strong data-start="185" data-end="235">Desautels Concert Hall, University of Manitoba</strong></p>
<p data-start="121" data-end="312">Light refreshments • Cash bar • Free admission • <strong data-start="287" data-end="312">Registration required</strong></p>
<p data-start="314" data-end="599">The School of Art Gallery (SOAG) invites the UM community and the public to <em><strong data-start="390" data-end="427">Exchange as a Symmetrical Gesture</strong></em>, an evening that celebrates the culmination of SOAG’s multi-year <strong data-start="493" data-end="521">Visiting Curator Program</strong> with a reading, a curatorial panel, and the launch of three new publications.</p>
<p data-start="601" data-end="1003">The program begins with an opening reading by artist <strong data-start="654" data-end="673">Erika DeFreitas</strong>, followed by a curatorial conversation featuring <strong data-start="723" data-end="740">Grace Deveney</strong>, <strong data-start="742" data-end="760">Shalaka Jadhav</strong>, and <strong data-start="766" data-end="791">Lillian O’Brien Davis</strong>, moderated by <strong data-start="806" data-end="820">Nic Wilson</strong>. A reception will follow, where guests can connect with the curators and artists and pick up the newly released publications documenting the exhibitions produced through the program.</p>
<p data-start="1005" data-end="1628">Launched in Summer 2021, the Visiting Curator Program has helped shape conversations around contemporary art in the Prairies while creating meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, and community members to engage directly with curators working across Canada and the United States. The initiative was realized through three exhibitions at the School of Art Gallery: <em><strong data-start="1377" data-end="1395">Open Structure</strong></em> (curated by Grace Deveney, Nov 3, 2022–Jan 28, 2023), <em><strong data-start="1450" data-end="1480">The Performance of Shadows </strong></em>(curated by Lillian O’Brien Davis, Feb 16–Apr 29, 2023), and <em><strong data-start="1542" data-end="1572">To Broadcast is to Scatter</strong> </em>(curated by Shalaka Jadhav, Nov 30, 2023–Feb 10, 2024).</p>
<p data-start="1630" data-end="1840">This capstone event recognizes the wide-ranging research, collaboration, and mentorship fostered by the program and highlights its lasting impact on artistic and curatorial practice at UM and across the region.</p>
<h3 data-start="1630" data-end="1840"><strong>Register here to attend:</strong> <a href="https://www.showpass.com/exchange-as-a-symmetrical-gesture-visiting-curator-program-closing-celebration/">showpass.com/exchange-as-a-symmetrical-gesture-visiting-curator-program-closing-celebration</a></h3>
<h3 data-start="2436" data-end="2460">____</h3>
<h3 data-start="2436" data-end="2460">Featured Guests</h3>
<p data-start="2463" data-end="2811"><strong data-start="2463" data-end="2480">Grace Deveney</strong> is the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Associate Curator of Photography and Media at the Art Institute of Chicago and an art historian with a PhD from Northwestern University. She previously served as Associate Curator for the Prospect.5 triennial in New Orleans and Assistant Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.</p>
<p data-start="2814" data-end="3129"><strong data-start="2814" data-end="2832">Shalaka Jadhav</strong> is a writer, researcher, and curator whose work bridges critical geographies, public memory, and queer ecologies. Trained in urban planning, they have curated exhibitions across Halifax, Winnipeg, Guelph, and Toronto, and co-direct Textile, a hyper-local arts collective in Waterloo Region.</p>
<p data-start="3132" data-end="3423"><strong data-start="3132" data-end="3157">Lillian O’Brien Davis</strong> is Associate Curator at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. She has curated projects at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, Susan Hobbs Gallery, and the School of Art Gallery, with writing published in <em data-start="3360" data-end="3372">BlackFlash</em>, <em data-start="3374" data-end="3393">Peripheral Review</em>, <em data-start="3395" data-end="3407">C Magazine</em>, and <em data-start="3413" data-end="3420">RACAR</em>.</p>
<p data-start="3426" data-end="3746"><strong data-start="3426" data-end="3445">Erika DeFreitas</strong> works across performance, photography, video, textiles, installation, drawing, and writing. Their practice examines loss, legacy, post-memory, gesture, and materiality, and has been exhibited nationally and internationally. DeFreitas holds a Master of Visual Studies from the University of Toronto.</p>
<p data-start="3749" data-end="3981"><strong data-start="3749" data-end="3763">Nic Wilson</strong> is an artist and writer whose videos, performances, texts, and artist books explore time, queer lineage, and decay. They have exhibited nationally and internationally and were long-listed for the 2021 Sobey Art Award.</p>
<h3 data-start="4543" data-end="4571"><strong>Accessibility and contact</strong></h3>
<p data-start="4572" data-end="4728">The Desautels Concert Hall is accessible. For questions about access, ASL interpretation, or other accommodations, please contact the School of Art Gallery.</p>
<p data-start="4730" data-end="4968"><a href="https://umanitoba.ca/art/gallery"><strong data-start="4730" data-end="4755">School of Art Gallery</strong></a><br data-start="4755" data-end="4758">255 ARTlab, 180 Dafoe Road, University of Manitoba (Fort Garry)<br data-start="4821" data-end="4824">Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (or by appointment; closed statutory holidays)<br data-start="4908" data-end="4911">Email: <a href="mailto:gallery@umanitoba.ca"><strong data-start="4918" data-end="4942">gallery@umanitoba.ca</strong></a> | Phone: <strong data-start="4952" data-end="4968">204-474-9322</strong></p>
<p data-start="4730" data-end="4968">&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>UM is putting representation on display—literally</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/um-is-putting-representation-on-display-literally/</link>
		<comments>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/um-is-putting-representation-on-display-literally/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2025 20:45:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Teri Stevens]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2SLGBTQIA+]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[convocation 2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[convocation2025]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Office of Equity Transformation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=222626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Two women embrace in a vibrant six-foot-tall painting. Gendered washroom icons embellish trans and genderqueer flags on a vessel of woven fibre and clay. In an India ink print, a stylized bison protects a strawberry vine beneath a stormy sky. These are aspects of three new artworks joining the University of Manitoba’s collection— pieces created [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UMToday-art-120x90.png" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="A collage showing two artworks. On the left is a painting of two people embracing. They both wear jeans. One person holds their partner tightly on their lap and locks eyes with the viewer. On the right is a photo of a vessel made of ceramic and woven material. The piece is white and the woven top features gendered bathroom symbols woven on top of the trans flag." style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> Through the Diversifying the UM Art Collection program, 15 artworks by 11 2SLGBTQIA+ artists were procured during the summer of 2025. Find out more and apply to join the next committee.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Two women embrace in a vibrant six-foot-tall painting. Gendered washroom icons embellish trans and genderqueer flags on a vessel of woven fibre and clay. In an India ink print, a stylized bison protects a strawberry vine beneath a stormy sky. These are aspects of three new artworks joining the University of Manitoba’s collection— pieces created by queer artists and selected by members of UM’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.</p>
<p>Through the <strong><em>Diversifying the UM Art Collection </em></strong>program, 15 artworks by 11 artists were procured during the summer of 2025. The program is the second project of this type at UM, following the Indigenous Student-Led Art Purchasing Project (ISLAPP) launched in 2023, and is a partnership with UM’s <a href="https://umanitoba.ca/equity-transformation/">Office of Equity Transformation</a> (OET).</p>
<p>Kay Maskiw-Connelly (they/them) <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">[BAHons/12, MA/16, MBA/25]</span> coordinated the 2SLGBTQIA+ cohort as part of their <a href="https://umanitoba.ca/equity-transformation/office/fellows">fellowship in Equity, Anti-Oppression and Social Justice through the OET</a>, and they were also part of the art selection committee. For the master’s student working on their third degree at UM, being involved was more than a leadership opportunity; it was a way to make space and a chance to help others feel seen.</p>
<p>“An art project is really the perfect way for the university to normalize and raise awareness about queer identities, and queer relationships,” Maskiw-Connelly says. “There are still some folks who are not very accepting, and I think a lot of the time, it’s just this fear of the unknown.”</p>
<div id="attachment_222638" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-222638" class="wp-image-222638 size-Medium - Vertical" src="https://news.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kay-Professional-250x350.jpeg" alt="" width="250" height="350"><p id="caption-attachment-222638" class="wp-caption-text">Kay Maskiw-Connelly</p></div>
<p>Maskiw-Connelly believes engaging with 2SLGBTQIA+ art can help inform new perspectives. “When there are these beautiful paintings like “Embrace” by Laura Lewis [BFAHons/18] which shows a female couple embracing—I think that shows people who haven’t witnessed a queer relationship that [they’re] very similar to a heteronormative relationship in the sense that there is this loving, respectful relationship between two people. Hopefully seeing that shows them that the university is an inclusive space and there are different forms of love and all of them are valid. Hopefully that creates more understanding and respect between people.”</p>
<p>The project recruited eight people who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to sit on the art selection committee— primarily students and a couple of non-academic staff members. Each person researched artists individually and then the group met virtually to make recommendations and view artist portfolios together.</p>
<p>According to Maskiw-Connelly: “The committee feels like it was an honor to get to choose these artworks collaboratively…that they were part of such a big project where the administration is investing this money and saying ‘we trust you enough to decide for us to represent your own community.’ That’s really empowering.”</p>
<p>With their selections, the group focused on queer artists who are local or Canadian. Their goal was to acquire a variety of artworks of diverse mediums, and some of the themes they explored were identity, relationships and representation.</p>
<p>Once they had narrowed down their considerations, Maskiw-Connelly would reach out to see if the artists were interested in selling their artwork to the university and having it displayed on campus. They also confirmed that all the artists were comfortable with being identified as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.</p>
<p>“I think every single one of them said they were honoured to have their artwork on campus,” Maskiw-Connelly says. “Especially those who had studied at UM; it really felt very personal for them.”</p>
<p>The final selections include a wool blanket, photographs, digital drawings, paintings, prints, pottery and beadwork on canvas. The pieces are now with the UM Art Collection Registrar to go through the formal acquisition process and when that step is complete, they will be installed in secure areas on campus.</p>
<p>While the 2SLGBTQIA+ version of the project is wrapping up, the legacy will continue— through the increased representation of queer art on UM campuses, and through the relationships developed during the project.</p>
<p>“I was bullied a lot for my identity and really hid it for many, many years and for various reasons in various spaces,” Maskiw-Connelly says. “Meeting a lot of different [2SLGBTQIA+] people creates a sense of community and a sense of safety because the more people you know on campus, you feel like, oh— I could always go check in with that person if I needed support, and I know there are people on campus who are safe people to go to. I think for a lot of students—especially if they are undergrads who may not know a lot of people, may not have come out until recently or may still be living kind of secretly or quietly— joining projects like this is a really great opportunity to connect with other community members.”</p>
<h4>Help create transformational change: apply for the 2025-26 committee</h4>
<p>The 2025-26 Diversifying the UM Art Collection committee will consist of 5 to 7 students and non-academic staff who identify as Black or racially marginalized. Committee members will meet artists and curators, visit studios, and select artwork by Black or racially marginalized artists to be acquired by the University of Manitoba University Art Collections. These new acquisitions will be placed on display in public and semi-public spaces at UM.</p>
<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Deadline for expression of interest: October 3, 2025 </span></p>
<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"><a href="https://forms.office.com/r/Ftf2yhs8RG">Apply now</a></span></p>
<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"><br />
Have questions? Please contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:equity@umanitoba.ca">equity@umanitoba.ca</a>.<br />
</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Celebrating the Merit Award recipients of 2024</title>
        
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		<link>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/celebrating-the-merit-award-recipients-of-2024/</link>
		<comments>https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/celebrating-the-merit-award-recipients-of-2024/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:30:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Vanderveen]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Network News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asper School of Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College of community and global health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college of pharmacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faculty of Arts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faculty of Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faculty of Kinesiology and REcreation Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faculty of Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indigenous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Price Faculty of Engineering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[provost and vice-president (academic)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rady Faculty of Health Sciences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.umanitoba.ca/?p=221619</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every year, the University of Manitoba recognizes faculty members whose exceptional contributions advance our academic mission. The Merit Awards recognize excellence in teaching, research, scholarly and creative work, service, and includes a special category dedicated to Indigenous Achievement. Over the summer, three Joint Committees on Merit Awards adjudicated applications, selecting 31 recipients for their achievements [&#8230;]]]></description>
        
        <alt_description><![CDATA[<img width="120" height="90" src="https://umtoday-wordpress.ad.umanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-1-120x90.jpeg" class="attachment-newsfeed size-newsfeed wp-post-image" alt="Anna Binto Diallo, one the 2023 Merit Award recipients, with President Michael Benarroch and Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Diane Hiebert-Murphy at the 2024 Faculty Recognition Reception." style="margin-bottom:0px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> The Merit Awards recognize excellence in teaching, research, scholarly and creative work, service, and include a special category dedicated to Indigenous Achievement. Congratulations to all the recipients of the 2024 Merit Awards.]]></alt_description>
        
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Every year, the University of Manitoba recognizes faculty members whose exceptional contributions advance our academic mission. The <a href="https://umanitoba.ca/about-um/provost-vice-president-academic/academic-supports-faculty/awards">Merit Awards</a> recognize excellence in teaching, research, scholarly and creative work, service, and includes a special category dedicated to Indigenous Achievement. Over the summer, three Joint Committees on Merit Awards adjudicated applications, selecting 31 recipients for their achievements in 2024. Each award includes $3,000 and recipients will be formally recognized at the annual Faculty Recognition Reception in Spring 2026.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all the recipients of the 2024 Merit Awards.</p>
<h4>Category: Social Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts</h4>
<p><strong>Combination:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Sean Carleton, Department of History and Department of Indigenous Studies, Faculty of Arts</li>
<li>Lucy Delgado, Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology, Faculty of Education</li>
<li>Karin James, Department of German and Slavic Studies, Faculty of Arts</li>
<li>Katherine Starzyk, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Research, Scholarly Work and Creative Activities:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Andrew Hatala, College of Community and Global Health, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
<li>Corey Mackenzie, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts</li>
<li>Dominique Rey, School of Art</li>
<li>Ee-Seul Yoon, Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology, Faculty of Education</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Service:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Mark Hudson, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts</li>
<li>Jamie Paris, Department of English, Theatre, Film, and Media, Faculty of Arts</li>
<li>Michelle Porter, Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Recreation Management</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Teaching:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Cameron Hauseman, Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology, Faculty of Education</li>
<li>Alexandra Heberger, Department of German and Slavic Studies, Faculty of Arts</li>
<li>Shannon Moore, Department of Curriculum, Teaching &amp; Learning, Faculty of Education</li>
<li>Wei Wang, Department of Business Administration, I.H. Asper School of Business</li>
</ul>
<h4>Category: Life Sciences, Natural Sciences and Engineering</h4>
<p><strong>Combination:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Inoka Amarakoon, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural &amp; Food Science</li>
<li>Philip Ferguson, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering</li>
<li>David Herbert, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science</li>
<li>Ricardo Silva, Department of Earth Sciences, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Research, Scholarly Work and Creative Activities:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Meghan Azad, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
<li>Xihui Liang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering</li>
<li>Peter Pelka, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science</li>
<li>Jill Stobart, College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Service:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Jessica Hartley, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
<li>Shakerah Jones Hall, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
<li>Sachin Katyal, Department of Pharmacology &amp; Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Teaching:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Chyngyz Erkinbaev, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering</li>
<li>Sabine Kuss, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science</li>
<li>Vladan Protudjer, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
<li>Trisha Scribbans, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management</li>
</ul>
<h4>Category: Promoting Indigenous Achievement</h4>
<ul>
<li>Réal Carrière, Department of Political Studies, Faculty of Arts</li>
</ul>
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