It is hard to believe that the Spring semester has come and gone here in the Faculty of Fine Arts. It has been a busy and exciting semester for our students and our Faculty. This winter, the Faculty of Fine Arts was honoured to receive a Blackfoot name during Indigenous Awareness Week. Dr. Leroy Little Bear, with Elder Francis First Charger, gifted the Faculty the name Piiksinaasin, which means Manifesting Beauty. This name is fitting because it both describes the work all our students do, in creating art works and performances, but also describes the how the work of Indigenizing the university is beautiful work that we can undertake with joy. For me, the name reminds us daily of the need to build respectful relationships, understand Indigenous and shared histories, create space for Indigenous students’ and artists’ gifts to be celebrated, and honour the work of Indigenous peoples who have been stewards of these territories since time immemorial. Our Blackfoot name also carries responsibilities to actively promote decolonization, and the need to increase opportunities for Indigenous students to participate in post-secondary education, to ensure Indigenous students are well supported while they attend ULethbridge, to consider how our curriculum can centre Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and to centre the work of Indigenous artists and scholars. In our fundraising plans for the Faculty of Fine Arts, I am prioritizing the creation of an Indigenous artist residency and the development of outreach programs to support the participation of Indigenous youth in our programming.

This semester showcased the talents of our students across all areas of the Faculty of Fine Arts. The Art department collaborated with Casa on the Trajectories exhibition, in which undergraduate and graduate student artists offered insights into both personal trajectories and social narratives through a diverse range of artistic practices and mediums. Drama and Music students and faculty collaborated on March’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which delighted sold-out audiences and included stunning design and musical performances. The Digital Audio Arts program hosted the Bounce and Cadence Symposium, in which students and invited keynote speakers shared their research and new developments in recording and sound technologies. New Media students in the Advanced Studio class exhibited their final projects at the Penny Gallery, and visitors were treated to a range of augmented reality experiences, games, video, and digitally-created art. And graduate students’ work in fine arts and humanities fields was shared at the Crossing Boundaries symposium, a full-day conference that provided an opportunity for graduate students to present their research to their peers and faculty members.

We are eager to connect—or reconnect—with alumni and friends. As nominations for alumni achievement awards are officially open, we invite you to acknowledge the talented alumni who have excelled in the field of fine arts or as community leaders. If you're an alum seeking opportunities to reconnect with the Faculty of Fine Arts, reach out to alumni relations at alumni@uleth.ca for the many ways you can interact with your alumni community. Keep an eye out for more exciting announcements from the Faculty of Fine Arts. We look forward to connecting with you!

Dr. Heather Davis-Fisch
Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, Piiksinaasin (Manifesting Beauty)