No images? Click here
A message from the Dean
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As a new academic year begins at the University of Lethbridge, campus is buzzing with energy. Welcoming new and returning students, I am reminded of the enthusiasm and creativity that Fine Arts students bring to their studies. Supporting them as they learn and grow into tomorrow’s creative professionals is one of the most rewarding parts of my role. A special congratulations goes out to our Alumni Award winners, especially Fine Arts graduates April Matisz (BFA - Art '09) and Star Crop Eared Wolf (BFA - Native American Art '17)!
This fall, we have an exciting lineup of events in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Our Signature Event and Performance Series kicks off in October with the Mainstage production of alterNatives by Drew Hayden Taylor, directed by Marshall Vielle (BFA - Dramatic Arts '17). In November, we’ll host an exclusive Alumni Appreciation Night featuring a Q&A panel with playwright James Odin Wade (BFA - Multidisciplinary '11). December brings a fantastic lineup of concerts, including Global Drums, Collaborative, and U of L Singers.
Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the Vibe Festival on Saturday, April 12, 2025. This free community event will showcase the incredible work of students, faculty and alumni and celebrate creativity and innovation in the Fine Arts. With a party-like atmosphere, the Vibe Festival will highlight new research and artistic accomplishments, offering an immersive and engaging experience for all.
Lastly, I’m excited to announce the launch of Friends of Fine Arts, offering exclusive benefits like event tickets, merch and special recognition.
We look forward to seeing you at these events and celebrating the vibrant future of Fine Arts!
Dr. Heather Davis-Fisch
Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, Piiksinaasin (Manifesting Beauty)
University of Lethbridge
Two Fine Arts alumni inducted into Alumni Honour Society
Art, education and social change highlight the issues being addressed by the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association’s (ULAA) newest inductees into the Alumni Honour Society.
April Matisz (BFA - Art ’09) and Ahkoiinnimaki (Pipe Woman) Star Crop Eared Wolf (BFA - Native American Art ’17) are two of the four alumni being recognized for their achievements.
April Matisz continually proves to be an exceedingly talented and dedicated artist through her varied research interests, as she explores the creatures and complex processes that make up the natural world, as well as the natural processes that have created us and continue to shape our lives.
A visionary artist and curator from the Kainai Nation, Ahkoiinnimaki (Pipe Woman) Star Crop Eared Wolf has carved an inspiring path in the world of Indigenous art and cultural preservation.
Canadian playwright Chelsea Woolley receives Young Alumni Award
Giving a voice to at-risk youth through the powerful medium of theatre, accomplished Canadian playwright Chelsea Woolley (BA/BEd ’14) has been named the ULethbridge Alumni Association’s 2024 Young Alumni Award winner.
Described by critics as frighteningly skilled and a formidable writer, Chelsea pushes boundaries through her work and does so with ambition and vision, the hallmarks of a great writer. Though not a Fine Arts graduate, Chelsea was a two-time winner of the Play Right Prize competition and was deeply involved in Faculty events as a student.
April Matisz, Star Crop Eared Wolf and Chelsea Woolley, alongside the other Alumni Achievement Award winners will be honoured for their contributions to community at Let There Be Light Night, a celebration of alumni achievement, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at 7 p.m. in the Science Commons Atrium.
Faculty of Fine Arts Signature Events and Performance Series showcases future of creativity
The Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lethbridge fosters future arts leaders and has produced alumni who have achieved national and international success, contributing to arts and culture globally.
In this spirit, we are excited to announce the 2024/25 Fine Arts Signature Events and Performance Series. Highlights include the Drama Alumni Mainstage Season, featuring notable alumni directing four exciting productions, along with collaborative music concerts and exhibitions in art and new media.
Become a friend of Fine Arts today!
Your connection with the Faculty of Fine Arts has always been valuable. Whether you're an alum or a dedicated supporter, you know how vital it is to nurture creativity and innovation.
What is Friends of Fine Arts?
Friends of Fine Arts is a community dedicated to advancing and celebrating the arts at the University of Lethbridge. Your support will help us enhance our programs, provide crucial resources and support emerging talents.
Benefits of being a Friend:
- Exclusive Invitations: Access to special Faculty events and gatherings
- Special Recognition: Acknowledgement of your support, regardless of the amount
- Unique Perks: Limited edition Faculty of Fine Arts merchandise
- And more!
alterNatives Mainstage production by Drew Hayden Taylor
Oct. 7 to 11, 2024
7:30 p.m. nightly
David Spinks Theatre (W425)
Directed by Marshall Vielle
(BFA - Dramatic Arts ’17)
alterNatives, by acclaimed Indigenous playwright, Drew Hayden Taylor, explores the complexities of identity, relationships and cultural intersections within a group of friends navigating modern life.
In Tongues Mainstage production by James Odin Wade
Nov. 4 to 8, 2024
7:30 p.m. nightly
University Theatre (W500)
Directed by Anastasia Siceac
(BFA - Dramatic Arts ‘ 20)
In Tongues, by alumnus James Odin Wade (BFA - Multidisciplinary ’11), follows the aftermath of true crime author Cara's death as her husband and sister uncover secrets in her research that reveal hidden truths.
Celebrating our alumni
Alumni are invited to join us on Wednesday, Nov. 6, for a Faculty of Fine Arts Alumni Appreciation Night to celebrate the run of In Tongues, a performance written by the talented James Odin Wade (BFA - Multidisciplinary '11), premiering exclusively on our campus!
Connect with other Faculty of Fine Arts alumni and gain insights on the play from the playwright himself with a Q&A panel. Refreshments are provided.
Event Details:
Date: Nov. 6, 2024
Reception: 6 p.m. | Production 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Purchasing an alumni ticket for November 6 automatically registers you for the Alumni Appreciation Night
Fine Arts researchers take part in collaborative cross-country project
A unique cross-country partnership between 10 Canadian post-secondary institutions involving three University of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts researchers has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant of $2.5 million.
Department of Drama researchers Drs. Justin Blum and Gabrielle Houle (pictured) are co-investigators on the project, while Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Dr. Heather Davis-Fisch is a collaborator.
Incorporating the Fine Arts in Indigenous research practices
Researchers at the University of Lethbridge and Memorial University are engaging with Métis research methodologies in their Fine Arts research practice.
Pushing the boundaries of standard academic research, members of the Red River Jig Family Network project have published a new journal article aimed at understanding Métis music-dance-story–practices that are integrally entangled as a research methodology–likely the first publication of its kind.
Fine Arts researchers awarded prestigious SSHRC grants
Several University of Lethbridge researchers have secured over $1 million in Insight and Insight Development grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Their projects will explore diverse topics such as immigration, Depression-era Canadian poetry, charitable giving and medical assistance in dying (MAiD).
In the Fine Arts, Associate Dean Dr. Devon Smither plans to examine and document the history and impact of artist-run centres, which were created in the 1960s and 1970s as alternatives to commercial galleries. Art Professor Dr. Jessica Jacobson-Konefall will examine longstanding ancestral cultural forms as they appear in contemporary art in Winnipeg. New Media Professor Dr. David Janzen and Art Gallery Director Dr. Josie Mills are co-applicants on a project that will look at restoring social-ecological systems through relational land and soil care in Canada.
Have you moved? Started a new career? Found a passion for volunteering? We want to know!
Stay in the know on all things Fine Arts and follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Our University’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Indigenous Peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.
