Art Work Talk: Please join us on Thursday, January 29, 2026, 1-2 p.m. (Atlantic) for a discussion about the impact and potential of human centred design with Seattle-based UX-designer Lesley Palfreyman (BDes 2002) and interdisciplinary designer John deWolf (BDes 1992). Both have extensive backgrounds in analyzing and deconstructing complex structures and designing understandable and accessible communication systems, for various audiences. Register here.

Exhibition: The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is presenting Hubbard / Birchler: No More Boring Art, a multi-channel video installation by internationally acclaimed artists Teresa Hubbard (MFA 1992, Honorary Doctorate 2017) and Alexander Birchler (MFA 1992, Honorary Doctorate 2017). The exhibition revisits John Baldessari’s 1971 “Punishment Piece,” in which NSCAD students repeatedly wrote “I will not make any more boring art” across the Mezzanine gallery walls. Through extensive research and interviews, Hubbard / Birchler trace the once-anonymous student participants, exploring how this formative moment shaped their lives. The artists will share their insights about the exhibition alongside art historian Christina Végh.on Saturday, January 17, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. at the Halifax Central Library. The exhibition runs until January 25, 2026 at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1723 Hollis St. Halifax, NS. Read more.

Exhibition: A reflection of ongoing conversations between artist and designer Duane Jones (BDes 2004) (Art Pays Me) and textile/quilt artist Andrea Tsang Jackson (3rd Story Workshop), OUT OF BOUNDS looks at passion, tenacity, discipline, risk-taking and creativity in both art practice and commitment to sport. The OUT OF BOUNDS: Opening Event is Thursday, January 22, 2026. The reception is 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m. The exhibition runs January 22 - February 6, 2026 at Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON. RSVP here.

NSCAD in NYC - Thursday, Jan. 15. Kick off the new year with NSCAD in New York. Join interim President David B. Smith (BFA 1992) for an evening of conversation and connection at Factioned, the Brooklyn studio of alumnus Max Newroth (BFA 1992). Light refreshments, drinks, and good company. When: Thursday, January 15, 2026, 5-7 p.m. Where: Factioned, Industry City
67 34th St, Building 7, Brooklyn, NY RSVP: alumni@nscad.ca. Bring a friend—or tell your NSCAD crew.

NSCAD in Halifax - Thursday, Jan. 22. Start the year in true NSCAD style—good conversation, creative energy, and a chance to reconnect before the NSCAD Public Lecture Series with Hrag Vartanian at the Halifax Central Library (7 p.m.). Join us for a warm-up gathering on When: Thursday, January 22, 2026, 5 p.m-6:30 p.m. Where: The Derby, 2037 Gottingen St, Halifax. Bring a friend and join the conversation. RSVP to alumni@nscad.ca.

Award: Jim Drobnick (MFA 1986) and Jennifer Fisher (BFA 1977) have been awarded the inaugural Art Basel Medal for their work as founders and editors of the Journal of Curatorial Studies. They were selected by an international jury for their visionary impact and innovation in the art world. The journal, represented in the category of Media and Storytellers, was commended for its influence in defining the direction of contemporary art, advancing critical discourse and elevating underrepresented voices. Read more.

Photo courtesy of Art Basel and BOSS

Award: Ceramist Melanie Barnett (MFA 2024) was recently selected to receive the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant, one of the most prestigious grants available to emerging figurative artists, as well as one of the most substantial. She received a first-time grant in 2022 and this second grant is worth $20,000. Melanie's work draws upon themes of mycology, agronomy, and climate science to create sci-fi world building experiences that speculate upon the future. Read more.

In the News: Sojourner Truth Parsons (BFA 2008) is featured in the December 2025 issue of Elle Canada. The article, called 'Meet 8 Canadians Shaking Up the Art World' features visual artists and painters from across Canada. Sojourner uses bright colours and flattens the picture plane, blocking things out with a graphic use of black. A quilted or collage quality organizes her compositions, while recognizable beings and objects emerge and recede into abstraction. Read more. 

Award: The Beaverbrook Art Gallery has awarded the 2025 Theodore Prize to Graeme Patterson (BFA 2003). The Theodore Prize, valued at $20,000, celebrates exceptional achievement in the visual arts and recognizes artists who have made significant contributions to the Atlantic Canadian and national art landscapes. Selected from a highly competitive field of candidates, Patterson impressed the jury with the excellence, ambition, and steady evolution of his artistic practice over nearly two decades. Read more.

Exhibition: Craft Alliance Atlantic has announced its participation in Collect Art Fair in London, UK, at the end of February 2026. The exhibition, The Power of Objects: Voices of Contemporary Craft, explores how craft objects carry memory, identity, resistance, and transformation. Artists from across the Atlantic provinces have been selected to participate, including Alexandra McCurdy (BFA 1980), Heather Pitts (BFA 1983), Kristi Farrier  and Neil Forrest (Professor Emeritus), Maja Padrov, Ralph Simpson, Wendy Johnston (BFA 1988), Yalda Bozorg, Darrell DesRoches, Stephanie Stoker (BFA 2006), and Urve Manuel. Collect Art Fair happens February 27 - March 1, 2026. Read more.

In the News: Ken Aucoin (BFA 1987), CEO of JUMP Math, is collaborating with RBC to help provide more inclusive access to financial literacy education for children in underserved communities across Canada. The program is expected to reach more than 12,000 children by 2027. JUMP Math lessons in financial literacy will be offered for free to educators, families, and students. JUMP Math will develop and test the new digital interactive Financial Literacy lessons in early 2026, starting in Manitoba and Ontario. Read more.

Visiting Artist: NSCAD will host Hrag Vartanian in January as part of its Visiting Artist Program. Vartanian is a critic, writer, curator, and lecturer whose work traces the intersections of art, politics, and diasporan consciousness. Co-founder and editor-in-chief of Hyperallergic (2009–), and the recipient of the Rabkin Foundation’s 2024 Susan C. Larsen Lifetime Achievement Award for Visual Arts Writing, he has reshaped arts journalism by championing criticism and reporting beyond market-driven narratives. He will discuss his approach through projects that probe trauma, displacement, racialization, propaganda, and the social role of art. Vartanian will deliver his public lecture as part of the longstanding NSCAD Public Lecture Series on Thursday, January 22 at 7 p.m. at the Halifax Central Public Library, 5440 Spring Garden Rd., Halifax, NS. Read more.

Exhibition: The Anna Leonowens Gallery Systems launches its winter 2026 programming with exhibitions by undergraduate exhibitors Alec Weetman, Eula Palmer, Stephanie Jordan and Chance B-P. Everyone is welcome at the opening on Monday, January 5 2026, 5:30 - 7pm. at the Anna Leonowens Gallery, 1891 Granville Street, Halifax, NS. Read more.

New role: NSCAD’s Visiting Artist Program Coordinator Annalise Prodor (BFA 2011) has been selected as the 2026 Nocturne Festival Curator. Annalise has selected the theme Embodied City. Through this thematic prompt, Annalise frames artistic interventions as opportunities for artists to “disrupt deteriorating public spaces and reimagine them as places of community connection”. In urban centres like our very own Kjipuktuk/Halifax, during a time when housing is scarce yet development is seemingly all around us, how can we look to creative practices to reclaim our place within the city? Congratulations Annalise. Read more. 

In the News: Students in NSCAD's Studio 5 – Collaborative Design class used design to restore dignity, independence, and connection for people living with dementia. Led by Associate Professor Glen Hougan, the project asked students to look at the traditional dementia kits that are available in Nova Scotia—often limited to puzzles, picture books or memory games—and rethink what support could look like. Read more here. Check out the CTV story about the projects.

In Memoriam: Ronald Hobbs, former VP of finance, and acting president of NSCAD from 1998 to 2000, recently passed away. A resident of Dartmouth, Ron was a hard worker all his professional life, which began at a bank in Kentville and then Wonder Bread of Dartmouth. He qualified as a general industrial accountant and earned an MBA at St. Mary's University. Ron held his acting president position leading up to the arrival of  Paul Greenhalgh in 2001. Read more.

Call for proposals: The Gardiner Museum is inviting proposals for its 2026 Curatorial Residency. The residency is a paid opportunity to conceive, research and produce a small scale exhibition and gain experience in a professional museum environment. The Curatorial Residency includes: 2 - 4 weeks of travel outside of Canada to research you exhibition, including including visiting other museums. Sixteen to 18 weeks of full-time work at the Gardiner, focusing on the research, development, writing, and realization phases of the exhibition. The deadline to apply is February 13, 2026 at 5 p.m. EST. Read more.

Call for submissions: The Nelson and District Arts Council (NDAC) is inviting submissions for the annual Nelson International Mural Festival in Nelson BC. Through the festival NDAC seeks to increase the cultural vibrancy of Nelson by engaging local, national, and international street artists, muralists, creators and arts lovers through large scale public artworks and educational opportunities. The Festival is August 7-9, 2026 in Nelson, BC, Canada with painting taking place in June, July, and August.The deadline for submissions is Monday, December 22 at 11:59 P.T. Read more.

Call for design submissions: You're invited to be a part of VANS’ 50th Anniversary logo!  Better Drea.ms Design Studio is designing a logo to capture 50 years of Visual Arts Nova Scotia. Here is Better Drea.ms’ concept brief: “Using 50 unique interpretations of the ‘0’ in ’50’ becomes a living showcase of the talent within the VANS community. Each hand-rendered form reflects a different style, medium, or craft, turning the logo into a gallery”. You can paint, draw, sketch, scribble and/or doodle your design. Below is a template that you can use for your ideas and print out as your submission. Deadline is January 31, 2026. Read more.

Call for submissions: The Bus Stop Theatre is looking for visual artists to display their works on their beautiful gallery wall. Applications are open for Summer 2026. The slot offers three months of exhibition from June 22 - September 21. Deadline for submissions is Thursday, April 30, 2026. Those interested in applying should complete the application form before the deadline. 

Award: Nominations are open for The Robert Jekyll Award for Leadership in Craft. The award honours those who elevate Canada’s craft sector through creativity, dedication, and vision. Named for Robert Jekyll, past president of the CCF/FCMA (2000-2003) and stained glass artist, this annual award celebrates the volunteers, educators, administrators, advocates, and makers who give their time, energy, and expertise to strengthen our community. The nomination deadline is Jan. 23, 2026. Read more.

Artist in Residence: Fogo Island is accepting applications for its Newfoundland and Labrador Artist Residency.  Applications are welcome from contemporary artists currently living and working full time in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Artists and practitioners from disciplines including visual arts, film, new media, arts writing, curating, architecture, and design are eligible to apply. The residency takes place May 4 to June 29, 2026. Deadline for applications is January 23, 2026. Read more.

Job opportunity: Max Stern Curator, Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery at 
Concordia University. The Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery is a university art gallery recognized across Canada for the investigative nature of its programming, which examines current artistic and curatorial practices as well as the context in which they evolve. Its exhibitions, screenings, performances, lectures and publications present the work of local, Canadian and international artists; and are devised as a form of inquiry for fostering critical thinking. Application deadline is January 5, 2026. Read more.

Textile Tour: Join Organic Apparel's Laura Chenoweth in Rajasthan to explore India’s rich textile heritage through guided tours and hands-on workshops. From block printing and indigo dyeing in Sanganer, to Dabu resist dyeing in Bagru, each experience offers a personal connection to traditional craft, culture and sustainability. The next tour is March 21-27, 2026.  Read more.

Head, Heart, and Hand Alumni Fund: As NSCAD alumni, we know the value of what our university community gave us — spaces to create, mentors who inspired us, and experiences that shaped our lives. Now, we have a chance to give back in a way that ensures those opportunities remain vibrant for future students. The new Head, Heart, and Hand Fund: Powered by NSCAD Alumni supports what makes NSCAD exceptional—studio access, creative spaces, mentorship, and experiences that aren’t covered by the operating budget.  Supporting this new philanthropic initiative is a simple but powerful way to make an even bigger impact. Donate here.