New Publication by Prof. Alena Robin
March 09, 2025
Alena Robin recently published an article entitled “The Painter and the New World: celebrating the centennial of the Canadian Confederation through a hemispheric approach” in a special issue of the Colnaghi Studies Journal on New Perspectives on the Art of Viceregal America.
Kim Neudorf Reviews Racquel Rowe's Solo Exhibition | Akimbo
March 07, 2025
Part-time lecturer Kim Neudorf reviews PhD candidate Raquel Rowe's recent solo exhibition "The Centre of the World Was the Beach," which concluded at Forest City Gallery on March 8.
Behnaz Fatemi: Rhythm of Remembering | Art Windsor Essex
March 03, 2025
PhD Candidate Behnaz Fatemi invites you to attend her artist talk on March 20 from 6:00pm - 6:30pm at the AWE (Art Windsor Essex). She will be discussing her current exhibition, "Rhythm of Remembering," which is curated by Niku Koochak. The exhibition runs from March 20 - June 29, 2025.
Conversations on Access: Disability Art Activism & Institutional Critique | Online
March 02, 2025
Join the Faculty of Information & Media Studies for a conversation about disability art activism and institutional critique featuring Dr. Amanda Cachia and Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware. Dr. Cachia is an art historian and curator who works as Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware is a visual artist, activist, curator, and educator who works as Assistant Professor at McMaster University.
Book Release and Artist Talk: Carolyn Bell Farrell | AGO Baillie Court
March 01, 2025
"Tim Whiten: Life & Work," is a new book by author and PhD Candidate Carolyn Bell Farrell, published by the Art Canada Institute. The book traces the distinguished fifty-year career of Toronto-based artist Tim Whiten (b. 1941) and his lifelong commitment to investigating the human condition. Bell Farrell joins Tim Whiten in a conversation, moderated by Julian Cox, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario, on Sunday, April 13 at 2 pm at the AGO’s Baillie Court. This public talk is scheduled in conjunction with the exhibition, Tim Whiten: A Little Bit of Light, curated by Julian Cox, which opens at the AGO on March 26.
Artist Talk: Sandra Brewster | Conron Hall
February 11, 2025
Join The Department of Visual Arts on Thursday, March 6 at 6:00 pm ET for an artist talk by Sandra Brewster in Conron Hall at Western University. Sandra Brewster is a Canadian artist based in Toronto. Her practice is grounded in people of the Caribbean diaspora, who maintain a relationship with "back home". This is a public, free, and hybrid event.
Duncanson Lecture: Wanda Nanibush, "Performing Sovereignty" | Conron Hall
February 09, 2025
The Faculty of Arts & Humanities is honoured to host Wanda Nanibush for the second Robert and Patricia Duncanson Lecture of 2025, held on March 4, 2025. Wanda Nanibush is an Anishinaabe-kwe image and word warrior, curator and community organizer from Beausoleil First Nation, Canada. This hybrid event can be attended in person at Conron Hall or online via Zoom. There is no cost for this event.
Indigenous Casting Call Workshop with Theo Cuthand
February 07, 2025
Join Indigenous Artist-in-Residence, Theo Cuthand (Plains Cree, Little Pine First Nation), for a hands-on workshop where you'll learn acting exercises for the screen and how to record a top-notch audition tape using your phone (and some simple accessories!).
Racquel Rowe: The Centre of the World Was the Beach | Forest City Gallery
February 05, 2025
Be sure to see PhD candidate Racquel Rowe's solo exhibition "The Centre of the World Was the Beach" in its final weeks at Forest City Gallery. Rowe is an interdisciplinary artist from the island of Barbados currently residing in Canada. Her practice is continuously influenced by many aspects of history, matrilineal family structures, diasporic communities, and her upbringing in Barbados.
Ecologies in Practice Podcast
February 03, 2025
Hosted by PhD candidate Ashar Mobeen, Season 1 of the podcast brings together artists, scholars, and community members engaging with pressing environmental issues through art, science, and practice. Over the coming months, they will explore topics like soil regeneration, Indigenous land stewardship, water, air, and the challenges of textiles and plastics. Season 1 is Supported by the Sustainability Impact Fund at Western University, and based out of the Centre for Sustainable Curating, in the Department of Visual Arts.
In Conversation: Theo Jean Cuthand and Wanda Nanibush | U of T Scarborough
February 01, 2025
Artist Theo Jean Cuthand and curator Wanda Nanibush will provide insight into the development of the current Doris McCarthy Gallery exhibition Love + Numbers, exploring Cuthand’s groundbreaking thirty-year artistic practice.
Panel Discussion: Racquel Rowe and Jessica Karuhanga in Conversation
January 27, 2025
In partnership with Forest City Gallery, and to celebrate Racquel Rowe's current solo exhibition, "The Centre of the World was the Beach," SASAH hosts a conversation between Rowe and artist Jessica Karuhanga. The artists will be discussing their multi-faceted practices in a discussion moderated by SASAH student Kira McCallum-Schmidt. Rowe is a PhD candidate in Art & Visual Culture in the Department of Visual Arts, and Karuhanga is a Professor in the Department of Visual Arts. This hybrid talk will be available in person at Western University, Digital Creativity Lab, and online (Zoom link will be posted).
Upcoming Conference - Decolonial Conversations
January 26, 2025
"Decolonial Conversations" is a conference accompanied by creative projects that will take place at the forks of the Deshkan Ziibi on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron. The conference includes panels on transnational Intimacies; historical and contemporary partitions; the politics of dress, bodies, and activism; racialized histories in national and international contexts; Canadian and global indigenous networks, and global theatre and performance. Conference registration is open now.
Sky Glabush: Flowers - Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture | Saatchi Gallery
January 24, 2025
Professor Sky Glabush will have his artwork included in an upcoming group exhibition at Saatchi Gallery in London, England. "Flowers - Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture" features large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design exploring the ongoing influence of flowers on creativity and human expression. The exhibition runs from February 12 - May 15, 2025
Sky Glabush Interview with Border Crossings Magazine
January 22, 2025
Professor Sky Glabush is featured in an article in the January 2025 issue (#166) of Border Crossings magazine titled "Sky Glabush: Painting's Alphabet." Art critic Robert Enright interviewed Glabush in response to his recent exhibition, “The letters of this alphabet were trees,” which took place at the Stephen Friedman Gallery in New York from September 5 to October 16, 2024.
CBC Radio Interview with Kirsty Robertson
January 20, 2025
Professor Kirsty Robertson, Director of Centre for Sustainable Curating, and FIMS Associate Professor, Sarah E.K. Smith, were recently interview by CBC Radio. Robertson and Smith co-curated "The Air of Now and Gone," a new exhibition showing at Carleton University Art Gallery in Ottawa from January 26 - May 5, 2025.
Theo Jean Cuthand: Love + Numbers | Doris McCarthy Gallery
January 16, 2025
The work of Western University's Indigenous Artist-in-Residence, Theo Jean Cuthand, is currently on display at the Doris McCarthy Gallery in Scarborough. Curated by Wanda Nanibush, "Love + Numbers" covers a selection of Cuthand’s experimental narrative videos and performances from the 1990s to the present. Cuthand will give an artist talk at the gallery on January 29, 2025.
With gardens and garbage, artists are reimagining the life and death of their work
January 14, 2025
Congratulations to PhD candidate Katie Lawson, whose article "With gardens and garbage, artists are reimagining the life and death of their work" was recently featured by CBC Arts. Lawson works with the Centre for Sustainable Curating in the Department of Visual Arts.
Towards a sustainable future through art and literature
January 12, 2025
Professor Kirsty Robertson, Director of Centre for Sustainable Curating, is featured alongside fellow Arts and Humanities Professor Joshua Schuster in an article that discusses the role of art and literature in spurring action on climate change.
New Publication by Prof. Cody Barteet
January 04, 2025
Cody Barteet publishes "The Making of the Historic Heraldic Window for St. Paul's Cathedral, London (Ontario): Christopher Wallis, Stained Glass, and the Heraldic Arts" in "Journal of History", issue 59, no. 3 (2024): 292-324.
Christopher Wallis: In Balance of Light | ArtLAB Gallery
January 02, 2025
Curated by Dr. Cody Barteet and Natalie Scolia, "Christopher Wallis: In The Balance of Light" is showing in the artLAB Gallery until January 30, 2025. This exhibition showcases the brilliant career of Christopher Wallis (1930–2021), one of the most celebrated stained-glass artists of his generation. This exhibition draws from sketches, coloured designs, full-scale cartoons, and completed windows, offering an unprecedented look into his creative process and the breadth of his artistic legacy.
New publication co-authored by Prof. Kirsty Robertson
December 23, 2024
Kirsty Robertson and Heather Davis's article “Plastic Dislocations: Questions of Labour and Environment in Plastic Heart” Sculpture Journal (27 November): 561–582, was recently released in the special issue Plastic Art, Plastic Meanings.
Editorial: Mobilizing Museum Minerals
December 22, 2024
Congratulations to Postdoctoral Associate Camille-Mary Sharp, whose co-edited double issue of Museum and Society, Mobilizing Museum Minerals, was recently released. The journal is open access and can be found at the link below, and features articles by current and past collaborators with the Visual Arts Department including Eleanor Armstrong, Elysia French, and Eugenia Kisin.
Chained to the Gallery: 1970s Protest, Nationalism, and Anti-Racism at the Art Gallery of Ontario
December 20, 2024
Professor Kirsty Robertson's article "Chained to the Gallery: 1970s Protest, Nationalism, and Anti-Racism at the Art Gallery of Ontario" was published in the Canadian Historical Review 105.4
You and I Are Water Earth Fire Air of Life and Death - PART 5 | artLAB Gallery and Livestreaming
December 06, 2024
"Water (Deshkan Ziibi)” is curated by Christof Migone, Sheri Osden Nault, and Ruth Skinner. Presented by the artLAB Gallery at the Department of Visual Arts, this 12-hour event will be streamed via YouTube and will feature performances by participants Kate Armstrong, Bagida’waad Alliance, Dickson Bou, Penelope Cain, Shannon Cooney, Tom Cull, Melissa General, Farheen Haq, Kaya Joan, Sharmistha Kar, Claire Liu, Patrick Mahon, Thomas Mahon, Brady Marks, Christof Migone, Laura Millard, Valerie Mills-Milde, Star Nahwegahbo, Sheri Osden Nault, Eli Nolet, Raquel Rowe, Jon Sasaki, Lou Sheppard, Ruth Skinner, Quinn Smallboy, Jordyn Stewart, Mark Timmings, Paul Walde, Michelle Wilson.
Members' Show & Sale | Forest City Gallery
December 06, 2024
In partnership with Embassy Cultural House, the FCG annual Members' Show & Sale features the work of Western undergraduate students Amythly, Genevieve Buchanan, Jadhen Pangilinan, Maggie Shook, Jade Williamson; graduate students Sebastian Evans, Jessica Irene Joyce, Moira Hayes; and faculty Ron Benner, Wyn Geleynse, Jamelie Hassan, Patrick Mahon, David Merritt. Other participating artists include a past Indigenous Artist in Residence and many Western alumni.
John Hatch: Art and Math Seminar | Kansas State University
November 19, 2024
John Hatch presented “Do Numbers Count in the Visual Arts: A look at some modern examples where they might” for the Art and Math seminar series hosted by the Department of Mathematics, Kansas State University, November 14, 2024
David Merritt: render | Christie Contemporary
October 16, 2024
David Merritt opens a new solo exhibition, "render" at Christie Contemporary in Toronto. This now work explores the act of rendering, which can be understood as both additive and reductive. It can refer to a version of something. It might imply a transformation. The exhibition runs from October 19 - November 16, 2024.
G’round Textile Waste Tour & Seminar
October 09, 2024
G’round Textile Waste Tour & Seminar! Visit the Goodwill Commercial Solutions facility in London to get a behind the scenes look at how donated items and textiles are sorted, managed and recycled. Then the following day join artist Lois Klassen for an exploration of textile circularity at the personal level. Register to attend!
New publication by Prof. Cody Barteet
October 08, 2024
Cody Barteet publishes "Recovering the Lost Histories of the Meredith Family’s Tiffany Windows at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Ontario" in "RACAR at 50" issue 49, no. 1 (Spring 2024).
Review | Recentring visual artist Sheila Butler
By
Jen Zoratti ,Winnipeg Free Press , October 08, 2024
Read the exhibition review "Recentring visual artist Sheila Butler and her female gaze" written by Jen Zoratti and published by the "Winnipeg Free Press". The show "Sheila Butler: Other Circumstances," offers a retrospective look at Butler's practice and is co-curated by Pamela Edmonds and Patrick Mahon. It is currently on view at the School of Art Gallery at the University of Manitoba.
GardenShip and State | Thames Art Gallery
September 11, 2024
This exhibition brings together 21 artists and writers who engage in decolonial critique, environmental activism, and twenty-first century artistic practices to address what is arguably the problem of our times: environmental catastrophe. Co-curated by Jeff Thomas and Patrick Mahon, the exhibition features a vast array of works, many produced over a two-year period and originally shown at Museum London in 2021-22. Featuring alum Paul Chartrand, Michael Farnan, Sharmistha Kar, Mark Kasumovic, Olivia Mossuto, Quinn Smallboy, Ashley Snook, Andres Villar, Michelle Wilson, Professor Jessica Karuhanga and Ron Benner an Adjunct Professor.
Sky Glabush: The letters of this alphabet were trees
By
Stephen Friedman Gallery , August 23, 2024
Stephen Friedman Gallery presents 'The letters of this alphabet were trees', an exhibition of new paintings by Canadian artist Sky Glabush, marking his New York debut. Based in the countryside near London, Ontario, Glabush is celebrated for his brilliantly colored landscapes depicting forests, fields, flowers, sea and sky. In these familiar yet stylized scenes, the exploration of color, light and form is mediated through the use of texture, resulting from mixing sand and oil paint.
An Opulence of Squander | The Belkin
August 22, 2024
Professor Kelly Wood artwork is included in the group exhibition "An Opulence of Squander" at the Belkin at the University of British Columbia. "The group exhibition features artworks from the Belkin’s collection and beyond that critique the imperative for growth at all costs, growth that has contributed to our collective ecological and social conundrum. The works – including those by Richard Ibghy & Marilou Lemmens, Mike MacDonald and Kelly Wood – critique and resist the growth imperative, recognizing both the limits to productivity and the contradictory ideological premises that foster and justify the continued exploitation of labour and nature."
Indigenous artist-in-residence uses film and video games to connect with students
By
Jo Jennings ,Western News , August 19, 2024
Theo Jean Cuthand, an experimental and narrative filmmaker and indie game developer, joins Western this fall as the new Indigenous artist-in-residence. Cuthand’s works have been shown in festivals and galleries internationally, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the National Gallery of Canada. “Theo is bringing an exciting expertise to Western with his experience in short experimental narrative videos and films about queer identity and love, sexuality, madness and Indigeneity,” said Alena Robin, chair of the department of visual arts. “These are timely topics that are of concern to our students, department, campus and London community.”
Ecologies in Practice: Environmentally Engaged Arts in Canada
July 17, 2024
Ecologies in Practice: Environmentally Engaged Arts in Canada, co-edited by Dr. Elysia French and CSC postdoctoral fellow Dr. Amanda White is available to purchase through any local bookstore or online via Wilfrid Laurie University Press (with a current discount). This collection includes contributions from Western University alumni and community members including Christina Battle and Tom Cull, as well as many other contributions by artists, scholars, and curators.
Visual Arts Faculty Members Named Canada Research Chairs
July 15, 2024
Two faculty members from the Department of Visual Arts have been named Canada Research Chairs (CRC). The CRC program recognizes the country’s top scholars across disciplines. Dr. Kirsty Robertson has been named Canada Research Chair in Museums, Art, and Sustainability. Her research aims to develop a better balance between museums’ potential to work with the public on pressing issues and their overuse of resources. Jackson Leween, Two Bears (Tékeniyáhsen Ohkwá:ri) has been appointed Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts Research and Technology. His work focuses on researching and creating projects centered around Haudenosaunee land-based histories and embodied cultural knowledge in the context of our digital age.
Leading Canadian Scholar to Visit CEE in 2025
Centre News , July 15, 2024
Congratulations to Professor Kirsty Robertson as she has been awarded a Senior Global Fellowship at the University of St. Andrews, where she will be collaborating with the Centre for Energy Ethics.
Study Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico
July 14, 2024
The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to offer a new course in winter 2025, "Study Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico" is an exciting adventure in learning that combines of Art History and Photography instruction with Professor Alena Robin and Professor Kelly Wood. Students will discover the rich cultural heritage of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico and its fascinating region. Join the online information session at 2pm on July 24. Registration required.
After devastating church fire in Toronto, experts warn hundreds more historic buildings lack proper protections
By
Mariya Postelnyak ,Globe and Mail , July 03, 2024
Professor Cody Barteet was interviewed by the Globe and Mail for this article regarding historic churches and the lack of proper protections.
Ten summer reads by Western faculty and alumni
By
Keri Ferguson ,Western News , June 21, 2024
New books written by art history faculty members Sarah Bassnett and John Hatch have been included in Western News' top ten books to read this summer. Both books are available for download or in print; order yours today.
Tricia Johnson: Recent Things | Satellite Project Space
June 21, 2024
Professor Tricia Johnson's solo exhibition "Recent Things" is on view at Satellite Project Space June 19 - July 13. Join us June 20 from 5-7pm for the opening reception. Satellite will have altered hours during this exhibition. Please visit their website for more information.
New publication by Prof. Cody Barteet
June 20, 2024
Barteet, “The Retablos of Mani: The Convergence of Maya and Spanish Art,” Polychrome Art in the Early Modern World: 1200-1800, edited by Ilene Colón Mendoza and Lisanda Estevez. New York and London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2024, 154-167.
Body: Material, Performative, Absent | Cohen Commons
June 20, 2024
In continuation of DRAFTS 5: Diasporic Bodies research and exhibition, Body: Material, Performative, Absent focuses on Faseeh Saleem’s design research on alternative conceptions of the body from a postcolonial lens. Curated by Soheila Esfahani, in this exhibition Saleem explores conceptions of the body and challenges conventional design methods and design thinking in fashion design processes in order to open up for alternative bodies as a methodological foundation.
New Article Published by John Hatch
June 19, 2024
Prof. John Hatch's "Postcards from a Cosmic Traveller: Thomas Ruff’s Images of Space" has just been published in the most recent issue of Culture and Cosmos, which he also co-edited.
Church fire that consumed Group of Seven murals was ‘heart-wrenching’
Toronto Star , June 14, 2024
Following the devastating fire at Toronto's historic St. Anne’s Anglican Church, art history professor Sarah Bassnett highlights the significance of the lost Group of Seven murals created as part of an early 20th-century movement to integrate paintings into architecture.
Professor John Hatch Publishes New Book
Art Canada Institute , June 13, 2024
Professor John Hatch has published a new book, Doris McCarthy: Life & Work which explores the career of the Canadian painter, writer and educator. Published by Art Canada Institute, it is available now open access online.
Retrospective Exhibition Showcases the Unique Works and Legacy of London Artist Philip Aziz
May 29, 2024
An exhibition showcasing works by London artist Philip Aziz opens at Satellite Project Space on Monday, June 3rd. Painted By My Hand: Works from the Collection of Philip Aziz features a selection of paintings, lithographs, and photographs from the personal collection of Philip Aziz (1923 – 2009), a renowned London-based artist whose works have been shown in London, Toronto, Detroit, and New York. Curated by Prof. Cody Barteet and Natalie Scola a current PhD candidate in the Department of Visual Arts.
Department of Visual Arts at INSAP 2024
May 25, 2024
At the INSAP 2024: Thirty Years of Astronomy, Art and Inspiration conference hosted by the Ionian University of Corfu, Professor John Hatch presented a paper titled "Touching the Universe: Backyard Science Projects in Contemporary Art" along with PhD candidate, Ashar Mobeen who presented a paper titled “Cosmic Echoes in the Art and Architecture of the Islamic Golden Age”.
Sacred spaces: Indigenous Territory and Knowledge-sharing in the digital age
Canada Foundation for Innovation , May 21, 2024
Professor Jackson 2bears' creative practice has been funded and featured in an article published by Canada Foundation of Innovation.
A new art exhibit takes you deeper into the history and ecosystem of the Coves in London
CBC News , May 07, 2024
'Unclaim. Unsettle. Belong' exhibit is on display at Western University's McIntosh Gallery until June 1
CSC mentioned in CBC Arts feature
By
Chris Hampton ,CBC Arts , April 16, 2024
The CBC Arts article titled "How do we make public art in a climate crisis?" features the Centre for Sustainable Curating among various Canadian artists and groups who are "dedicated to the exhibition of temporary public art to discuss how they can responsibly do their work — and how the nature of that work changes — in the midst of a climate emergency."
The Coves Collective: unclaim. unsettle. belong | McIntosh Gallery
April 15, 2024
unclaim. unsettle. belong is on view in the McIntosh Gallery until June 1. This exhibition brings together works by The Coves Collective members Kristin Bennett, Paul Chartrand (MFA '17), Reilly Knowles (BFA '20), Professor Sheri Osden Nault, and Michelle Wilson (PhD '22).
UAAC-AAUC Conference 2024: Call for Papers
April 15, 2024
The UAAC-AAUC conference will be held in the Department of Visual Arts at Western University from October 24 to 26, 2024. We invite the submission of paper proposals until May 31st, 2024.
Professor Sarah Bassnett recently published an open-access article in Oxford Art Journal
April 14, 2024
“Rescue Politics: Richard Mosse’s Thermal Imaging and the Containment of Migration,” Oxford Art Journal 46, issue 3 (Dec. 2023): 471-492.
Kirsty Robertson Publishes Review in Momus
April 04, 2024
Kirsty Robertson recently published a review of Caroline Monnet’s Uneasy Objects in Momus. "Pizandawatc / The One Who Listens / Celui qui écoute, a recent exhibition at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto (AMUT), draws its title from the traditional name of artist Caroline Monnet’s family, prior to the changing of surnames in her traditional territory of Kitigan Zibi by Christian missionaries..."
Study Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico
March 27, 2024
The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to offer a new course in winter 2025, "Study Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico" is an exciting adventure in learning that combines of Art History and Photography instruction with Professor Alena Robin and Professor Kelly Wood. Students will discover the rich cultural heritage of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico and its fascinating region.
Prof. Sarah Bassnett and Blessy Augustine | Photography and Culture
March 26, 2024
Professor Sarah Bassnett and PhD candidate Blessy Augustine recently guest-edited a special issue of the journal Photography and Culture on 21st-century migration. We are pleased to share the following essays from the special issue...
Art inspired by advent (or not) of Anthropocene | Western News
By
Keri Ferguson ,Western News , March 15, 2024
"Anthropocene or no Anthropocene, that was the question. And last week, a group of international scientists responded, voting against a proposal to declare the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch to reflect how human activity has altered the planet. The possible naming of the time period was the launching point for visual arts professor Kirsty Robertson’s museum and curatorial students’ year-end project and exhibit meromictic..."
Prof. Sarah Bassnett Publishes Article on Trevor Paglen
March 05, 2024
Professor Sarah Bassnett recently published an open-access article on how Trevor Paglen’s work offers insight into the age of machine vision. “Trevor Paglen’s Border Abstractions in the Age of Machine Vision,” photographies 17, no. 1-2 (spring 2024): 25-42.
Professor Sarah Bassnett Co-Publishes Article on Retrieving Images From Tarnished Daguerreotypes
March 03, 2024
Professor Sarah Bassnett collaborated with Chemistry Professor T.K. Sham and colleagues on an open-access article about retrieving images from tarnished daguerreotypes titled “Retrieving Images from Tarnished Daguerreotypes using X-ray Fluorescence with an X-Ray Micro Beam with Tunable Energy,” in the Journal of Cultural Heritage, May – June 2024 issue.
Pasts Refracted: Indigenous Histories on Film Beyond the Cinema by Prof. Christine Sprengler
February 06, 2024
Professor Christine Sprengler recently published a chapter titled "Pasts Refracted: Indigenous Histories on Film Beyond the Cinema" in "The Routledge Companion to History and the Moving Image". This volume addresses moving image history through a theoretical lens; modes and genres; representation, race, and identity; and evolving forms and formats.
DRAFTS 5: DIASPORIC BODIES | Artlab Gallery
January 11, 2024
Curated by Soheila Esfahani & Faseeh Saleem, this exhibition features work by: Anahí González, Anna Lidström, Erika Blomgren and Faseeh Saleem , Jessica Karuhanga, Karin Landahl & Stefanie, Malmgren de Oliveira, Leith Mahkewa, Racquel Rowe, Vidmina Stasiulyte. This exhibition brings together a group of artists from the Department of Visual Arts at Western University, London, Canada, and design researchers from the Body and Space Research Lab at the Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, Sweden. Please join us for the closing reception of DRAFTS 5: DIASPORIC BODIES on Thursday, January 25 from 12-2PM in the Cohen Commons. Image: Jessica Karuhanga, Photo Credit: Toni Hafkenscheid, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
bread, butter, tea, soup | Artlab Gallery
January 11, 2024
Presented by The Creative Food Research Collaboratory, 'bread, butter, tea, soup' is a gathering place and a series of food-based artistic interventions presented by the Creative Food Research Collaboratory. In the darkness of winter, before the light begins to return incrementally, we invite all to share in the warmth, comfort and complexity of food; to eat, learn, digest and imagine together. Please join us for a series of artistic activations throughout January. More information about these live events can be found through the link below.
Gardenship and State: Thinking with creativity
By
Busra Copuroglu , December 18, 2023
How can artistic projects disseminate knowledge about complex socio-cultural and environmental issues? Conceived at the intersection of environmental critique, decolonial theory, and artistic practice, GardenShip and State engages this question to examine environmental catastrophe and its impact on the lives of colonized peoples by bringing together artists and scholars to mobilize knowledge through interdisciplinary work.
Are (Sommes Sonnes) 12-HOUR EVENT | Organized by Christof Migone
December 05, 2023
Fourth in a series of 12 annual events taking place on December 12 from noon to midnight. Each year the event focuses on a word of the 12-word phrase ‘You And I Are Water Earth Fire Air Of Life And Death’ and activates it in myriad ways. This year the focus is on plurals: multiplicities leading to infinities, polymorphs and polyglots, surrounded sounds, layers upon layers, etceteras upon etceteras. It started with ‘You’ in 2020, then ‘And’ came to connect you to anything and everything. Last year that point of connection was ‘I’. This year with ‘Are’ action enters the fray. What are you and I to do? What are we up to? Well, let’s begin with being, simply being; however contentious that might be, and however tenuous we may be. Curated by Myriam Lambert, Christof Migone, and Alexandre St-Onge
Participants Needed: Research in Examining Apprenticeship in Tattooing in Ontario
December 05, 2023
PhD candidate Ana Moyer and professor Dr. Cody Barteet, researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, are seeking participants for a study titled Apprenticeship in Canadian Tattooing. The purpose of this study is to document the experience of Ontario 2SLGBTQIA+ and/or disabled tattoo artists during their apprenticeship or other methods to learn tattooing. We are recording oral history interviews, concentrating our work in the Greater Toronto Area, London, and Guelph district.
Exploring Modern and Craft Art in London’s Cathedral’s | Cohen Commons
December 03, 2023
"Exploring Modern and Craft Art in London’s Cathedral’s" is on view in the Cohen Commons Gallery until December 7, 2023. In our exhibit “Exploring Modern and Craft Art in London’s Cathedral’s” we consider the art and purpose of two chapels within our community. The chapels, Our Lady and St. Aidan’s, are small sites of worship that are part of the larger Catholic and Anglican cathedrals of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s, respectively. Contrasting the larger Gothic and Romanesque inspired century-old cathedrals, the mid to late twentieth-century chapels adopt more modern aesthetics in their design and adornment.
"We, the Self" Group Exhibition | The Next Contemporary
November 14, 2023
The Next Contemporary gallery is pleased to present "We, the Self" featuring works by Kim Neudorf (MFA '12), Jay Krakower, Natalie King, Laurence Philomène, and Sasha Cousins, the show explores queer notions of self-portraiture and what collective ideas of self might look like.
GardenShip and State: A Book is a World | Museum London & Words Fest
November 02, 2023
Museum London and the Words Festival are pleased to host a visit with the artists and curators of GardenShip & State for a launch of their exhibition catalogue. This gathering of curators, artists, designer/editors and writers will address the ways art projects can lead to the production of catalogues and books as archives of cultural materials that act as references and touchstones for ongoing work towards positive change and transformation. Attend in-person or online. Registration required,
Prof. Christof Migone performs at Lausanne Underground Film & Music Festival
October 20, 2023
Christof Migone was in performance with Alexandre St-Onge of Snow Storm, seize me by the horns, and l’étranglement at the Lausanne Underground Film & Music Festival (LUFF) in Switzerland on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
Soheila Esfahani: The Tool That Could Part Tangled Things | Red Head Gallery
October 04, 2023
Soheila Esfahani is pleased to present her recent work in a solo exhibition titled The Tool That Could Part Tangled Things at the Red Head Gallery. The exhibition runs October 4 - 28th, 2023. Prof. Esfahani will be in attendance at the gallery on October 28th, from 12-5pm.
Sarah Bassnett co-authors new book 'Photography in Canada, 1839-1989'
September 22, 2023
Sarah Bassnett and co-author Sarah Parsons (York University) have released a new book, Photography in Canada, 1839-1989: An Illustrated History. Published by Art Canada Institute, it is available now open access online, and it will be published in print in the coming months. This is the first comprehensive book on the history of photography in Canada.
Kirsty Robertson wins Creation and Research in the Visual Arts Prize
September 15, 2023
Professor Kirsty Robertson has been awarded The Grantham Foundation: Creation and Research in the Visual Arts prize which includes $5000 and a one-month residency at the Foundation in the coming year. Prof. Robertson’s project “Plastic Atmospheres: Of Textiles, Microfibers, Art, and Air” takes one of the most common manufactured items in the world – a synthetic textile – and uses its disintegration to read the world.
“The Creation of a ‘Transcendental Experience’: Stained Glass by Christopher Wallis for St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario,” by C. Cody Barteet and Katie Oates
September 06, 2023
Professor Cody Barteet and Katie Oates recently published “The Creation of a ‘Transcendental Experience’: Stained Glass by Christopher Wallis for St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario,” in The Journal of Stained Glass: British Society of Master Glass Painters.
“Timed Space: De Stijl’s Framing of Four-Dimensional Space/Time in Two Dimensions” by John Hatch
September 04, 2023
John Hatch’s article “Timed Space: De Stijl’s Framing of Four-Dimensional Space/Time in Two Dimensions” has just been published in the volume Perspective: Selected Essays on Space in Art and Design edited by Sarina Miller as part of the Vernon Press’ Series in Art
Doors Open: London’s Heritage Through Cuisine
Museum London , August 17, 2023
Join artist Ron Benner at Museum London on Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm for the annual outdoor corn roast. Enjoy corn on the cob with butter, salt, chili powder, and lime juice freshly roasted from Benner's Maiz Barbacoa — part corn roaster and part sculpture. Live acoustic music by Frank Ridsdale accompanies this feast. On Sunday from 12:00 pm to 12:40 pm, the London Symphonia presents an informal cushion concert for ages 3+ with music from around the globe and will be followed by a Q&A with the musicians.
Embassy Cultural House: Celebrating 40 Years of Cultural History | Satellite Project Space
June 14, 2023
Embassy Cultural House: Celebrating 40 Years of Cultural History is an exhibition that charts the past and present programs of the Embassy Cultural House. Beginning with the Embassy Hotel in 1983, the exhibition acknowledges the efforts made by a network of artists and activists in London, Ontario and internationally, including the current, re-invigorated community collective initiated in 2020. The exhibition has been coordinated by Ron Benner, Jamelie Hassan, Wyn Geleynse and Olivia Mossuto. A closing event will take place at Satellite Project Space on Saturday, June 24 from 2-5PM.
Kim Neudorf: the signs appear as in aspic | Thames Art Gallery
May 19, 2023
Congratulations to Kim Neudorf whose solo exhibition "in the signs appear as in aspic" opens at Thames Art Gallery in Chatham on June 16 and runs through August 13. Join Kim Neudorf for an artist talk on June 23 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm in Studio One, Cultural Centre and a painting workshop on June 24 (registration required).
Art show addresses issues of race, gender, sexuality, and diaspora
By
Megan Stacey ,Western News , May 19, 2023
Faculty, staff and artists gathered at Western's artLAB for the opening reception of its newest exhibition, "of many worlds in this world," including the chance to walk across a recreation of the Deshkan Ziibiing, or the Thames River, a work by Sheri Osden Nault.
Congratulations to Professor Patrick Mahon on his Upcoming Retirement
May 15, 2023
On Thursday, May 11, the Department of Visual Arts hosted a reception to celebrate Prof. Patrick Mahon's many accomplishments throughout his 28 years at Western University. Current and previous students, friends, and colleagues from Western and the wider artistic community were present to honour his legacy. As many speeches underlined, Patrick's impact was vast, the initiatives he took were abundant, and he has inspired and guided many in their academic and artistic journey. Patrick, you will be missed—our best wishes for a happy retirement.
Patrick Mahon: Thresholder Early & Recent Works (1989–2023) | Cohen Commons
May 04, 2023
Thresholder: Early & Recent Works by Professor Patrick Mahon is on view now in the Cohen Commons until June 8, 2023. Mahon notes "The works in this exhibition, some of which were made 35 years ago and others completed last month, may nonetheless suggest that I have continually been attuned to flux and uncertainty. As an artist I have indeed been preoccupied with things in states of suspension or passage ––threshold moments."
of many worlds in this world | artLAB Gallery
May 04, 2023
"of many worlds in this world" curated by Ashar Mobeen, PhD candidate, features the work of new studio art faculty members, Soheila Esfahani, Jessica Karuhanga and Sheri Osden Nault. Mobeen writes: “of many worlds in this world showcases a selection of works by Soheila Esfahani, Jessica Karuhanga, and Sheri Nault that address issues of race, gender, sexuality, and diaspora whilst pushing the limits of what art is and can be. The established and dynamic poetics of the show encourages viewers to respond and/or attend to their local surroundings, personal or national histories, and, most crucially, other people. Given the discursive nature of the subjects, this exhibition does not claim to be comprehensive, but rather acts as a platform for the emergence of a revisionary moment where the audience can engage in intergenerational dialogue and come together to displace the imagined histories that shape our world.”
Soheila Esfahani: Cultured Pallets | Aga Khan Museum
May 02, 2023
Professor Sohelia Esfahani's latest large scale site-specific installation Cultured Pallets: Aga Khan Museum at the Aga Khan Museum's Collections Gallery curated by Bita Pourvash is on view from May 2 to October 15, 2023. This installation is inspired by the geometric design of a 15th-century wooden door from the Aga Khan Museum's collections.
Into the Garden: Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner in Oaxaca, Mexico | Weldon Library
April 03, 2023
PhD candidate Iraboty Kazi and Dr. Cody Barteet are proud to present Into the Garden: Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner in Oaxaca, Mexico on view in D.B. Weldon Library, main floor glass cases. We explore ideas of place through botanical representations from the 2012 watercolour series, The World is a Garden. The series was created by London, Ontario-based artists, Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner during their residency in the Jardin Etnobotánico de Oaxaca (Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca), a space with a fascinating history and local connections.
Prof. Sarah Bassnett and Blessy Augustine present at the Association for Art History Conference
April 03, 2023
Professor Sarah Bassnett and PhD candidate Blessy Augustine are chairing a session on Photography and 21st-century migration at the Association for Art History conference hosted by University College London, UK on April 12, 2023.
"Fractured Fifties: The Cinematic Periodization and Evolution of a Decade" by Dr. Christine Sprengler
March 23, 2023
Dr. Christine Sprengler has published a new book with Oxford University Press titled "Fractured Fifties: The Cinematic Periodization and Evolution of a Decade". This text presents a two-pronged argument— that cinema helped define the 1950s by contributing in considerable and meaningful ways to the process of periodization and subsequently a common conception of the decade, and that cinema itself has fractured our understanding of the 1950s.
Jessica Karuhanga: Blue as the insides | KWAG
March 03, 2023
The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of Ugandan-Canadian artist Jessica Karuhanga. Blue as the insides is a survey of Karuhanga’s performance, video and sound installations over the last decade.
"A Group Show in London Traces Artists’ Spiritual Connection With Nature" | Frieze Magazine
March 02, 2023
Aliya Say of Frieze Magazine reviewed Prof. Sky Glasbush's work 'Night Dance,' which is on view in the group exhibition, 'The Moth and the Thunderclap,' until March 18 at Modern Art London. The full review is available online.
Sky Glabush Joins Stephen Friedman Gallery
February 27, 2023
Stephen Friedman Gallery in London UK is delighted to announce representation of Sky Glabush. His first UK solo exhibition will open at Stephen Friedman Gallery in April 2023. Sky Glabush is also represented by Philip Martin Gallery in Los Angeles.
'Portraits of Home' | Grimsby Public Art Gallery
February 21, 2023
Prof. Soheila Esfahani is featured in the group exhibition 'Portraits of Home' at Grimsby Public Art Gallery from February 21 through April 22. Her installation features 115 porcelain birds, a combination of collected souvenir-like objects alongside handmade birds painted with culturally specific designs. Together, the birds evoke a representation of the movement of culture from place to place by immigrants and tourists, challenging viewers to consider the dissemination of culture and their inherent complexities.
Suggested Reading | Christie Contemporary
February 17, 2023
Professor emeritus David Merritt's work is featured in the current group exhibition "Suggested Reading" on display at Christie Contemporary until March 11, 2023
Confluences a Community Gathering & Symposium
February 13, 2023
Mark your calendars! You are invited to join GardenShip and State at Museum London’s Centre at the Forks to discuss how art communicates the interconnections between culture, politics, and ecology. The event is open to all, including a reception to cap off the events on Friday and a welcome tea with treats at midday on Saturday.
Preserving Art History for the Ages
CTV News London , February 08, 2023Professor Cody Barteet speaks with CTV London's Marek Sutherland about his new online gallery of local stained-glass artwork.
Epistolarity and Decolonial Aesthetics in Carola Grahn's Look Who's Talking by Dr. Christine Sprengler
February 02, 2023
Dr. Christine Sprengler recently published an essay, "Epistolarity and Decolonial Aesthetics in Carola Grahn's Look Who's Talking" in the new book "Epistolary Entanglements in Film, Media and the Visual Arts" edited by Teri Higgins, Catherine Fowler.
Ornamental Gestures | Doris McCarthy Gallery
January 20, 2023
Prof. Soheila Esfahani will exhibit one of her installations in her Cultured Pallets series in the upcoming group exhibition: Ornamental Gestures curated by Sandy Saad-Smith at Doris McCarthy Gallery, University of Toronto Scarborough, January 21- April 1, 2023. Image: Soheila Esfahani, My Place is Placeless, detail, laser-etched wooden pallets, 2013
Reflecting on Religious Imagery Through Documentation and Quotidian Objects | Cohen Commons
January 11, 2023
Reflecting on Religious Imagery Through Documentation and Quotidian Objects: Cody Barteet, Katie Oates, and Tanner Layton is on view in the Cohen Commons from January 12 - 26, 2023 with an opening reception on Thursday, January 12 from 5-7PM. "This exhibition reframes our experience of religious sites in Southwestern Ontario. We capture not the sacred, but rather the ordinary. Through these visions of decay, graffiti, and quotidian objects and images, we reimagine and reconsider how religious imagery is encountered. Our documentation explores the doorway between inclusion and exclusion, enchantment and disenchantment, and that which is concealed behind locked doors."
The Moth and The Thunderclap | Modern Art, London, England
January 04, 2023
Professor Sky Glabush's work will be featured in an upcoming group exhibition featuring over 40 artists at Modern Art in London, England. Curated by Simon Grant, The Moth and The Thunderclap features an eclectic global mix of artists from modernism to the present day. Taking its title from a painting by the celebrated American artist Charles Burchfield, The Moth and The Thunderclap aims to show how artists have been compelled to reflect an indeterminate psychological space where nature and culture collide, often filtered through their experience of landscape. Image: Charles Burchfield, Winter Sunburst (detail), 1960
Panel Discussion with Prof. John Hatch at RMG
January 03, 2023
Professor John Hatch and fellow panelists Louise Noguchi (artist), Bryce Kanbara (artist and recent Governor General Award recipient) will lead for a conversation about the lasting impact and legacy of artist Kazuo Nakamura at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery on February 4, 2023 at 2:00 pm. This event compliments the current exhibition at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Kazuo Nakamura: Universal Pattern, on view until March 5th.
Public Artist Talk and Performance by Jessica Karuhanga | Queer City Cinema
December 16, 2022
Please join professor Jessica Karuhanga for a public artist talk and performance in the Digital Creativity Lab or via Zoom on Friday, January 13th at 7pm. Presented by Queer City Cinema this talk and performance is featured as part of "QALEIDOSCOPE Queer Film & Performance on Tour 2023" which features QTBIPOC films and performance that explore, question and play with identity to propose and investigate diverse ways of looking at sexuality, gender and race.
Video Walkthrough of "BODYLAND" | Galerie Max Hetzler
December 16, 2022
Galerie Max Hetzler recently posted a video walkthrough on YouTube of an exhibition Professor Sky Glabush is currently featured in at Galerie Max Hetzler in Berlin called “BODYLAND” curated by Lauren Taschen. The show includes work by Isabelle Albuquerque, Vanessa Beecroft, Ana Benaroya, Madeleine Bialke, Brian Calvin, Ann Craven, Sarah Cunningham, Karon Davis, Sky Glabush, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Ulala Imai, February James, Rae Klein, Kat Lyons, Laurie Nye, Ariana Papademetropoulos, Ilana Savdie, Eleanor Swordy, Emma Webster, Alina Zamanova.
Soheila Esfahani: Been T[here] | Cambridge Art Galleries
December 16, 2022
Prof. Soheila Esfahani's solo exhibition Been T[here] at the Cambridge Art Galleries (Preston Gallery) along with a new installation in her Cultured Pallet series at Queen's Square library runs December 17, 2022- March 5, 2023. Please join Prof. Soheila Esfahani at the gallery January 21, 12-3 pm.
"Exploring our relationships with food through art"
By
Keri Ferguson ,Western News , December 15, 2022
In postdoc Amanda White’s visual arts course, students adopt artistic approach to agriculture through interdisciplinary, experiential learning
-I a 12-hour Event | Christof Migone
December 09, 2022
Organized by Christof Migone, "-I" is the third in a series of twelve annual events taking place on December 12 from noon to midnight (EST). Each year the event moves through each word of the 12-word phrase ‘you and I are water earth fire air of life and death’ and activates the word of the year in myriad ways. This year the word is ‘I’, consequently the focus is on selfless selves, linked Is, and not-Is. The first year it started with ‘you’, last year ‘and’ came to connect you to anything and everything, this year that point of connection is ‘I’—the porous one, the solo collective.
Kirsty Robertson | Vie des Arts 268
December 09, 2022
Professor Kirsty Robertson published an article titled “Les climats intérieurs et extérieurs: faire face à l’urgence climatique dans les musées,” in the fall 2022 Vie des Arts 268. Available online in french and english.
Collection of Dreams | Agnes Etherington Art Centre
December 08, 2022
Professor Kirsty Robertson recently curated "Collection of Dreams" part of Collection Count and Care, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, October 25-November 6, 2022, featuring Eleanor Bond and Kim Ondaatje.
Lost 18th century painting recovered by Western prof returns, restored, to Guadalajara
By
Keri Ferguson ,Western News , December 07, 2022
"During her sabbatical in 2015, Alena Robin was intent on tracking down a painting by Antonio Enríquez, an 18th century Mexican painter. With dogged determination ─ and on the last day of her stay in Guadalajara – she found it in a corner of a storage room, forgotten by specialists and unknown to the public."
"More activists are gluing themselves to art. Their tactics aren’t new."
By
Kelsey Ables ,Washington Post , November 29, 2022
Professor Kirsty Robertson was recently interviewed and quoted this Washington Post article. Click to read the full article online. Image: Eben Lazarus and Hannah Hunt are glued to “The Hay Wain” area at London's National Gallery in July. (Richard Feldgate)
Curating Waste | Cohen Commons Gallery
November 25, 2022
Curating Waste / Ist das Kunst oder kann das weg? is collaborative exhibition by Friederike Landau-Donnelly and Prof. Kirsty Robertson. This trans-Atlantic encounter between two researchers represents an ongoing conversation about the boundaries between art and waste, a conversation that has seeped into various forms: collections, texts, poems, sound, films, and materials recycled from previous exhibitions. Funding provided by the Western-Radboud Collaboration Fund and the Centre for Sustainable Curating.
Prof. John Hatch Presents at RMG Gallery
November 24, 2022
Prof. John Hatch presented a talk at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery about the work of the Japanese Canadian artist Kazuo Nakamura on November 24, on the occasion of the exhibition “Kazuo Nakamura: Universal Pattern” on display until March 5, 2023.
Prof. Alena Robin | Museo Regional de Guadalajara
November 14, 2022
Prof. Alena Robin recently co-curated an exhibition in Guadalajara (Mexico) on Antonio Enriquez, a 18th century painter. While researching his life and cataloguing his work, Robin “rediscovered” a painting by Enriquez. The painting has been restored and was recently unveiled as part of the 104th anniversary of the Museo Regional de Guadalajara.
CSC Speakers' Series Presents Robert Hengeveld
November 10, 2022
The Centre for Sustainable Curating Fall Speakers' Series presents Robert Hengeveld, Lost at Sea. Robert Hengeveld (he/him) lives and works in Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Corner Brook Newfoundland). He is an artist, teacher, and backyard chicken farmer. His creative work has been shared across Canada and internationally. His artist talk, Lost at Sea, journeys through the reshaping of creative practice amidst a deepening climate crisis. Registration required.
BodyLand | Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin
November 07, 2022
Professor Sky Glabush's work is included in "BodyLand", a group exhibition curated by Lauren Taschen at Galerie Max Hetzler in Berlin, Germany. The show unites a new generation of artists, who respond to the present moment by capturing the potential of Land and Body, as both real and imagined constructs, from a predominantly female perspective.
Prof. Kirsty Robertson Presents at Summit Art |Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
November 06, 2022
Professor Kirsty Robertson presented “Reflections in the Fake Lake: Echoes of a 1976 Art Protest at the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto” at Summit Art: Art and Political Events Since the 1970s at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin on October 16, 2022.
Prof. Sarah Bassnett: "Photography in Canada: The First 150 Years as a Pedagogical Resource” | UAAC
October 27, 2022
Prof. Sarah Bassnett presented a paper with Prof. Sarah Parsons (York University) titled "Photography in Canada: The First 150 Years as a Pedagogical Resource” at the UAAC conference in Toronto on October 27, 2022. The paper is based on our co-authored forthcoming open-source book Photography in Canada: The First 150 Years, 1839-1989, Art Canada Institute, April 2023.
Prof. Sheri Osden Nault | Ethics and Responsibility in Research-Creation Practices
October 18, 2022
Professor Sheri Osden Nault will present at this year's UAAC conference on the panel on Ethics and Responsibility in Research-Creation Practices, Part 1. Taking place on Thursday, October 27.
Marla Hlady + Christof Migone: Swan Song | Christie Contemporary
October 18, 2022
Marla Hlady and Prof. Christof Migone's exhibition "Swan Song" returns, October 21 - November 19 to Christie Contemporary in Toronto. Join the artists for the opening reception Friday, October 6-8pm.
Monuments and Their Futures in North America | UAAC
October 18, 2022
Prof. Cody Barteet will chair a panel at UAAC (Toronto): Monuments and Their Futures in North America. PhD candidates Calla Elia and Ashar Mobeen will both be presenting papers as part of this panel.
"Yvonne Williams: Life and Work of an Influential Stained Glass Artist" by Cody Barteet and Iraboty Kazi
October 13, 2022
Dr. Cody Barteet and PhD candiate Iraboty Kazi published "Yvonne Williams: Life and Work of an Influential Stained Glass Artist" through ArcGIS StoryMaps technology.
Professor Sarah Bassnett Presents at the Photography Network Symposium
October 12, 2022
Professor Sarah Bassnett presented a paper on Griselda San Martin’s series, The Wall, 2015-16 at the Photography Network symposium in Washington, DC, on Oct. 14-15. Image: Griselda San Martin, José Marquez poses for a photograph, The Wall, 2015-16
Sheri Osden-Nault: maachi kashkihtow
October 06, 2022
Indigiqueer and Two-Spirit Cinema in partnership with the Toronto Queer Film Festival are hosting an online screening of 8 shorts films created by Indigenous, Queer and Two-Spirit filmmakers including Professor Sheri Osden-Nault's short-film "maachi kashkihtow".
Christine Sprengler: The Art of Cinematic Memory
Rotman Institute and Department of Philosophy , September 30, 2022
Join the Rotman Institute and Department of Philosophy for their annual public lecture series, co-sponsored with the London Public Library, on Thursdays in October. In the 3rd talk, Professor Christine Sprengler will look at how visual artists have become increasingly invested in how cinema helps create, shape, and challenge our memories, both personal & cultural. She'll explore how contemporary art has engaged with the complex relationship between memory and film.
Immune Nations The Art and Science of Global Vaccination
University of Alberta Press & McMaster Museum of Art , September 23, 2022
Just Released! Featuring a 20-page section on the project, “Design for a Dissemunization Station,” an installation by Prof. Patrick Mahon and Annemarie Hou, with Tegan Moore (MFA'14). This catalogue documents a multi-year art-science project called Immune Nations, produced on the occasion of its exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Prof. John Hatch presents “Postcards from a Cosmic Traveller: Thomas Ruff’s Images of Space”
September 22, 2022
Prof. John Hatch presented a paper titled “Postcards from a Cosmic Traveller: Thomas Ruff’s Images of Space” at the conference Cosmic Explorations: at the Intersection of Science, Space, Art, and Culture, held at CalTech, Pasadena, California on September 20-23, 2022.
Prof. Sarah Bassnett presents at Photographies Conference in San Antonio, TX
September 22, 2022
Professor Sarah Bassnett presented a paper on work by American artist Trevor Paglen at the Photographies conference on Boundaries and Borders in San Antonio, Texas. Image: Trevor Paglen, Near Nogales, Maximally Stable Extremal Regions; Good Features to Track, 2017.
Night Painting | Philip Martin Gallery
Philip Martin Gallery , September 22, 2022
Philip Martin Gallery presents, “Night Painting," an exhibition of works by 12 artists that investigate night as both idea and motif. Prof's Sky Glabush's paintings are among works in the exhibition by Izzy Barber, Tomory Dodge, Kristy Luck, Aaron Morse, James Morse, Laurie Nye, Curtis Talwst Santiago, Muzae Sesay, Lisa Sanditz, Sophie Treppendahl, Sung Jik Yang. Image: Night Flower (Study), 2022, Sky Glabush (detail)
Sky Glabush at The Armory Show
Philip Martin Gallery , September 09, 2022
For the 2022 edition of The Armory Show in New York, NY, Philip Martin Gallery presents an installation of large scale, oil-and-sand-on-canvas paintings by Sky Glabush.
Migration Stories Whispered in My Ear / Me Susurran Al Oído Historias de Migrantes Moysés Zuñiga Santiago | McIntosh Gallery
August 04, 2022
The exhibition "Migration Stories Whispered in My Ear / Me Susurran Al Oído Historias de Migrantes Moysés Zuñiga Santiago" is on view at the McIntosh Gallery from August 11 - September 10, 2022. The exhibition is based on SSHRC-funded research by Professor Sarah Bassnett and curated by PhD candidate Anahí González. Join us at the closing reception on Friday, September 9, 5 - 7pm.
Prof. Christine Sprengler Interviewed by BBC Culture for Article on Hitchcock
By
Mark Allison ,BBC Culture , July 14, 2022Professor Christine Sprengler was interviewed by the BBC Culture for the article "Frenzy at 50: The most violent film Hitchcock ever made".
Prof. Christine Sprengler Presents a Paper at the Screen Studies Conference
Screen Studies Conference , July 13, 2022Professor Christine Sprengler presented a paper, “Epistolarity and Decolonial Aesthetics in Carola Grahn’s Look Who’s Talking” at the Screen Studies Conference in Glasgow, Scotland (online), July 1-3, 2022.
The Department of Visual Arts welcomes three full-time tenure-track faculty members
July 01, 2022
The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to announce that three full-time, tenure-track professors have joined the department as of July 1st, 2022. Please join us in welcoming Professor Jessica Karahunga (BFA '10 alum), Sheri Nault and Sohelia Esfahani (MFA'10 alum) whose 2-year limited-term contract has been converted to a tenure-track position.
"Plastic Heart" Receives Honourable Mention for the Outstanding Achievement: Exhibitions Award | Canadian Museums Association
CMA , July 01, 2022The exhibition "Plastic Heart" received an Honourable Mention for the Outstanding Achievement: Exhibitions Award from The Canadian Museums Association. "Plastic Heart" was curated by Professor Kirsty Robertson, Professor Kelly Wood, and alum Tegan Moore (MFA '14) of the Synthetic Collective and included artwork by Christina Battle (Ph.D. '20)
Professor Cody Barteet and Co-Applicant Courtney Waugh Successful in Round 3 of the Strategic Priorities Fund
June 24, 2022
Congratulations to Professor Cody Barteet and co-applicant Courtney Waugh, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian, on the success of their project proposal "Documenting & Teaching the Art of Stained Glass through Digital Technology" in round 3 of the Western University Strategic Priorities Fund.
Prof. Alena Robin speaks with Silvia Véjar from Radio Voces Latinas
CHHA 1610 AM - Radio Voces Latina , June 13, 2022Professor Alena Robin joined Silvia Véjar from CHHA 1610 AM (Toronto) Radio Voces Latinas for an interview regarding the recently published book that she co-editd, "Latin America Made in Canada."
Online Lecture by Prof. John Hatch at Tongji University
May 31, 2022
John Hatch presented virtually “If It Ain’t Baroque, then Fix It!: Some 20th-Century Art and Architecture and the New Baroque” to students and faculty of Tongji University, Shanghai, China, on May 24, 2022
Prof. Christine Sprengler presents "Machinations of Memory: Art and Artificial Intelligence"
Istinye University , May 26, 2022
Prof. Christine Sprengler delivered an online keynote lecture, "Machinations of Memory: Art and Artificial Intelligence" at the 2nd International Media and Society Symposium hosted by Istinye University in Istanbul, Turkey on May 26, 2022.
Christof Migone Receives Graham Gale Wright Distinguished Scholar Award
Faculty of Arts and Humanities , May 17, 2022Please join the Department of Visual Arts in congratulating Chirstof Migone as the recipient of the Graham Gale Wright Distinguished Scholar Award for the academic year 2022-23. The award is given by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in recognition of the wide-ranging contribution to his field of research.
“Passion in Motion: The Way of the Cross as Performance in New Spain” by Alena Robin
By
Alena Robin ,University of Toronto Press , May 17, 2022
"The Ibero-American Baroque" was recently published by University of Toronto Press which includes a chapter by Professor Alena Robin titled, “Passion in Motion: The Way of the Cross as Performance in New Spain”. "The Ibero-American Baroque" illuminates its dissemination, dynamism, and transformation during the early modern period on both sides of the Atlantic.
Burn Up/Burn Out: Curating for the Future | CSC
By
Kirsty Robertson ,Centre for Sustainable Curating , May 16, 2022
What does it mean to be an arts worker in a time of crisis? Join us for Burn Up/Burn Out: Curating for the Future, part of the Centre for Sustainable Curating’s Waste/Care/Carbon/Labour Speakers’ Series. For this event we have invited four early career curators and arts administrators with innovative practices to share and think about their projects in terms of the Synthetic Collective’s approach of “enough.” What does “enough” look like when confronted with the pressures of granting cycles, job insecurity, and growing wealth disparity? Are there ways to nurture our practices collaboratively, slowly, or in a dispersed manner? Teresa Carlesimo, Lillian O’Brien Davis, Juliane Foronda, and Maya Wilson Sanchez will share short presentations on their work, followed by an in-depth discussion.
Closing Reception: From Remote Stars | Museum London
Museum London , May 13, 2022
Join us at Museum London for a reception celebrating the close of From Remote Stars, curated by Kirsty Robertson and Sarah E.K. Smith, and 20 Works, curated by Brian Meehan. This party is a chance to meet the curators and take a final look at both exhibitions. This event is co-sponsored by the Faculty of Information and Media Studies and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Western University. Registration required.
Exhibition Review: "Continuing Accountability"
By
Madeline Lennon ,Centred.ca , May 13, 2022Department of Visual Arts, professor emerita, Madeline Lennon has written and published an exhibition review of Indigenous Artist-in-Residence, Kelly Green's exhibition, "Continuing Accountability" on view now at the Artlab Gallery. Read the full article.
The Art of Living: On Immigration, Community and the Migration of Symbols | Canadian Cultural Centre Paris
Centre Culturel Canadien , May 12, 2022
Congratulations to Professor Soheila Esfahani whose work is alongside artists Jude Abu Zaineh and Xiaojing Yan in the exhibition "The Art of Living: On Immigration, Community and the Migration of Symbols" curated by Catherine Bédard at the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris.
Alena Robin presents at "Construire l'histoire de l'art ibéro-américain à l'UdeM. Une aventure intellectuelle et humaine" | l’Université de Montréal
May 11, 2022
Friday May 13, 2022, Professor Alena Robin presents "Art brésilien au Canada: Collections méconnues" during "Construire l'histoire de l'art ibéro-américain à l'UdeM. Une aventure intellectuelle et humaine" at the l’Université de Montréal. The conference will be hosted on Zoom.
Expert Insight: Contemporary Muslim artists challenging ideas about fixed culture
Western News , April 29, 2022
Visual Arts professor Soheila Esfahani explains how ornamentation in Islamic art shows the movement and transformation of culture. Image: Cultured Pallets: SAIB”, acrylic on wooden shipping pallets (Courtesy Soheila Kolahdouz Esfahani)
Exhibition Video: GardenShip & State | Museum London
Museum London , April 26, 2022
GardenShip & State curators Professor Patrick Mahon and Jeff Thomas tour through their exhibition "GardenShip and State" (Museum London, 2021). See twenty contemporary artists [including several Department of Visual Arts students and alumni] explore how to restore the planet through respecting differences, repairing divisions, and addressing injustices brought about by colonialism.
Unnatural Nature: Post-Pop Landscapes | Acquavella Galleries
Acquavella Galleries , April 21, 2022Professor Sky Glabush's work is included in a group exhibition "Unnatural Nature: Post-Pop Landscapes" Curated by Todd Bradway on view now at Acquavella Galleries in New York City, NY. This exhibition features works by 28 contemporary artists including Sky Glabush, David Hockney, Lois Dodd and Adrian Berg.
Wyn Geleynse and Kim Moodie | SATELLiTE Project Space
April 20, 2022
Wyn Geleynse and Kim Moodie will be sharing new work in an upcoming, two-person exhibition titled "Ink, on paper, on the walls with accoutrements" at SATELLiTE Gallery in London, Ontario
Western honours this year’s most outstanding educators
By
Keri Ferguson ,Western News , April 07, 2022Please join the Department of Visual Arts in congratulating Professor Tricia Johnson as she accepts the the Vice-Provost Award of Excellence in Online Teaching and Learning.
"Art and History in Woman in Gold (2015), The Monuments Men (2014), and Francofonia (2015)" by Christine Sprengler
Amsterdam University Press , April 01, 2022
Christine Sprengler's article, "Art and History in Woman in Gold (2015), The Monuments Men (2014), and Francofonia (2015)" is now published in Temenuga Trifonova's "Screening the Art World" (available through Amsterdam University Press, Spring 2021).
Western's Truckers Convoy Panel on "Identity, Culture, and Politics,"
March 28, 2022
Cody Barteet and Patrick Mahon from Visual Arts presented brief commentaries and participated in discussion at Western's Truckers Convoy Panel on "Identity, Culture, and Politics," on Friday, March 25. Cody and Patrick send thanks to the many from the Department who were in attendance. Their papers are attached here.
Lost Utopias/Islands of Abandonment: Jade Doskow and Cal Flyn | Museum London
Centre for Sustainable Curating , March 28, 2022
From the crumbling remains of the lost utopias of world's fairs to the uncanny landscape of regrowth in a former landfill, and touching on ghost towns, exclusion zones, no man’s lands, and post-industrial hinterlands, this discussion between New York-based artist Jade Doskow and Scottish author Cal Flyn considers broken landscapes (partially) reclaimed by nature. Presented in partnership between the Department of Visual Arts' Centre for Sustainable Curating and Museum London, this event builds from Jade Doskow's Lost Utopias photographic series, on view now at Museum London in the exhibition "From Remote Stars: Buckminster Fuller, London, Speculative Futures" (March 5-May 15; curated by Kirsty Robertson and Sarah E. K. Smith).
Kirsty Robertson named a Faculty Scholar for 2022-2024
By
Debora Van Brenk ,Western News , March 17, 2022
Congratulations to Professor Kirtsy Robertson as she was named Faculty Scholars for 2022-2024. This is a tremendous honour and recognition of her outstanding contributions to Arts and Humanities
Art Now! Speakers' Series: Amanda Myers
March 17, 2022
Join us for a curator-led tour of the exhibition "From Remote Stars: Buckminster Fuller, London, and Speculative Futures" by Sarah Smith and an artist talk by Amanda Myers on Thursday, March 17 at 7PM at Museum London. This Art Now talk is presented in partnership with Museum London.
Soheila Esfahani: Been T[here] | Red Head Gallery
March 16, 2022
Professor Soheila Esfahani's presents new work in a solo exhibition titled "Been T[here]" at the Red Head Gallery, in Toronto. The exhibition runs March 16- April 2, 2022. Prof. Esfahani will be in attendance at the gallery April 2, 12-5 pm. Image: Soheila Esfahani, Study for There, Digital file, 2022
Prof. Cody Barteet | Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies Conference
March 12, 2022
On March 12, 2022 Prof. Cody Barteet joined the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies Conference in Charlotte, NC via Zoom to present his paper "The Cult of St. Anthony of Padua in Colonial Yucatán: The Intersection of Assimilation to Appropriation".
Futurist’s 1960s vision inspires Western-curated exhibition
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Debora Van Brenk ,Western News , March 03, 2022
Western professors and co-curators Kirsty Robertson and Sarah Smith are revisiting the ideas of Fuller’s conversations in "From Remote Stars: Buckminster Fuller, London, and Speculative Futures", a major exhibition opening at Museum London on March 5 and running until May 15.
Arts | Special Issue Race and Architecture in the Iberian World, c. 1500-1800s
February 18, 2022
Contributors are invited to submit their research in English for consideration to be included in Arts | Special Issue Race and Architecture in the Iberian World, c. 1500-1800s, guest-edited by Department of Visual Arts Prof. Dr. Cody Barteet and Dr. Luis Gordo Peláez, Department of Art and Design, California State University.
CSC Launches a New Guide: Using The Resources at Hand
Centre for Sustainable Curating , January 26, 2022Have you ever wondered about how you can reduce the environmental footprint of your art-making or exhibition installations? The Centre for Sustainable Curating's new guide Using The Resources at Hand can help. We've gathered together tips and tricks for making sustainable exhibitions, and we've also assembled a list of businesses and groups in London who can provide environmentally-friendly materials and resources. Feel free to circulate Using The Resources at Hand to anyone who might find it useful. The guide is a living document, so if there is anything missing or if you'd like to get involved in the Centre for Sustainable Curating, drop us a line at sustainable.curating@uwo.ca.
Leicester Gallery Open Talks | GardenShip and State: Curating and Commmunity Engagement in Time of Crisis
January 20, 2022
A recording of the Leicester Gallery Open Talk with hosted by GardenShip and State exhibition Co-curators, Jeff Thomas and Prof. Patrick Mahon, and one of the participating artists Mark Kasumovic (PhD '18) is now online. Twenty new works and activist projects responding to GardenShip and State’s overarching preoccupation with the environmental crisis and decolonization was highlighted in this discussion. With these artistic initiatives in mind, Jeff and Patrick facilitated a discussion with participants, focusing on the question, “How can artistic curating and intervention act as means for promoting and facilitating community engagement?”. The discussion was chaired by Professor Lala Meredith-Vula at De Montfort University in Leicester UK.
Launch of From Remote Stars Podcast
December 12, 2021
From Remote Stars is a podcast exploring a recently uncovered recording that artist Greg Curnoe made of futurist and architect R. Buckminster Fuller speaking in London, Ontario in 1968. Hosted by artist Christina Battle, the series takes shape as three episodes, accompanied by in depth interviews with novelist Kerri Sakamoto and art historian Eva Díaz. Each episode builds from Fuller’s visit to London to discuss mythmaking, land, belonging, travel, decolonization, and climate crisis, and includes interviews with artists, curators, and scholars. This podcast accompanies the exhibition From Remote Stars: Buckminster Fuller, London, and Speculative Futures, curated by Kirsty Robertson and Sarah E.K. Smith, forthcoming at Museum London February 19 to May 15, 2022.
Sky Glabush in conversation with Phillip Martin Gallery
Phillip Martin Gallery , December 12, 2021Professor Sky Glabush joined Phillip Martin in conversation to discuss his exhibition with the gallery, "Weight of Light," which features new oil and sand on canvas works. A recording of this interview is available on YouTube.
David Merritt: all things equal | Christie Contemporary
December 01, 2021
Congratulations to Professor Emeritus David Merritt whose solo exhibition "all things equal" is on view at Christie Contemporary until December 4, 2021.
Special Issue "Latin American Art, Visual and Material Culture in the Long Eighteenth Century"
Arts , November 30, 2021
Special Issue "Latin American Art, Visual and Material Culture in the Long Eighteenth Century" co-edited by Dr. Alena Robin and featuring the article "The Retablos of Teabo and Mani: The Evolution of Renaissance Altars in Colonial Yucatán" by Dr. Cody Barteet has now been published and is available on MDPI.
Exhibition Catalog: Symphony of Lights: An Exploration of the Stained Glass Windows in St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, London, Ontario
November 29, 2021
Prof. Cody Barteet and PhD students Ira Kazi and Anahí González have produced an exhibition catalogue for Symphony of Lights: An Exploration of the Stained Glass Windows in St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, London, Ontario. which is now available for viewing online.
Water is Life: A Visit with GardenShip & State | WordsFest
November 17, 2021
Museum London and Words are pleased to present an evening visit with GardenShip & State, an exhibition of artists and curators who are investigating the role of water as a life-giving force as we face the Anthropocene. Water is Life: A Visit with GardenShip & State Hosts: Patrick Mahon and Jeff Thomas Featuring Lori Blondeau, Tom Cull, Michael Farnan, Amelia Fay, Joan Greer, Mark Kasumovic, Mary Mattingly, Adrian Stimson, Andres Villar, and Michelle Wilson
Dazzling and Luminous An interview with Sky Glabush
By
Fay Nicolson ,SALOME SALMACIS , November 16, 2021
Professor Sky Glabush spoke with Fay Nicolson from Salome Salmacis in an interview in which they discuss Sky's relationship to image making, the landscape and modernism ahead of his forthcoming solo show at Philip Martin Gallery, LA. In ‘Dazzling and Luminous’, Sky explores aspects of his unique visual language in a compelling discussion about his artistic journey and the forces that have shaped his practice.
Prof. Sky Glabush: Lecture and critique at SAIC
November 14, 2021
Professor Sky Glabush was invited to lecture and host a series of critiques for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Painting and Drawing Department via zoom on November 16, 2021.
Weight of Light: Sky Glabush | Philip Martin Gallery
November 03, 2021
Philip Martin Gallery is proud to present, "Weight of Light” an exhibition featuring new large-scale landscape paintings by Sky Glabush. These works, comprised of layers of oil and sand on canvas, imply a deep and meaningful relationship between the viewer and nature, fuelling a sense of wonder in front of awe-inspiring phenomenon.
“The Sounds and Sights of Vertigo’s Afterlife in Art: Chamber Made Opera’s Phobia (2003) and Jean Curran’s The Vertigo Project (2018)” by Christine Sprengler
Indiana University Press , November 03, 2021
Christine Sprengler's essay, “The Sounds and Sights of Vertigo’s Afterlife in Art: Chamber Made Opera’s Phobia (2003) and Jean Curran’s The Vertigo Project (2018),” now published in Sidney Gottlieb and Donal Martin's Haunted by Vertigo (available through Indiana University Press, October 2021).
Patrick Mahon: Immune Nations Panel Discussion | McMaster Museum of Art
November 01, 2021
As part of the <Immune Nations> exhibition at McMaster Museum of Art, a series of online panel discussions will take place throughout the fall. Professor Partick Mahon will be joining a panel investigating the role of research-creation in tackling pressing social and global problems titled, "Research-Creation and Global Crisis: Interdisciplinarity, Creativity, and Collaboration". This panel will be hosted on Zoom, and include an audience Q&A. All panels are FREE and open to the public. Pre-registration for these events is required.
"AI, Memory and Failure," and "Artificial Intelligence: Creativity, Authorship, and Ethics" | Christine Sprengler
October 31, 2021
Christine Sprengler delivered two presentations, "AI, Memory and Failure," and "Artificial Intelligence: Creativity, Authorship, and Ethics" at the A-Site/Workman Arts workshop on Artificial Intelligence on October 31, 2021.
Dialogue # 4: Sustainable Museums | Art Museum University of Toronto
October 25, 2021
Dialogue # 4: Sustainable Museums is the last of the Plastic Heart: Surface All the Way Through public dialogue series at the Art Museum University of Toronto. Speakers Suzanne Carte, Maya Ishizawa, Sarah Sutton, and moderator Kirsty Robertson will explore the complexities of creating a low-carbon exhibition throughout all stages of its making. Registration Required.
Save the date for -AND-, a 12-hour online event | Christof Migone
October 25, 2021
-AND- follows on last year’s inaugural event YOU-, also on December 12. Each year of this 12-year long project the event moves through the following 12-word phrase one word at a time: ‘you and I are water earth fire air of life and death’ and activates the word of the year in myriad ways. With Po-Hao Chi, Béchard Hudon, Erika DeFreitas & Adrian Piper, Different From The One You Are In Now (Mary Walling Blackburn, Allison Cameron, Barbara Campbell, Budhaditya Chattopadhyay, Darren Copeland, Renato Grieco, Michaela Grill, Sarah Hennies, Marla Hlady, Seth Kim-Cohen, Francisco Meirino, Salomé Voegelin), Anna Friz & Jeff Kolar, James Greer & Neil Luck, Byungjun Kwon, Renée Lear, LoVid, Ellen Moffat & Eeva Siivonen, Merlin Nova, Milo Thesiger-Meacham, They are all of them themselves and they repeat it and I hear it (Anna Barham & Irene Revell), undo (Christof Migone & Alexandre St-Onge). Organized by Christof Migone. Presented by Alt Space Loop, Arraymusic, Avatar, CRiSAP, Errant Bodies Press, Fado, Radius, Resonance Extra, squint.press, Wave Farm, Western University, Zone Sound Creative.
A Brief Survey of Some Absurd but Critical Moments in Modern Art | Prof. John Hatch
October 17, 2021
Professor John Hatch will present an online lecture titled: "A Brief Survey of Some Absurd but Critical Moments in Modern Art" at The College of Arts and Media at Tongji University (Shanghai) on Friday, October 29, 2021.
GardenShip and State | Museum London
Museum London , October 07, 2021
GardenShip and State is now open at Museum London! The exhibition features works produced over a two-year period – the results of conversations between the artists and writers, oftentimes with members of their local communities. GardenShip and State was curated by Jeff Thomas and Visual Arts Professor Patrick Mahon and features several Department of Visual Arts students and alumni.
Immune Nations | McMaster Museum of Art
September 14, 2021
Patrick Mahon and Annemarie Hou's collaborative work "Design for a Dissemunization Station (D4DS)" is on view now as part of the Immune Nations exhibition at McMaster Museum of Art.
Plastic Heart: Surface All the Way Through
September 08, 2021
"Plastic Heart: Surface All the Way Through" is on view now at The Art Museum at the University of Toronto. Curated by the Synthetic Collective which includes Department of Visual Arts Professors Kirsty Robertson and Kelly Wood and MFA Alum Tegan Moore.
Prof. John Hatch featured in CBC Arts
By
John Hatch ,CBC Arts , July 14, 2021In the article, "How Kazuo Nakamura helped pioneer abstract art in Canada after surviving B.C. internment camps" published in CBC Arts, John Hatch discusses his new book "Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work".
“Witnessing the Trauma of Undocumented Migrants in Mexico,” by Sarah Bassnett
Leuven University Press , June 21, 2021
Sarah Bassnett chapter “Witnessing the Trauma of Undocumented Migrants in Mexico,” is now published in the new book, Contact Zones: Photography, Migration, and Cultural Encounters in the United States, edited by Justin Carville and Sigrid Lien. Open Access URI
"Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work" by John G. Hatch
Art Canada Institute , June 17, 2021The Art Canada Institute (ACI) is pleased to announce the release of Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work by Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual Arts, John G. Hatch. Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work is the first biography to tell the story of Nakamura’s intriguing life and storied career, from his childhood in Vancouver and his experiences as a wartime internee to his role in Painters Eleven and the culmination of his career in the number series paintings. An iconic Canadian painter who blended Western and Eastern influences, Nakamura was profoundly inspired by mathematics, science, and philosophy as well as art history. His achievements reflect the pivotal diversification of Canadian art in the twentieth century. Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work is an open-source online art book— available free of charge, in both English and French.
"Midcentury Metamodern: Returning Home in the Twenty-First-Century Nostalgia Film" by Christine Sprengler
SUNY Press , June 17, 2021
Professor Christine Sprengler's publishes a chapter titled "Midcentury Metamodern: Returning Home in the Twenty-First-Century Nostalgia Film" in the new book "Was It Yesterday? Nostalgia in Contemporary Film and Television", edited by Matthew Leggatt⠀
"Scumbling and Scraping" by Sky Glabush
Tate Etc. , June 17, 2021Sky Glabush publishes an article about the painter John Constable in the summer issue of Tate Etc., the art magazine of the Tate.
Centre for Sustainable Curating launches at Western
By
Keri Ferguson ,Western News , May 27, 2021
Western’s new Centre for Sustainable Curating looks to shed light on ecological issues and share them through stories grounded in environmental awareness. "Together We Average as Zero", curated by Dr. Kirsty Robertson's MCS4605E Museum and Curatorial Practicum class. Photo by Dickson Bou
Launch of the Centre for Sustainable Curating
May 14, 2021
Please join us on May 27 for the virtual launch of the Centre for Sustainable Curating. The Centre for Sustainable Curating is located in the Department of Visual Arts at Western University. The CSC encourages research into waste, pollution, and climate crisis, and the development of exhibitions and artworks with low carbon footprints. At this event, we will present work from postdocs, host a panel on Radical Pedagogy and Curation, and launch the Synthetic Collective’s catalogue Plastic Heart: A DIY Fieldguide for Reducing the Environmental Impact of Art Exhibitions. Registration required.
"The New Politics of the Handmade: Craft, Art and Design" edited by alum Anthea Black (MFA'12) and Nicole Burisch
April 30, 2021
The New Politics of the Handmade: Craft, Art and Design is a publication on contemporary craft politics edited by alum Anthea Black (MFA' 12) and Nicole Burisch. This volume features twenty-three authors, including Professor Kirsty Robertson's essay titled Secret Stash: Textiles, Hoarding, Collecting, Accumulation and Craft.
Stop Extinction! Restore the Earth | ECH and Gardenship and State
April 30, 2021
The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) and GardenShip and State are pleased to present a virtual group exhibition Stop Extinction! Restore the Earth to celebrate Earth Day, April 22, 2021. Work in the exhibit features several artists from the Department of Visual Arts, within the ECH community and Gardenship and State participating artists. Artworks in the exhibit address the broad issues related to the climate crisis, and other threats to our ecology. Works also address the intersection of sustainable living and the respect for Indigenous land rights. Registration Required.
Anna Madelska Wins Western Teaching Award
April 16, 2021
Congratulations to the Department of Visual Arts part-time faculty member, Anna Madelska for winning the Angela Armitt Award For Excellence In Teaching By Part-Time Faculty!
UPwithART
UPwithART , April 09, 2021
We’re proud to support #UPwithART ! This annual fundraiser for Unity Project for Relief of Homelessness and Museum London is taking place online this year from April 18 to 24. Join us for an online art auction with 60+ pieces of local art, many created by current and past members of the Department of Visual Arts including: Quinn Smallboy (MFA), Ruth Strebe (BFA), Matthew Trueman (MFA), Gabriella Solti (MFA), Sharmistha Kar (MFA), Prof. Soheila Esfahani, Mike Pszczonak (MFA), Kim Neudorf (MFA), Kelly Greene (BFA), Prof. Tricia Johnson, George Kubresli (MFA), Prof. Patrick Mahon. View the art and register for free at UPwithART.ca . Make sure to register before April 20 to be entered to win a lithograph by Peter Max valued at $2,500.
"The Retablos of Teabo and Mani: The Evolution of Renaissance Altars in Colonial Yucatán" by Dr. Cody Barteet
Arts, Volume 10, Issue 2 , April 09, 2021Cody Barteet's article "The Retablos of Teabo and Mani: The Evolution of Renaissance Altars in Colonial Yucatán" published and available now on MDPI.
Soheila Esfahani: Facing Time | Surrey Art Gallery
March 18, 2021
Congratulations to Professor Soheila Esfahani whose work is included in the group exhibition "Facing Time" currently on view at the Surrey Art Gallery in British Columbia. "The artworks in this exhibition, while mostly created before the pandemic, speak to the current moment of facial interfaces and increased digital activity."
Sheila Butler: Other Circumstances | Satellite Project Space
March 18, 2021
Satellite Project Space is honoured to present a focused retrospective by the important artist, educator, and mentor, Sheila Butler. Curated by Pamela Edmonds and Patrick Mahon, the exhibition brings together 20 paintings and works on paper spanning 35 years of artistic production. Presented by Museum London and Arts & Humanities, Western University.
Written on Earth | McIntosh Gallery
March 04, 2021
The McIntosh Gallery will be re-opening the gallery by appointment with "Written on Earth" a group exhibition curated by Helen Gregory and project managed by Patrick Mahon, presented in collaboration with the Northern Tornadoes project at Western Engineering. The exhibition features work by Hannah Claus, Joel Ong, and several members of the Department of Visual Arts including, Prof. Patrick Mahon, Ph.D. candidates Ellen Moffat & Eeva Siivonen, and MFA Alum Matthew Trueman.
息抜き / ikinuki: to relax, to take a breather | Artlab Vitrine
March 03, 2021
Currently installed in the Artlab Vitrine: 息抜き / ikinuki: to relax, to take a breather by Holly Granken. Curated and organized by Artlab’s intern, Sam Wagter.
"Paratextual Encounters of Four Kinds: Blade Runner and Cinematic Memory" by Christine Sprengler
Journal of Cinema and Media Studies , February 16, 2021Christine Sprengler's article "Paratextual Encounters of Four Kinds: Blade Runner and Cinematic Memory" now published in the Journal of Cinema and Media Studies.
Sky Glabush | Philip Martin Gallery
February 16, 2021
Join Sky Glabush for a 30-minute conversation as he provides a virtual walk through of his current solo-exhibition with the Philip Martin Gallery, "The Caged Lark," Today at 1pm ET on Zoom. Registration required.
Christof Migone: Press Record | OBORO
OBORO , February 10, 2021
The works in the exhibition Press Record comment through a sonic filter on micro-gestures and furtive strategies, plastic waste and manufacturing processes, sited scatterings and dispersal systems. Here, sound is present as both potential and material, reference and inference. The exhibition features three distinct bodies of work: Micro (2014), 4 feet and 33 inches (2014-2017), and Record Release (2012-2020). Image: Christof Migone, Tokyo (video still), 2017
Artist Panel Discussion with Patrick Mahon | Dunlop Art Gallery
Dunlop Art Gallery , February 10, 2021
Patrick Mahon joins Rachelle Viader Knowles and Sean Caufield of the VacZineNations! project to discuss the role of art as practice-led research in exploring complex geographic and social perspectives on vaccinations.
Symphony of Lights | Artlab Gallery
Artlab Gallery , February 04, 2021
Upcoming at the Artlab is Symphony of Lights: An Exploration of Stained-Glass Windows in St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, London, ON. In this exciting collaboration, artist Anahí González, curator Iraboty Kazi, and Dr. C. Cody Barteet explore the visual and aural sensations of being inside St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in London, Ontario. Videos and photographs taken by González during visits to the church inspire explorations of the stained-glass windows in relation to art and local history. This exhibition is a part of Dr. Barteet’s research program, "Preserving the Cultural and Artistic Heritage of St. John the Evangelist, London, Ontario as a Model for the Anglican Diocese of Huron," a project funded by the University of Western Ontario.
Art, up-close and from a distance
By
Debora Van Brenk ,Western News , February 04, 2021Gallery Manager Ruth Skinner discusses the recent exhibition 'Distance makes the heart grow weak" with Western News. Learn more about how the pandemic promoted a show of 'seperate togtherness'.
The Caged Lark: Sky Glabush | Philip Martin Gallery
Philip Martin Gallery , January 27, 2021
Philip Martin Gallery is proud to present Sky Glabush's first exhibition at the gallery. Entitled "The Caged Lark," after a sonnet written by Gerard Manley Hopkins in 1877, Sky Glabush's exhibition features large-scale oil-on-canvas paintings completed by the London, Ontario-based artist over the course of the past year.
Walker Cultural Leaders Series features artists Jamelie Hassan & Ron Benner
January 21, 2021
The Department of Visual Arts at Brock University presents, The Walker Cultural Leader Series featuring an engaging talk from artists Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner on Monday, Jan. 18. View the recorded presentation on the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts YouTube channel.
Prof. Kirsty Robertson receives SSHRB grant
January 20, 2021
Congratulations to Prof. Kirsty Roberston for her success in the most recent SSHRB competition for a project titled, "Imagining Change: Three Events for the Centre for Sustainable Curating".
Patrick Mahon's artwork featured on cover of RSC report
Renewing the Social Contract: Economic Recovery in Canada from COVID-19 , January 20, 2021
Patrick Mahon, FRSC, Messagers’ Series: Satellite II (2018-19) was featured on the cover of the RSC report titled, Renewing the Social Contract: Economic Recovery in Canada from COVID-19. Patrick Mahon’s series entitled Messagers, of which Satellite II is one element, is a set of approximately 15 handmade, wall-mounted constructions made of wood veneer strips, painted silver and grey.
Distance makes the heart grow weak | Artlab Gallery
By
Ruth Skinner ,Artlab Gallery , January 13, 2021
Every few years, the Artlab Gallery at Western University hosts a Faculty and Staff exhibition. These exhibitions are important opportunities for fostering a sense of community in the Visual Arts Department: students are able to see their instructors and mentors at work, and colleagues have a chance to share in each other's research. 2020 was a year like no other, and so the Artlab is leaning into the present with a collective address to this moment of separate togetherness. "Distance makes the heart grow weak" invites faculty, staff and graduate students to speak to how they've been experiencing the last year.
You- | Organized by Christof Migone
December 08, 2020
December 12 from noon to midnight GMT (7-7 EST, 5-5 CST, 4-4 PST) on Resonance Extra, Wave Farm, and YouTube Live. A radio-but-not-really-radio event where you and you and you momentarily, tentatively, expectantly share the same nonplace.
Radical Creativity: Trends and Bends in Modern Art and Architecture | Prof. John Hatch
December 07, 2020
John Hatch will be delivering a virtual talk to the Fine Arts College of Shanghai University Monday, December 14, titled “Radical Creativity: Trends and Bends in Modern Art and Architecture.”
Distant Practices: Dr. Kirsty Robertson | Forest City Gallery
November 30, 2020
Join Forest City Gallery and Prof. Kirsty Robertson on Instagram Live as she discusses art in isolation with local artists. December 3rd, 2020, 7 pm ET on Instagram @forestcitygallery
A Brief Survey of Some Absurd but Critical Moments in Modern Art | Prof. John Hatch
November 24, 2020
Professor John Hatch will present a lecture titled: "A Brief Survey of Some Absurd but Critical Moments in Modern Art" at The College of Arts and Media at Tongji University (Shanghai) online, Friday, November 27, 2020.
"Undocumented Migration and Political Community in Susan Meiselas’s Crossings Photographs" by Sarah Bassnett
By
Sarah Bassnett ,Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American , November 23, 2020
Professor Sarah Bassnett has recently published “Undocumented Migration and Political Community in Susan Meiselas’s Crossings Photographs,” Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art 6, no. 2 (Fall 2020), available to all through the open-access, online journal.
The Left Space: Brendan Fernandes | The Art Gallery of Ontario
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Art Gallery of Ontario , November 02, 2020
"The Left Space" is a new digital commission by internationally renowned artist and Western University alumnus Brendan Fernandes, created specifically for this moment in time and for the AGO, that considers how we, the global left, have found ourselves in this predicament. Developed and choreographed for webcam and the grid formation of Zoom, custom backdrops by graphic designer Jerome Harris and on-and-off camera sequences will intervene and aesthetically connect a team of dancers from Hit and Run Productions performing from their homes around the world, with a score by DJ Karsten Sollors.
Art Canada Institute announces new book by Chair John G. Hatch
By
John G. Hatch ,Art Canada Institute , October 05, 2020
“Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work” by John G. Hatch will be released in June 2021 by the Art Canada Institute. Painters Eleven co-founder Kazuo Nakamura (1926–2002) was one of the great Canadian artists of the twentieth century, famous for his muted landscapes and his abstract compositions.
Art Now! Fall 2020 Speakers' Series Announced
By
Department of Visual Arts , September 15, 2020
The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to present the Fall 2020 Art Now Speakers' Series, which will be offered online, via Zoom Webinar. Links to attend the session and a full list of speakers can be found on the Department of Visual Arts Website. All lectures are free and open to the public!
Messagers' Forum | Thames Art Gallery, Chatham
Thames Art Gallery , September 01, 2020
Patrick Mahon's newest exhibition extends from his longstanding practice with print media, sculpture, and art projects that engage themes of environment, and decolonization. With "Messagers' Forum", Mahon addresses a world filled with beauty, contradiction, and injustice to ask two essential questions, "Can we be "Messagers" that connect, build, hope, and dream - together? And if so, "How do we reach across?" Patrick Mahon will be at the gallery to give an overview of the exhibit: Friday, September 18, 2020 at 7:00PM Saturday, September 19, 2020 at 2:00PM Please register as spaces are limited: CKartgallery@chatham-kent.ca
‘Art whenever they want’ for remote-learning students
By
Jennifer O'Brien ,Western News , September 01, 2020
Visual Arts Pofessor Tricia Johnson discusses her transition to online learning with Western News. Learn more about her approach which includes a voice-thread on her class website asking students to contribute their work and works-in-progress and talk to one another about them.
New Journal Article by Patrick Mahon
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Patrick Mahon and Annemarie Hou ,Imaginations , August 31, 2020
"Reflecting on the Genesis and Realization of Design for a Dissemunization Station" by Western Visual Arts Faculty member Patrick Mahon and Annemarie Hou, has been published in the journal "Imaginations" as part of the the exhibition, “Immune Nations” exhibition.
Sky Glabush in Conversation with Philip Martin Gallery
Philip Martin Gallery , July 23, 2020
Watch a recording of an artist talk by Studio Arts Faculty Sky Glabush hosted by Philip Martin Gallery where he discussed his studio practice, and what he's working on next.
Professor Kirsty Robertson Awarded the 2020 Western University Green Award
By
Brandon Watson ,Western News , July 17, 2020
Congratulations to Professor Kirsty Robertson, recipient of the Western University Green Award for weaving sustainability principles into her course curriculum and focusing on collaboration in the face of an ecological crisis.
"LIFE Magazine in Africa and the Ideology of Modernization" by Sarah Bassnett
By
Sarah Bassnett ,photographies , May 20, 2020
Sarah Bassnett has recently published “LIFE Magazine in Africa and the Ideology of Modernization.” photographies 13, no. 2 (2020): 273-293, DOI: 10.1080/17540763.2020.1734065, available by log-in via Western Libraries for Faculty, Students, and Staff.
Kirsty Robertson awarded 2020 Melva J. Dwyer Award
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ARLIS/NA , May 04, 2020
Tear Gas Epiphanies: Protest, Culture, Museums by Kirsty Robertson, an original scholarly examination of the phenomenon of protest within and against Canadian museums, was presented with the 29th annual Melva J. Dwyer Award by the Art Libraries Society of North America’s (ARLIS/NA) Canada Chapter. The book was published in 2019 by McGill-Queen’s University Press (MQUP).
Patrick Mahon awarded SSHRC Insight Grant
By
Paul Mayne ,Western News , April 22, 2020
SSHRC Insight Grants support research excellence by both emerging and established scholars for long-term initiatives. Visual Arts Faculty member Patrick Mahon, was awarded $201,890, for his project "GardenShip and State: Art and the Environment as a Commons".
David Merritt: aweigh | empty gallery
March 08, 2020
David Merritt’s ‘aweigh’ opens Friday, March 13 @ 7 pm at 'empty gallery' in Victoria BC. The artist will be in attendance.
Exhibition ‘zeros’ in on Fuller’s view of world | Western News
By
Deborah Van Brenk ,Western News , March 02, 2020
Visual Arts professor Kirsty Roberston, Director of Museum and Curatorial Studies, has led students in creating an exhibition reflecting on the vision of architect Buckminster Fuller. The nine students created individual projects and managed different aspects of the exhibition, including writing essays, graphic design, promotion, marketing and fundraising.
Western University professor's prison sabbatical in Guyana an eye-opener | London Free Press
By
Heather Rivers ,London Free Press , March 02, 2020
On his latest break from the classroom, Western University Visual Arts professor Sky Glabush went to prisons in one of the poorest countries in South America, invited there to help inmates cope with the crushing desolation of prison through art. Not the sabbatical most academics would choose, Glabush said it was a “life-changing” experience. Read the full story via the London Free Press.
Barriers, Borders, and Boundaries in the Early Modern World | Prof. Cody Barteet
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Cody Barteet ,CAA Annual Conference , March 01, 2020
Professor Cody Barteet Presented a lecture titled: "Barriers, Borders, and Boundaries in the Early Modern World" at the The College Art Association (CAA) Annual Conference in Chicago in February, 2020.
Together We Average As Zero / Take 1 | Artlab
By
Artlab Gallery , February 24, 2020
Join us for the opening reception of an exhibition was curated by students in MCS4605E, our Museum and Curatorial Studies Practicum Class. Opening Reception: Thursday, February 27 from 5-7PM, at the Artlab Gallery. The exhibition continues February 27 - March 12, 2020
Project opens doors of prisons to creativity
By
Sonia Preszcator ,Western News , February 13, 2020
Visual Arts professor Sky Glabush spent a week of his recent sabbatical in Georgetown, Guyana, helping to pilot a project to bring art to the inmates of Timehri and Lusignan Prisons earlier this month. Read the full story in Western News.
Sky Glabush Paints the Story
By
Chris Hampton ,National Gallery Magazine , January 31, 2020
Sky Glabush, studio faculty member, discusses storytelling, spirituality, and his artistic process with National Gallery Magazine.
Art Now! Presents: Jamelie Hassan & Ruth Skinner
January 27, 2020
Art Now! Presents: Jamelie Hassan & Ruth Skinner; Presented in partnership with SASAH. Thursday, January 30, 2020 in Conron Hall, UC 3110.
Studio Faculty Sky Glabush, Visiting Artist Lecture at University of Victoria
University of Victoria , January 15, 2020
On January 15, Studio Faculty member Sky Glabush gave an artist lecture at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.
Facilities Renewal: The Digital Creativity Lab – Opening Spring 2020
January 14, 2020
In response to increased need for digital production and presentation space, The Department of Visual Arts will be undergoing a renovation in January-March 2020 to create a new “Digital Creativity Lab”. This new flex-space will facilitate student and faculty photo, video, audio, and digital production and presentation.
