What: Woodhaven Newcomers Package event
Who: UBCO creative writing students, general public
When: Saturday, April 26, 10:30 am to noon
Where: Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park, 4711 Raymer Road, Kelowna

A group of UBC Okanagan creative writing students is wrapping up a project that will make a local park a welcoming haven for Okanagan residents.

Under the direction of Creative Writing Lecturer Umar Turaki, the students studied, learned about and visited Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park from January to March. From those experiences, they created a “welcome package”—including poems, stories, postcards, meditations, a film, maps and illustrations—which will be shared on Saturday.

“We are excited for local residents to join us for a community celebration about this special place and to introduce newcomers to it,” says Turaki. “This launch event will showcase some of these works and give neighbours the chance to view these creative pieces and learn more about this wonderful greenspace.”

Turaki coordinated this project with the non-profit Friends of Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Society, which regularly seeks ways to engage the local area in stewardship efforts.

True to its name, the UBCO course is called Writing and Community Learning and has a rich tradition of generating work that’s relevant to and rooted in Okanagan communities as a way of fulfilling learning objectives, explains Turaki.

“It made sense to continue in this tradition by guiding the students involved to create work that meets the needs of an existing community and makes a real difference in the world. Students get to hone their craft, sharpen their outlook and engage with a little corner of the world they know nothing about, while the community benefits. It’s a beautiful symbiosis and a living example of the principles of community creation and engagement we explore in the class,” he says.

The package will have postcards, a book called Wild Woodhaven: Poems and Activities, another book called Welcome to Woodhaven: A Guide to Connection, and a small handout with a map that shows how to live well near Woodhaven. Some items from the package will be given away on Saturday; the full package will be delivered to new residents of the Woodhaven neighbourhood.

Thanks to a City of Kelowna Strong Neighbourhoods Grant, the UBCO students will also offer refreshments and show a short 10-minute film they created.

This event builds on the UBCO’s Dig Your Neighbourhood project that Creative Writing Instructor Nancy Holmes worked on with her students from 2012 to 2014. Holmes is now an emeritus professor as well as a member of the Friends of Woodhaven.

“UBCO has such a long, rich history with the park, this is yet one more wonderful asset we helped create,” says Holmes. “There are some pretty interesting items in the package, including an impressive archival history of nearly every art event and workshop that has taken place in Woodhaven and at the Eco Culture Centre.”

Through an agreement with the Regional District, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies manages the Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, which is right next door to the park. UBC faculty have hosted a number of events in the area and it can be used by artists or writers who are engaged in visual arts, digital arts, performance, social and community-based artistic practices.

The public is invited to attend this event at the Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park on Saturday, April 26, between 10 am and noon. Some of the materials will be available for purchase and will support student initiatives.

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What: Voices in Bloom opera concert
Who: Opera Kelowna, UBC Opera, 14 student and alumni performers
When: Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 pm
Where: Mary Irwin Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts, Kelowna

Opera Kelowna presents Voices in Bloom—a special evening featuring the next generation of talent from the University of British Columbia’s opera program.

Partially sponsored by UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, the event is co-hosted by Opera Kelowna’s Artistic Director Rosemary Thomson and Director of the UBC Opera program, Professor Nancy Hermiston. The concert features more than a dozen emerging opera artists—students and alumni of UBC Opera—as they take the stage to perform music from well-known composers like Mozart, Puccini, Verdi and more.

The audience will enjoy an evening of beautiful music while supporting up-and-coming opera singers. Proceeds from the performance will support Opera Kelowna’s Valley Opera Summer Intensive emerging artist training program and UBC Vancouver’s Opera Department, helping young singers develop their skills and prepare for international careers.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: rotarycentreforthearts.com/events/event/VoicesinBloom25

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Who: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Media Studies students What: Everything and Then Some, fourth-year art exhibition Where: Creative and Critical Studies Building, 1148 Research Road, UBC Okanagan Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17, 6 to 9 pm Exhibition: April 17 to 25, open daily from 10 am to 4 pm Known as a much-anticipated event, the annual showcase for graduating art students at UBC Okanagan is set to open its doors next week. The year-end exhibition for students graduating from UBCO’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Media Studies (BMS) programs marks a milestone moment for this year’s class, says Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Studio Instructor David Doody. “This annual exhibition is the culmination of four years of dedication, exploration and artistic growth from our students and encapsulates the excitement surrounding the completion of their degrees,” says Doody. “This is by far my favourite time of the year—watching our students approaching the home stretch of their degree. Over the past four years, they have honed their skills and polished their crafts, and now are ready to share their work with the community.” This year’s exhibition is titled Everything and Then Some and Doody notes the prolific work of the graduating students created a bit of a challenge for organizers. “The 2025 collection is particularly huge and we were worried about fitting everyone’s works in the show, in a way that also supports their practice,” says Doody. “The sheer volume of projects is a testament to the dedication of our students.” Everything and Then Some not only represents the individual achievements of each artist but also the deep-rooted sense of community created throughout their academic journey, explains BMS student Landen Kielpinski. “I want to applaud all my peers for the countless hours of dedication and creativity that went into this exhibition,” he says. “This final showcase is not merely a culmination of our hard work but a celebration of our time together at UBCO.” BFA student Frederick Thacker elaborates on this sentiment and the close ties created by the graduating students. “Sharing studios with the same people for four years creates a strong bond. I’m going to miss everyone.” Doody says the fourth-year BFA and BMS art show is more than an exhibition—it is a celebration of passion, community and creative expression of the graduating students. “We have such an amazing group of talented individuals. These students have put their heart and soul into this exhibition,” says Doody. “It is just so great to see the fruits of their labours, their hard work and their dedication. Everyone should experience this extraordinary collection of work and witness the next generation of creatives take centre stage.” The community is welcome to the on-campus opening reception on April 17, from 6 to 9 pm. Everything and Then Some is a free, public exhibit and is open daily from April 17 to 25, from 10 am to 4 pm. For more information visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/bfa-exhibition. The post UBCO graduating students host year-end art exhibition appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Anyone who has stood in wonder while visiting a European cathedral or Gothic building, wondering how such architectural marvels were constructed, will appreciate the newest offering from UBC Okanagan Continuing and Professional Education.

Starting April 26, UBCO is presenting “Western Europe Transformed: Art in the Gothic Era.” The new course explores how dramatic cultural and religious transformations manifested through soaring cathedrals, luminous stained glass and intricate illuminated manuscripts during this pivotal period of European history, explains Dr. Hussein Keshani, Art History and Visual Culture Program Coordinator.

“The Gothic period of European art and architecture is fascinating,” he adds. “In our upcoming course, participants will dive into how Europeans celebrated Christianity—a faith that began in the Middle East. They will also explore the complex relationship between these regions, which still influences our culture and politics today.”

Dr. Keshani says this latest offering follows an enthusiastic community response to its inaugural medieval art course “Through a Glass Darkly” launched in December. This newest course invites participants to unravel the mystical beauty of Gothic art and architecture.

He notes there was strong community interest in the first course, and this reflects a broader desire for people to engage meaningfully with visual culture.

Course instructor Elizabeth Loeffler says that while the Gothic course naturally follows the progression of December’s European art history, newcomers are welcome to attend.

“Although the content builds from the material in the Romanesque course, I will be laying the groundwork for learning about Gothic art and architecture with the same core fundamentals, and introducing works without assuming that learners have prior knowledge of terms and historical figures.”

Loeffler sees the Gothic course as an opportunity to continue exploring the visual language of the Middle Ages.

“Art and architecture in the Middle Ages were overwhelmingly expressions of a collective desire to touch the Divine, a godhead that could only be seen imperfectly through the eyes of humanity in a mundane world,” she says. “In the Gothic era, this desire was evidenced by the mystical use of light and increased height in church spaces, as well as the proliferation of sculptural decoration and painted works. Additionally, illuminated manuscripts reveal the unique worldview of individual patrons who commissioned their creations. We’ll also see that artists could be incredibly imaginative and were not without a sense of humour.”

The six-week course explores how Western Europe experienced profound change during the Gothic period, examining buildings and artwork infused with Christian mystical themes. Participants will enhance their ability to read and interpret the visual arts from this time of cultural exchange and transformation.

The course, offered by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, is available through UBC Okanagan Continuing and Professional Education and costs $195. Classes will take place on campus on Saturdays from 1 to 3 pm starting April 26. No prior experience or participation in the previous Romanesque course is required.

For more information and to register, visit: cpe.ok.ubc.ca/courses/western-europe-transformed-art-in-the-gothic-era

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What: Student Okanagan Film Festival
Who:  Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies students, faculty and staff, general public
When: Monday, April 28 at 7 pm
Where: University Theatre, ADM 026, 1138 Alumni Ave., UBC Okanagan

The call is now out for all emerging filmmakers to make the final cut and get their work ready for judging.

Each spring, UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) hosts the Student Okanagan Film Festival. The festival screens short films from a wide range of genres including mini-documentary, experimental films, music videos, animation and narrative shorts.

Emerging filmmakers from any school in the Okanagan are invited to submit their work for the chance to be included in the festival screening. A panel of jurors, consisting of UBCO student and faculty volunteers, will narrow the selections to an hour of programming, explains Visual Arts Professor and event co-organizer Myron Campbell.

“I’m really excited for this year’s Student Okanagan Film Festival,” says Campbell. “The talent we’ve seen over the years has been impressive, and we’re thrilled to share these films with the public. It’s a great opportunity for students across the Okanagan to showcase their hard work to an appreciative audience. It also makes a perfect end-of-year celebration.”

This annual event includes films from any student in the Okanagan, including those at UBC Okanagan, all regional high schools and local colleges.

Campbell co-organizes the event along with FCCS faculty members Michael V. Smith and Daniel Keyes. He notes films more than 15 minutes long are less likely to be selected, as the goal is to keep the screening to about 75 minutes to highlight a diverse array of submitted works.

“We’re hopeful to see voices from more schools in the area represented this year,” adds Campbell. “It’s inspiring to watch the festival grow and to see the amazing creative work coming from students in the region.”

To be eligible, filmmakers must be a registered student in any Okanagan school and their film must have been produced anytime in 2024 or 2025.

The screening of the selected short films takes place Monday, April 28 in UBCO’s University Theatre, starting at 7 pm. This event is open to the public. Admission is by donation and all proceeds support awards and future festival programming.

The films are due by April 15. Submission and event details can be found at: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/about/events-workshops/film-festival.

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What: Art on the Line gala and fundraiser
Who: Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies students, faculty, local artists
When: Saturday, March 15, from 6 to 10 pm
Where: Engineering, Management and Education building, UBC Okanagan, 1137 Alumni Avenue, Kelowna
Cost: $200 per ticket, which admits two people and guarantees one piece of artwork. General admission, $10 at the door

It’s that time of year for art lovers to head to UBC’s Okanagan campus for the annual Art on the Line fundraiser.

Art on the Line is organized by Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) students and faculty as a fundraiser for fine arts and media studies students. The annual event is organized by FCCS students in a fourth-year practicum class, and led by Visual Arts Instructor David Doody.

“The night consists of a fantastic display of artwork, where guests are invited to choose from approximately 160 pieces of art that speak to them,” explains Doody. “Guests are also welcome to beverages and food during the night as they browse the exhibition and chat with artists. The artwork is then chosen by guests in the lottery portion of the event as the night progresses—an exciting way to claim art.”

Every guest will go home with a piece of art, each donated by fine arts and media studies students, visual arts faculty and staff as well as local artists. Each guest selects a piece of donated work they would like to take home. However, no one knows until their ticket is pulled which piece they will have the opportunity of actually claiming as theirs, explains Doody.

Laura McCarthy, a fourth-year Bachelor of Media Studies student and one of the organizers, says having the opportunity to help organize one of the biggest events on campus has been a great learning opportunity.

“I’m extremely thankful to have been a part of the practicum class. Helping plan Art on the Line was also a fantastic way to learn how to run, curate and prepare an event, and I can feel confident in using these skills in the future,” she says. “This class helped me make connections in the Kelowna artistic community and take my first steps into the professional world as an artist.”

Proceeds from the event support UBCO visual arts student exhibitions, including the fourth-year show, the visiting artist program, opportunities for travel grants and exhibitions, as well as the KGH Foundation—an organization dedicated to providing mental health services and counselling to young people in the Okanagan.

“We are thrilled with the number of artworks donated by our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” adds Doody. “There are some great pieces of art for people to take home.”

Art on the Line takes place on Saturday, March 15, at 6 pm in the Engineering, Management and Education building on the UBC Okanagan campus. Tickets are $200 for two people and this ticket guarantees one piece of art. People who would like to attend and view the exhibition but not take anything home can purchase a ticket at the door for $10.

“We are so excited to host this event again,” says Doody. “Each year, the students work so hard on it. To see everthing come together for this fun night with art lovers in the community is such a great experience for me as an instructor and artist.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/artontheline

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What: Creative and Portfolio Day at UBC Okanagan
Who: Prospective visual arts and media studies students, faculty members
When: Saturday, January 18, 10 am to 3 pm
Where: Creative and Critical Studies Building, 1148 Research Road, UBC Okanagan, Kelowna

Local artists who want to learn more about visual arts courses or media studies options at UBC Okanagan are being encouraged to prepare their portfolios and make plans to attend Creative and Portfolio Day in January.

Throughout the day, UBCO faculty members in visual arts and media studies host free workshops and portfolio reviews for prospective applicants. The day provides an opportunity for people to learn more about a variety of subjects and media such as painting, animation, drawing and printmaking.

The annual open house is a great chance for prospective students to speak with faculty and staff about program choices, meet with current students, explore the campus and facilities as well as learn more about the application process and portfolio requirements, explains Associate Professor of Visual Arts and Creative Studies Department Head Shawn Serfas.

“In our programs, students are encouraged to work in media that best suits their artistic practice, and these open-house events give us the perfect opportunity to showcase what it is like at university,” says Serfas. “We are excited to unite current students with emerging artists and guide them on their creative journey toward future success.”

Creative and Portfolio Day options include a drawing workshop, printmaking sessions, a tour of the FINA gallery and an information session about the media studies program where participants can learn about projects underway by current students.

Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies professors will be on hand to review portfolios from prospective applicants and provide advice on how to assemble an entrance portfolio that must be submitted for approval before the January 31 deadline. If prospective students have already completed a portfolio, they can receive advice or approval on the spot.

“The portfolio review is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the program to come to campus and get pointers—in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere—on how to put together a good portfolio,” says Visual Arts Instructor Andreas Rutkauskas. “They will also receive feedback about their work and advice about how to take their talent further.”

The portfolio requirement is an important part of the application process and gives the reviewers a chance to learn more about each applicant and get a sense of what kinds of art making these students are working on, he explains.

Creative and Portfolio Day takes place at UBC Okanagan on January 18. Due to limited seating for workshops and portfolio reviews, pre-registration is encouraged. To find out more and register visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/creative-portfolio-days

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Art has prominently been in the news lately, from a banana taped to a wall to a newly discovered Emily Carr painting purchased for $50 US and then sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For many, the art world might seem obscure. Imagine, thanks to UBC Okanagan, being able to look at any piece of art, especially in museums across Europe, and have a better understanding of what’s truly being portrayed in those images.

UBCO’s Faculty of Critical and Creative Studies is offering a new continuing and professional education series titled “Through a Glass Darkly: Early Medieval Christian Art and Architecture.” The first course in this series—Western Europe Transformed: Art in the Romanesque Era—will delve into how the art and architecture of the Romanesque period reflected the sweeping cultural and religious transformations of the time.

Dr. Hussein Keshani, Art History and Visual Culture Program Coordinator, says the course will help people decipher the rich history, and sometimes hidden meanings, behind Western Europe’s deep roots of Christianity and visual art culture.

“We are excited to bring our love and knowledge of art history to the community through this inclusive program designed for all to enjoy,” says Dr. Keshani. “The arts not only connect us to our shared histories but also enrich our lives, deepening our understanding of the world and each other.”

Instructor Elizabeth Loeffler is excited to share that the new series offers personal enrichment courses exploring the rich artistic and cultural history of the early Middle Ages.

Learners will explore the mystical themes of Christianity and how the visual arts express the dynamic cultural exchanges of this period. Art, architecture and other forms of visual culture serve to communicate information about the period in which they were created, explains Loeffler.

With medieval art history, there are still many mysteries to unlock, she adds.

“One thing that I am quite certain about is that even the strangest images in illuminated manuscripts, or marginal figures in architectural decorations carry meaning. It’s just that the meaning is no longer clear to a modern audience,” Loeffler says.

Loeffler is an accomplished art historian with more than 20 years of teaching experience at universities across Canada. She is particularly known for her expertise in medieval art following the Norman Conquest of England and the cult of St. Thomas Becket.

“This course is about going back to my roots—medieval art and architecture. I’ve been teaching courses from different periods for many years now, but I haven’t had the opportunity to do a deeper dive into medieval art history since 2013,” Loeffler says. “When I was given the opportunity to teach a subject that was of my own choosing, I immediately wanted to do a medieval course.”

People who have never taken art history and visual culture classes before will have their eyes opened to a new way of looking at the world. The skill of reading art will particularly enhance any travel abroad or visits to galleries and museums.

“Learning to read art is learning a new language,” says Loeffler. “Learners will be able to read complex messages in images, objects and spaces that they may not have realized existed.”

The six-week course is available through UBC Okanagan Continuing and Professional Education and costs $195. Classes will take place on campus Saturdays from 1 to 3 pm starting on January 25, 2025.

For more information and to register, visit: cpe.ok.ubc.ca/courses/western-europe-transformed-art-in-the-romanesque-era

The series continues in April with a subsequent course focusing on Gothic art and architecture, offering participants a deeper look at the artistic and cultural innovations of the medieval period.

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It’s time for local emerging writers to put their thinking caps on as the annual Okanagan Short Story Contest is open for submissions.

Now running for 27 years—the Short Story Contest was initiated in 1997 by UBC Okanagan Creative Writing Instructor Nancy Holmes along with local author John Lent—applications are open until early February.

“The annual short story contest has a long tradition of introducing emerging writers to the Okanagan community,” says UBCO Creative Writing Lecturer and UBCO alumnus Umar Turaki.

Winners in previous years have gone on to publish with Penguin Random House, Arsenal Pulp Press and NeWest Press, as well as numerous national and international magazines and journals.

“The history of the Okanagan Short Story Contest is long and its influence is significant,” says Turaki. “What a privilege to play a small part in its unfolding story as the annual contest continues to discover and celebrate local voices across BC’s interior.”

Emerging writers are invited to submit their work for the chance to win several prizes, including $1,000 for the winner, while second and third prizes are $400 and $200 respectively. This is the sixth year in a row the contest has been open to high school students and the top prize for that category is $200.

This year, the contest comes full circle as submitted entries will be adjudicated by faculty from UBCO’s creative writing program including Holmes who is now an Emeritus Professor.

“Being the judge for a creative contest I’ve helped organize for so many years is very special to me,” she says. “John Lent and I started the contest to showcase Okanagan and interior BC talent—we knew it was out there and history has proven us right.”

Holmes has published six collections of poetry, most recently Arborophobia.  She is the editor of Open Wide a Wilderness: Canadian Nature Poems. With fellow UBCO instructor Denise Kenney, she established the Eco Art Incubator, an initiative which supports ecological art in the Okanagan Valley. Holmes also established, with Dr. Cameron Cartiere, the award-winning community-based art project about native pollinators called Border Free Bees.

She retired from teaching this past spring. She is the recipient of the 2015 Robert Kroetsch National Teaching Award in Creative Writing for her innovative student project, Dig Your Neighbourhood, and The Malahat Review’s Constance Rooke Creative Non-Fiction award in 2017.

Entries for the Okanagan Short Story Contest are open to fiction writers in the southern interior of British Columbia—east of Hope, west of the Alberta border, north of the border to the United States and south of Williams Lake. All original entries must be between 1,000 and 4,000 words and writers are welcome to submit as many entries as they choose. There is a $20 entry fee for each story, but no charge for students in the high school category. Entries must be received by 11:59 pm on February 7, 2025.

“The remarkable stories that have won this contest have wowed me for years,” adds Dr. Holmes. “It will be a treat to be on the other end of the team—getting to read the cream of the crop and agonizing over who should win the big prize. I look forward to reading them all and I must admit, I feel a bit daunted. There are so many great writers and fabulous stories out there.”

All proceeds from the competition go towards Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies creative writing scholarships at UBC Okanagan, and towards supporting Indspire, an Indigenous organization that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

Winners of the short story contest will be announced in March at a public event where the finalists will be invited to read from their work. For a full list of contest details and rules, visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/short-story.

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UBC Okanagan’s Professor of Creative Writing Anne Fleming is one of a dozen Canadian writers who have made the longlist for the 2024 Giller Prize.

Fleming’s book Curiosities is a fictional account of a historian who finds an obscure memoir and then digs deep into the stories hidden between the pages of the people portrayed in the words penned centuries earlier.

“I was drawn to write about 17th-century England because its beliefs and practices and people are so deliciously weird. They were wrong about so many things, sometimes charmingly, sometimes disastrously,” says Fleming. “But people are people in any age. They love and fear, escape and return, suffer and endure, accuse and forgive.”

Fleming, who began teaching creative writing at UBCO in the fall of 2005, has published six books of fiction and poetry. Her writing has won significant recognition and she has previously been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, the Journey Prize, the Danuta Gleed Award, the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and Italy’s Premio Strega children’s prize.

The 12 titles chosen for the longlist were selected from more than 100 books that were submitted by publishers across Canada.

The Giller Prize, established in 1994, seeks out the best novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English written by a Canadian author. The top prize is $100,000, while each runner up will be awarded $10,000. Previous winners include authors such as Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Michael Ondaatje, Esi Edugyan, Suzette Mayr and Lynn Coady.

Dr. Bryce Traister, Dean of the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, says Fleming’s nomination is well deserved and her colleagues are extremely proud of her.

“With the longlist nod from the Giller Prize committee, more of the world is aware of what we in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies have long had the privilege of knowing. Anne Fleming is a rare talent, her work an inviting mix of clear observation, relentless curiosity and deft rendering,” he adds. “Neither her students nor her colleagues here at UBC’s Okanagan campus are a bit surprised with the news—and we are all delighted for her.”

Dr. Traister also notes this is the second year in a row a UBCO creative writing instructor has been longlisted for the Giller Prize. Associate Professor Kevin Chong’s novel The Double Life of Benson Yu was longlisted and also made the final five finalists for the Giller in 2023. Chong is also one of five judges for this year’s award and a shortlist will be announced on October 9.

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