The Woodshed at the Woodhaven Eco Culture Cetnre

Who: Canadian Poet, Russell Thornton
What: Woodshed Reading Series
When: Friday, May 15, 7pm
Where: Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, 969 Raymer road

This May 15th, Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre is honoured to welcome Russell Thornton, celebrated poet, author, and one of this year’s Griffin-prize nominees. This public event will open The Woodshed Reading Series in grand style. Poetry of this depth and quality on an evening in May—we could hardly ask for a better way to usher in the summer! The reading will be on Friday, May 15th at 7 PM at UBC’s Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, 969 Raymer Road, Kelowna.

Russell Thornton

Thornton is the author of such works as The Fifth Window, A House Built of Rain (BC Book Prize finalist), Stones and Rain (Governor General’s Award finalist) and The Hundred Lives (2015 Griffin-prize shortlist). His poems work the interplay of the human, the material, and nature as sacristy, a “beautifully articulated realm of the awkward dance between spirit and matter” (Coast Reporter). The Griffin-prize judges note Thornton’s skill in the transmutation of matter and spirit: “Thornton’s lyric narratives …dramatically enact Robert Frost’s notion that the greatest of all attempts is ‘to say matter in terms of spirit, or spirit in terms of matter, to make the final unity’”.

Come join us this May 15th for an evening of poetry with Russell Thornton, one of Canada’s most celebrated voices—the first of many wonderful events taking place at Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre over the span of the summer. This event is free; all are welcome. Joane Arnott will be our second visiting author, reading on June 5th, , another event not to be missed by linguaphiles and art enthusiasts.

The Woodshed Reading Series is sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC, The Association of Literature Environment and Culture in Canada, and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan. The Woodshed Reading Series is in its second year and will hold readings throughout May to August.

For more information on the reading series and Woodhaven, visit : blogs.ubc.ca/woodhavencentre/summer-2014-event-calendar/

Peter Morin in his thesis exhibition, 2010

Peter Morin graduated with an MFA in Visual Arts. In an interview, Peter admits that he was initially drawn to UBCO as part of a bigger mission. Peter was employed as a Youth Worker at a local library when he noticed one of the younger students, while playing Monopoly, was struggling with very basic reading skills: “He was a kid that should have had no problem reading the basic writing on Monopoly cards. I think about this moment a lot because here was a kid that the system overlooked. My idea to get a Master’s Degree at UBCO was to address this moment, or moments like this. If I could get into the institutions and teach the teachers, for example, then we would start helping kids with similar issues.”

While at UBCO, Peter made ample use of the facilities located on campus, which include a darkroom, greenroom, painting studio, printmaking studio, wood shop, 3D studio, and more.  However, for Peter, “the real gift was the instruction. I took several classes in support of my degree and benefited greatly from being in contact with these professors.” Furthermore, “the program overall was great. It suited my needs as a working professional who wanted to move beyond my Bachelor’s degree. I had the privilege of working with Stephen Foster. Stephen was a great support to my work. The research component of the degree really helped me to develop the performance skills that I use now. The research skills that I developed for my degree continue to help me to develop my projects and, these days, the same research methodology that I used to develop my Master’s Thesis exhibition is what I teach to my students at Brandon University.”

Peter Morin

Peter’s experience at UBCO and the FCCS were vital to his professional development. However, additionally, Tahltan.org notes that Peter “uses his training in painting, printmaking and drawing to tell visual stories of his Tahltan culture and who draws on art to help first nations youth reconnect with their culture and traditional practices.” Therefore, the skills that Peter refined at UBCO were invaluable to both his career and the greater community, which is something that the FCCS takes great pride in fostering.

In closing, Peter noted: “I found the program to be flexible and supportive. I also found that the faculty’s knowledge was very rich and diverse. This knowledge supported my research and my drive to complete my best work. I was working within a supportive environment, one that was responsive to my needs as a working professional, and this helped. It helped me finish my degree. It helped me to push past my own limitations. And, finally, it helped me continue to make the work that I do today.”

This story was written by Brandon Taylor, English major in FCCS. Brandon is a Research Assistant in FCCS, contacting alumni to find out about their experiences here at UBCO.

Lee Hannigan

Lee Hannigan graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and English. In an interview, when asked about what drew him to UBCO initially, he stated: “I think that what brought me there is less important than what kept me there, and what keeps me coming back: the faculty. I think the most successful students are the ones who seize opportunities, who make themselves part of the academic community by offering their voice to any number of conversations taking place inside and outside the classroom.”

UBCO’s FCCS faculty is comprised of a wide array of scholars from all manner of backgrounds, providing a world-class education to their students. As Lee mentions, “UBCO’s FCCS is a loud department, and the voices sounding inside and outside of its classrooms are creating waves in faraway places. I have contributed to a few of these conversations, but only because I was given the opportunity as an undergraduate to have a voice in exchanges that are more often than not reserved for graduate students and faculty members.”

While on campus, Lee made ample use of the resources found at UBCO, which included a Research Assistant position: “In the final year of my undergrad, Dr. Karis Shearer invited me to be a part of a conversation having to do with poetry sound recording. That conversation led to an RAship, and I spent the summer of 2013 in an air-conditioned university sound studio, digitizing and transcribing a diverse collection of reel-to-reel tapes—a serious upgrade from stocking shelves in a paint store.”

Additionally, Lee worked with Dr. Shearer on a project that included an opportunity for academic publication. “A few months later I co-authored a paper with Dr. Shearer for the ‘Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture since 1900,’ where I met Dr. Jason Camlot, a professor at Concordia University and my current MA supervisor.”

Lee’s time at UBCO ultimately provided him with a wealth of opportunities, including a trip across Canada: “I traveled to Montréal to give a conference paper at the “Approaching the Poetry Series” conference at Concordia University (another opportunity that wouldn’t have been possible without Dr. Shearer’s mentorship and FCCS support). However, in order to do so, I needed money. Lucky for me, UBCO’s Tuum Est Student Initiative Fund supports undergraduate students interested in attending conferences.”

The wide array of personal, academic, and professional experiences equipped Lee for the reality of the world around him. “My double major from UBCO helped prepare me for the world by giving me an opportunity to speak and to listen, to imagine and create.” Lee notes, “All of this is to say that the mentorship I received at UBCO—the conversations I was asked to be a part of—have everything to do with my development both as a scholar and, more importantly, as someone trying to make sense of being in the world.”

This story was written by Brandon Taylor, English major in FCCS. Brandon is a Research Assistant in FCCS, contacting alumni to find out about their experiences here at UBCO.

Conference organizing committee:
(back) Mike Kennefick, Fabian Cid Yañez, David Kadish, Matt Husain, Juawana Grant, Ozgul Akinci, Nishat Tasnim. (front) Jeanette Angel, Kacie Auffret, Meghan Harper, Mathieu Aubin, Catherine Kyle

The 6th Annual Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference Science, Culture and Society: Experiencing Engagement, Engaging Experiments will be held on May 1 & 2. The conference is a place for grad students to share their research and conceptual ideas across disciplines rather than in disciplinary boundaries; students have the opportunity to hear about methods that may be similar or different from their own, applied in a variety of ways, and to hear about ideas and insights that can provide links to their own research that may not have been thought about in a singular context.

The organization of this year’s conference is being coordinated by interdisciplinary graduate students at UBC Okanagan, who are quite diverse in terms of their research areas, and includes students from the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Community Culture and Global Studies, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Health and Exercise Sciences.

“The way we have organized sessions and presenters sets this year apart, as it is truly pushing the boundaries on what it means to be interdisciplinary,” explains committee chair, PhD Candidate Jeannette Angel. “We have people from extremely different disciplines presenting their research together.”

For instance the session Community and Place presents topics that address how we come to understand collective and individual identity through place and how that changes depending on what is going on in that place. One presenter will discuss her research on women who are commuting to Ft. McMurray, another will talk about historical market gardening in Kelowna using GIS records and the other presenter will share his research on poetry readings and 1960s community protests in Vancouver.

The conference committee has receive assistance and support from a number of faculties and associations on campus, including a new committee that was formed through the UBCSUO, called the Graduate Student Committee who will be hosting the student banquet and organizing a panel, entitled Transitions, Where do We Go from Here?

Margo Tamez, Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies at UBO Okanagan, is this year’s Keynote speaker. Her talk, “Methodologies for transitioning societies, beyond borders….” will consider how metaphors and stories sustain passion, creativity, innovation, and traction on the research journey. Professor Tamez (Nde konitsaaii, Big Water People, Lipan Apache Band of Texas) is an historian, poet, essayist, traditional knowledge keeper, Indigenous rights defender, and interdisciplinary researcher.

This year’s conference focuses on the ways in which we do research through both experimentation and experience, and will offer traditional panel discussions, walking tours, performance and art installations.

Turning, curated by Jeannette Angel, is an interactive exhibition with scheduled performances that features work by undergraduate and graduate students from Fine Arts and Computer Science programs. It will be held in the FINA Gallery during the conference and the interactive installations will continue to be exhibited until May 28.

For more information about the conference, the program, and the committee, visit igsconference2015.wordpress.com/

Photo credit: Michele Johnson

What: Alternowledge discussion series – Nsyilxcn Language Revitalization in the Okanagan
When: Friday, April 17, 7pm.
Where: Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art, 421 Cawston Ave., Kelowna
Cost: Free 

This month’s Alterknowledge discussion will focus on the Nsyilxcn Language in the Okanagan.

Nsyilxcn is the language of the Syilx (Okanagan) people and, like all languages, it is inextricably interconnected and interwoven with the landscape, stories, community health, and the way of being of its speakers. Since the intrusion of non-Indigenous settlers in the Okanagan, Nsyilxcn has become an ‘endangered’ language. However, language teachers and activists are now working to create new speakers.

Join Nsyilxcn language teachers Michele Johnson and Hailey Causton for a discussion about language learning, revitalization, and activism in the Okanagan and beyond.

Recognizing knowledge as a form of power, and acknowledging how structures of power shape what constitutes knowledge, AlterKnowledge provides a venue for so-called “alternative” knowledge to be shared and valued and for dominant systems of “knowledge” to be altered.

The AlterKnowledge Discussion Series is organized by FCCS faculty members, Allison Hargreaves and David Jefferess.

Information about future discussions can be found on our web page, www.ubc.ca/okanagan/fccs/news-events/ongoing/alterknowledge.html

Students holding up their projects for the DYN Mission package

Who: Creative Writing and Visual Arts students
What: Dig Your Neighbourhood (DYN) Mission
When: Saturday, April 18th from 3 – 5 PM.
Where: Marmalade Cat Café, 2903 Pandosy St.

Dig Your Neighbourhood: Mission will be holding its launch and showcase at the Marmalade Cat Café, 2903 Pandosy St, in Kelowna on Saturday, April 18th from 3 – 5 PM.

UBCO students in Creative Writing and Visual Arts will be launching FIFTEEN (15) fabulous new works about and for the Mission neighbourhood of Kelowna. Dig Your Neighbourhood (DYN) is a project in the Department of Creative Studies where students in the program create a package of art for a Kelowna neighbourhood which is then distributed by the Welcome Wagon Ltd.

The students will be launching the new package created especially for the Mission and it is spectacular. It includes two children’s books, a “fitness guide” to the Mission, a package of meditation cards, a winery calendar featuring Mission wineries, placemats, greeting cards, illustrated books and much more!

The package will be unveiled on Saturday April 18, 3 – 5PM at the iconic Marmalade Cat Café, a Mission landmark. The event is free of charge. All are welcome. There will be a draw for packages and selected items will be on sale. Meet the student artists and be there for the “handover” of several packages to the Welcome Wagon.

This project was directed by Creative Writing professor Nancy Holmes and Visual Arts professor Aleksandra Dulic, with financial support from the Eco Art Incubator and Lake Publishing Society.

Ashleigh Green graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts. She was drawn to UBCO’s FCCS due to the encouragement of one of her high school teachers in Kelowna. Her experience on the Kelowna campus was both creatively diverse and productive within the local community:

explorations in scale, pen drawing in handmade book

“In the final year of my undergrad I was very fortunate to work as a visual artist/research assistant for Nancy Holmes’ Dig Your Neighbourhood Rutland community project . I got to collaborate with a class of writers to create and publish a range of printed books and other creative materials. It was unlike any visual arts course offered in the Fine Arts department; it provided such an insight into the publishing world, and had this wonderful collaboration between different types of creative work. I also worked on campus for Aboriginal Programs & Services, creating a variety of promotional materials for the Aboriginal centre, in media ranging from print to video. These two positions enriched my education with professional skills I would not have learned from only taking classes.”

Ashleigh was also a participant in UBC Okanagan’s Go Global program, which enables students to study abroad. “I took advantage of UBC’s Go Global program to study Illustration at the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. I fondly reflect on my time there as the most memorable, influential, and formative year of my degree. Being exposed to new outlooks on art, different approaches to creative work, and an entirely new environment changed the way I viewed my own work and challenged me to find my voice. I highly encourage everyone to make the most of their degree by spending a year (or at least a semester or summer) abroad. It’s a wonderfully unique opportunity to travel and obtain a broader education while paying the same UBC tuition.”

Ashleigh synthesized these various experiences and applied them to work after she graduated, taking part in residencies

a shift in perspective ii, pen drawing + digital photo collage

around the world. “After a presentation Professor Renay Egami gave one morning, I knew that taking part in residencies would be the best way to continue making art after university, to meet other artists, work in engaging environments, and travel – all at the same time. Equipped with the knowledge of various types of residencies and how to apply for them from Renay’s talk, I have since been accepted to and attended residencies at SVA in NYC and HEIMA in Iceland.”

In closing, Ashleigh added: “I would highlight the small studio and classroom sizes as a great way to engage with professors and to get to know the majority of your classmates in a personal way. I would recommend any prospective BFA students at UBCO to take advantage of the 24/7 access to facilities to experiment, explore personal projects, and collaborate with whomever is willing. There is so much available to you here.”

This story was written by Brandon Taylor, English major in FCCS. Brandon is a Research Assistant in FCCS, contacting alumni to find out about their experiences here at UBCO.

4th year BFA grad student Melissa Demale finishing up paintings for the show

Shelf Life: UBC Okanagan’s 2015 BFA graduation exhibition

Who: UBCO’s bachelor of fine arts students majoring in visual arts.
What: Shelf Life – BFA class of 2015’s graduation exhibition and reception.
When: Reception takes place on Saturday, April 25th from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Exhibition will be open to the public from Tuesday, April 21st, to Sunday, April 26th between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. with extended hours till 8 p.m. on Thursday April 23rd, and Friday April 24th.
Where: UBCO’s Creative & Critical Studies Building, 1148 Research Road, Kelowna, BC.
Note: Pay parking available on campus. Admission is free with artwork and catalogues available for purchase.

UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies is excited to present Shelf Life, an exhibition of Bachelor of Fine Arts graduates majoring in visual arts. The exhibition showcases the work of 28 fourth year students whose art practices are greatly diverse ranging from 2D to 3D, digital to handmade, and abstract to representational.

The first and second floors of the Creative and Critical Studies building will be transformed into exhibition space with the show open to the public from Tuesday, April 21st to Sunday, April 26th between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. with hours extended till 8 p.m. on Thursday April 23rd, and Friday April 24th. Gallery attendants will be in foyer to provide visitors with information regarding artwork and catalogue sales.

The exhibition gala/reception will take place on Saturday, April 25th from 7 to 9:30 p.m. It is an opportunity to enjoy an exciting evening of art, live entertainment, refreshments, appetizers, and awards. Food will be provided by CrAzian Food Truck, refreshments from The Vibrant Vine Winery and Big Surf Brewery, and entertainment from ▲lpha M▲le.

“Over the course of my four years here I’ve always come to the graduating exhibition reception. It is always exciting to see the work of the graduates and how diverse each year is” says fourth-year student Connor Charlesworth. “The show really is the culmination of four years of hard work and so it’s a major milestone for us students in terms of professionalism. It’s always nice to see the community come out and look at what we have been up to and see the talent that UBCO produces. I always have a great time and am sure this year will be no exception!”

Martina Wilkison in her classroom at OKM

Martina Wilkison graduated with a B.A. in French and English. In an interview, she mentioned that she was initially drawn to UBCO’s FCCS because “I grew up in the Okanagan and have always loved living here, so UBCO was a natural choice. UBCO offered great French and English courses and the study areas that I wished to pursue.”

Martina’s academic pursuits as an undergraduate focused on literary works from a variety of time periods in both French and English. During this time, she was also given the opportunity to apply the knowledge she gained from her studies while overseas: “I was fortunate to go on an exchange to Lausanne, Switzerland. It was a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of the French language and of French cultures.” Back on campus, “I also had the opportunity to work at the Academic Resource Centre (now known as The Writing & Research Centre as a writing tutor. I enjoyed working on campus because I was able to use the skills I had developed to help other students from various academic disciplines.”

Martina’s wide range of experience, coupled with her degree, has enabled her to become a French and English teacher at Okanagan Mission Secondary while she completes her Masters in Education. “I already knew that I wanted to become a teacher when I began my BA at UBCO. It provided me with the tools that I needed to get accepted into the secondary teacher education program at UBCO. I’m thankful for the writing and reading skills that I developed during my undergrad. They have made my transition to graduate studies much smoother.”

Martina Wilkison

UBCO’s French program offers a sophisticated and multifaceted set of courses that add value to any prospective student’s applicable skills. For Martina, “my studies in French and English gave me a solid background in the subjects that I currently teach. The course options that were available in the French program gave me a wide breadth of experience, in literature studies, grammar, spoken French, and film studies. Having a degree in French has been an asset in both in my career and in my personal life (travelling, cultural experiences).”

In closing, Martina explained: “I appreciated the smaller class sizes that UBCO has in comparison to larger universities. I enjoyed getting to know my professors, an experience that I would not have had in a larger university. UBCO’s FCCS ultimately offers a quality learning environment and experience in beautiful surroundings.”

This story was written by Brandon Taylor, English major in FCCS. Brandon is a Research Assistant in FCCS, contacting alumni to find out about their experiences here at UBCO.

Joe Dermo graduated with a BA in Creative Writing. He was drawn to UBCO because he was in search of an inclusive and respectful creative community where he could nurture his writing abilities. In an interview, he said: “I had lived my entire life in Alberta, and much of the work I did would be considered blue-collar. For someone with an interest in writing, I had very little contact with actual writers–theirs was a world that seemed entirely foreign. To embrace the arts and pursue a degree in Creative Writing would be a sizable shift from the lifestyle I was familiar with.”

When Joe arrived in Kelowna and began studying at UBCO, he found that “the writers in the Okanagan tend to stick together. The experienced writers, especially the professors at the UBCO, are extremely approachable, and aspiring writers should have no problems with feeling welcome.” Joe mentioned that he found his creative stride in his third year of studies, where he won top prize for the 15th Annual Okanagan Short Story Contest. “I gave my first public reading on the night of the award, and the next day I’d been covered in various Okanagan publications. The following week, I was invited onto CBC Radio where I would give my first interview as a writer.”

Man on a Post story

Joe credits the FCCS’s collaborative atmosphere with helping him further develop his writing capabilities: “In the winter of 2013 I received an acceptance letter from The Sheepshead Review for my short story “Man on a Post.” This wasn’t just a reflection on the ability of my own writing, but also on the ability of students and professors in the program to effectively critique and edit a piece. Without the feedback I’d received, it would have been a completely different story that I’d submitted, and in all honesty, one that wasn’t as engaging.”

All of these diverse skills and experiences helped prepare Joe for his current position at Disney Interactive. “The ability to critically assess a situation and think outside-of-the-box is going to be valued in nearly any business. At Disney Interactive we’re faced with new situations each day. Of course, the ability to write well and have some creative flair plays a part in your responses as well. There’s a certain magic in Disney products, and you want to ensure that your voice can convey that. No canned messages here – be yourself, be excited about Disney Interactive’s video games, and let your writing abilities carry that in your voice.”  About both Kelowna and UBCO, Joe added that “the close-knit writing community and small class sizes are a great reason for applying to the Faculty of Creative & Critical Studies. It’s a very accommodating environment and an ambitious student should have no problem making connections.”

This story was written by Brandon Taylor, English major in FCCS. Brandon is a Research Assistant in FCCS, contacting alumni to find out about their experiences here at UBCO.