Heather Leier posing with one of her prints

Heather Leier was a local Okanagan student who graduated with her BFA at UBCO’s FCCS and that has led her to pursue an MFA at the University of Alberta. Heather was initially drawn to UBCO because her sisters had great experiences with the campus and she was also living in Kelowna.

Her interest in FCCS originated from her desire to seriously pursue art as her career path. When she arrived in the BFA program, she said that she found “a tight- knit community of students, professors, technical assistants, and administrative staff who work together to add to the creative environment in Kelowna.” FCCS focuses on creating comfortable creative communities that foster the ability of students to express themselves in a productive and focused environment.

Heather made ample use of the resources available in the BFA program: “I was given opportunities to show my work at local art galleries as well as encouraged to submit my work to international exhibitions. Additionally, I was able to do a practicum at the Lake Country Art Gallery. This was an amazing experience that gave me extraordinary insight into working in the creative sector in a curatorial and administrative capacity which has proven to be invaluable.” She also found support on campus with Professor Briar Craig “who was and is still a pivotal supporter of my work and has created an amazing printmaking community at UBC Okanagan where students are not only given technical and conceptual education, but many professional development opportunities.”

Heather’s time with the FCCS was not just creatively fulfilling; it also provided a series of practical skills that helped build her résumé: “My BFA not only gave me a conceptual and technical foundation to pursue my education at the graduate level but also gave me practical skills to work in the artistic community. I was taught how to work as part of a community of makers, how to critique, and how to take criticism. These are transferable skills that I have been able to apply in many school and work environments. The small community at UBC Okanagan definitely fostered a sense of ownership, responsibility, and leadership in me that I now apply when teaching undergraduate students.”

work from the Dark Corpse series, photo lithography

Heather is now an MFA student in printmaking at the University of Alberta, which she describes as an absolutely incredible experience. Heather, in conclusion, says: “UBCO’s FCCS is a dynamic faculty to pursue an education in. It is a place where collaboration and innovation are fostered and opportunities extend beyond the campus. The Okanagan is the perfect place to have your creative ideas supported and realized.”

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.

Amber Choo at Niagra Falls

Amber Choo  graduated with her BFA at UBC Okanagan. She was drawn to FCCS because she had taken an interest in artistic endeavors during high school. Her passion for a broad range of creative outlets led to her taking the opportunity to work in many different fields on campus. While at UBCO, she worked with Dr. Aleksandra Dulic  in the Centre for Culture and Technology. In an interview, she explains: “I became a work study student, which helped me hone my skills in 3D modelling and constructing virtual spaces in the Unity game engine. The Phoenix  campus newspaper also hired me as their Arts editor for three years, which helped me hone my writing skills. Both jobs gave me the skills I would need for a master’s degree researching game design, games for health, and virtual reality applications.”

Her experience with UBCO’s FCCS helped her anticipate her future path as both an artist and a student: “The people you meet during the BFA program help you develop a rough context behind what to expect in the real world outside of academia. I think a lot of students come into the BFA program expecting to become best-selling artists but eventually realize their dreams will take a different form, which is often not what they initially expected.” However, she also says that “artists and designers are needed in the most magically obscure interdisciplinary research spaces, and sometimes you don’t know they exist until they ask you to join them, which is what happened to me.”

Virtual reality environment by Amber Choo

Amber is now a graduate student at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC: “My latest graduate research work consists of constructing virtual reality applications to help acute and chronic pain patients better manage their pain experiences. We make our software in Unity and use head-mounted displays similar to the Oculus Rift. Next month, we’ll be running formal studies in a Vancouver pain clinic with the virtual realities I helped create.”

Amber Choo represents one of many success stories for students of UBC Okanagan’s FCCS. Her BFA was integral in developing both her technical and

Stereoscopic virtual reality environment by Amber Choo

artistic skills, which have proven vital to her continuing studies. She concluded: “I would strongly encourage new students to grab at opportunities as they appear, even if they don’t directly align with your current interests. The work study program was phenomenal and I made some of my dearest friends at the student newspaper. Pairing these types of on-campus opportunities with your undergraduate art studies creates a holistic learning experience and opens many doors for you.”

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.

Constance Crompton, assistant professor of Digital Humanities in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus, has received a $297,357 Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada, a project she co-directs with Michelle Schwartz (Ryerson University). Susan Brown from the Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory (University of Alberta), Don McLeod Robarts Library Head of Serials Acquisition (University of Toronto), and Elise Chenier director of the Archives of Lesbian Oral Testimony (Simon Fraser University) join Schwartz and Crompton as collaborators on the project.

Constance Crompton

The Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada (LGLC) project reconfigures Don McLeod’s books, Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada: A Selected Annotated Chronology volumes 1 and 2, as digital resources that will allow users to explore the people, places, events, and publications that defined the history of gay liberation in Canada between 1964 and 1981. Crompton and Schwartz are building an interactive digital resource for the study of LGBT history in Canada. This digital resource will exist as a freely available website and as an app available for smartphones and tablets.

By leveraging TEI-XML, semantic web technology, and graph databases (the type of database that powers social networking sites like Facebook), the LGLC illuminates connections between the people, the organizations, the periodicals and the demonstrations that defined the gay liberation movement as it moved from city to city, offering new insights into the political action, art, and lobbying that led to historic legal reforms in Canada. The LGLC project is supplementing the historical research that underpins the base text with new information about people, periodicals, and places, allowing users to generate custom maps and timelines in response to their searches.

LGLC is also an infrastructure pilot project within the Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory at the University of Alberta. The XML-encoded volumes of Don McLeod’s chronology are housed by CWRC and will be integrated with their Online Research Canada database. By being included in CWRC, LGLC content will be made available as part of an interdisciplinary, open-access library database, for use by researchers and students worldwide.

Thanks to SSHRC’s support, in 2104 the project welcomed three new research assistants, Jessica Bonney (UBCO), Raymon Sandhu (UBCO), Sarah Lane (Ryerson), who joined the LGLC’s RA-Project Manager, Travis White (UBCO).

Performance photo from “Mating Calls” presented at UBC-Okanagan September 2013.

Kevin Jesuino says that when he started his B.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Performance at UBCO he didn’t realize that “community is a major part of my artistic practice. Making community, partnerships or spaces for artists and others to meet is part of who I am.”  The unique Interdisciplinary Performance program helped him establish who he was as an artist.  Prior to coming to UBCO, he had had a wide variety of artistic experiences; this meant that he was looking for a very specific campus to develop his capabilities.

Kevin Jesuino

In an interview, Kevin mentioned that he “searched high and low for an undergrad that would offer me the flexibility to use all the skills I already had, but to develop and add to this tool kit in ways that would help me explore different methods of creating live performance.” FCCS’s Interdisciplinary Performance program was still in its early stages when Kevin arrived, which allowed him to contribute to the development of the program as well as allowed him to explore “the full spectrum of live performance; everything from traditional playwriting to collective creation.” While at UBC Okanagan, he learned how to bring his skills into the city of Kelowna, a place he often refers to as a “laboratory” for new ideas; it is “a place where you can go and try things out, workshop ideas, incubate projects, etc.” During his time at UBC Okanagan, Kevin brought one of his unique projects, where the viewer plays an integral role in the shape of the piece, to Kelowna’s Alternator Gallery. The piece, called Aquarium demonstrates Kevin’s innovative philosophy that was nurtured and developed at UBCO.

Performance photo from “Lamp of John” at Fluidfest (Calgary) 2014.

Kevin has used the various skills he developed to understand the “full spectrum of live performance and how it intersects creative writing and visual arts, which gave me a large tool kit of ways to use and make live performance.” This unique multiple exposure to a range of fine arts helped him find work with Antyx Community Arts, a non-profit organization based in Calgary. Antyx “is focused on the community…. [Kevin] consults with the community and [has] them generate the work while [he] facilitates whatever needs they may have.” Kevin Jesuino represents one of many success stories for students of UBC Okanagan’s FCCS.  According to Kevin, UBCO’s Interdisciplinary Performance program is “ultimately about empowering the performance-maker to consider innovative approaches in combining elements of creative writing, visual arts and live performance in ways that are not traditional and that may or may not fit into nice simple neat artistic categories.”

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.

Cultural Studies and English students publish report on the perception and availability of fair trade goods in Kelowna.

Is the coffee, chocolate, or sugar that you buy certified fair trade? Does it matter to you? These are the questions that UBC students address in a wide-ranging study of consumer access to, and perceptions of, fair trade in Kelowna.

The report includes results of consumer surveys, interviews with retailers, and analyses of the marketing of fair trade goods.

While the students found that many people believe fair trade is more ethical, consumers have few options to buy fair trade certified products in Kelowna. As well, organic and locally-produced goods are much more prominent in grocery stores and coffee shops.

“A key finding of the research is that the health and well-being of consumers seems much more important than the health and well-being of the farmers and workers who produce the food we eat,” noted Associate Professor David Jefferess, who supervised the class project.

The project was part of a class on Globalization and Culture which examines global relationships, social inequality, and movements for social justice.

The full Report, “Is it Fair? Do We Care?” is available HERE.

Contact: david.jefferess@ubc.ca – 250-807-9359

Jordan Coble graduated with a B.A. in Cultural Studies. He was initially drawn to UBCO’s FCCS after spending some time outside of school. In an interview, he noted: “I needed a change of lifestyle but I was born and raised in the Central Okanagan, I take pride in my community and did not want to stray too far, so UBCO was a natural fit.” Jordan was accepted to UBCO through the Aboriginal Access Program as an English Major, but soon switched to Cultural Studies.

His decision to major in this program was grounded in who he was and how he wanted to engage with his community: “[being] a First Nations person I was naturally drawn to Indigenous Studies courses but I also yearned for more. It wasn’t until my first Cultural Studies course that I figured out how I could balance my interdisciplinary way of thinking.” This FCCS program provided a productive and positive space that encouraged independent critical thought and fostered an inspiring learning atmosphere. Jordan believed that the “combination of the subject matter, the openness of the professors and how easy they were to get along with, as well as the ability to incorporate what I was studying to where I wanted to go afterwards, professionally speaking, had me hooked from that point on.” Cultural Studies provided Jordan with a new method for analyzing the world around him. He has “never listened to music, watched television or movies, appreciated cultural diversity, or viewed my surroundings the same ever since [his] experience in Cultural Studies.”

Jordan in front of the WFN Sncəwips Heritage Museum.

These skills helped prepare Jordan for his current position as Curatorial and Heritage Researcher at the Sncəwips Heritage Museum in Westbank, BC. Jordan believes that the diversity of courses provided by UBCO’s FCCS allowed him to widely and accurately understand the various plights that many in our society face on a daily basis. Additionally, the interdisciplinary nature of Cultural Studies allowed him to bring diverse perspectives and skills into his new position at the museum as he deals with the sweeping range of cultural, social and political issues so crucial to the Westbank First Nations and the community as a whole. Jordan believes that social activism and change require an active critical eye and a willingness to stand for causes that individuals believe are vital.  He thinks ignoring important issues, or turning away from them, “is exactly the problem. My FCCS degree provided me with the tools to step forward, not just for my community but for all communities.” Jordan represents one of many success stories for students of UBC Okanagan’s FCCS. In closing, Jordan admitted: “It was because of my experience at UBCO that I acknowledged my responsibility to my community, which essentially established my identity. This is the greatest gift I received.”

Jordan canoeing with friends.

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.

Photo by Andrew Barton

What: Pipeline Art Event
When: Friday, January 9, 7 p.m.
Where: Black Box Theatre, 1435 Water St, Kelowna
Cost: Free

On Friday, January 9, 2015 at 7 PM the Black Box Theatre in Kelowna BC, the three winning videos of the People on the Pipeline Contest will be shown, along with conversations with the filmmakers, and displays of pipeline-related art. The event will provide updates on pipeline activity in BC and across the country.

Jaalen Edenshaw and Gwaai (Hluugiitgaa) Edenshaw of Haida Gwaii and their collaborator, Dr. Ken Raj Leslie of Waterloo, won the People on the Pipeline $1000 first prize for their video “Haida Raid 2.1.” The judge, filmmaker Helen Haig-Brown, says of “Haida Raid” that it is a “great innovative low-fi animation with a strong song, strong message, and very creative use of different props from Lego to carved puppets.”

Tomas Borsa, a Vancouver-based journalist, photographer, and multimedia artist, and
Jean Philippe Marquis, a Vancouver-based journalist, photographer, and ethnographic film-maker, won the People’s Choice award for their film “Line In The Sand.” Ten year old Kelowna resident Rio Mendoza Angle won the Best Children’s Video for “Rio’s People on the Pipeline” and Mae Glerum from Kelowna and Kate and Tess Lindstrom from Terrace BC won Best Teen’s Video for “Tubing.”

The People on the Pipeline Contest is a project of The Eco Art Incubator, a research initiative out of the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Filmmaker Denise Kenney directed, starred in, and produced a “mock-fomercial” to launch the contest for the best short video expressing thoughts and opinions about the Northern Gateway pipeline after the public hearings across province, overwhelmingly opposed to the construction, led to the federal approval of the National Energy Board’s recommendation.

The winning films, along with Pipeline installation art by middle school students, and a presentation of Pipeline Art in BC will be shown at the Black Box Theatre, 1435 Water St, Kelowna on Friday, January 9th at 7 PM . This will be a great evening of film screenings and talks about pipeline issues in BC. The event will be free of charge and everyone is welcome.

Details about the project can be seen on the website http://www.peopleonthepipeline.com/. To show these films at events or festivals, contact the contest organizers, Nancy Holmes (nancy.holmes@ubc.ca) or Denise Kenney (denise.kenney@ubc.ca) or call 250-807-9369.

Lara Haworth

Lara Haworth was an international student from the United Kingdom and she graduated with her M.F.A specializing in Performance. She was initially drawn to UBC Okanagan’s FCCS because of the university’s highly respected international standing. She was also intrigued by the location, since the city of Kelowna was much smaller than what she was accustomed to, cities such as New York City and London. In fact, one of her first memorable experiences on campus was at UBC Okanagan’s Library: “I remember standing at the library checkout desk on one of my first days and glancing out the window and being overwhelmed by the unrelenting expanse of flat-topped mountains. I couldn’t see any lights, any houses: only trees.” The culture shock, however, was short-lived: “pretty soon I couldn’t imagine not being able to cross-country ski on the weekends, or walk a trail at lunchtime on campus, or know deeply, and appreciate, the work of the brilliant people around me.”

Lara made significant use of campus resources, working as a Teaching Assistant and also a Research Assistant during her time at UBCO. At one point, she co-directed a show with Professor Denise Kenney and the Theatre 280/480 students. Lara enthusiastically noted that this project was “one of the best and most fulfilling pieces of work I’ve ever made!” In addition to that venture, Lara also helped conduct the unusual performance intervention “Woodhaven Customs and Border Patrol” in Kelowna. Lara admits, “It was very moving how important Woodhaven was to people, and this revealed something about the status of ‘nature’ in a Canadian identity . . . The media attention the show received also made me see that Kelownians, and British Columbians, aren’t afraid to think about things that aren’t always totally obvious.”

New National Parks project,

Lara’s experience with UBCO’s FCCS helped develop her skills as a professional artist and gave her the ability to discuss her craft in a substantive and productive manner. She added that “[having] a vocabulary to talk about my own practice is totally vital.” Lara, since graduating from UBCO, has gone on to initiate many fascinating art pieces across the world. These include “New National Parks” in Chemnitz, Germany, and “The Library Project” in Yokohama, Japan.

The Library Project, Yokohama, Japan

Lara Haworth represents one of many success stories for students of UBC Okanagan’s FCCS. Lara concluded: “I would say that UBCO provides a world-class education in a small, supportive context . . . It’s also a place to experiment. I worked with some of the most extraordinary faculty there, who taught me more than they perhaps know. I’ll always be so grateful for that.”

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.