Department of Creative Studies

Comprised of five distinct but interrelated bachelor program areas as well as graduate programming, this is one of the most vibrant and dynamic art departments in the country.

What we do

The Department houses programs in Creative Writing and Visual Arts with additional specialized courses in Devised Theatre and Digital Media as well as Art History and Visual Culture. Our programs are designed to offer unique and individualized opportunities for students to develop skills in a variety of media and genre while they engage in cutting edge creative arts research.

We offer a hands-on experiential learning environment where students get to develop their own individualize artistic voice. If you are interested in being at the forefront of the next generation of cultural produces nationally or internationally we encourage you to learn more about our programs and what they might offer you.

We encourage students to cross disciplines while refining their specialized practices in art history, creative writing, performance, visual art and digital media.

Programs & Study Options

Art History & Visual Culture (BA)

Explore human creativity, imagination and beauty through the arts and visual cultures of the world, past and present. (major, minor)

Creative Writing (BA)

Draw on the imagination to convey meaning through the use of imagery, narrative, and drama in a variety of literary forms including poetry, fiction, plays, new media, screenwriting, and non-fiction. (major, minor)

Media Studies (BMS)

Explore new media and internet technology, blending artistic, technical and critical-thinking skills.

Visual Arts (BFA)

Train with the next generation of artists and cultural producers. Learn in cutting-edge facilities designed for traditional and digital-studio arts courses.

Theatre (BA)

A flexible and innovative approach to theatre education and creative and practice-based contemporary performance studies. (minor)

MASTERS OF FINE ARTS

Immerse in a dynamic, studio-based environment alongside accomplished artists and scholars guiding your focus in Creative Writing, Visual Arts or Interdisciplinary Studies.

IGS – DIGITAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Masters and PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies using digital technologies to explore questions central to the arts and humanities; applying arts and humanities frameworks to digital tools and technologies.

Film (BA)

Examine film and cinema from esthetic, historical, economical, sociological and technical perspectives. (courses)

INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE STUDIES

Masters and PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies, work closely with faculty across a diverse set of disciplines.

Faculty

Faculty

Chanda Carey | Global Contemporary Art; Performance Art in History, Theory and Practice; Eco-Art

Suzanne Gott | Global arts and visual cultures, African art and visual culture

Hussein Keshani | World Art History, Art Histories of the Islamic World & South Asia, Digital Humanities, World Literatures

Term Faculty

Angela Andersen | Global Contemporary Art

Nathalie Hager | Canadian Art History

Faculty

Kevin Chong| Creative writing, fiction, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, dramatic writing.

Anne Fleming | Fiction, poetry, children’s books, stage play and screen writing

Matt Rader | Poetry, short story, non-fiction, writing and community learning

Michael V. Smith | Concrete poetry, experimental film, Canadian literature, fiction and drama, poetry, screenwriting

Term Faculty

Tom Leveen | Fiction

Andrea Routley | Novel Writing, Community Learning

Umar Turaki | Short Story

Faculty

Aleksandra Dulic | New media, video, drawing 2D

Megan Smith | New media art, virtual reality, physical computing, critical design, geo location, visual art, interactive art.

Miles Thorogood | Digital Media

Annie Wan | Innovating Artistic and Socially Motivated Design through Creative Media by means of Gamification in Digital Heritage Preservation, Museums Archives and Digital Conservation; Employing Creative Media for the Socially Disadvantaged by means of Adopting Extended Realities and Intelligence Technologies for well- being.

Term Faculty

Emerald Benzmer | Digital Media

Jacen Denis | Digital Media, Animation

Yujie Gao | Computational Art and Design

Faculty

Denise Kenney | Devised Theatre, Art and Social Practice, Performance Art, Community Engagement, Improvisation, Spoken Word, Live Art and Digital Media, Film, Documentary Production

Virginie Magnat | Performance Studies, Qualitative Research, World Performance Traditions, Experimental and Intercultural Theatre, Physically-Based Performance Practice, Body-Voice Integration, Traditional Singing.

Term Faculty

Tracy Ross | Performance

Faculty

Myron Campbell | Digital Media, Drawing

Briar Craig | Printmaking, Drawing

Aleksandra Dulic | New media, video, drawing 2D

Renay Egami | Sculpture, installation

Samuel Roy-Bois | Sculpture, installation

Shawn Serfas | Painting, drawing, printmaking, theory

Miles Thorogood | Digital Media

Tania Willard | Visual Strategies and Research, Indigenous Land Art, Contemporary Indigenous Art

Term Faculty

Connor Charlesworth | Drawing, 2D, Painting

Jacen Denis | Digital Media

David Doody | Drawing, Sculpture

Jorden Doody | Painting

Emerald Benzmer | Digital Media

Patrick Lundeen | Drawing, Painting, Sculpture

Ramey Newell | Video production

Katherine Pickering | Painting, drawing

Andreas Rutkauskas | Photography

Darian Stahl | Printmaking

Administrative Office

Shawn Serfas
Department Head, Creative Studies
Associate Professor, Visual Arts
Email: shawn.serfas@ubc.ca
Office: CCS 153

Susan Cripps

Susan Cripps
Departmental Administrative Assistant
Email: susan.cripps@ubc.ca
Tel: 250.807.8716
Office: CCS 153

Kaila Kalinocka
Studio Technician
Email: kaila.kalinocka@ubc.ca
Tel: 250.807.9780
Office: CCS 128

Connor MacKinnon

Connor MacKinnon
Studio Technician
Email: connor.mackinnon@ubc.ca
Tel: 250.807.8483
Office: CCS 129

Vanessa Costa da Silveira

Vanessa Costa da Silveira
Head’s Assistant, Undergraduate Program and Events Support
Email: vanessa.costadasilveira@ubc.ca
Office: CCS 153

Joanne Gervais
Manager, Media Services
Email: joanne.gervais@ubc.ca
Tel: 250.807.8737
Office: CCS 228

Philip Wyness

Philip Wyness
Technical Director
Email: philip.wyness@ubc.ca
Tel: 250.807.9783
Office: CCS 121

Sam Neal

Sam Neal
Media Technician
Email: sam.neal@ubc.ca
Office: CCS 228

Creative Practice Ethics Statement

The Creative Studies department is committed to ethical creative practice. Faculty and students engaged in creative practice are expected to be prepared to articulate how their work aligns with the ethical standards of the disciplines and sectors they are a part of.

If creative practices are employed as part of research projects in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, then they may be subject to REB review and approval.

Ethics Statement