Research
Robert Youds' installation "For Everyone A Fountain" at Victoria's Open Space
The environmental concerns of Kelly Richardson's digital media work has attracted attention around the world
Cedric Bomford engages with his pop-up installation "Deadhead Redux" at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Daniel Laskarin considers his commissioned public art sculpture "to be distinct and to hold together," now installed at Cambie Fire Hall No. 3 in Richmond BC
Megan Dickie's work fuses sculpture and performance in surprising ways
As an artist and composer, music is an essential part of Paul Walde's intermedia work
Vision and practice
UVic’s Department of Visual Arts has a well-earned reputation as one of Canada's leading contemporary art schools. With creativity and culture recognized as one of UVic’s core research strengths, our department features world-renowned, award-winning researchers and creative artists who have been recognized with the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts (2015), the Gershon Iskowitz Prize (2015) and the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award (2016).
We believe that creating well-rounded artists who understand a wide range of materials and methods is key to developing unique and innovative artistic voices. Our students benefit from working with leading visual and media artists who work in more than one discipline — an approach that makes UVic unique nationally, and keeps us on the international radar. As a result, we have produced some of the best interdisciplinary and genre-defying artists of the past 50 years.
Our balanced and comprehenvise program helps our students explore a wide range of research and practices, and our teachers are always busy exhibiting nationally and internationally — an extraordinary resource for emerging artists.
Impact
The research and creative production at UVic's Faculty of Fine Arts has a strong impact in areas of social responsibility, including world heritage, community well-being, the environment, Indigenous art and languages, and gender and identity, among others. We offer a digital fabrication lab, a digital audio lab, a CFI-funded Hi-Def Story Incubator Laboratory and our Studios for Integrated Media, as well as being Canada’s only All-Steinway School. Our programs are relevant to student needs and industry demands, and we actively seek out new partnerships to enhance innovation, engage with community partners and support entrepreneurship.
Regardless of your future career path, there is an ever-increasing need for creative and critical thinking in society. As part of our Fine Arts community of artists — an international gathering of writers, musicians, designers, directors, actors, composers and art historians — your creative future starts here in Visual Arts.