The Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

art

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

located in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

, Alberta, Canada. The university is a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

institution that operates four academic schools. The institution originated from the art department established by the

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is a polytechnic institute in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SAIT offers more than 110 career programs in technology, trades and business. Established in 1916, it is Calgary's second oldest post-se ...

(SAIT) in 1926, later renamed the Alberta College of Art in 1960. It was separated from SAIT in 1985, becoming an independent, publicly funded college. In 1995, the university was granted the authority to issue

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachel ...

degrees and was renamed the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). The institution was designated a university by the government of Alberta in 2018 and was renamed the ''Alberta University of the Arts'' in the following year, to reflect its change in status.

History

The university's origins date back to the founding of the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA) in 1916. Beginning with evening and Saturday classes, day classes were offered starting in 1926, with Lars Haukaness appointed as the first head of the art department. In 1960, PITA was renamed the

(SAIT), and the art department became the Alberta College of Art (ACA). In 1973, after eight years of planning and construction, the Alberta College of Art moved into a brand new purpose-built building designed by architectural firm Cohos, Delesalle and Evamy, on the edge of Calgary's North Hill, next to the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. The Alberta College of Art became a separate institution from SAIT in 1985, and in 1995 amended its name to become the Alberta College of Art and Design.ACAD History
On February 1, 2019, ACAD officially became the Alberta University of the Arts.

Academics

As a college, the institution had the authority to grant certificates and diplomas. In 1995 the Alberta Government authorized granting the degree of

and in 2000 gave authority to grant the

Bachelor of Design A Bachelor of Design (B.Des. or B.Design) degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree in the field of design awarded for a course or major that generally lasts three or four years. It is the undergraduate equivalent of the Master of Design, ...

degree. The

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts ...

in Craft Media was launched in 2015 with the inaugural class receiving their degrees in May 2017. In March 2018, ACAD was named a university by the Minister of Advanced Education. It is the only institution in the province to offer and confer university-level undergraduate and now, graduate degree programs in art, craft, and design. On January 17, 2019, the Government of Alberta announced that ACAD was to become the Alberta University of the Arts (abbreviated as AUArts). The transition began on the same day while the name and university status became effective formally on February 1, 2019. AUArts' degree programs are housed within four administrative schools: * The School of Craft + Emerging Media (ceramics, fibre, glass, jewellery + metals, and media arts) * The School of Visual Arts (drawing, painting, print media, photography, and sculpture) * The School of Communication Design * The School of Critical + Creative Studies (non-studio academic courses)

Library and galleries

AUArts' Luke Lindoe Library is named after alumnus, instructor, and founder of the Ceramics Department Luke Lindoe, and maintains a collection of over 25,000 art and design-related titles. The university is also home to two professional galleries, the Illingworth Kerr Gallery (IKG) and the Marion Nicoll Gallery (MNG), and nine student-run gallery and pop-up spaces. The Alberta University of the Arts gallery was renamed after artist and instructor Illingworth Kerr when AUArts moved into its new home (current location) in 1973, expanding into a 9,500 square-foot facility. The MNG, named after artist and teacher Marion Nicoll, is based on a not-for-profit model and run by the AUArts Students' Association. MNG manages three locations (in AUArts' Main Mall, the AUArts/Jubilee LRT station hallway, and in downtown Calgary's Arts Commons +15 walkway), and focuses on exhibiting student work. AUArtSA also manages nine student exhibition spaces on campus.

Lodgepole Centre

Given its name by AUArts' Elder Council to reflect the supportive nature of the lodgepole, traditionally placed at the centre of the

tipi A tipi , often called a lodge in English, is a conical tent, historically made of animal hides or pelts, and in more recent generations of canvas, stretched on a framework of wooden poles. The word is Siouan, and in use in Dakhótiyapi, Lakȟó ...

to carry the weight of the covering, AUArts' indigenous resource centre, the Lodgepole Center, officially opened on campus in September 2016. An all-inclusive space, the Lodgepole Center facilitates Elder advising and support, traditional ceremonies, and workshops, and is a quiet study, smudge, and gathering space.

Notable alumni

Notable professors

Current

* Alana Bartol * Mireille Perron * Rita McKeough * Shelley Ouellet

Emeritus

* Henry Glyde, Lecturer Emeritus, 1987 * Illingworth Kerr, Lecturer Emeritus, 1987 * Dr. Stanford Perrott, Lecturer Emeritus, 1987 * Walt Drohan, Lecturer Emeritus, 1991 * George Mihalcheon, Lecturer Emeritus, 1991 * Keith Thomson, Lecturer Emeritus, 1991 * George Wood, Lecturer Emeritus, 1991 * Royston Evans, Lecturer Emeritus, 1995 * Dr. Verna Reid, Lecturer Emeritus, 1995 * Kenneth Samuelson, Lecturer Emeritus, 1997 * Gilbert Flodberg, Lecturer Emeritus, 1998 * Albert Borch, Lecturer Emeritus, 1999 * Katie Ohe, Lecturer Emeritus, 2001 * Richard Halliday, Lecturer Emeritus, 2003 * Pauline Butling, Lecturer Emeritus, 2004 * Alexandra Haeseker, Lecturer Emeritus, 2004 * Ronald Ponech, Lecturer Emeritus, 2006 * Norman Faulkner, Lecturer Emeritus, 2008 * Bill Macdonnell, Lecturer Emeritus, 2008 * Katharine Dickerson, Lecturer Emeritus, 2010 * Wendy Toogood, Lecturer Emeritus, 2010 * Elaine Prodor, Lecturer Emeritus, 2011 * Dan Gordon, Lecturer Emeritus, 2013 * Jane Kidd, Lecturer Emeritus, 2013 * Walter May, Lecturer Emeritus, 2013 * Judith Anne Sterner, Lecturer Emeritus, 2013 * Dennis Budgen, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Jim Ulrich, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Sarabeth Carnat, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Veran Gartley, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Alan Dunning, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Eugene Ouchi, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Larry Riedl, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Rik Zak, Professor Emeritus, 2014 * Gary Olson, Professor Emeritus, 2015 * Greg Payce, Professor Emeritus, 2015 * Ken Webb, Professor Emeritus, 2015 * Tim Zuck, Professor Emeritus, 2015 * Blake Senini, Professor Emeritus, 2016 * Gord Ferguson, Professor Emeritus, 2017 * David Casey, Professor Emeritus, 2017 * Katrina Chaytor, Professor Emeritus, 2017 * Donald Kottmann, Professor Emeritus, 2018 * Mireille Perron, Professor Emeritus, 2018 * Dr. John Calvelli, Professor Emeritus, 2019 * Dr. Jennifer Salahub, Professor Emeritus, 2019 * Charles Lewton-Brain, Professor Emeritus, 2019 * Jeff Lennard, Professor Emeritus, 2020 * Bill Morton, Professor Emeritus, 2020 * Laura Vickerson, Professor Emeritus, 2020

Notes

References

External links

*
Alberta University of the Arts Student Association
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Calgary Art schools in Canada Graphic design schools Design schools Educational institutions established in 1973 1973 establishments in Alberta Universities in Alberta