Visiting Speakers
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Visitors in the Arts Program
The Visitors in the Arts Program offers extensive exposure of leading practitioners in the creative field to our students and community at large. Established in 1976, this longstanding program focuses attention on a broad range of contemporary artistic practices and issues. With high-profile visitors every week through the fall and winter semesters of each academic year, students have a unique learning experience that illuminates local, national, and international achievement. In 1996, a secondary program was initiated that focuses specifically on architecture and design.
The Art Department works collaboratively with other units on campus, as well as various cultural institutions across Lethbridge and beyond to bring visiting speakers who are in various stages of their professional careers to present and interact with students on campus.
The program of presentations has expanded significantly over the years and showcases a diverse spectrum of lectures. Students and community members gain exposure to a wide range of speakers through two particular speaker series offered by the Department of Art: the Art Now series and the Architecture & Design Now series. These are tied to courses in our curriculum, and are also open to the public as free lectures.
More information on Faculty of Fine Arts visiting artists, scholars and professionals.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.
Art Now is an innovative core course in the Department of Art, required for both Art Studio and Art History/Museum Studies majors. The series introduces students and interested public to contemporary artists, curators, art historians, critics, and writers, from across Canada and beyond, addressing a broad array of artistic practices and issues in contemporary art.
Check our events listing for upcoming Art Now lectures.
Architecture & Design Now introduces students and interested public to contemporary architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, planning, and various design disciplines, including product design, furniture, interiors, fashion, graphic and digital design, and craft. Presentations in the series have addressed a variety of issues relating to the contemporary built environment, and design on every scale.
Check our events listing for upcoming Architecture & Design Now lectures.
In addition to public lectures in Art NOW and Architecture & Design NOW, guest speakers are often invited to conduct studio visits with graduate and senior undergraduate students. Individual critiques and group discussions with disciplinary experts support our students by providing opportunities for high quality professional engagement during their degree programs.
Mohammad Abbasi - October 24 | 2 - 4 pm
This studio visit is occurring in-person. The sign-up sheet can be found on the hallway wall outside W813, closer to the date of the visit. Please reach out to your studio professor if you have questions.
Open to ULethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts students.
Mohammad also speaks in Art NOW on October 24 at noon in the Ãâ·Ñ¸£Àû×ÊÔ´ÔÚÏß¿´Æ¬ Recital Hall.
Nancy Valladares - November 5, 2025 | 2 - 4 pm
This studio visit is occurring in-person. The sign-up sheet can be found on the hallway wall outside W813, closer to the date of the visit. Please reach out to your studio professor if you have questions.
Open to ULethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts students.
Nancy Dayanne Valladares is an interdisciplinary artist, filmmaker and educator currently based in New York. Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Nancy’s practice is deeply influenced by the construction of Honduran national identity through botanical and agricultural regimes. Trained as a photographer and filmmaker, her practice examines the networks and flows of image making, and their technopolitics: from sensors, to servers, to precious metal extraction and the carbon intensive footprint of the cloud.
Alongside , Nancy runs a decentralized research group interested in climate futures and new ecological imaginaries.
Nancy also speaks in Art NOW on November 3 at noon in the Ãâ·Ñ¸£Àû×ÊÔ´ÔÚÏß¿´Æ¬ Recital Hall.
Thank you to the Southern Alberta Art Gallery for their collaboration in making this studio visit and Art Now talk possible.