UNews - Canada Council for the Arts

Kavanagh explores global phenomenon of atomic tourism

trevor.kenney — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 16:23:22 +0000

It has been 70 years since the world was introduced to the devastating power of an atomic bomb, and as the anniversary of the first detonation approaches, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professor is embarking on a unique project that examines the growing global phenomenon of atomic tourism – one that attracts millions of visitors each year to significant sites of atomic history.

Faculty of Fine Arts professor and artist Mary Kavanagh is in the early stages of a multi-year project that examines atomic tourism as enacted at Trinity, New Mexico, where the first nuclear device was successfully tested on July 16, 1945 near the end of the Second World War. Three weeks later, the United States dropped successive atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

Kavanagh has twice been to Trinity, laying the groundwork for her research project. Situated deep in the desert on the White Sands Missile Range in Southern New Mexico, the site is opened to the public only one day per year (the first Saturday in April) and attracts 3,000 to 4,000 visitors annually. Last year, Kavanagh conducted 45 on-site interviews during the annual Open House and assembled a series of compelling video portraits of the people who visited. Kavanagh will return to continue filming at the Trinity Open House on Apr. 4, 2015.

Visitors flock to the White Sands Missile Range in Southern New Mexico for the annual Trinity Open House, the first Saturday of each April.

“Rather than focusing on the historic significance of Trinity, which is well understood, my interest resides in documenting the living history of the site and responding to its continuing cultural and social relevance,” says Kavanagh, whose project is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Office of Research & Innovation Services. “The interviews I have so far conducted reveal a highly charged, emotional and psychological connection to this place and to the broader nuclear story that continues to resonate for many people. The steady lineup of visitors willing to share their insights in front of the camera was stunning.”

From war veterans to history buffs, peace activists and cancer survivors, Kavanagh has encountered a full range of motivations for visiting. She even met a young couple who exchanged wedding vows at ground zero.

“I am struck by the way people described the site, calling it holy or haunted, a prison, a celebration, sobering and festive. Perhaps it is all these things at once,” says Kavanagh. “We are still nowhere near collectively coming to terms with our relationship to nuclear technology, and though 70 years have passed since the bombs were dropped on Japan, the memory still haunts us, the Cold War quietly simmers, nuclear industry continues to wreak havoc, and a tension remains, carried in the bodies of all of us.”

The project, which will unfold over the next five years and culminate in 2020, the 75th anniversary of the bomb, will ultimately result in a feature-length documentary film.

Atomic Tourist: Trinity follows Kavanagh’s 2012 research and exhibition project entitled Atomic Suite – a cinematic video projection and photographic installation that addresses her time spent with the U.S. military in Wendover, UT. Kavanagh also recently presented a video project, Track of Interest: Exercise Vigilant Eagle 13, at the 2015 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art. It was developed from her participation in the Canadian Forces Artists Program.

Since 2007, Kavanagh has been advancing a body of work that examines sites connected to the development of weapons of mass destruction, from the first atomic bomb, to cold war nuclear and chemical weapons testing programs, to the disposal of nuclear weapons stockpiling.

“I have then been interpreting and inscribing the impact of this legacy on the human/animal subject – vulnerable bodies situated within socioeconomic systems that render capital before ecology or ethics.”

Former U of L photography instructor wins Duke and Duchess of York Prize

caroline.zentner — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 22:00:36 +0000

David Miller, a former photography instructor in the Faculty of Fine Arts at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has won the Canada Council for the Arts Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography.

Miller’s photography explores the concept of photographs as memorials. For his projects, The Museum, Visitors and Conservators, he travelled to Central Europe to photograph memorial sites, particularly those devoted to Jewish heritage, such as Auschwitz. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Miller will continue this work, focusing his lens on visitors’ engagement with the sites and the work that goes on behind the scenes in archives, conservation labs and offices.

Miller says his photographs at these sites are only possible due to the generosity and grace of people like directors of museums, scientists, preservation experts and visitors at the sites.

This photograph is part of David Miller's Conservators project, Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum, 2000-2014.

“On a hot, sunny August afternoon, I met a Polish man in his mid-30s. He told me that his grandfather had been imprisoned at Auschwitz. Though he lived in a nearby village, the day we met was his first time visiting. He offered that it would also be his last. His eyes teared and reddened as I made his portrait. During several minutes I made more than 200 images with him and each one is now part of a work titled Michael,” he says.

Miller has an exhibition of new works scheduled for the fall in Prague, Czech Republic.

In addition to working with students at the U of L, Miller has taught art, photography, open and extended media, drawing, foundation studies and the history of photography at various institutions in Canada, including the Alberta College of Art and Design and the Banff Centre for the Arts. Internationally, Miller has taught in the Czech Republic, Amsterdam and Mexico.

He was born in Montreal and says he grew up exposed to art and ideas. His mother studied with Arthur Lismer, a member of the Group of Seven, and his father always talked about current events. He recalls being curious about photographs from an early age.

“By 13 I had saved enough of my earnings from various jobs to purchase a good camera. I used that camera for more than 25 years,” Miller says. “Photography is a conflicted, quixotic medium. It intersects with every human activity. Whether or not we can see them, light transmits images. In photography, as with human sight, light joins the inside to the outside. This dichotomy is perpetually fascinating.”

Miller began his formal training in photography, filmmaking and media arts at Sheridan College of the Arts and Technology in Oakville, Ont. He undertook further studies in photography, interdisciplinary studio and art history at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. He also studied at Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, at Jan Van Eyck Akademie in the Netherlands and did graduate research at the Emily Carr ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Art and Design in Vancouver.

The Duke and Duchess of York Prize, worth $8,000, was established by the Canadian government in 1986 to commemorate Prince Andrew’s marriage. The annual prize is awarded to the best candidate among all those who received project grants for photography during the year.

The announcement is available online at Canada Council for the Arts.

Stebbins helped shape art culture

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:28:31 +0000

When Joan Stebbins (BFA '79), former curator for the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG), graduated from high school in the small town of Palmer, Alaska, she embarked on a post-secondary journey that, with a little help from Cupid, would alter dramatically the course of her life.

"I started at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alaska with plans to major in English. After one semester I left school to get married and a year later we had our first son," recalls Stebbins. "While my husband completed his education, I stayed home with our two boys, but there was no doubt that I would one day go back to school; it was just a question of when it worked for everybody."

In 1967, Stebbins moved with her family to Lethbridge where her husband, Dr. Lucius Stebbins, would become one of the founding faculty members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was so small then that the faculty was like a family. Everybody knew everybody. We did not have family nearby and we were in an adopted country, so it was very nice," recalls Stebbins.

By 1975, Stebbins felt the time was right for her to return to school. She enrolled in the only available night class at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that interested her, Japanese art history.

"I got hooked on art. It was wonderful. I would have done a degree in art history but there were not enough courses available at that time; I did a degree in studio art in printmaking," says Stebbins.
"Going back to school was very fulfilling for me but having a career come out of it – that was not planned. My professors brought such a rich range of experience and strength to their teaching; it happened I was well equipped for my career as a curator. I am very grateful for that."

After graduating in 1979 with a bachelor of fine arts with great distinction, Stebbins applied for a part-time position at the SAAG.

"The Southern Alberta Art Gallery has always had a symbiotic relationship with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Art students are familiar with the Gallery through their professors. I had always gone to the Gallery and been interested in their programs, so I applied for the job when the position as front desk person came up," says Stebbins.

Gradually, Stebbins' responsibilities at the gallery increased. She helped with exhibitions, worked with artists, and curated several local historical exhibitions on her own. In 1982, she became the assistant curator. She was promoted to director/curator in 1985. For the next 15 years, Stebbins worked in liaison with the board of directors to manage gallery resources and programs. She initiated an education program and an artist in residency program. Under her direction both budget and staff size increased and the gallery gained a reputation as one of Canada's leading contemporary institutions.

"I think our successful national reputation comes from the exhibition program. As
director/curator, I chose a national program and did a lot of grant writing to the Canada Council for the Arts and other sources to bring in artists that stood out across our country," says Stebbins. "By 1999, my job title was split because the Gallery had grown and there was just too much to do. Until my retirement in 2008, I acted as curator because that is what I love to do – working with the artists."

Although her career was unplanned, it has turned out to be an extraordinarily rich and rewarding journey for Stebbins. She has traveled extensively, attended major art events throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, worked with very talented artists and continues today to be an important part of the flourishing art community in Lethbridge.

GET THE FACTS

• Stebbins is Curator Emerita at the SAAG and continues to work on selected special projects.

• She was a guest lecturer in Introductory Art at the U of L from 1985 to 1991.

• Stebbins is a member of numerous professional associations, juries, and committees including the U of L Art Acquisitions Committee and the Hnatyshyn Foundation.

• In 2007 Stebbins was named a member of the Order of Canada, while in 2009 she received an honorary doctor of fine arts from the U of L; earned the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist award; and was given the a Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, RCA Medal for her work on countless artist exhibition publications.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Members Receive Keys to the City

trevor.kenney — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:46:39 +0000

Several individuals and community organizations with 'key' connections to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will receive the City of Lethbridge's highest honour on Friday, July 10 – the keys to the city.

"This recognition is well deserved for all these recipients who, from many different walks of life, serve their community in a variety of ways," U of L President Bill Cade said. "These awards also show the remarkable connections – and affect – the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has on the community. Our congratulations go out to the entire group, in particular our employees, alumni and friends who are honoured."

Recipients include Dr. Leroy Littlebear (BASc 1972, DASc 2004), a respected Native American Studies professor and researcher, U of L Alumnus, Honorary degree recipient and Distinguished Alumnus of the year (2003); Darcy Novakowski, an award-winning author and the Faculty of Education's communications coordinator; and Brigadier-General (Ret) Raymond Romses (BASc 1975), a distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2005) who has returned to Lethbridge following a varied career in the Canadian military which included directing several UN-sponsored missions, the command of CFB Calgary and Land Forces Atlantic area, among others. A complete list of recipients is outlined below.

The "Key to the City" is a gift made by a city to a visiting dignitary or deserving resident. The key represents the city's welcome of the visitor by, symbolically, placing the city at the visitor's disposal.

The practice of giving a key may be traced back to medieval times, when admission into a city was hampered walls and locked gates. Possession of the key symbolized free entry. In Lethbridge, the act of giving a key to the city is symbolic only, since the city has no gates to unlock.

Keys 1 to 4
Shirley McPherson, Chris Wilson, Shirley Kohuch and Diane Foster, playing out of the Lethbridge Curling Club, won the 2008 World Senior Ladies Championships in Vierumäki, Finland.

Key 5 - Darcy Tamayose Novakowski
Darcy received a literary award from the Canada Council for the Arts for her first novel, Odori. This award recognizes literary excellence by Canadian authors writing on Japan, Japanese themes or themes that promote mutual understanding between Canada and Japan. Darcy also wrote and illustrated an art exhibit, Riding Back and the Sacred Circle, which travelled throughout the Alberta School system encouraging the understanding of the Blackfoot culture. Her latest work Katie Be Quiet is targeted at youth.

Key 6 - Del Allen
Del is a well-known businessman and philanthropist. He was chosen Lethbridge Citizen of the Year for 2008 in appreciation for his work with groups as diverse as the Boys and Girls Club, the Third Academy, the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Royal Canadian Legion, Ducks Unlimited, the Lethbridge College and the City's Bright Lights Committee. Del's most recent achievement is convincing CP Rail to allow the lighting of the historical High Level Bridge to celebrate it's Centennial and then being pivotal to getting such a large task ready to go this coming fall.

Key 7 - Vic Stasiuk
Vic was recently inducted into the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame in honour of his commitment to the game of hockey. He enjoyed an NHL career with important roles in the line-ups of the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. Vic played 745 NHL games, scoring 183 goals and 437 points. Thanks to his time with the Red Wings, he sports a very impressive Stanley Cup ring. After his playing career ended, Vic enjoyed a long coaching career in both the NHL (including a stint with the Vancouver Canucks) and the minor leagues.

Key 8 – Lethbridge Iron Works
John and Bart Davies are accepting a key on behalf of Lethbridge Iron Works.
The company was recently included in a book entitled "Little Empires" (written by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professors M. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff) which highlighted the value of Lethbridge's long-standing inter-generational corporate citizens to the community. Lethbridge Iron Works is a fourth generation family business, more than a century old. Like the family which operates the foundry, several generations of Lethbridge families have earned their living through the foundry in that length of time. The foundry is modern, automated, safety-oriented, high-production and known for quality.

Key 9 – Leroy Littlebear
Dr. Leroy Littlebear (BASc 1972, DASc 2004) was recently awarded the first-ever "Lifetime Achievement Award" presented by the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge. That award recognized a lifetime of achievement in education and politics, in giving back to the community and advocating for youth and families. Leroy was instrumental in developing the Native American Studies department at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which he chaired for 21 years. He is also the founding Director of Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Native American program, a U of L Distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2003) and an Honorary Degree recipient (2004). Leroy contributed to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in the area of criminal justice, and for the Assembly of First Nations on constitutional issues. He is considered one of North America's leaders in Indian philosophy.

Key 10 – Raymond Romses
Retired Brigadier-General Romses (BASc 1975) was awarded the 2005 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award for exceptional professional achievements and service to Canadians. He served on a variety of operational tours and appointments, including two tours with the UN Force in Cyprus, a tour with NATO Stabilization Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a tour with the UN Force in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Romses's service in Canada included command of the First Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Joint Task Force Two – Canada's counter-terrorism unit; Canadian Forces Base Calgary; and the Land Force Atlantic Area. His leadership abilities have resulted in his progression to the most senior ranks of the Canadian Forces, but his illustrious military career all began with the Army Cadets in Lethbridge.

UNews - Canada Council for the Arts

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