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 located in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, 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 ...

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 Institute of technology, polytechnic institute in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SAIT offers more than 110 career programs in technology, trades and business. Established in 1916, it is Calgar ...

(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 pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

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.

Campus

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 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 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 Center

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 or tepee ( ) is a conical lodge tent that is distinguished from other conical tents by the smoke flaps at the top of the structure, and historically made of animal hides or pelts or, in more recent generations, of canvas stretched on ...

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.

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 (BDes or B.Design) degree is usually an undergraduate 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, MDes. Bach ...

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 admi ...

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)

Notable people

Alumni

* Amalie Atkins * Brittney Bear Hat * Richelle Bear Hat * John Brocke * Elaine Cameron-Weir * Sharon Christian * Cam Christiansen * Dean Drever * Faye HeavyShield * Alex Janvier * Thomas Kerr * Amy Malbeuf *

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

* Katie Ohe * Sandra Sawatzky * Fiona Staples

Faculty and instructors

* Alana Bartol * Mireille Perron *

Rita McKeough Rita McKeough (born 1951) is a Canadian interdisciplinary artist, musician and educator who frequently works in installation and performance. Training and career McKeough was born in 1951 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. McKeough completed her BFA at ...

* John Brocke * Norman Yates

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 Universities and colleges established in 1973 1973 establishments in Alberta Universities in Alberta