The next gathering of the Community for Belonging Reading Group, an initiative open to all Daniels Faculty students, alumni, faculty and staff, will explore spacemaking and placemaking and feature a special book launch for ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home: Inuit and Sámi Placemaking.

All Daniels Faculty community members are invited to participate on Wednesday, November 20, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., in the Eberhard Zeidler Library. Register in advance.

The publication—in conjunction with the Canadian Centre for Architecture exhibition presented at the Daniels Faculty last fall—presents memories, experiences and projections that hold the potential to shape what home in and for Northern Indigenous communities can be. It ultimately asks: Where is home? Where does land begin? And where do we go from here?

One of the publication’s editors, Jocelyn Piirainen, will join CCA editor Alexandra Pereira-Edwards to facilitate discussion and speak further about the making of the book and its thematic framework.

Participants are asked to review the curator interviews as a companion reading piece (and to provide context for the book and exhibition). Of the eight interviews, participants should read at least two:

• Futurecasting: Towards Indigenous-Led Architecture

• Calling Home

• Borderless Inventing

• A Guide Towards Home

• Designing a Space for Home

• The Presence of Sámi Knowledges

• Towards Inuit Futures

• Welcome Home

Limited copies of the book will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis in the Eberhard Zeidler Library beginning November 8. 

The Community for Belonging Reading Group is sponsored by U of T Affinity Partners, Manulife and TD Insurance.

Angel Levac (Brant), a first-year student in the Faculty’s Bachelor of Arts in Visual Studies (BAVS) program, has been featured on the Hart House website in relation the Talking Walls exhibition she has curated. Called United Goals: Empowering Climate Justice and Indigenous Ways of Knowing, it’s currently on view at 7 Hart House Circle until February 28, 2025.

Talking Walls provides a venue for socially conscious, thought-provoking artwork, which Levac’s exhibition—a celebration of Indigenous youth standing at the forefront of the fight against land and resource exploitation as well as climate change—highlights through myriad images.

Born to the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and adopted by Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Levac has been working with Indigenous artists to create a zine that shares the experiences of Indigenous youth through artistic expression. The publication also discusses divestment in relation to land, rights, sovereignty and climate action.

Levac hopes that the United Goals exhibition will raise awareness of and spur young Indigenous people and U of T students to get involved in climate action.  

“Being an ally and an advocate for Indigenous youth really does set a standard for the future in terms of mutual support,” Levac says in the Hart House interview. “I’m looking forward to having Indigenous youth present and seeing themselves as part of the school, the community and the city. It’s going to be a beautiful experience.”

Read the full interview by Megan Wykes on the Hart House blog and visit the Talking Walls show on the first floor of Hart House.

Internships are a vital part of the educational journey for Master of Visual Studies (MVS) students at the Daniels Faculty. This summer,  Lauren Warrington and Lina Wu, both now in their second year of the MVS Studio Art program, took on unique internships to further their artistic research.  

Lina worked at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, delving into the archive to explore themes of desire, sexuality and art, while Lauren divided her time between artist Karen Tam’s Montreal studio and the Chung Collection at the University of British Columbia’s Rare Books and Special Collections, focusing on early Chinese Canadian immigration.  

The MVS program emphasizes interdisciplinary exchange and mentorship, allowing students to connect theory with practice. In this interview, Lina and Lauren share how their experiences have impacted their studies—providing insights into the practical applications on their artistic practice and the importance of hands-on experience in their research. 

What drew you to your selected internships this past summer? 

Lina Wu: I was talking to faculty member Jean-Paul Kelly about Austin Osman Spare's collection of drawings, Psychopathia Sexualis, and he mentioned that the folio is housed at the Kinsey Institute. These drawings immediately caught my interest and I decided to reach out to the Institute because they have a huge collection of both contemporary and historical art and artifacts. My own research and artistic practice is very much about drawing desire and sexuality so I thought it would be a good fit. 

Lauren Warrington: I was hoping to gain experience working in a professional studio and to also spend time at an archive related to my research, which focuses with the early Chinese Canadian immigration and the Chinese diaspora of the Canadian Prairies.  

Tell us about your experiences. What were you working on? Any favourite memories? 

Lina: Half of my time at the Kinsey Institute was spent cataloguing the work of John Schacht (1938-2009), a gay artist who was based in Chicago, Iowa, and Indiana working primarily in drawing and painting. It was fascinating getting to know his life story and charting his artistic development through his journals, sketchbooks, and correspondences. The other half of my time was spent looking through the archives for my own research. My work is very much grounded in zines and cartooning, so I think my favourite moments were spent looking through their punk zine collection. They also house underground comix artist Lyn Chevli's artist files, and I loved browsing through her work and her comics collection.  

Images courtesy Lina Wu taken at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.

Lauren: I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to assist Karen Tam with the production of work for the Toronto Biennial, her solo show Sea of Clouds at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery in Calgary, and a group exhibition at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver. I have admired Karen Tam’s work since 2008, when she created a restaurant installation in my hometown’s Chinatown at a Chinese restaurant that had been turned into an artist-run space. Having the chance to learn from her felt surreal in many ways. In addition to assisting her with production, I also had the opportunity to discuss my research. We spoke about our shared areas of study, creating work from family narratives, and how she mobilizes information from archives to create work. On the practical side, she also shared research tips specific to UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections. 

The day after I returned from Montreal, I flew to Vancouver to visit the Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection and began my work under the supervision of archivist Claire Malek. I went with the goal of learning about the conditions in which my maternal ancestors immigrated. The first of which was during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the second during Head Tax, and the third following the end of Head Tax.  

How will your internship experience impact your studies?  

Lina: Working at the Kinsey Institute has allowed me to explore the use of kink and BDSM imagery in my drawing practice. Not to mention it's exposed me to so many diverse and influential queer and feminist artistic practices, each with their own methods of working which I'll be turning to for inspiration.  

Lauren: Although I was there (the Chung Collection) for only a week, I managed to take approximately 5,000 photos. From this material, I created a research log that will anchor my work for this year. Leaving the archive, I felt immense gratitude for the Chung Collection, a collection rooted in community rather than institution, for having preserved so many documents that are often discarded. Having the opportunity to engage with these materials, filling gaps in my family’s story, was deeply generative. It’s difficult to express how meaningful it was to think with so many new objects and documents, several of which provided unexpected rabbit holes to explore, in addition to the context I was initially seeking.  

Do you have any advice for other students considering an internship? 

Lauren: My advice to students looking for an internship is to reach out to faculty for guidance and to not be afraid to contact the people or places you most desire to work with.  

Lina: Don't be afraid to advocate for your own research interests when finding an internship. Even if you think your interests are niche or unique, there is definitely an intellectual community out there that can help you further your thinking. Also, don't be afraid of asking questions. I'm always self-conscious because I feel like I have too many questions, but there were so many experts at the Kinsey Institute whose institutional knowledge I wouldn't have otherwise been able to access.  

Banner: (left) portrait of Lauren Warrington by Carey Shaw; (right) portrait of Lina Wu by Carson Van Vliet.

“The most valuable tool in addressing the climate crisis is collaboration,” says Matt Arnott, reflecting on his time as a 2024 Holcim Foundation Fellow. 

Now a third-year Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) student, Arnott traveled to New York City this past August to participate in the inaugural Holcim Foundation Fellowship in North America. Focused on the theme “Decarbonization at Scale,” the competitive two-week program brought together participants from architecture, engineering, urban planning and landscape architecture to tackle pressing sustainability challenges.  

Read on to learn more about his experience creating connections, designing beyond neutrality, and how he plans to incorporate this knowledge into his final year of the MLA program.

How did you first learn about the inaugural Holcim Foundation Fellowship? What inspired you to apply? 

I found the fellowship through an Instagram story. I felt the theme was of great importance. As the pressures of the climate crisis continue to compound, I feel the role of the designer must adapt, placing the socioecological impacts of our work at the fore. 

Tell us a bit more about your experience over the summer.

The fellowship was incredibly enriching. By engaging with workshops, lectures and site visits, we were exposed to the numerous angles that you can frame sustainability. Some of my highlights include a trip to the Parsons Healthy Material Lab where we explored ecologically and health-conscious alternatives to traditional building materials; a visit to the future site of the New York Climate Exchange led by representatives from SOM who emphasized the role of landscape in sustainable design; a salvage material reuse workshop facilitated by ARUP; and examining socially responsible approaches to sustainability at Henning Larsen. 

The Fellowship’s central theme was “Decarbonization at Scale.” How has it impacted your perception of sustainability in the built environment? 

I feel that as designers we have the unique opportunity to shape how we care for and engage with our surrounding environments. Sustainability has always been something near and dear to my heart, however, the ways that we can engage with sustainable design have always felt vague to me. The fellowship offered an opportunity to bridge this divide, giving firsthand and tangible insight into the most current approaches to tackle the layered challenge(s) of climate resiliency. 

In speaking with professionals navigating the complex world of sustainability within the (L)AEC industry, I could develop an actionable tool kit for sustainable design. I was encouraged to challenge the unwavering industry standard, framing the design process as an opportunity to be ecologically beneficial—not just neutral. Most importantly, the fellowship made clear that no one person alone can tackle the issue of sustainability—the most valuable tool in addressing the climate crisis is collaboration. 

How do you plan to incorporate what you learned into your future projects? 

During the fellowship, we were asked to explore themes of decarbonization as they relate to our individual research interests. In preparation for my thesis this coming year, I had the opportunity to study forestry management systems as they relate to the increasing threat of wildfires with Professor Robert Wright. During the fellowship, I was exposed to the industry of carbon dioxide removal (thanks to Professor David Benjamin of Columbia GSAAP). The industry seemed aligned with my previous research and I was curious about what potential synergies existed. 

As we developed our research project throughout the course of the fellowship, I was given the time, space, and support to flesh these ideas out further. (If you’re interested, snippets from all of the fellows’ research projects can be found here.) Moving forward, I hope to integrate the work from the fellowship into potential design strategies for my thesis! 

Arnott's fellowship research project (images above) looked at the scalable potentials of biochar. Here, it was argued that through engaging with both short- and long-term interventions, biochar appears as a key tool in the pursuit of decarbonization and an even more vital agent in the process of carbon dioxide removal. By leveraging instances of oversight in larger supply chains and the remnant materials found following wildfires, adaptable land-based solutions can be created bringing the industry closer to its goals of net zero. 

What advice would you give to future students considering applying for this fellowship or similar opportunities? 

Apply! Apply! Apply! The people you’ll meet along the way will become valuable connections and friends. Walk into each experience with open eyes and ears, allow conversations with those outside of your field to highlight gaps in your knowledge, and be open to change! 

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto is excited to announce Isabel Okoro as its inaugural Filmmaker-in-Residence.  
 
This new initiative, generously supported through private donor support and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Fund at the Faculty, provides a platform for emerging and mid-career filmmakers whose work reflects a commitment to historically underrepresented communities within the Faculty’s diverse disciplines. 

“I am thrilled that this new residency has begun this fall,” says Robert Levit, Acting Dean of the Daniels Faculty. “It’s an important demonstration of our desire at the Faculty to include as wide a range of voices and experiences as possible in the work we do and to encourage the kind of cross-fertilization of ideas that comes with such exchanges. I want to congratulate and thank everyone who worked toward bringing the residency about and very much look forward to Isabel’s time with us.” 

Running from early October to late November 2024, Okoro’s residency will engage a wide array of Daniels Faculty members, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff through a series of workshops and a public lecture. The goal of the residency is to explore how cultural representations in film and video can build community, foster belonging and enhance engagement across the Faculty. 

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria and now based in Toronto, Okoro produces multidisciplinary work inspired by her identity and the diverse community of creators from the global diaspora of which she is a part. Recent projects include the video installation it’s real, i watched it happen, exhibited during Nuit Blanche in Toronto, and the exhibition Constructing Eternity at FÁBRICA in Mexico City. 

As an artist whose work sits comfortably on the line of reality and imagination, world-building is Okoro’s preferred method of storytelling. She has spent the last three years developing the visual universe Eternity.  

“I think a lot about what is and how that informs what could be,” Okoro explains. “In moments of uncertainty and distress, I tend to find myself looking back at my dreams and imagining the stories I’d like to see. Dwelling in the present leaves very little to the imagination, so I find solace in my own visual universe, Eternity, where hope and trust in Black imagination is the sole foundation.” 

Her work is characterized by “Normatopia,” a concept she coined to describe a world where lived experiences—both good and bad—are central. “A Normatopia describes what is normal, not perfect,” Okoro notes. “So the question becomes, what is normal to me? I believe that normal is simply the right to be.” 

During a series of workshops over the Faculty’s Reading Week (October 28-November 1) and a public lecture on Wednesday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m., Okoro intends to expand on the factors she considers when world-building and developing her cinematic language—including discussions on research, screenwriting, directing, music and post-production.  

“My hope is that my time on campus will promote a transparent and inclusive space where students, faculty, and the surrounding community can hold space for one another while we experience the power of communal discussion and creation.” 

Details on how to participate in the workshops and registration for the public lecture will be published soon.  

Photo Credit: Bidemi Oloyede

As the new director of the Daniels Faculty’s Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (BAAS) program, Assistant Professor Peter Sealy has to take both a day-to-day and a long-term approach to his duties, he says.

“The BAAS program is the Daniels Faculty’s largest, and it takes an immense amount of behind-the-scenes work from many different faculty and staff members to make it run as smoothly as possible,” he notes. “Making sure it does is my first priority.”

At the same time, “the BAAS program’s curriculum dates from the late 2010s. I think now is a good moment to consider what’s working, what needs minor adjustments, and what should be rethought. In particular, I want to make sure that each of the program’s four ‘streams’ is offering its students a wide range of opportunities. This year’s new studio course for comprehensive stream students (ARC 369) is a great beginning.”

Although the 2024/2025 academic year has just begun, Sealy has been thinking about such matters since July 1, when he took over as BAAS director from Petros Babasikas, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream. Babasikas had directed the BAAS program from July of 2021 to July of this year. Until December of 2023, Sealy served as Interim Director of the PhD in Architecture, Landscape, and Design (ALD) program. 

In addition to bolstering the BAAS program’s four streams, Sealy aims, he says, to also broaden the ways in which its students are taught, building on the foundations already in place.

“A major challenge for the BAAS program is to offer excellent teaching in a wide range of formats: large lectures courses, design studios, smaller classes, workshops. While our core required courses offer students a common foundation of shared knowledge, other offerings, such as our senior seminar and capstone projects, summer design builds and studies abroad courses, provide unique experiences.”

It’s the breadth of the program and the possibilities that come with it that thrill Sealy most about his role.

“The BAAS program’s greatest strength is its students,” he says. “Drawn from all over the Greater Toronto Area, Canada and the globe, they bring such a multitude of experiences, interests and skills to bear on everything they do inside and outside the classroom. This is what makes teaching at Daniels so exciting and convinced me to embark upon this new role. In so doing, I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of the previous directors, Professors Jeannie Kim and Petros Babasikas."

Both the University of Toronto and the city around it offer a perfect setting—and springboard—for the program’s students, Sealy adds.

“Toronto’s role as a global, urban metropolis is crucial to Canada’s cultural, ecological and economic future,” he says. “I want to see our students making a difference in shaping this city as it continues to evolve.”

In addition to the BAAS program, the Master of Architecture (MARC) program also saw a change in leadership this past summer. 

Having concluded a one-year Research and Study Leave, Wei-Han Vivian Lee (Associate Professor, Teaching Stream) reassumed the role of MARC director as of July 1. Prior to her leave, Lee (pictured above) had directed the program since July of 2020. 

In her absence, the MARC program had been directed on interim basis by Adrian Phiffer, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream. 

The Daniels Faculty will mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (September 30) with a commemoration on Friday, September 27, between 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., in the Main Hall of the Daniels Building at 1 Spadina Crescent. 

Please register in advance.

Daniels students, faculty and staff are invited to a community lunch at noon, catered by chef Charles Catchpole, owner of Charger Foods and a member of Couchiching First Nation. An opening address and smudging will be provided by two members of the Faculty’s First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group: Elder Dorothy Peters (a member of Jiima’aaganing [Seine River] First Nation, Traditional Teacher and Community Nookmis) and Amos Key Jr. (Mohawk Nation member and Traditional Faith Keeper of the Longhouse at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory). 

Their address will be followed by remarks and stories from fellow Advisor Trina Moyan (nehiyaw iskwew [Plains Cree] from Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta) and James Bird (a PhD student at the Faculty and member of the Nehiyawak and Dene Nations). A Faculty-produced video highlighting student participants in the exhibition Reconciliation Reflections, currently on view in the Stairwell Gallery at 1 Spadina, will also be shown.  

In the spirit of reconciliation and healing, the Faculty encourages all attendees to wear orange shirts, now-iconic symbols inspired by the story of residential school survivor Phyllis (Jack) Webstad of Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation.  

In addition to our September 27 commemoration, the Faculty and U of T will also be hosting a number of related events this month and beyond. 

The University of Toronto’s commemoration, including remarks by Chancellor Wesley J. Hall, President Meric Gertler, Canadian Cree filmmaker and artist Shirley Cheechoo, students and others, will take place in the Great Hall at Hart House from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 30. Light refreshments will be served. Click here for more details and to register to attend in-person or online. 

From 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2, the Faculty will host a screening of the 2024 film Sugarcane, directed by Julian Brave Noisecat and Emily Kassie, who will join us for a question-and-answer session via Zoom right after the showing (1 Spadina, Main Hall C, register to attend here).  

And at 12:30 p.m. on November 20 in Room DA240 at 1 Spadina, we will host a book launch for ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ/Ruovttu Guvlui/Towards Home: Inuit and Sámi Placemaking. This is the companion publication to the exhibition hosted last fall by the Daniels Faculty.  More details will be provided in the weeks ahead. 

Welcome to the start of the 2024-2025 academic year! Whether you’re a returning student at Daniels or this term is your first, I hope that your time at the Faculty is a happy and productive one. Our school is a special place at the University of Toronto and within the city of Toronto, and we want you to reap as much from your experience here as possible.

Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll look forward to connecting with as many of you as I can. If you have any questions or concerns now or throughout the coming year, please reach out to either the Office of the Dean (daniels-dean@daniels.utoronto.ca) or the Office of the Registrar and Student Services (registrar@daniels.utoronto.ca) at any time. 

This year as in previous ones, your coursework will be complemented by an exciting roster of extracurricular offerings. Launching this month, our Fall 2024 Public Program series includes lectures and presentations by some of the leading designers and thinkers in their fields. 

Among them this term are Chris T Cornelius of Wisconsin-based studio:indigenous (September 26), multidisciplinary artist Pio Abad (November 4) and Canadian architect Omar Gandhi (November 21). The series will kick off next week, on September 12, with a lecture by this year’s holders of the Frank O. Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design: Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg of New York practice SO-IL. 

In addition, look out for the staging of two new exhibitions at 1 Spadina this term—Urban Domesticity (opening September 12 in the Larry Wayne Richards Gallery on the ground floor of the Daniels Building) and Shaping Atmospheres (in the lower-level Architecture and Design Gallery starting October 2)—as well as a range of year-round activities planned around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Black History Month and other noteworthy dates. 

Your schoolwork, of course, will keep you very busy, but I urge you to attend and to take in as many of these inspiring and illuminating events as you can. The Public Program at Daniels is a valuable resource available to our entire community and we hope that you’ll take advantage of it to the fullest. 

Have a great first semester!

Robert Levit (he/him)
Acting Dean
John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto is excited to present its Fall 2024 Public Program. 

Through a curated series of lectures, exhibitions, book talks, discussions, and symposia, this semester’s program raises questions and delves into contemporary issues facing the built and natural environment. From housing typologies and modern legacies to Indigenous storytelling and the intersection of climate science, geopolitics, and artistic perspectives, we explore a diverse range of topics aimed at fostering dialogue and exchange across our disciplines. 

All events are free and open to the public. Register on Eventbrite in advance and consult the events calendar for up-to-date details. Many events will be live-streamed and available on the Daniels Faculty’s YouTube channel. 

Register

September 12, 6:30 p.m. 
Gehry Chair Lecture: Urban Domesticity 
Featuring Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg (SO–IL) 

September 12-October 25 
Exhibition: Urban Domesticity 
Larry Wayne Richards Gallery 

September 26, 6:30 p.m.
Future Ancestor 
Featuring Chris T Cornelius (Oneida) (University of New Mexico; studio:indigenous) 

October 17, 6:30 p.m. 
Architecture of Health: The Annual Zeidler-Evans Lecture
Designing for Older Persons in a Transforming World 
Featuring Dr. Diana Anderson, Molly Chan (NSDA Architects) and Stephen Verderber (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

October 18, 12:30 p.m.
Radio-Activities: Architecture and Broadcasting 
Featuring Alfredo Thiermann (EPFL) 

October 24, 6:30 p.m.
George Baird Lecture
Housing_Medium Please! 
Featuring Elizabeth Whittaker (Graduate School of Design, Harvard University; MERGE Architects)  

November 4, 6:30 p.m.
MVS Proseminar Artist Talk 
Featuring Pio Abad 

November 7-8 
Shaping Atmospheres  
Symposium organized by Ala Roushan (OCAD University) and Charles Stankievech (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) with support from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) 

November 7, 6:30 p.m.
Symposium Keynote: Shaping Atmospheres
Featuring Holly Jean Buck (University at Buffalo) and David Keith (University of Chicago) 

October 2-December 21 
Exhibition: Shaping Atmospheres 
Architecture + Design Gallery 

November 21, 6:30 p.m.
Where the Wild Things Are 
Featuring Omar Gandhi (Omar Gandhi Architects) 

November 22-23 
Preservation? Modernist Heritage and Modern Toronto 
Symposium organized by Aziza Chaouni and Robert Levit (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

November 22, 6:30 p.m. 
Preservation? Modernist Heritage and Modern Toronto 
Keynote Presentations and Discussion

The annual Master of Visual Studies Proseminar at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design offers graduate students in curatorial studies and studio art the opportunity to connect and exchange with field-leading international and local artists, curators, writers, theorists and other scholarly practitioners and researchers.   

The 2024/2025 MVS Proseminar Series examines how contemporary art intersects with societal contexts, from exploring identity and cultural memory to challenging conventional narratives. Through studio visits, masterclasses and workshops with our students, alongside public evening lectures, our invited practitioners spark interdisciplinary dialogue and prompt inquiry among our community.  

This group of speakers was brought together to reflect the diverse practices and research interests of our graduate students. The guests will speak from their experiences and research in various subject areas, such as repressed historical events and the creation of counter-narratives; counter-publics and the imagining of new social futures; weather and Indigenous cultural practices; food and extractivism; various forms of visual and social transformation; artists-moving image and bad animation; and curatorial politics and representation. 

The 2024/2025 MVS Proseminar is curated by Assistant Professor Gareth Long, Director of the Faculty's Visual Studies Programs. All events take place in Main Hall at the Daniels Building at 1 Spadina Crescent. Registration is not required.  

Fall 2024 

September 10, 5:30pm ET  
Erika Balsom 
Scholar and critic 

October 3, 6:30pm ET 
Prem Krishnamurthy 
Designer and curator 

October 8, 6:30pm ET  
Tanya Lukin Linklater 
Artist and choreographer 

November 4, 6:30pm ET  
Pio Abad 
Artist 

November 19, 6:30pm ET 
James McAnally 
Curator, critic, and editor 

The Winter Series features Shanay Jhaveri (Head of Visual Arts at the Barbican, London), Cooking Sections (the multidisciplinary practice of Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe) and Jamillah James (Manilow Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago), and others. Dates will be announced on the Daniels Faculty website in the fall.  

About the Master of Visual Studies (MVS) Program

The Master of Visual Studies (MVS) is an intimate, two-year program in either Studio Art or Curatorial Studies. These two streams of study operate at a field-leading intersection of liberal-arts academic research, studio and curatorial professional practices and methodologies, and a unique program identity grounded in a critical approach to discursive practices in exhibition. 

The artistic research and scholarship that emerges from both program pathways reflects increasingly complex modes of art and exhibition-making, filtered through philosophy, cultural theory, criticism and diverse material practices. Situated within one of the world’s leading research institutions, the MVS programs focus on art and its presentation as research, fostering interdisciplinary exchange within the greater Daniels Faculty and across the University of Toronto. 

Image credits: 

1) Pio Abad, To Those Sitting in Darkness. Exhibition view, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 2024. Image courtesy Pio Abad.

2) Tanya Lukin Linklater with Tiffany Shaw, Indigenous geometries, 2019, cold rolled steel, laminate ash, paint, matte polyurethane, hardware, 84 x 107 x 107 in. (213 x 272 x 272 cm). Installation view, Inner blades of grass (soft) / inner blades of grass (cured) / inner blades of grass (bruised by the weather), Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, USA, 2024. Photo: Luke Stettner. Courtesy Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver.

3) Black Quantum Futurism, SLOWER-THAN-LIGHT SHRINE: IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD commissioned by James McAnally for Counterpublic 2023. Image courtesy of Chris Bauer. 

4) Image courtesy Prem Krishnamurthy.