Visual Art

For three months in 2023, Kashmir Lesnick-Petrovicz documented the work of a non-profit in South Africa. Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) works with rural farmers and the rural poor and focuses on food sovereignty, rural democratization and movement building.

Atticus Mercredi doesn’t remember his mother. 

What he knows, he learned from his siblings. His mother Glenda Faye Ledoux, from the Mistawasis Cree First Nation, was a resilient woman. She was tough, tenacious and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She was a residential school Survivor and struggled with addiction because of colonial trauma. Her 12 children were taken from her by social services, and she fought to get them back up until her death in 1999. She died from complications of stomach cancer at 41.

Pam Vickars has always been passionate about art, but a demanding career and busy family life left little time for her to pursue it in depth.

“I took pottery, a few crafts and interior design in continuing education classes and really enjoyed them. I had this vision that when I retired I would pursue painting, which I foresaw taking more time,” says Pam, a VIU Bachelor of Arts student.

What began as a way to combat feelings of isolation and boredom during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has now morphed into a budding side business for Elise Cole.

Elise is a second-year Kinesiology student at VIU and says it was a photo contest offered as part of the university’s 2021 Create Conference that prompted her to pursue her artistic side.

“I’ve always loved artwork and painting,” she says.

Kashmir Lesnick-Petrovicz hopes her art makes people feel confident, accepted and valued.

The VIU BA student, completing a double major in Visual Arts and Global Studies, is one of three artists displaying their work during RockVIU's interactive art exhibit. RockVIU is the University's series of new student orientation events, taking place August 23 to September 3, 2021. The art exhibit runs September 3 from 11 am to 5:30 pm at VIU's Malaspina Theatre, Building 310. It features visual art displays and dance performances that reflect on what it means to "Matter Here" at VIU.

Michaela Medina has always loved art.

However, it wasn’t until last year that she found her medium – ceramics. She was introduced to the “ancient simplicity” of the art form during a course with VIU Visual Art Professor Scott Leaf.

“Ceramics has, to a certain extent, allowed me to let go of my fear of failure and rigid perfectionism so I could truly explore and discover my artistic style,” she says.

For third-year Visual Art student Enigye Amarkah, expressing oneself isn’t about being limited to one particular medium.

“I don’t like to specify my style because sometimes when you want to express yourself, it’s going to work better as a sculpture, or it’s going to be a good photograph, or it will be a painting, so I don’t like to focus on just one aspect,” says Enigye, whose name translates to "Happy," a moniker he more commonly goes by.