Lakehead University opens 3 new art galleries on the Thunder Bay campus

Students, staff, faculty and others attended the grand opening of 3 art galleries at Lakehead University.

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 – Thunder Bay, ON 

Lakehead University is opening three new gallery spaces on the Thunder Bay campus, featuring art by faculty, staff, students, alumni and research project affiliates.

“A lot of important research is happening at Lakehead University and these gallery walls can share that learning with others,” said Dr. Pauline Sameshima, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, Canada Research Chair in Arts Integrated Research, and curator of the galleries.

“I’m excited to work with artists and researchers to use the arts to provoke and evoke. Live art is wonderful!” Dr. Sameshima said.

The three new gallery spaces are:

•  The LAIR: Lakehead Arts Integrated Research - Bora Laskin Building 2nd Floor
  
  
•  In Other Words - Education Library 
  
  
•  The Junction: Where Science Meets Art - ATAC 6th Floor

Five local, national, and international jurors selected literary and/or visual artwork by Gayle Buzzi, Ledah McKellar, Ayesha Raggi, Dayna Slingerland, Holly Tsun Haggarty, Vivian Wood-Alexander and Li Yu. Work was submitted in June through an open call for submissions.

The esteemed jurors were Dr. Roland Martin, Lakehead Chair of Visual Arts; Dr. Carl Leggo, University of British Columbia Poet and Professor in the Department of Language & Literacy; Julie Titone, Washington State's Sno-Isle Libraries’ Communications & Marketing Manager; Siobhan Farrell, NOSM Director of Active Learning; and Gisella Scalese from Lakehead’s Education Librarian. 

This year, The LAIR Collection features art from The Dementia Pathways Project. The Collection is artwork created through support from the Canada Research Chair in Arts Integrated Studies position and other funding. 

“We are thankful for the Canada Research Chairs program, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund for supporting these kinds of innovative projects.  The galleries are a significant contribution to community building and wholesome sustainability at Lakehead University,” said Dr. John O’Meara, Dean of the Faculty of Education.

This brings the total number of gallery spaces on campus to four including the Row, a student art gallery in the University Centre that is curated by the Department of Visual Arts. Please visit http://galleries.lakeheadu.ca/ for more information.