Global Humanities Students first to experience Indigenous Education’s “Artist in Residence”

Who knows what diverse experiences a Global Humanities course can lead students to? For students in HUM 222: Cross-Cultural Perspective on Arts, it led them to the inaugural “Artist in Residence” exhibit at the Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology.

HUM 222 introduces students to the history of visual arts from a global perspective. Taught by Evan Freeman, the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Chair in Hellenic Studies, the course presents artistic traditions from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Indigenous People, as well as contemporary art as a global phenomenon.

In spring 2024, the class visited the Museum of Archeology & Ethnology at SFU, hosted by the museum director, Barbara Hilden. Their visit coincided with the launch of the museum’s new residency program, organized by the Office of Indigenous Education, featuring two artists: carver Aaron “Splash” Moody and weaver Angela George.

During the event, Gary George (SFU Office for Aboriginal Peoples) extended an invitation for students to partake in the drumming session. Adriana Zadravec, a student in HUM 222 who has recently taken interest in working in the museum industry, shared how special the visit was:

“it was a great opportunity to learn more about how to get involved with this type of work and potentially solidify some goals for the future."

Freeman recognizes the impact experiential learning can have on students, explaining:

"To really understand an artwork, we have to try to view the artwork's colours, materials, scale, and so on face-to-face as embodied viewers. This is how most artworks were created to be experienced. I also want my students to learn about art from multiple people and perspectives, not just from me. I was thrilled that on our recent visit, students were able to hear from Barbara about her work as a museum professional as well as from Aaron and Angela about their artistic practices. Barbara also gave us a wonderful tour that offered insights not only into how artworks and other cultural heritage objects are displayed, but also how objects are catalogued, stored, conserved, and even repatriated."

The Office of Indigenous Education is excited to launch “Artist in Residence” program, hosted by the Faculty of Education. The first artist, Aaron "Splash" Moody, pictured in the left of the photo (black t-shirt), is a master carver who will be carving two traditional looms and weaving tools. This nine month project will be followed by the second artist, Angela Paul, Sto:lo weaver, who will then use the loom and tools to create beautiful weavings. The team is working on a website and campaign to fully showcase this project. A schedule will be available on the Indigenous Education and the SFU Museum webpages.