Judy Anderson delivers an artist talk at the the 2025 Indigenous Art Intensive.
From May 15 to June 18, 2025, artists, scholars, academics and cultural workers came together once again on Syilx territory for the annual Indigenous Art Intensive at UBC Okanagan.
This year’s program brought together a vibrant cohort of 16 artists in residence, who shared their practices through public talks, studio work, workshops, and community exchanges. The Indigenous Art Intensive continues to serve as a vital space for connection, creation, and critical dialogue in the arts. UBC Okanagan Gallery would like to acknowledge this year’s lineup and thank them for their participation including:
- Joseph Naytowhow
- Serena Steel
- Les Louis
- Faye Heavyshield
- Judy Anderson
- Vance Wright
- Marcy Friesen
- Catherine Blackburn
- Marie-Anne Redhead
- Jaimie Isaac
- Amber Sandy
- Sherry Farrel Racette
- Dion Kaszas
- Alena Vinokurova
- Redsun
- Alberta Rose Williams
Over the course of six weeks, participants engaged with:
- Seventeen artists in residence who worked in FCCS studios and presented on their creative and research-based practices
- Four academic courses including CCS 320: Interdisciplinary Ecological Art with Tania Willard, CORH 206: Communicating Indigeneity with Kerrie Charnley, INDG495: Advanced Topics in Indigenous Studies, and INDG401: Research Applications
- The powerful group exhibition Troubling Times: Traces, Portals and Groundings by Nicole Neidhardt, Peter Morin, and Justine Woods
- A land based afternoon of learning hosted at the Woodhaven Eco Cultural Centre featuring a horse medicine talk with Devyn Destinee, a studio visit with Les Louis, and a hands on weaving experience with Cori Derrickson
- Four student programming assistants, supported by the Work Study program and Young Canada Works, who contributed to the behind-the-scenes success of the Intensive by hosting artists and providing production support for the program
We are deeply grateful to all of the artists, collaborators, guest speakers, students, visitors and the general public who attended and made this year’s Intensive so impactful.
UBC Okanagan Gallery would also like to acknowledge the support provided by Faculty of Creative Studies staff at the university including Shauna, Philip, Joanne, Sam, Kaila, Connor, Vanessa, Susan and Jennifer.
The 2025 Indigenous Art Intensive was produced by our gallery team including:
- Tania Willard- Director of the Indigenous Art Intensive and UBC Okanagan Gallery
- Ryan Trafananko- Curatorial Assistant at UBC Okanagan Gallery
- Kiki Akinlade – Student Programming Assistant
- Kelly Yuste – Student Programming Assistant
- Rain Doody – Student Programming Assistant
- Meadow Arcand – Student Programming Assistant
Funding support for the Indigenous Art Intensive program and the Troubling Times exhibition provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, UBC Excellence, UBC Giving Day Donations, and BC Arts Council.
This gathering continues to be more than a program — it’s a space of care, knowledge sharing, and transformation. Thank you to everyone who joined us, whether in the studio, the gallery, the classroom, or online. Your presence helped bring this year’s Intensive to life.