Emerge is a series of artists’ talks, professional workshops and behind-the-scenes tours organized by the UBC Visual Art Students’ Association (VASA) in collaboration with the Belkin Art Gallery and the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory. Emerge began in the 2014/15 academic year under the leadership of VASA members Patrick O’Neil and Katharina Schulz and Naomi Sawada, Manager of Public Programs at the Belkin. The series grew out of the Belkin’s Behind the Scenes program, which was begun in 2012 to introduce undergraduate and graduate students to a variety of galleries and museums in the Vancouver region, including regional and civic galleries, artist-run centres and institutions that are part of a university. Emerge 2014/15 was organized with the support of VASA members Micaela Kwiatkowski and Anise Makvandi, and Deana Holmes, Undergraduate Advisor in the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory. For information about future Emerge events, contact Naomi Sawada, Manager of Public Programs at the Belkin Art Gallery, at naomi.sawada@ubc.ca or (604) 822-3640.

The 2014/15 events were:

Tour: SWARM
12 September 2014, 7 pm
Derrick Chang, a student in the Critical and Curatorial Studies graduate program, led tours and discussions of the annual September event in which artist-run centres in Vancouver launch their fall exhibitions.

Artist Talk: Project Funding and Grant Writing in the Visual Arts
5 November 2014, 5:30 pm
Artist Jade Yumang, an AHVA alumni and sessional instructor in the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory discussed how he developed his practice by collaborating with others and how this enhanced funding opportunities.

Workshop: Introduction to the Artist Statement
20 November 2014 and 26 January 2015, 5:30 pm
Chris Gaudet, Exhibitions and Programs Assistant with Naomi Sawada, Manager of Public Programs, gave workshops on how to write an artist’s statement.

Tour: Behind the Scenes at the Belkin Art Gallery
15 January 2015, 5:30 pm
Naomi Sawada, Manager of Public Programs led a tour and discussion at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery.

Workshop: Grant-Writing Workshop
22 January 2015, 5:30 pm
The Belkin’s Director/Curator Scott Watson discussed project funding and grant writing in the arts.

Workshop: How to Write a Curriculum Vitae
2 April 2015, 12:30 pm
Allison Mander-Wionzek, UBC Arts Internships Program Coordinator, gave a workshop on how to write an artist’s curriculum vitae.