Rekindled Spaces: U of R’s 50th Anniversary Alumni Exhibition

This past October, as part of U of R’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, the Fifth Parallel Gallery presented Rekindled Spaces, an alumni exhibition featuring works by 39 Visual Arts graduates. This reunion— spanning decades of alumni and a range of artistic disciplines—celebrates not only the talent nurtured in U of R’s Visual Arts department but also the unique paths alumni have taken to grow and thrive as artists after graduation. 

The beauty of a 50th Anniversary lies in the opportunity it provides to pause and reflect on the journey that brought us here. For the Fifth Parallel Gallery, that story began in 1986, when U of R Visual Arts Professor Leesa Streifler envisioned a dedicated space for her students to share their artwork with the world. By 1997, through the combined efforts of Professor Streifler, U of R Visual Arts Professor Roger Lee, additional Visual Arts faculty members, and funding from the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU), the gallery found its permanent home in the Riddell Centre. Nearly three decades later, this student-run gallery stays true to its mission, offering a platform for emerging artists—and now welcomes alumni back to share their work once more during Alumni Week.

Experience Rekindled Spaces and the artistic legacy of U of R alumni with the select images below. 

Within the garden of shadows 

Artistic Statement by Joviel Buenavente

“Within the garden of shadows is a culmination of the past few years of experimentation with paper as a material. Themes of time, mortality, death, and grief (specifically disenfranchised grief) are present in these new works. It serves as a modern memento mori; a reminder that death is inevitable. The work aims to court the viewer as they contemplate their own mortality and to act as a catalyst to discussing death and the process of grief. 

There is discomfort around death. Generally, when the topic arises, people become uncomfortable, and they make an active effort to change the topic quickly. However, death is not an unknown; death is definite and consistent, similar to time. Within the garden of shadows invites the viewers to engage with the topic of mortality and death and to help each other navigate the grieving process by sharing their own experiences.”   

Ripped Genes 

Artist Statement by Sheila Nourse 

“I am a sculptor working in assemblage, using found objects and mixed media.  My work is grounded in feminism and addresses themes of domesticity, the family, the body, and the unconscious.  I find that my ideas gain shape through the discussions I share with colleagues.  Currently I am a member of, “Of a Certain Age” collective, a group of artists who meet via Zoom to discuss our work, exchange ideas, and support each other. 

Many of my techniques are meditative—binding, winding crochet, dipping and casting—as a result, I have time to consider and respond to materials and objects in what feels like a very intuitive process.  My art practise is linked to my identity and life experience. The pieces I have submitted for this exhibition are based on my personal journey and what it means to inhabit an older body – one filled with memory and experience.” 

Inspired by the talent of our Visual Arts alumni? Discover courses from the U of R's Visual Arts Department and see where your creativity can take you. 

The Rekindled Spaces exhibition featured the following U of R Alumni artists:  

Allyson Kew – BA Visual Arts (2011)

Audie Murray – BA Visual Arts (2017)

Barbara Goretzky – BA Visual Arts (2014)

Becky Thera – BA Visual Arts (2013)

Brenda Danbrook – MA Visual Arts (2019)  

Brenda Watt – BEd (1978), BA Visual Arts (2020), MA Visual Arts (2024)

Brian Hoad – MA Visual Arts (2017)

Carrie Smith – BA ’17 Visual Arts (2017)

Danielle Corson – BAdmin, BA Visual Arts (2017)

Dylan Dowler – BA Visual Arts (2017)

Jamie Reynolds – BA Visual Arts (2010)  

Elizabeth Elich – BA Visual Arts (2017)  

Emily Nestor – BA Visual Arts (2022)

Frank Armistead – BA Visual Arts (2012), BA (2024)

Jason Roland Hipfner – BA Visual Arts (1999)

Jordan Bidyk – BA Visual Arts (2020)

Joviel Buenavente – BA Visual Arts (2020)

Kelsey Gallagher – BA Visual Arts (2019), MPA (2024)  

Linda Picot – BA Visual Arts (2016)

Madeleine Greenway – MA Visual Arts (2021)

Madison Pascal – BA Visual Arts (2016)

Michael Flaherty – MA Visual Arts (2007)

Michelle Markatos – BA Film (1997)

Mika Abbott – BA Visual Arts (2020)

Ryan Arnott – BFA (1975)

Ryan O’Lewi – Bed (2015), BA Visual Arts (2016)

Sabine Wecker – BA Visual Arts (2021), MA Visual Arts (2024)

Sandee Moore – MA Visual Arts (2003)  

Sarah Pitman – BA Visual Arts (2015), BEd (2018)  

Sean Whalley – MA Visual Arts (2001)

Sheila Nourse – BA Visual Arts (1992), MA Visual Arts (2007)

Shelby Schulze – BA Visual Arts (2019)

Spencer Atkins – BA Visual Arts (2021)

Terri Lemire – BA Visual Arts (2007)

Twyla Exner – BA Visual Arts (2004)

Wendy Peart – BA Visual Arts (1991), BA Art History (1993)

Will Stoudt – BA Visual Arts (2021)