When it comes to favourite humour comics, my list is exhaustive. Each strip was a work of art
When people think of their favourite comic strips, they typically list the ones they remember reading as a child – or, in some cases, still read today. My preference has always been for the comics of yesteryear. The early political cartoons of William Hogarth (A Rake’s Progress, 1732-34) and Francis Barlow (A True Narrative of…
The only professor in academia working on deaf education
There is a fierce debate raging in the deaf community. Many audiologists believe sign language is obsolete, recommending instead that deaf children rely exclusively on technology such as cochlear implants and hearing aids. Sign language, they contend, interferes with learning to speak. Joanne Weber argues the whole dispute is absurd and unnecessary. The first Canada Research Chair in…
Diversity and culture help attract and retain the creative talent that cities thrive on
When Richard Florida published The Rise of the Creative Class in 2002, it came as news to many that the greater the population of creative types – artists, musicians, designers and technology workers – in a given city, the stronger its economy and quality of life. Attracting and retaining creative talent was partly a question of…
The U of A’s Mactaggart Art Collection helps students contribute to a lasting historical and artistic legacy
As a child in South Korea, Sung Eun Cho spent many weekends with her Buddhist grandparents, who brought her along to the temples they visited. The youngster found herself captivated by the ornate beauty of the buildings, richly adorned with traditional images and symbols of the ancient religion. “I was mesmerized by the vivid colours…
Edmonton troupe finds a creative way to keep performing during pandemic
Carlean Fisher has been in love with the stage for as long as she can remember. As a young woman, pulling the curtains from backstage was enough to feel the rush, until years later when she got involved as a player with Edmonton’s Walterdale Theatre. “It’s an important part of who I am, ever since…Professor's experimental approach explores science, technology, society and the environment
For Yelena Gluzman, science and theatre have much in common. And she’s intimately familiar with both. That makes her a great fit as the newest addition to Media and Technology Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta, where she’s teaching a new course on the interrelations of science, technology, society and environment.…
Crossings is the first to bridge undergrad research across all arts programs
A new student-led academic journal – peer-reviewed by students – has launched in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Arts to showcase some of the finest undergraduate work in the social sciences, humanities and fine arts. Called Crossings, the annual publication contains perspectives as varied as a Marxist critique of capitalist trends in the theatre, an…
It would be an insult to say Sheri is a packrat; all of the hundreds of knickknacks she has have a history
Troy Media publisher Doug Firby and travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…
Designation signifies late U of A professor’s importance to the Canadian cultural landscape as a renowned classical music composer
An archival collection documenting the life and accomplishments of a University of Alberta music professor has struck a high note by earning a world-class designation. The Violet Archer fonds at the U of A has been accepted into the Canada Memory of the World Register, part of a UNESCO program that showcases the most meaningful documents in humanity’s…
Arts and crafts provide healthy ways to deal with our disrupted daily lives, says U of A occupational therapist
By Rob Curtis Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine University of Alberta There’s a good reason people are buying all the baking supplies in grocery stores and posting their freshly made bread, buns and desserts on social media as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, says an occupational therapist and associate professor at the University of Alberta. “Engaging…