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Indigenous Visual Culture at OCAD University

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Indigenous Visual Culture at OCAD University

Traditionally Inspired, Culturally Relevant. The emphasis is on collaboration, innovation and the integration of traditional and emerging technologies.

OCAD University’s Indigenous Visual Culture Program is intended to foster, disseminate and educate Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to indigenous culture through art and design. Students benefit from an interdisciplinary university environment that blends academic rigour with the experimental freedom of the studio. Our totem is nigig the otter, who represents the spirit of our program: playf

ulness, dexterity, inventiveness and curiosity, combined with boundless energy and joy, which we believe are the characteristics of our students. The otter was chosen as our totem because he dives down into the depths of unknown waters and emerges with a tool upon which to crack open the shell of his imagination. OCADU offers Indigenous specific courses in the faculties of Liberal Studies, Art and Design leading to an Interdisciplinary Minor and Major in Indigenous Visual Culture. All courses are open to Aboriginal and non-Indigenous students.

05/07/2026

INVC congratulations the 2026 Medal Winner Liv Sydney!

Liv Sydney is an Nunataagmuit and Gwich’in artist from Inuvik. Practising in printmaking, painting and textile arts, Sydney explores themes of love, beauty, familial connection and navigating the world as a carrier of generational trauma caused by the systemic oppression of Inuit and First Nations.

03/13/2026

OPPORTUNITY: INVC LOGO RENEWAL

LOGO AWARD
The successful logo designer will be awarded a $500 honorarium.
This honorarium will be paid in two installments:
1. $250 upon successful award
2. $250 upon receipt of all files in June.

Eligibility:
This opportunity is open to current and recent Indigenous graduates, with priority given to past and current students of OCAD University's Indigenous Visual Culture program.
Individuals with or without graphic design knowledge and experience are welcome to apply.

See last post for more details!

Questions?
Contact Interim INVC Program Chair Dr.
Suzanne Morrissette for more information! [email protected]

03/11/2026

OPPORTUNITY: INVC LOGO RENEWAL
The Indigenous Visual Culture (INVC) program recently celebrated its 10th year anniversary. Now, with a look towards the future, INVC is positioned to envision its next 10 years (and beyond).

To mark this moment INVC faculty invite the submission of proposals for the next INVC program logo.

Complete applications consist of the following:
1. A brief letter of introduction.
2. Up to three concept sketches intended to convey the spirit and values of the INVC program. Sketches can be in early development stages and should clearly illustrate your concept.
3. A corresponding document with a 1-3 sentences describing how you arrived at each concept sketch.

Applications will be assessed by the INVC Program Committee.
The committee will be looking for designs that:
1. Support the INVC program's values
2. Demonstrate an awareness of the INVC program's history and future
3.Provide the program with a strong graphic identity

Eligibility:
This opportunity is open to current and recent Indigenous graduates, with priority given to past and current students of OCAD University's Indigenous Visual Culture program.
Individuals with or without graphic design knowledge and experience are welcome to apply.

Timeline:
April 15, 2026 (11:30-12:45pm): Info Session + Logo Workshop with Ishgun Lamba
May 4, 2026 by 11:59pm: Applications due to [email protected] by email
Week of May 4, 2026: Program Committee meets to review, discuss, and determine the successful design proposal
May 11, 2026: Notification of successful design proposal
May 11 - June 20, 2026: Applicants will work with the INVC Program Chair, and Ishgun Lamba as needed to fully realize the awarded design and file deliverables.
June 21, 2026: Launch of new INVC logo

Questions?
Contact Interim INVC Program Chair Dr. Suzanne Morrissette for more information! [email protected]

03/10/2026

The first Indigenous Visual Culture logo was designed by Afanassi Grigoriev (Sakha-Evenk).

Reflecting on the symbolism in its first logo, the INVC program shares this narrative:
"Our totem is nigig the otter. The otter represents the spirit of our program: playfulness, dexterity, inventiveness and curiosity, combined with boundless energy and joy. We chose the otter because it dives down into the depths of unknown waters and emerges with a tool upon which to crack open the shell of its imagination. We believe these are the characteristics of the students and faculty in the Indigenous Visual Culture Program."

03/04/2026

Vanessa Dion Fletcher is a Lunáapew and Potawatomi nuro-divers artist. Her family is from Eelūnaapèewii Lahkèewiitt and European settlers. Reflecting on an Indigenous and gendered body with a neurodiverse mind, Dion Fletcher looks for knowledge in materials and techniques. Since 2017, Dion Fletcher has used porcupine quills as a primary medium, creating two-dimensional quillwork pieces and expanding the medium through photography, sculpture, and performance. Dion Fletcher teaches community workshops in quillwork, beading, and creative writing. Highlights include the Aanikoobijiganag Beading Symposium 2025, and with the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body.

02/27/2026

Julia Rose Sutherland (she/they) is a Mi’kmaq (Metepenagiag Nation) and Irish/Scottish interdisciplinary artist and Assistant Professor at OCAD University in the INVC and MAAD programs. Sutherland is also the co-director of the OCAD U Sustainable Colour Lab. Working across photography, sculpture, textiles, performance, and installation, their practice explores Indigenous identity, material knowledge, cultural memory, and systems of representation. Their work engages land-based research alongside traditional and contemporary making practices to address histories of colonialism, resilience, and relationality. Alongside their studio practice, Sutherland is committed to teaching, mentorship, and community-engaged research that centers Indigenous worldviews within contemporary art and education. They hold an MFA in Studio Arts from the University at Buffalo and a BFA in Craft and New Media from Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts).

02/26/2026

Herman Piʻikea Clark is a Kanaka Maoli (Indigenous Hawaiian) artist and Professor in the Faculty of Design. He teaches art and design as practices of responsibility—grounded in genealogy, place, and relationship. His classrooms prioritize Indigenous presence, visual sovereignty, and rigorous making that stays accountable to community and consequence. His work spans Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and Asia, alongside work in Canada, and examines how institutions define “professionalism,” whose knowledge becomes theory, and what gets dismissed as “context.” He’s committed to supporting Indigenous students in protecting their voice, strengthening their craft, and carrying their stories forward.

02/25/2026

Jason Baerg, a Red River Métis from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, is a registered member of the Métis Nations of Ontario. An interdisciplinary artist, educator, curator, and activist, Baerg is Assistant Professor of Indigenous Practices in Contemporary Painting and Media Art at OCADU. He co-founded The Shushkitew Collective and The Métis Artist Collective, underscoring his commitment to community engagement. Baerg’s art integrates digital media with drawing, painting, and installation, and has been exhibited internationally at venues including Canada House (London), the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and the Digital Dome in Santa Fe. Learn more at JasonBaerg.ca.

02/08/2026

Howard Munroe is an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at OCAD University and a Red River Métis member of the Métis Nation of Ontario. His work integrates Indigenous knowledge systems, material practices, and digital technologies, with research focused on Indigenizing and decolonizing design education. He has presented internationally and published on Indigenous design methodologies in The Design Journal and Art Libraries Journal. Before academia, he spent nearly two decades in theatre and film as a lighting designer, scenic fabricator, and technical director. He continues to advance inclusive curriculum development and mentorship in design education.

02/07/2026

Tannis Nielsen is a Danish, Anishnawbe-Red River Métis woman whose maternal grandparents Catherine Boucher and Joseph Monkman were born in the Metis settlements of St. Louis and Halcro district Saskatchewan. Her Mother Jenny aka/Merle Monkman was born in Goldfields Saskatchewan and her Father Paul Nielsen, in Aalborg Denmark. Tannis was born in Red Deer Alberta and has lived in t’koronto for more than 35 years, though she still calls herself a prairie girl. Tannis has over twenty-five years of professional experience in the arts, cultural and community sectors, and fifteen years teaching at the post-secondary level. As a visual artist Tannis’ practice includes public art, drawing, painting, new media installation, sculpture and performance. Since entering into the academy her research interests have mainly focused on enacting a variety of decolonial methodologies through the study and praxis of an Indigenous Arts, History, Theory, Governance and Pedagogy.

Address

100 McCaul Room 323
Toronto, ON
M5T1W1

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:30pm

Website

https://www.ocadu.ca/academics/undergraduate-studies/indigenous-visual-culture

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