OCAD University Alumni Relations

OCAD University Alumni Relations Welcome to the official page of Alumni Relations & Alumni Events at OCAD University!

Visit our website for the latest on Alumni benefits, events, staying in touch and much more! http://www.ocadu.ca/alumni

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OCAD University is pleased to announce the honorary doctorate recipients for 2026. This year’s recipients include arts v...
06/05/2026

OCAD University is pleased to announce the honorary doctorate recipients for 2026.

This year’s recipients include arts visionary and advocate RitaDavies-c-m; entrepreneur and digital trailblazer Joshua Greer; award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker Tanya Talaga; and distinguished scholar and philanthropist Ash K. Prakash.

The honorary doctorate recipients will address more than 800 graduands during two Convocation ceremonies at Roy Thomson Hall on June 19.

Learn more: https://www.ocadu.ca/news/ocad-u-announces-2026-honorary-degree-recipients



Image:
Top: Rita Davies (left) and Joshua Greer (right)
Bottom: Ash K. Prakash (left) and Tanya Talaga (right)

Alumni installations, immersive projections, a fierce live auction, and a packed After Party transformed the Rosalie Sha...
06/04/2026

Alumni installations, immersive projections, a fierce live auction, and a packed After Party transformed the Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design at the second annual . ✨

More than 300 artists and designers, collectors, industry leaders and supporters gathered to celebrate creativity and invest in the next generation of OCAD U talent. Together, we raised an incredible $420,000 in support of student bursaries!

Sincere thanks to Gala Co-Chairs Amy Burstyn-Fritz and Jeff Hull, our auction artists, activation artists, volunteers and guests for making the evening possible.

πŸ”— Read the full recap, browse the photo gallery, and watch the highlight video here:
https://tinyurl.com/bdehtr5c
(πŸ“Έ: )

πŸ‡πŸŒŸπŸŒ·πŸͺ­ Opening May 30! πŸ’πŸ’«πŸ§ΆπŸͺ‘Join us for a vivid showcase of boundary-pushing craft practices that reclaim and revel in what...
05/22/2026

πŸ‡πŸŒŸπŸŒ·πŸͺ­ Opening May 30! πŸ’πŸ’«πŸ§ΆπŸͺ‘

Join us for a vivid showcase of boundary-pushing craft practices that reclaim and revel in what has been minimized as the frivolously feminine, the scandalously q***r, and the exotically ornamental!

π™’π™–π™©π™šπ™§π™žπ™–π™‘ π™™π™žπ™¨π™€π™—π™šπ™™π™žπ™šπ™£π™˜π™š
Curated by Madeline Collins

Free artist-led embroidery workshop: Friday, May 29, 4-7pm, rsvp link in bio
Free panel discussion: Saturday, May 30, 1-3pm, Studio Theatre rsvp link in bio
Exhibition Opening reception: Saturday, May 30, 6-10pm

Rhinestones, beads, crystals, embroidery, textiles, and ceramics have all been variously perceived as symbols of β€œexcessive” cultures or lifestyles, an association that has served to reinforce creative hierarchies and trivialize marginalized identities. By centering these materials in their work, ThΓ©o Bignon (), Molly JF Caldwell ( ), Lux Gow-Habrich (.sparkledust ) and Hea R. Kim ( ) entwine visual and haptic pleasures with critical analyses of labour, gender, q***rness, and colonialism.

The Lost & Found Project Space
420 Queen St E, Toronto
May 30 - June 20, 2026

This exhibition and programming is a part of Openwork, an artist-led initiative by TLAF Collective to encourage new voices and critical engagement in the field of experimental craft and material-based practice. π™’π™–π™©π™šπ™§π™žπ™–π™‘ π™™π™žπ™¨π™€π™—π™šπ™™π™žπ™šπ™£π™˜π™š is generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. The panel discussion is hosted by the Harbourfront Centre, and we would like to acknowledge the incredible support of artverb* .

✨ Less than TWO WEEKS until the OCAD U Gala After Party! Get your tickets now!Enjoy a live DJ set by , explore immersiv...
05/14/2026

✨ Less than TWO WEEKS until the OCAD U Gala After Party! Get your tickets now!

Enjoy a live DJ set by , explore immersive art installations, and enjoy signature cocktails and gourmet desserts alongside Toronto’s most creative and influential minds.

Every dollar raised will support student bursaries at OCAD U.

Tickets are on sale now β€” get yours before they’re gone! πŸ‘‰ Link in bio or visit www.ocadu.ca/afterparty

Join OCAD U's Faculty of Art on Saturday, May 30th for a film screening of "Crossings" and discussion on peace and unifi...
05/13/2026

Join OCAD U's Faculty of Art on Saturday, May 30th for a film screening of "Crossings" and discussion on peace and unification in Korea.

Thirty women activists including Nobel Peace Laureates and renowned feminist, Gloria Steinem, set out on a risky journey across the DMZ between North and South Korea, calling for an end to a 70-year war that has divided the Korean people.

Saturday, May 30, 3 pm
OCAD U, Room 230
100 McCaul St., 2nd floor
Director Deann Borshay Liem and members of Women Cross DMZ will join for a post screening conversation.

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Profess...
05/12/2026

What can doctors learn from artists? Dr. Nandini Gupta, advanced heart failure cardiologist, and OCAD University Professor and alum, Francis LeBouthillier, would argue a lot! This past spring OCAD U Advancement hosted an evening of life sculpting on campus for members of Art in Medicine (AiM), a non-profit organization that celebrates the relationship between art and medicine. The goal, to explore the intrinsic connection between the arts and medicine and consider holistic approaches to care and healing.

Founded by Dr. Gupta in 2023, AiM was inspired by her lifelong love of the arts. As a champion for the integration of the arts into medical education and practice, she believes arts education can be a foundational tool for cultivating empathy, bridging gaps in relationships between physicians and patients.

OCAD University’s dedication to studio-based learning and wealth of interdisciplinary faculty members made it the perfect venue to host a hands-on event. With over 20 years’ experience developing high-fidelity surgical simulators and medical models, LeBoutillier has worked with research teams at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto’s Surgical Skills Lab. The goal is to train doctors so they can perform high risk in utero surgeries and treat life threatening conditions such as Spina Bifida.

Together with Dr. Gupta, LeBoutillier hosted and facilitated the evening workshop. Medical professionals from a wide range of specializations worked directly with clay, sculpting from observation as the group discussed the shared vulnerability of creating something new with the experience of a patient seeking care. LeBoutillier guided participants through how to model different parts of the body through clay, capturing gesture and anatomy.

Participants explored how artistic exploration can strengthen clinical observation, deepen empathy and support more compassionate approaches to care. The event’s success highlighted poignant mirroring of touch in artistic and medical practices, and underscores how approaching a problem with an open mind can lead to unexpected solutions, benefiting us all.

Congratulations to alums Mary Ratcliffe of the Toronto-based Mary Ratcliffe Studio and Christian Lo, founder of the To...
05/12/2026

Congratulations to alums Mary Ratcliffe of the Toronto-based Mary Ratcliffe Studio and Christian Lo, founder of the Toronto-based lighting studio anony, who are participating in the NYCxDESIGN Festival, the city’s most influential design event taking place from May 14 to 20 in New York City.

During the festival, Mary is introducing her latest furniture collection, CARVER at Afternoon Light (May 17 to 19). Inspired by surfing and skateboarding, the CARVER Collection is defined by coloured finishes, fluid curving shapes and a return to the designer's own flow state. Composed of a coffee table, side table, mirror, and wall-mounted bar, a first for the studio, this collection is an evolution of a recurring theme in Mary Ratcliffe Studio’s work, reimagining childhood activities as refined handcrafted furnishings.

Photo: CARVER by Mary Ratcliffe Studio. Left to right: Decker Side Tables, Dume Mirror, Solstice Coffee Table, Corral Cabinet. Photography by Ryan McCoy.

Learn more about Mary Ratcliffe Studio, founded by OCAD U alum Mary Ratcliffe: https://lnkd.in/eQsfRN6x

Learn more about anony, founded by OCAD U alum Christian Lo: https://anony.ca/

Learn more about the NYCxDesign Festival: https://lnkd.in/euaYjKKu

OCAD U graduate students are exploring their practice in ways that extend beyond the studio. With support from the Willi...
05/11/2026

OCAD U graduate students are exploring their practice in ways that extend beyond the studio.

With support from the William and Nona Heaslip Foundation, the Graduate Student Project and Travel Grant enables hands-on experimentation, technical training and international study. Students are working with materials like molten glass and studying exhibition design in major museums, shaping how their work develops and is experienced.

πŸ‘‰ Read the full story: https://tinyurl.com/mpamnysd

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gat...
05/11/2026

This past Saturday, President Ana Serrano and Executive Director of Advancement, Mary Koutsoubos, hosted an intimate gathering for NYC based alumni! Special shout out to faculty member Veronika Szkudlarek who was able to join as well. We loved getting the chance to catch up and reconnect with such a wonderful group of designers, artists and academics. Thank you to Indira Cesarine and the Untitled Space team for facilitating an exclusive viewing of their spring exhibition, IN FULL BLOOM.

Never miss an opportunity to connect! Update your contact information and subscribe to our digital newsletter by emailing us at [email protected].

.szkudlarek

Ready to slow down and sharpen your observational skills? DRPT alum Andrew Harris is offering small-group classical draw...
05/11/2026

Ready to slow down and sharpen your observational skills? DRPT alum Andrew Harris is offering small-group classical drawing and painting classes in Toronto! These sessions are open to all levels and the small group sizes allow for meaningful, individual feedback.

For more information, visit https://lostwoodsatelier.squarespace.com
or, find Andrew on instagram at .art

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