Mission

Creativity is a beautiful gift, an echo of God’s own limitless creativity. The rich power of beauty. The intimacy of observing the world closely. The ferocity of lament and prophetic critique. The playful whimsy of imaginative worlds. Each of these aspects of art awakens the artist, and speaks to the world. The visual arts have a distinctive role in forming a culture that is vibrant and marked by justice and grace. The Redeemer Art Department’s mission is to help students forge new skills and deepen their vision as they discover how to live out God’s call to shape this world.

The Art Department is focused in the studio. Studio work integrates mind, body, and spirit in a unique way, balancing the study of technique (perspective, colour, materials) and the exploration of concepts and themes. We approach the history of art, contemporary art practice and theory, with seriousness. By the final year of study, majors are well equipped to produce an integrated body of work for the Senior Exhibition.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of our program will:

  • Execute studio art projects in order to experience visual concepts, art disciplines and media with the goal of developing proficiency in one or more areas of fine or design arts.
  • Apply visual critical thinking and visual literacy techniques to art of both student peers and through self-evaluation.
  • Analyze the social, political, historical and religious contexts of Western art and architecture from Antiquity to the present with an appreciation for the historical, philosophical and cultural contexts for works of art.
  • Create and sustain a body of work through self-directed research, experimentation, risk-taking, and reflective analysis.
  • Develop strategies for navigating the difficult intersection of religious belief and contemporary art.
  • Be equipped to serve both the church and community through the arts with responsibility, respect and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

Art Department Programs

Additional Information

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The Gallery

The Redeemer University Art Gallery is a not-for-profit art gallery on the campus that supports the educational mission of the Art Department by facilitating conversations at the intersection of faith and visual art. The Gallery plays an integral role in students’ education by offering encounters with original works of art that nurture visual literacy, critical thinking and contemplation.

The gallery is an exhibition space for artists inside and outside the community of faith who invite meaningful connections between art, theology, and the human condition. Students are encouraged to investigate the relationship between their Christian worldview and artwork created within the contemporary world.

For over 30 years, this dedicated 2,500 square foot gallery has been a place where students, regional and national artists have exhibited outside the demands of the commercial gallery scene. From important Canadian artists such as Greg Curnoe and Kenojuak Ashevak to contemporary Christian artists such Gerard Pas, James Paterson and Maria Gabankova, the Gallery creates opportunities for the University community and general public to engage with a diverse array of creative production.

In addition to themed and solo exhibitions by professional artists, the Gallery offers opportunities for students to show work in an annual juried exhibition. During their capstone senior year, Art Majors prepare intensely for their thesis exhibit that is held in the Gallery at the end of the Fall and Winter semesters.

Gallery Hours and Location

The Redeemer University Art Gallery is open during the Academic year September – April. The Gallery is closed during the summer months of May – August.

Monday – Saturday
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
(unless closed for installation)
Closed Sunday
The Gallery is located on North End of the Academic Building on the second floor outside the Auditorium.

Part Time Faculty

Petra Zantingh
Education: M.A. (Art Education), Concordia University, 2015
Courses Taught: ART-115, ART-222

Brittany Burdick
Education: M.A. (Art History), Concordia University, 2018
Courses Taught: ART-335 Contemporary Art Worldwide

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Art Department Faculty

Prof. Phil Irish

Assistant Professor of Art

M.F.A. (2012), Visual Art, York University; Thesis: Makeshift; B.A. (1995), University of Guelph
Phone: 905-648-2139   Ext: 4497
Office: 241C
Being an artist has become, for Phil Irish, a way of exploring the world, stimulating imagination, and of sparking deep exchange with others. Irish attained an MFA at York University and a BA in Fine... Read More