Arts Speaker Series

Dr. Tara Lyons, Criminology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Luka Wall, Manager, OPA; Liam Ruel, KPU Psychology honours student; Camille Bédard, KPU Psychology student; Kayla Garvin, KPU employee; Kai Barcellos Luna, KPU Creative Writing student

The findings of our mixed-methods study suggest that 2SLGBTQIA+ students at teaching focused universities in the Lower Mainland lack the support, resources, and educational environment they need to thrive. We present participant-driven recommendations for post-secondary administrators, service providers, and educators on ways they can better support 2SLGBTQIA+ students.  

Dr. Dorothy Barenscott, Fine Arts, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

The birth of NFT art appears almost inevitable within the context of digital screen culture married to hypermodern kitsch and the billionaire class. As I will argue, Donald Trump’s loss of the 2020 US presidency and his refusal to accept the outcome, together with his run for office once again in 2024, coincides with Trump’s foray into the world of NFT art and the promotion of a set of digital playing cards tokenized in the blockchain. Uniting four characteristics of Trumpism—celebrity, nativism, populism, and the outsider—the non-fungible token emerges not only as the newest manifestation of Trump’s outsider politics and personal branding, but also as a potent visual medium portending the future of art production, exhibition, and consumption. 

Carlos Octavio Sandoval, Sociology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Nahuatl, the ancestral language of the Aztecs is still the most widely spoken Indigenous language of Mexico. However, in the past century, this language experienced a dramatic decrease in the number of its speakers due to government policies of cultural assimilation. Current efforts towards revitalizing this language can only be successful if they are formulated from a decolonial perspective that challenges existing power inequalities and recognizes Indigenous peoples as agents of their own history. 

Dr. Wade Deisman, Criminology, University of Fraser Valley

This paper uses a range of investigative techniques to excavate and analyze social media activity during the period of July 20 through to September 17. Over that period,  while wildfires were raging across the Shuswap, police, paramedics, and firefighters found themselves at odds with some several local communities because of false reports, conspiracy theories, and disinformation campaigns. Burroway’s extended case method (1998) is used to argue that the events in the Shuswap ought not to be understood as a singularity, but instead reflect themes and patterns common to other recent emergency response events, including Hurricane Hilton and Hurricane Helene. Stepping back toward the theoretical, the work explores the degree to which the success of public safety responses depends upon broader judgements about the trustworthiness of agents of officialdom and the degree to which such perceptions of trust are increasingly imperiled in the wake of foreign actors, malicious deployments of artificial intelligence, fake news, and conspiracy theories. 

Jonna Evans, Psychology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Dr. Kyle Matsuba, Psychology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

The Wang Oo Relit Project (WORP) is designed to build resilience among youth living in northern Uganda. WORP incorporates mental health lessons and activities with cultural practices for the goal of improving the mental wellness of youth.

Dr. Parthi Krishnan, Geography and the Environment, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Learn about Geography, and the ‘Worlds’ of Maps; how we imagine, interpret and lie with maps. 

Dr. David Sadoway, Geography and the Environment, Policy Studies, Advising Faculty to the KPU Climate+ Challenge, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

"Electrify, electrify, electrify!" is all the current rage of governments, businesses and many green groups, and the focus of an important —and much needed shift away from problematic greenhouse gases (GHGs). In the rush to electrify the crucial transportation sector, however, the importance of public transit as a crucial equitable mobility priority is being undermined.  This presentation makes the case for re-tracking public electromobilities placemaking priorities and re-thinking the role of private automobility (whether gas or electric) and prioritizing public transit as a means of achieving mobility justice in communities. 

Alvaro Rodriguez, Entertainment Arts, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Join Alvaro Roman Rodriguez on a captivating journey through his evolution as an artist, from traditional visual artistry to the dynamic world of animation and cinema. Explore the intersection of tradition and innovation in "From Canvas to Screen: My Artistic Evolution." 

Dr. Aislinn Hunter, Creative Writing, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

In this lively and participatory talk, award-winning poet and novelist Aislinn Hunter will take some of the most urgent conversations of the day and connect them to poems being written and published now. She'll show us why poetry matters more than ever. If you love poetry this event is for you. If you're afraid of poetry, this event is for you.

Dr. Lucy (Liudmila) Jdanova, Psychology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

The notion that people engage in social comparisons has been long recognized by social and applied psychologists. According to several prominent theories in social psychology (e.g., equity theory) subjective perceptions, rather than objective circumstances, of individual circumstances that result from social comparisons with ‘others’ have an effect on individuals (e.g., Adams, 1965; Crosby, 1976; Shan, 1998). But how exactly these subjective perceptions impact our wellbeing in the workplace and beyond and what we can do to improve our overall wellbeing? 

Dr. Ying Ma, Educational Studies, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Nonviolence is not merely a moral or philosophical abstraction. It also is not just a set of tactics, a mere method. Rather it is an educational inspiration and ongoing practice. 

Renée Sarojini Saklikar, Creative Writing, Douglas College; Dr. Dale Tracy, English, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

“Have you ever seen what a Robot looks like inside?”: Read, Discuss, Create  

Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. premiered in 1921 and coined the word “robot.” Join us in an informal reading of the first twenty minutes of this influential play which we will use to kick-start conversations designed to acknowledge anxiety and plant hope for climate and social justice change.

Dr. Aaron Goodman, Journalism and Communication Studies, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Aaron will talk about writing his first novel, "The Imbroglio of Aziel Gloglowski," and how exploring years of physical and emotional distance with his parents and the impacts of trauma inspired him to tell the story. The novel draws on themes of mental health issues, family rupture, sexual identity, and more. Aaron is a faculty member in Journalism and Communication Studies at KPU and enrolled in a remote creative writing program (twice) to complete the novel.

Dr. Jennifer Hardwick, English, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; KPU Students and Alumni Amy Tremblay, Brook Lowery, and Carolina Mesquita Rocha

Join a collaborative team of students, alumni, and faculty to discuss the research, ethics, principles, and practices involved in building a digital archive with all-Indigenous burlesque collective Virago Nation.