Authored by UMIH Intern Patrick Fermin

Cover image: Tenplum Iovis Ultoris, from a Series of Prints depicting (reconstructed) Buildings from Roman Antiquity by Monogrammist G.A. & the Caltrop retrieved from Wikimedia Commons

How do artifacts allow us to peer into the past? What kind of processes can our minds conjure up when we are holding materials from history? These questions were answered by Dr. Christoph Heyl in his presentation, “The Closest Thing to Time Travel: Original Antique Objects as a Teaching Aid in Literary Studies.” Heyl discussed his use of historical artifacts in his pedagogy to connect students to the past.

Authored by UMIH Intern Patrick Fermin

Cover image: Lucas Ninno / Diálogo Chino sourced from Dialogue Earth

Indigenous rights and activism were at the forefront of Dr. Eloy Terena’s presentation “Indigenous Peoples and the Lula Administration: The Role of the Ministry of Indigenous People in Brazil.” Presented in his native language, Dr. Terena highlights the work of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil. He touches upon the new generation of activism and political work that is happening as Indigenous Brazilians take space in the country’s politics. The work done within the Lula government have made great changes in the country regarding Indigenous rights.

Authored by UMIH Intern Patrick Fermin

Cover image: Group shoot of Paris Is Burning cast. Janus Films.

When I was planning my second film screening for the University of Manitoba’s Institute for the Humanities, I really wanted to feature a film that brought love and warmth in me. That film is Paris is Burning, directed by Jennie Livingston and released in 1990. My aims were to show this film, which has shaped queer culture since its release, and to discuss its complicated history and impact. What we ended up discussing about was the beautiful and unforgettable people in the movie.

Authored by UMIH Intern Patrick Fermin

Cover image by Patrick Fermin

Canadian women artists are sometimes overlooked in the overall tapestry of Canadian art, and being able to learn more about different artists was incredibly educational for me. As a student who has a growing love for art and its connections to the individual and society at large, being able to learn about different artists with different backgrounds was illuminating. That is why attending the Honourable Patricia Bovey’s four-part course, Canadian Art History: Women Artists Breaking Glass Ceilings, and being able to speak to her about her work was truly fantastic. These lectures, hosted and organized by MAWA: Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art, were supported by UMIH and were free and open to any interested attendees.

Authored by Indiana M. A. Humniski

Cover Image: DIY Teleplasmic Portait of Indiana Humniski, orchestrated by Catherine van Reenen (and the spirit realm…)

When Catherine van Reenen began her presentation by declaring, “Let’s get weird!,” I didn’t imagine that the session would end with her photographing me, in the dark, with kleenexes stuffed up my nose. I bet you’re wondering how I ended up in this situation; to get the answer, you’ll have to keep on reading or… wait for the spirits to send it to you!

In a flu-filled season where most people are worried about post-nasal drip, Catherine van Reenen is thinking about teleplasmic drip (which still, can ooze out from your nose).

Authored by Indiana M. A. Humniski

Cover Image: Still from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960).

While watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho on film, UMIH Graduate Fellow G. G. Dascal (they/them) began to ponder the value of cinematography in the horror genre. I must admit, when they mentioned how one of the film’s scenes reminded them of the splatter-forward art of Jackson Pollock, I assumed we would be visiting the iconically bloody shower sequence. Like a redirected jumpscare, Dascal instead pointed to a scene near the beginning where Janet Leigh is driving towards the much-known (and much-feared) Bates Motel […] Still, the abstract cinematography sparks a Marie-Kondo-esque “joy” within Dascal. They explained, with a brilliant smile, that “for these shots, I didn’t have to think about meaning; I just had to feel.” 

Authored by UMIH intern Patrick Fermin

Cover image : Julie Oh. Audience, 2022. Dog toys. Collection of Artist. Photography by Patrick Fermin

In Mark Nuefeld and Julie Oh’s show, icecreampowerpinkyswearlater?, understandings of perception and playfulness coincide with one another to reveal each artist’s life experiences. Curated in December 2024 by Luther Konadu at the Centre for Culture and Arts Practices, with support from  the University of Manitoba’s Institute for the Humanities, icecreampowerpinkyswearlater? puts Manitoba art and Newfoundland and Labrador art into conversation.

Authored by UMIH intern Hanako Teranishi

Cover image by Tabitha Turner sourced from Unsplash

Hand craft and creative work are mediums that I distanced myself from when I began university. I learned how to value the words I wrote on a digital document, and I soon forgot about the art classes and crafts I used to enjoy. I began to write everything on a laptop or PC (except for class notes, but they were just that, notes, scrap ideas, in my mind). I forgot about craft for a while until I started writing creatively again.

Authored by Hanako Teranishi

My beloved friend Alison is moving back home to Scotland to pursue an MFA in creative writing. I am moving to British Columbia to pursue an MA in English literature. We met at the University of Manitoba, in an English class called “Shakespeare and Intersectionality.” We sat next to each other, only slightly recognizing each other from a previous Zoom class during COVID-19 but we said nothing.

Authored by Patrick Fermin

My great grandmother Rose
mother of Ashley gave her this sack when
she was sold at age 9 in South Carolina
it held a tattered dress 3 handfulls of
pecans a braid of Roses hair. Told her
It be filled with my Love always
she never saw her again
Ashley is my grandmother

— Ruth Middleton, 1921

Ukrainian Canadian literature occupies a unique space in the broader context of Canadian multiculturalism and diaspora studies. It is shaped by the historical and cultural experiences of Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants. Despite the substantial amount of fiction written and published in English by Canadian-born Ukrainians, Ukrainian Canadian literature remains largely invisible in university curricula, academic programs, and research.

Authored by Patrick Fermin

An afternoon of crafting was a welcome reprieve from the busy humdrum of school life. Gathered together, we crafted our own personal mini weaved works. With our mini-looms, we explored our own creativity and built connections with one another. Much like yarn weaved together, our own experiences and knowledge infused itself into our creations. Some of us were far more experienced in working with textiles, but nevertheless, we all tried to create from somewhere personal.

Every student who was at the U of M in Fall 2021 is almost certain to have a strong reaction when you bring up that semester. Going into the second year of remote learning, dealing with the challenges of the pandemic, and having professors go on the longest strike in UMFA history is sure to stir up some memories. It's more than understandable that some students relished the break from their classes, perhaps enabling them to catch up on some work or pick up extra shifts at their jobs.

Wherever I go with a good size group of Red River Métis people, after the day’s work is done, someone will likely ask: “Who brought their fiddle?” Moments later, a guitar will strum, a crunchy chord is stuck by bow, and the people begin to gather around the sound. By the end of the night, the Elders are up dancing, the children are mimicking their jigs, and anyone without a set of wooden spoons to play is patting their knee along to the melody. These musical jams bring community into music through dance, playing an instrument, or singing—the “kitchen party” has a seat for you

A UMIH sponsored event, held at Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA) on February 28, 2020.

The Bauhaus. Treated like a religion in some design schools, its history is almost worshipped. Its name is whispered reverently in the halls of architecture schools as if saying it was like tasting the sacrament. The Bauhaus. Its clean lines, revolutionary artists, architects, thinkers—sorry, I should say its men.

 “When we are cruel to others, we know that our cruelty is meant to bring them back to their true selves, of which they are ignorant.”

-Michel Aflaq

How do we learn from, and how should we interpret, mass violence that fails to fit into the analytical categories we have established to make sense of it?

Attending events virtually is still always an awkward affair. Internet connections give out, people are muted, lagging, freezing, if anything can go wrong, it often does. Nearly a year into the Winnipeg lockdown and still adapting feels like growing pains. Yet, despite the often awkward or difficult finicking with technology, Johanna Hedva’s (they/them) reading from their work Minvera: The Miscarriage of the Brain captivated and was able to charm even through a screen.

The play Bang Bang, written and directed by Kat Sandler, depicts the aftereffects of a police shooting. Lila Hines, a rookie Black cop, shoots an unarmed Black teenager, and though he lives, the incident devastates Hines and destroys her career. A white playwright, Tim Bernbaum, decides to take her experience and adapt it into a play, without obtaining her permission or consulting her.