Dr. Kelly has served as Interim President for the past 10 months and previously held the role of Vice President Academic + Provost.
Following a global search process, the Board of Governors for Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) have named Dr. Trish Kelly as the university’s 10th President + Vice-Chancellor.
“Dr. Kelly brings a record of strong leadership, strategic vision, and experience from academic and art and design institutions across North America,” notes Don Avison, K.C., Board Chair for ECU. “She is a strong champion for Emily Carr University, and for education and research in the creative fields. She is committed to supporting Emily Carr University’s students, faculty, and staff in their endeavours and continuing to drive the university’s impact. We look forward to working with her to advance ECU’s mission.”
Dr. Kelly, who has served as interim president for the past 10 months and previously held the role of Vice President Academic + Provost, begins her term at a pivotal moment in the institution’s history, as ECU looks to celebrate a century of innovation in art, design and media education in 2025.
“I am deeply honoured to step into the role of president,” shares Dr. Trish Kelly. “As Canada’s leading art and design institution, Emily Carr University’s continued success requires us to be resilient, agile, and creative in the face of unprecedented economic, social, environmental, and technological changes. We are at an exciting and vital moment, and I relish the opportunity to be part of the institution’s history as we build on shared accomplishments together.”
Originally from the United States, Dr. Kelly holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She earned an MA from Tufts University after beginning her graduate work at Harvard University. An accomplished educator and researcher, she obtained a PhD in art history from the University of British Columbia.
About Dr. Trish Kelly
Dr. Trish Kelly was appointed VP Academic + Provost at ECU in 2019. Prior to that, she held a series of administrative roles, including Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the university. Kelly holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia, an MA from Tufts University, and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Before coming to ECU, she was an Associate Professor at DePaul University in Chicago.
As an art historian and educator, Kelly’s writings on contemporary art have been published in various peer-reviewed venues, including Art Journal, American Art, the Journal of Curatorial Studies, and The Sixties: A Journal of History, Politics, and Culture. Her research involves a range of subjects, including minimal art and abstraction, art and politics, alternative art networks, and time and duration in new media production. Throughout, an interest in viewership and art-making as a form of knowledge production is central. Currently, she is working on a book project titled On-Site: Art, Politics, and Viewers (New York, circa 1970), exploring modes of critical and embodied viewership explored in artist-run centres and alternative art networks of the early 1970s.
Kelly is committed to collaborative and inclusive leadership models and has served on various Boards and advisory committees, including the Food Stash Foundation, which champions food security, zero waste, and sustainable agriculture; and the Academic Committee of GNW Trust, committed to inclusive and participatory partnerships between post-secondary institutions.
About Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Dr. Trish Kelly was appointed VP Academic + Provost at ECU in 2019. Prior to that, she held a series of administrative roles, including Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the university. Kelly holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia, an MA from Tufts University, and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Before coming to ECU, she was an Associate Professor at DePaul University in Chicago.
Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) is a world leader in education and research. Encouraging experimentation at the intersections of art, design, media and technology, ECU merges studio practice, research and critical theory in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. Founded in Vancouver in 1925, the university has over 2000 students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs, and thousands more taking workshops, certificate programs and individual courses. Their faculty and alumni are internationally recognized as award-winning creators and thought leaders who have significant impact on both the cultural sector and the economy.
Kelly is committed to collaborative and inclusive leadership models and has served on various Boards and advisory committees, including the Food Stash Foundation, which champions food security, zero waste, and sustainable agriculture; and the Academic Committee of GNW Trust, committed to inclusive and participatory partnerships between post-secondary institutions.
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