Audain Faculty of Art
The Audain Faculty of Art is a vibrant community of artists, scholars and practitioners working across diverse materials and ideas. Faculty research and teaching connect studio experimentation with critical reflection and public engagement.
Based in Vancouver’s South Flats creative district,
the faculty lead in purpose-built classroom studio spaces, utilizing facility shops and gallery spaces around campus to support a breadth of traditional and emerging practices. Through dialogue, critique and collaboration, it prepares artists who shape contemporary culture.
Majors + Minors
Explore the Majors
Illustration Major
Grounded in contemporary art culture, the Illustration Major views editorial, narrative and other forms of illustration as spaces for cultural inquiry. Students are encouraged to challenge conventions, experiment with diverse approaches and explore new possibilities in the field.
New Media + Sound Art Major
The New Media + Sound Art Major (NMSA) investigates the intersections of art, technology and critical studies. Students create immersive works in sound, installation and interactive media, developing new ways of sensing and experiencing art.
Photography Major
The Photography Major is a multidisciplinary program that supports a broad understanding of the medium. Students begin with a strong foundation in traditional practices and then move into digital and analogue processes that expand the possibilities of image-making.
Visual Arts Major
The Visual Arts Major combines material practice, exhibition and critical reflection. Students work across traditional and emerging technologies while exploring five disciplines: Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Print Media and Sculpture + Expanded Practice.
Explore the Minors
Art + Text Minor
The Art + Text Minor explores how language operates within art and design. Students examine text in image-making, artist books, typography, public works, recorded speech and more, while developing new ways to consider the relationship between text and visuals in their own practice. Available to all undergraduate students.
Curatorial Practices Minor
The Curatorial Practices Minor approaches curating as a creative practice shaped by history, theory and contemporary issues. Combining research and hands-on experience, students gain an informed perspective on the art world and the cultural contexts that frame exhibitions today. Available to all undergraduate students.
Ecological Practices in Art Minor
The Ecological Practices in Art Minor connects creative work with environmental and cultural inquiry. Students investigate sustainability, decolonization and ethics through critical reflection and material exploration, building practices that acknowledge land, local ecologies and more-than-human life. Available to all undergraduate students.
Faculty Members
The Audain Faculty of Art is led by Interim Dean Amory Abbott, appointed in August 2025. Amory has taught in the Illustration program since 2017 and previously served as Assistant Dean, Illustration.
His creative practice explores contemporary perceptions of landscape and wilderness, blending ecological themes with myth and storytelling.
Shops + Studios
Our 20+ purpose-built shops and studios give students space to create, experiment and collaborate across disciplines. They are maintained by expert staff who support students through instruction and guidance.
From ceramics and print media to digital fabrication and wood shops, these facilities support both traditional techniques and emerging technologies.
Research + Creative Practices
Research in the Audain Faculty of Art emerges from studio practice, critical inquiry and cultural engagement. Faculty and students explore pressing questions through creative methods, addressing topics such as ecology, sustainability, material exploration and contemporary visual culture.
These projects often connect with communities and public institutions, contributing to dialogue and innovation locally and globally.
