Beaded flower design by Tahltan-Tlingit artist, Linda Bob
Arts Indigenous Student Advising (AISA) is looking to reproduce a piece of student artwork that will be given as a gift to all graduating Arts Indigenous students attending graduation celebrations at the First Nations House of Learning over the coming years.
The artwork will be reproduced at an 8”x10” scale and approximately 200 copies of the artwork will be printed.
Indigenous students currently enrolled in an undergraduate Arts degree at the UBC Vancouver campus are invited to submit an artwork (already completed work or a proposal for work to be created) that creatively interprets the theme of “what graduation means to you.” Possible ideas to explore include completion, reflection, full circle, new beginnings, change/transformation, reaching a goal, reclamation, reconnecting, belonging, threshold. The finished artwork can take any form—painting, illustration, digital design, image of a carving or any other three-dimensional or creative work—so long as it is reproducible as an 8”x10” print.
Submitted proposals and/or artworks will be reviewed by a committee of Arts Indigenous Student Advising (AISA) staff and Indigenous Arts faculty and students. The artwork will be selected based on its relationship to the project theme (what graduation means to you) and alignment with the project criteria.
The selected artist will receive $300 CAD to create their final piece or have their existing artwork documented and reproduced. The artist will keep the finished piece and retain full copyright of the artwork.
A graphic designer from the Faculty of Arts will be available during the project to work with the student artist to document and/or translate the final artwork to a print-ready format as necessary. The artist will not be responsible for documenting or coordinating the production of the artwork.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students who are currently completing an undergraduate Arts degree (BA, BFA, BMS, BIE, BMus). Students with all levels of artistic experience are welcome to apply, including emerging and established artists, as well as hobbyists. No prior experience with professional art or design is necessary.
Compensation
$300 CAD honorarium for the selected artist. Fee includes reproduction rights and compensation for materials and other related production expenses.
Key dates
Please ensure you are available to work within this timeline to complete the project before submitting your application. Dates are tentative and subject to change.
- January 20: Call for artwork submissions opens
- February 18, 11:59 PM PST: Call for artwork submissions closes
- February 27: Selected artist is notified of offer to participate in project
- March 6: Artist confirms participation in project
- April 6: Selected artist submits completed artwork or existing artwork for documentation
- April 13: Final artwork is submitted for reproduction
- May: Artwork is distributed at the 2026 Indigenous graduation ceremony.
Application
To apply, please submit the following to arts.indigenous@ubc.ca by Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST. Please include “Artwork Submission” at the start of your email subject line. Acceptable submission formats include PDF, MS Word, or PPT files.
- Contact information: Include your student ID, preferred name, and pronouns.
- Artwork proposal or artist statement (150-300 words):
- Submitting an existing artwork: Write an artist’s statement explaining how the work relates to the theme of “what graduation means to you.”
- Submitting a proposed artwork: Provide a detailed description of your planned submission, explaining its connection to the theme of “what graduation means to you.” Your proposal must include a description of the artwork, materials required, and how you plan to achieve the final artwork.
- Short bio (250 words): Please describe your affiliation with your First Nations/Métis/Inuit community and with the University of British Columbia
- Reference materials: If submitting an artwork proposal, provide links to your artist portfolio, examples of other artwork you’ve created, and/or references of images that show the look and feel you’re planning to achieve.
Selection Criteria
The selection committee will consist of AISA staff, and Arts Indigenous faculty and students. The committee will consider the artwork’s creative engagement with the theme of “what graduation means to you,” as well as the completeness of the application.
If you have any questions about the project or submission process, please reach out to arts.indigenous@ubc.ca.
We would like to thank Tahltan-Tlingit artist Linda Bob for allowing us to use her beaded flower design as our logo. She is a member of the wolf clan and has been beading for over 20 years.
