On June 9, Roy Thomson Hall was alive with energy and excitement as 740 graduands from the Class of 2023 walked across the stage to receive their degree during Convocation.
“Convocation marks an important milestone in the lives of our graduands as they embark upon their own unique paths to addressing real-world problems with creative solutions and developing independent careers as artists, designers, digital makers, curators and scholars,” said Vice-President, Academic and Provost Dr. Caroline Langill in welcoming graduands and their families.
Two ceremonies took place during the day, beginning with the morning ceremony at 10:30 a.m. for the Faculty of Design, followed by the afternoon ceremony at 4:15 p.m. for the Faculty of Arts and Science, Faculty of Arts and School of Graduate Studies. Convocation also recognized the achievements of graduates from the Classes of 2020 and 2021.
The festivities began with a welcome from Visiting Elder, Elizabeth (Liz) Osawamick who is an Anishinaabe Midewiwin-kwe community leader, Water Walker, activist and jingle dress dancer.
In her address to graduands, OCAD U President Ana Serrano spoke about how the rapid pace of technology change is accelerating, including the rise of generative AI engines that is impacting the artist and designer’s environment.
The good news, said President Serrano, is that OCAD U has provided graduands with the foundation of thinking, learning, creating and making that will support them in responding and adapting to these changes.
“We have equipped you with a crucial toolkit of skills and knowledge that have supported you in finding your unique voice. As you leave OCAD U, I encourage you to listen to this voice and embrace it,” she said. “Be confident that you have the mindset – the critical thinking skills necessary to move forward. And I encourage you to never forget that your voice matters.”
Chancellor Jaime Watt also acknowledged the rapid pace of technology and potential impacts in his address to graduands: “Yes, the world is changing – so go and change it a whole lot more. New tools have arrived, opportunity is everywhere – seize it.”
During the afternoon ceremony, President Serrano recognized the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Creative Writing program as it celebrated its first graduating cohort this year. She referenced sentiments from Catherine Black, Associate Professor and Chair of the Creative Writing Program, who has said the 2023 Creative Writing graduands “are poised to make waves in the literary world and beyond.”
The ceremonies also recognized OCAD U’s 2023 Medal Winners. Students from the University’s undergraduate and graduate programs were honoured for their remarkable creativity, innovation and technical mastery in their chosen discipline.
The Governor General’s Academic Medals were presented to two exceptional students, Vladimir Kanic and Laryn Van Dyk, who achieved the highest academic standing in undergraduate and graduate studies, respectively.
Silver medal recipient Kanic, who graduated from the Integrated Media program with an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts, spoke about studying at OCAD U as the pandemic unfolded, noting: “Our stories are tales of resilience, and we can be proud to have overcome one of the most challenging times in history and to stand here today filled with awe and gratitude.”
Gold medal recipient Van Dyk, who graduated with a Master of Design in Inclusive Design, thanked her peers and teachers, saying: “Despite the physical restrictions and limitations to learning we all experienced, we were up to the challenge, reimagining and recreating what learning can be each week.”
Honorary Doctorate recipients
OCAD U also awarded honorary doctorates to five remarkable individuals who have been leaders of change, having made a direct impact on arts and culture in Canada and worldwide.
The morning ceremony featured the awarding of honorary doctorates to Kat Holmes and Nancy McCain.
Kat Holmes, who received a Doctor of Design, Honoris Causa, has been recognized internationally as a leader of inclusive design. Her award-winning Inclusive Toolkit was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper Hewitt Design Museum and her global best-selling book, Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design, explores why designing with excluded communities drives better solutions for everyone.
“What you learn matters,” said Holmes, addressing the audience. “What you notice matters. What you experience matters, and what you contribute matters, but what quite possibly matters most is extending trust and kindness to ourselves and others.”
A community-builder and philanthropist, Nancy McCain received a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa. She is Chair of the Toronto Foundation, former Chair of the Arts Access Fund and President of the Morneau-McCain Foundation and has played a significant leadership role in many of Canada’s arts and culture institutions.
“The simple truth is that life has more meaning, more magic, when we support artists, and when we look for ways – both big and small – to give back,” said McCain. “I would encourage you to start thinking about the contributions you can make.”
During the afternoon ceremony, the University presented honorary doctorates to Robert Houle, Philip B. Lind and Rosemary Sadlier.
Robert Houle, who received a Doctor of Fine Arts, Honoris Causa, is regarded as one of the most influential First Nations artists in the contemporary art world. He served as the first Indigenous Curator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and was the first professor of Indigenous Studies at OCAD U, where he taught for close to 20 years.
Houle shared his spirit name, Blue Thunder. “Graduation is a ceremony based on tradition and recognition,” said Houle. “And on such occasion, one shares their spirit name as a form of humility and truth.”
Congratulating the graduands, he said: “Be truly honest. Keep your promises to the creator, to others and to yourself. Never try to be someone else. Live true to your spirit, be honest to yourself and accept who you are.”
As one of the founders of Rogers Communications, Philip B. Lind was instrumental in helping build Rogers into a multi-billion-dollar empire in less than four decades. Lind, who received a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, has been appointed to the Order of Canada, and generously supports the arts across the country.
In his remarks, Lind said that Canadian businesses should be doing more to support the arts.
“There are 160,000 people in arts fields in Canada, according to the Canada Council for the Arts,” said Lind. “People have to realize that the arts are just as important to a country as science, technology, engineering and math.”
One of the original driving forces in securing the commemoration of February as Black History Month, as well as Emancipation Day, at all levels of government in Canada, Rosemary Sadlier, OOnt, received a Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa.
As a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, consultant and international speaker on Black history, anti-racism and women’s issues, Sadlier served as the unpaid leader of the Ontario Black History Society for 22 years.
“As you leave here today, I hope that you will work on your purpose,” said Sadlier. “Find the thing that you can immerse yourself in. Determine the ways you can make a difference. It is very meaningful to receive this award from an institution that is addressing how to nurture diversity and equity, and one that intends to cultivate the next generation of cultural practitioners and industry leaders.”
Thank you, Dr. Dori Tunstall
2023 Convocation honoured Dr. Dori Tunstall, Dean of the Faculty of Design – the first Black person to hold this post in the world – who is leaving OCAD U at the end of June after seven years.
“Since joining OCAD U, Dr. Tunstall has been a driving force in the University’s commitment to advancing decolonization, diversity and inclusiveness,” said President Serrano. “The University has been changed by her transformational work, and this is because her design practice and research is informed by her belief that design can help to advance equality, democracy, fairness and human connection.”
Dr. Tunstall’s legacy at OCAD U includes championing and realizing the OCAD U Black Cluster Hire in 2020, which she built upon the previous success of the University’s first Indigenous Cluster Hire, which she also led. The Faculty of Design initiated a second Indigenous Cluster Hire in 2021.
Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Tunstall created the Black Sparks initiative, a special donor group of Black leaders who contribute a minimum of $100 per month to support paid placements for OCAD U Black students as well as Black-led small businesses and grassroots organizations.
Chancellor Watt presented Dr. Tunstall with a gift from OCAD U to express the community’s deep appreciation for her work: a commissioned necklace by OCAD U Professor Annie Tung from the Faculty of Design.
The artist’s statement reads:
“Like magnificent bundles of clouds on trees, cherry blossoms bloom for only two weeks each year, then release their petals to fall to the ground like snow. They represent a beautiful impermanence and a reminder to appreciate moments within a constantly changing landscape.
With this necklace, I aimed to capture the fleeting moment of their bloom in bright silver using lines and circles, reducing them to their essential, abstract shapes.”