A Visual Arts Alumna’s reviews of two Art Gallery of Windsor exhibitions won her the 2015 Canadian Art Foundation Writing Prize, a juried prize designed to encourage new writers on contemporary art.

Pearl Van Geest’s  (MFA ’14) first review was on installation artist Bonnie Devines’ exhibition The Tecumseh Papers , which she wrote for ArtWindsor magazine founded by alumnus Arturo Herrara (BFA ’12) . The second was for the Possible Futures: What is to be done?  exhibition.  

 “It is a great honour to receive this award,” says Van Geest, “I feel that it gave me affirmation that what I have been doing is worthwhile and that feels amazing!”

The artist, who has an active practice out of her Guelph studio, began exhibiting her paintings and installations upon graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1996, and was then introduced to UWindsor after working closely with professor emeritus Iain Baxter& on the ECOARTVAN project.

“Being connected to UWindsor has been very important to me,” says Van Geest,” The MFA program is very demanding and strong on expectations for reading, research and writing.”

She says that the close connection SOCA has with the Art Gallery of Windsor, the collegial atmosphere, and the opportunity to work with distinguished professors were all crucial to her experience at Windsor.

“We really helped, encouraged and critiqued each other,” she says, “The connection to the arts community and places to exhibit our MFA work such as SB Contemporary Gallery also added a professional context to the program.”

Currently teaching visual arts at the Toronto School of Art and at Brock University, the award winner will be commissioned to write a feature story for a future issue of Canadian Art and will receive a $3,000 award.

Read more on Canadian Art website

It was an historic Pan Am Games performance by the Canadian women's basketball team Monday and UWindsor alum Miah-Marie Langlois was right in the centre of the action.
 
The 23-year-old Langlois started at point guard against the powerful United States as Canada won its first gold medal in women's basketball with an 81-73 win.

"It's one of those things that you don't realize how great it is until it's over," said Langlois. "It's pretty awesome”

Canada's previous Pan Am best was a silver medal in 1999 when the event was held in Winnipeg. The team has won a bronze on three other occasions.

Read full story at golancer.ca, courtesy of Jim Parker, The Windsor Star.

Former Windsor Lancer track & field athletes Melissa Bishop and Nicole Sassine have been named to the Canadian national team for the 2015 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Beijing, August 22 to 30.
 
Bishop, of Eagenville, will compete in the women's 800m while Sassine, of Windsor, will run as part of the Canadian 4x400m relay team.
 
"The World Championships are the last major measuring stick as we prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games," says Peter Eriksson, Head Coach and Chief Technical Officer.

Read more on the golancers.ca.  

Visitors to the office of the Vice-Provost, International Development, will now find the team in their new location at the second floor of the Odette Building, Room 204.  

Vice-Provost Dr. Ram Balachandar, appointed to the role in August 2014, oversees the department, in addition to the Centre for Executive and Professional Education (CEPE),  and the Centre for English Language Development (CELD).  

The team also includes Clementa Stan, Executive Assistant to the Vice-Provost; Deena Wang, International Student Recruitment Coordinator; and Anita Bondy, Program Development Officer.

For any inquiries please email vpintl@uwindsor.ca or call at extension 3563.

Back by popular demand is the Campus Bookstore’s Sidewalk Sale, Thursday July 23, on the main floor of the CAW Student Centre.

The sale will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature savings on a variety of items.

“Thousands of marked-down clothes and computer accessories and supplies will be on display and on sale,” says marketing coordinator Martin Deck.

As a recent grad himself, Adam El-Dika (BSc 2014) believes he has a good understanding of students. He hopes to put that knowledge to use as co-owner of a new restaurant on the UWindsor campus.

“Three things are key to ensuring students come back,” he says. “A wonderful atmosphere to greet the guests, good service, and the quality of the food.”

Mare Nostrum restaurant and bar opened this week in the space adjacent to the Education Building. Its name is derived from the Latin for “our sea,” a Roman term for the Mediterranean. El-Dika says the region’s cuisine forms the basis of the menu.

“It’s good fresh food and will be student-friendly with regard to prices,” he says.

Besides a variety of salad options, he points up wraps and lunch combos, as well as a selection of pasta dishes, with plenty of choices for vegetarians and vegan—which have proven popular on campus. El-Dika and his business partner, chef Ahmad Sanji, worked in this same space under a previous owner.

“I started off busing tables, then was promoted to host, server and finally manager,” says El-Dika. “It has set me up to manage my own place, with an emphasis on ensuring people will have a good time.”

He hopes the restaurant, with a capacity of 71 indoors and 34 on an outside patio, will receive a license to serve alcohol by September. Find more information, including a menu and hours of operation, on the Mare Nostrum Facebook page.