University of Windsor professors emeriti Iain Baxter& and Karl Jirgens have built a friendship rooted in art, writing and collaboration. Their creative partnership continues through projects, conversations and activities supported by the Windsor University Retirees' Association. (KYLE ARCHIBALD /University of Windsor)
By Victor Romao
It’s a Thursday afternoon at Sunset House. Conversations shift from art and literature to technology, politics and the changing landscape of higher education.
Ideas are exchanged, stories and perspectives shared and a steady rhythm of curiosity fills the meeting room.
For members of the Windsor University Retirees’ Association (WURA), retirement is not an ending. It signals the start of something new.
At the University of Windsor, WURA connects retired faculty and staff, offering a space where friendships continue, creativity thrives and intellectual life remains active beyond the classroom.
For professors emeriti Karl Jirgens and Iain Baxter&, that mission is especially meaningful.
Their friendship, grounded in shared artistic and intellectual pursuits, has grown stronger in retirement, supported by WURA’s programming and engaging environment.
Jirgens, a writer, publisher and artist, met Baxter& after years of knowing him by reputation.
What began as a professional connection grew into a friendship and ongoing creative partnership grounded in shared artistic and intellectual pursuits. In retirement, WURA’s programming provides another setting for that connection.
Their mutual admiration is reflected in their collaborations and in works they have created in tribute to one another.
One example is a visual poem Baxter& created for Jirgens, using the letters in Jirgens’ name as the foundation for an acrostic-style tribute composed of words reflecting his character, accomplishments and influence.
In a poem dedicated to Baxter&, Jirgens adopts the artist’s signature use of the ampersand, replacing “and” throughout as a tribute to Baxter&’s belief that life unfolds as a series of connections — a continuous string of “ands”:
“and we’re collaborating on a book about S&wich town
and you don’t need a memor&um to know
his success is not r&nom
it’s maybe slightly off-h&
some think it sc&alous
but nearly all agree his art is gr&”
That same spirit of experimentation carries into their ongoing collaborations and the creative dialogue they continue through WURA.
“We’re working on a book right now … about Sandwich Town,” said Jirgens, describing one of several projects shaped by their shared approach to art and ideas.
WURA’s regular programming, including weekly gatherings at Sunset House, gives retirees space to exchange ideas and reconnect.
Members discuss a wide range of topics, from emerging technologies to current events, continuing the curiosity that brings them together.
Baxter&, widely recognized as one of Canada’s pioneering conceptual artists, sees WURA as a continuation of the academic environment he spent decades helping to build.
“It’s a nice way to keep connected with faculty that were a part of the knowledge of this university,” he said. “We now have our own home base on campus — a place where we can meet and formulate new goals and ideas.”
That “home base,” Sunset House, has become symbolic of WURA’s role in bridging past and present. It is a place where retirees reconnect, collaborate and explore new ways of contributing to the University community, whether through ideas, mentorship or creative work.
WURA also plays a broader role in representing retirees while fostering a sense of belonging.
WURA president Gwendolyn Ebbett said the association balances advocacy with opportunities for connection.
“We strive to provide a link through which retirees can continue to contribute to the University of Windsor,” she said, noting its role in supporting members on issues such as pensions and health benefits.
For Ebbett, WURA has created opportunities to reconnect with colleagues spanning decades of her career.
“One of the most important impacts has been the opportunity to reconnect with so many former colleagues,” she said. “It has been great to learn what colleagues are doing today.”