Gallery 1C03 celebrates its 40th anniversary with an ambitious exhibition program that takes the University of Winnipeg motto Let Light and Truth Flourish as its focus.
As Gallery 1C03 celebrates 40 years, it is important to note that UWinnipeg has displayed art on campus for more than a century, from temporary exhibitions of loaned artworks to building its own art collection, primarily acquired through donations from staff, alumni and friends of the University.
Since its inception, Gallery 1C03 has grown under the guidance of experienced art historians and curators.
We are particularly committed to presenting work by artists from underrepresented communities who share stories that have not always been platformed in traditional gallery settings.
Jennifer Gibson
Gallery 1C03’s current director/curator Jennifer Gibson acknowledges the contributions of her predecessors. In the late-1970s, Dr. Patricia E. Bovey (D.LITT 2024), hired by former UWinnipeg president Dr. Harry Duckworth, determined a local focus for the University’s art collection. Dr. Sarah McKinnon, who was a faculty member in the Department of History for 25 years, then carefully developed the collection and steered the way for the establishment of our campus art gallery.
“Over the last 40 years, Gallery 1C03 has evolved,” shared Gibson. “We have continued to develop our curatorial voice and broadened our community connections as we support and highlight the work of visual artists. We are particularly committed to presenting work by artists from underrepresented communities who share stories that have not always been platformed in traditional gallery settings. We also try to feature artists who use their creative voices to engage with urgent contemporary issues that we are confronting.”
Opportunities to learn about visual art
Gallery programming has featured diverse media by local, national and international artists and exhibits have intersected with various programs of study at the University, thereby providing the campus and local community with opportunities to learn about visual art.
The gallery offers several other ways to engage more deeply with art, including artist talks, panel discussions and film screenings. Gallery staff also provide exhibit tours for university classes and for surrounding school and community groups, as well as interactive workshops.
The celebratory exhibit, Let Light and Truth Flourish is co-curated by Gibson and freelance curator Jenny Western. This special project focuses on works created by artists who are alumni of UWinnipeg. It includes a group exhibition in Gallery 1C03, a screening of short films at Dave Barber Cinematheque theatre in collaboration with the Winnipeg Film Group, and a screening of Rhayne Vermette’s acclaimed feature film Levers as part of Alumni Week in late October. All events are free and open to the public.
Highlighting alumni
For 40 years, Gallery 1C03 has stood as a touchstone for artistically inclined students to stay connected at UWinnipeg. Highlighting alumni artists is a way to honour the proliferation of arts and culture on campus and beyond.
Gibson and Western ask: “What does it look like to ‘Let Light and Truth Flourish’? The program invites all to explore a myriad of ways in which this motto and the lasting influence of the University of Winnipeg and Gallery 1C03 are made manifest by these artists.
Let Light and Truth Flourish artists include KC Adams, Dee Barsy, Steve Bates, Ian Bawa, Scott Benesiinaabandan, Mahlet Cuff, Christina Hajjar, Jaimie Isaac, Judah Iyunade, Mike Maryniuk, Kegan McFadden, Shivanya Ra, Paul Robles, Kevin Settee, Leslie Supnet, Ted Turner, Rhayne Vermette, and Melanie Zurba.
The exhibition in Gallery 1C03 opens on Thursday, September 10 at 4 p.m., and runs till November 13, 2026.
For a complete list of events please visit Lux et Veritas Floreant / Let Light and Truth Flourish.
