Caulfield makes cut as Canada’s only fine arts research chair
Written By: Gilbert A. Bouchard
2001-01-24
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The appointment of Sean Caulfield as Canada Research Chair of Printmaking is a coup for the whole country, said Dr. Jetske Sybesma, Chair of the University of Alberta's Department of Art and Design."It's a boon for all of Canada and not just U of A printmaking," she noted, adding that Caulfield was the only Fine Arts Research Chair named for all of Canada as part of the federal government's $900 million program to assist universities in attracting and retaining the best researchers.
Caulfield's appointment, Sybesma added, allowed the U of A to lure the 33-year-old artist back to Canada from Illinois State where he was an assistant professor. The printmaker originally earned a MFA in 1995 from the U of A where he won several international awards, including the 21st Century Grand Prix in Tokyo and second place in the Great Canadian Printmaking competition.
To celebrate his appointment, the Fine Arts Building Gallery is hosting a showing of Caulfield's recent work: lyrical layered prints produced in the time he spent outside Canada. The show is currently on display until Feb. 4.
Sybesma said the successful application for the Research Chair was built upon the Printmaking Department's long history of excellence. "We focused on the quality of the Printmaking section, the fact that it's been named a centre of excellence for two concurrent four year terms, and we concentrated on what we are good at, underlining how we help to promote excellence in research, which is the goal of the program."
Sybesma explained there are two types of chairs: seven-year renewable chairs for experienced researchers acknowledged by peers as world leaders in the field, and "so-called junior chairs," one-time renewable five year chairs for researchers like Caulfield who are seen by their peers as having the potential to lead.
Being awarded a chair (one of 16 awarded to the university) meant making the cut twice, she said, first being named to the slate of candidates produced by the university's central administration, and then passing muster with the Canada Research Chair Committee, which adjudicated all the chairs nationally.
Citing his already impressive international credits, Sybesma said Caulfield's appointment is more than just a gain for Edmonton's regional cultural scene. "He has a very strong track record for such a young artist and this fulfills the mandate of the program: to recruit and retain the best and most promising faculty."
For his part, Caulfield is proud to be joining the strong team already in place at the printmaking department, and he revels in future challenges.
"So much hard work has been invested over the years to create our department's international profile, and while I realize that I'm going to have to take it in new directions, I can't say where that will be," he said. "I have to keep myself open to the possibility of change I guess."
Not only is Caulfield a welcome addition to an already powerful printmaking team, the research funds that come as part of the program will be applied towards three graduate student scholarships to further enhance the department's competitive edge and help fulfill the university's larger mandate of international excellence, Sybesma pointed out.
"These scholarships will help us compete with schools south of the border in attracting the top students to our printmaking program, which is one of the best equipped in the world," she said.
This article originally appeared in Express News.