Katie Belcher

Contemporary Arts master's student in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I'm an artist, curator, and cultural worker of white European and UK settler ancestry. In my artistic practice, I make monumental drawings that act as gestural translations and embodied repertoire. A methodology of rehearsing specific culinary gestures through drawing has formed the basis of my artwork for more than a decade. This practice also informs my curatorial interests in translation, the lacuna, visual scores, performance, embodied memory, domestic spheres, and the everyday. As Director/Curator of Access Gallery (2017-23) I interrogated programming structures to make space for care, risk, and failure in artistic practice by supporting early and experimental projects. As Artistic Director of Eyelevel (2013-17), I led the transition to itinerant site-specific programming and initiated discursive programs such as Food for Thoughts (2015-17) which de-centred Western conceptions of the artist’s talk in favour of more relational gatherings. My research interests are grounded in my experience as both an artist and curator, and reflective of my values of practice, trust, attention, relation, and experimentation.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

I was interested in the interdisciplinary nature of the SCA graduate program, its commitment to practice-based research modes, and valuing of non-academic contributions.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

I'm currently looking at drawing from within a Performance Studies framework, thinking through how drawing (as an artistic process) and the resulting artworks (as the objects produced) can be understood as performance. This is part of a larger project where I'm considering how drawing can shape or re-orient a curator’s approach to exhibition making. I'm particularly interested in drawing as a potential approach for collaborative work.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Drawing, Performance, Gesture

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

I've witnessed the breadth of knowledge held by my instructors, and appreciate their contributions to my writing in particular. Working as a TA has given me interdisciplinary grounding that feeds back into my seminar courses. Working as an RA has given me new insight into how academic research is developed outside of coursework.

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

I am grateful to have received the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master's program (CGS-M) through SSRHC, which is allowing me to dedicate myself to my academic and artistic work.

What have been the most valuable lessons you've learned along your graduate student journey (or in becoming a graduate student)?

Engaging with my peers in the MA/MFA/PhD programs at the SCA has enriched my experience of being a graduate student. Each person brings in their own knowledge to the program, and I've delighted in the unexpected resonances between our practices.

How do you approach networking and building connections in and outside of your academic community?

After working in the arts since 2007, I know that building meaningful connections is an essential part of our lives as artists and thinkers. Networking (in the career-building sense) is only as strong as the relationships that we build through genuine care and connection.

What are some tips for balancing your academic and personal life?

Coming back to school after working for non-profit arts organizations was itself a strategy to rebalance my life. During my graduate studies I've luxuriated in reading as a practice. The more I read for school, the more I'm inclined to read for pleasure, and I know that what I read for pleasure feeds back into my research pursuits.

Additional Links

• LinkedIn
• My Personal Website