Please join Dean Rebecca Duclos in thanking professors Andrew Dutkewych and Linda Szabad-Smyth for their scholarly, creative and personal contributions to the Faculty of Fine Arts. She would also like to acknowledge the extraordinary expertise and longstanding commitment of cinema technician René Daigle. We wish them all well as they retire from university life.
René Daigle, Technician (Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema)
Retired January 1, 2016
Prior to joining the cinema department in November 2005, René Daigle worked for many years as a camera operator in television and film productions including René Lévesque, Margaret’s Museum and The Peacekeeper. To colleagues, he is know as a “stellar” guy and was a very respected and beloved member of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema staff. Faculty, staff and students alike will miss René’s famous real-world, and sometimes R-rated, stories about being on set. We wish him well in his future endeavours.
Andrew Dutkewych, Professor (Studio Arts)
Retired June 1, 2016
Andrew first came to Concordia as a part-time instructor in 1980. He joined the full-time sculpture faculty in 1985. One of Andy’s greatest strengths as a professor was his ability to manage his various roles as an educator, an administrator and an artist while making clear judgements about situations – but never judging. Colleagues list some of his attributes as “easy-going and uncomplicated,” as well as describing him as a person who brings a calm tenor to situations. His devotion to and support of the sculpture program, his students and fellow faculty members has been unwavering throughout the years. Fun fact: Andrew hired Rebecca for her first job at Concordia as a PT faculty member in Studio!
Linda Szabad-Smyth, Professor (Art Education)
Retired June 1, 2016
Linda joined the full-time faculty in the Department of Art Education 2003 after working in part-time and limited-term appointment positions for 15 years. She is credited with building the community art education program from scratch, establishing an extensive network of agencies to accept undergraduate student-teachers for internships. She has also had an impactful research career at the university, largely focused on women and art at the YWCA. According to Associate Professor Anita Sinner, “Linda gives a rare legacy to the university and to the community, all due to her commitment and belief in the social value of learning through the arts. She is truly an unsung heroine at Concordia.” In 2015, she was awarded a Concordia University Engaged Scholar Award for her work.
Dean Duclos also takes this opportunity to welcome new department chairs Elaine Cheasley Paterson (Art History) and Mark Corwin (Music) to their positions, and to welcome back pk Langshaw as chair from her previous interim position (Design and Computation Arts).
These faculty join David Pariser (Art Education), Silvy Panet-Raymond (Contemporary Dance), Yehudit Silverman (Creative Arts Therapies), Katie Russell (Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema), Ted Little (Theatre), Eric Simon (Studio Arts), and David Howes (Director, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture) in this important administrative role.
Many thanks also to outgoing chairs Cynthia Hammond and Liselyn Adams for their hard work and dedication throughout their terms.