I am currently completing my master’s degree in art history at the University of British Columbia. This website is in the process of being built for a graduate course I am taking in the First Nations and Indigenous Studies department, entitled Indigenous New Media (#FNIS454). The primary purpose of the site is to be a platform in which I can share my writing assignments for the course, but I also intend for it to be used as a space where I can become more comfortable with the WordPress platform and think through how to position myself on the job market when I graduate in August, particularly in the tech industry.

In my academic work, I specialize in writing about digital technology and its relationship to art, more specifically, I focus on how young artists are using social media as a means of self-promotion, personal branding and artistic production. Through this research, I have identified a new artistic movement that I call the ‘SMBAs’ (Social Media Based Artists), which describes an emerging generation of artists that are using social media platforms in particular ways. This research has also led me to an interest in best practices for digital communication and branding as well as in Internet privacy, digital currencies and financial technology.

When it comes to FNIS 454, my goals are specific. I am white settler on Coast Salish territory and have grown up on this land. Even within this short period of time in this course, it is clear to me that Indigenous new media artists have been essentially excluded from the art historical cannon. With that in mind, I want to use this opportunity to learn how to integrate Indigenous learning and research methodologies into my work, as well as include Indigenous artists in my research, in a respectful and sensitive manner.

Considering these different intersections, this website is operating not only a space to showcase my work for FNIS 454 but also as a way to figure out how to most effectively present myself for future job prospects while also learning how to build a website.