Sylvie Belanger

Sylvie Belanger was a devoted artist and educator. She joined the UB Art Department in 2003, retiring in 2018. She was a dynamic force in the department, known for her capacity to finesse intricate interweavings of media and philosophical investigation.  She was approachable, generous and thoughtful as a teacher and mentor to our undergraduate and graduate level students, focused on helping students develop into practicing studio artists.  She delved deeply into students’ lived experiences, guiding them to select applicable media, and assisting with the conceptual development of their works.  An admirable outcome of her tireless dedication to students was that she formed meaningful personal relationships with many of them. Through the breadth and thoroughness of her own compelling and complex art projects, Sylvie showed students what an active studio art practice looked like.  Administratively, she was involved in curriculum development (revising the undergraduate BFA photo curriculum), improving studio art facilities (receiving a grant to create a professional level sound recording studio) and serving on university level committees. Her prior teaching positions were at The University of Windsor, University of Toronto, Sheridan College, Concordia University and the San Francisco Art Institute.

Sylvie exhibited her multimedia installations across Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, England and the Netherlands. In Asia, she exhibited in Yokohama, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manila and Shanghai. 

She is remembered fondly by her fellow faculty and staff.