Fiona Blaikie, Dean, Faculty of Education

Fiona Blaikie has a PhD from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts in Education at the University of British Columbia. She is a professor of Curriculum Studies and Art Education. Fiona Blaikie has extensive experience as an educational administrator, including five years, from 2003 to 2008, as director of the Joint PhD Program in Educational Studies.

Blaikie is an internationally recognized scholar in art education with an extensive record of publications and conference presentations, including her recent book Canadian Art/Works: A Resource for Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Senior Teachers. She is an arts-informed educational researcher, focusing on social theory of the body and clothing and visual identity. As well, she has a record of scholarly work focusing on visual arts curriculum and assessment. A practicing artist, her artwork has been exhibited internationally and is held in collections around the world, including the Bronfman Foundation.

Blaikie’s awards and honours include the Canadian Society for Education through Art Affiliate Award for Ontario, and work as deputy chief examiner of visual arts for the International Baccaluareate Organization. Her work as a leader in art education is extensive: currently she is president of the Canadian Society for Education through Art, and a member of the board of directors of the Canadian National Arts and Learning Symposium led by the UNESCO Chair of Arts and Learning, Dr. Larry O’Farrell at Queens. Blaikie was an invited member of the Canadian delegation to the May 2010 UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education in June 2010 in Seoul, Korea.

She values community service and partnerships. Writing a proposal in 2001 for Trillium Funding with partners including local arts organizations and school boards, she created the award-winning Community Arts and Heritage Education Project (CAHEP) in Northern Ontario. Serving as chair of the board of directors for the first years, CAHEP continues to flourish, and through the Ministry of Culture, Ontario, has become a model for community arts programming in the province.

Her valued former graduate and undergraduate students are now working as professors, teachers, arts educators and practicing artists in schools, universities, art galleries and educational centres around the world.