Calgary-born, internationally recognized visual artist and designer Geoff McFetridge (Dip ’93, VCD) will be awarded an Honorary Master of Fine Arts degree at Alberta University of the Arts’ (AUArts) 2024 convocation ceremony on May 23.
McFetridge’s singular career has included working with cultural influencers such as the Beastie Boys and film directors Spike Jonze and Sophia Coppola. He has designed animations, billboards, and products for global brands such as Hermès, Vans, Pepsi, Patagonia, and Apple. A critically acclaimed documentary about his life and work, Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life, was released in 2023.
“Geoff McFetridge bridges the divide between commercial work and personal expression, and his contributions to film, music, fashion, graphic design, and pop culture represent the expansive possibilities of creative innovation." — AUArts Board Chair and artist Adrian Stimson
Throughout his diverse career, Geoff McFetridge has exhibited in galleries worldwide and has worked across a vast array of mediums, from poetry to animation, painting to sculpture, wallpaper to textiles and fashion. His public artworks are installed at Ottawa’s Lyon Station, Los Angeles’ LA Metro and SOFI Stadium LA. McFetridge won the 2016 Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award and the AIGA Medal in 2019. Geoff McFetridge received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Alberta College of Art and Design (now AUArts) in 1993 and a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts in 1995.
“I have had the honour of working with creative partners like Nike, Apple and Hermés, and I’ve worked on projects all around the world. But being able to add Honorary Master of Fine Arts to my credentials is a phenomenal honour, and I believe reflects the quality creative education I received at Alberta University of the Arts, in the city I grew up in and the place I began my career."
— Geoff McFetridge
“Geoff McFetridge is receiving Alberta University of the Arts’ highest honour for his visionary creative career and global impact. With AUArts honorary degrees, we celebrate the exceptional achievements of individuals who have made an indelible imprint on contemporary art, design and culture.”
— AUArts President and CEO Dr. Daniel Doz.
Photo credit: Andrew Paynter
