We recently caught up with Christiana Myers, a Canadian from Saint John, New Brunswick who is doing her PhD at University of Glasgow. She is both the most interesting Canadian we’ve met this month, and a 2023 recipient of a Canada-UK Foundation PhD Studentship. We were captivated by the potential of her research, and share a few insights about her and her work.

What are you studying and why?

I am working on my PhD in Art History with a focus on contemporary art and curatorial practice. My research topic “Curating COVID-19: Epidemiological metaphor in societal and museological shifts” explores the social metaphors related to the pandemic that are being further employed or weaponized through visual culture, and how their presentation in art institutions could impact future interpretations of this era as well as illness. The topic is very much a culmination of many of my interests. My education started in applied art, then I moved toward a career more based in curatorial projects, art writing, and arts administration and policy. Throughout all of this, being diagnosed with a chronic illness started to inform my practice, and now I have the opportunity to really dig into the intersection of art and medical humanities.

What’s the most daring thing you’ve done in your life?

I tried to think of a few different “daring” things I’ve done like adventurous activities or getting a motorcycle licence, but honestly, I think that moving to the UK to study was the most daring thing I’ve ever done. It took me venturing away from my community, friends, family, and a steady job for an extending period of time and challenged me to build new relationships, try new things, live in a new city, challenge myself academically, and most importantly really get to know myself as an individual.

Why did you decide it would be better for you to do these studies in the UK?

I completed my Master’s in the UK and absolutely loved my time in Glasgow both inside and outside of school. It was so rewarding to expand my practical and theoretical knowledge in my field from incredible professors, while simultaneously expanding my horizons to an international community of artists and creatives. It was also fascinating to see the contrast between centuries-old institutions and cutting edge art galleries—of which the UK has both! When it came to my PhD, I knew I wanted a similar experience and, given the international scope of aspects of my research, it felt like a perfect fit.

What advice would you have for scholars aspiring to study in the UK?

My advice to scholars aspiring to study in the UK would be to make sure you explore! It can sound cliché, but studying abroad is about so much more than just going to a school in a different country. Attend events outside your program and school, get a fun side job that allows you to get to know new people and neighbourhoods, try new foods and activities, find your way out of the city, or even the country, on weekends and really take advantage of being somewhere new and different. Often these experiences will end up contributing to your studies in surprising ways—but they’re equally worth it even if they don’t!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I would love to be in a curatorial role at a cultural institution whose mandate I’m interested and invested in. I picture this as an inter-disciplinary organization as I would find it fascinating and rewarding to work alongside curators in other fields and to collaborate with them on projects that envision education, awareness, and research in new ways.

Impact of COVID on Canadian Art