Andreas Rutkauskas • Member Since 2018

I use photography, video, and sound as means of exploring the environment. Since relocating to the Okanagan in 2016, I have taken an interest in post-fire landscapes, but that's not all that I do! I have realized major projects on the Canada/U.S. border and worked within the energy humanities as well. Fieldwork is at the heart of my practice, and I'm most happy when I'm active outside with my camera or other equipment.

Aside from maintaining an active art practice, I am a Lecturer at UBC’s Okanagan campus, and I have more than fifteen years of experience teaching at the post-secondary level. I was the inaugural artist in residence at the Grantham Foundation for the Arts and the Environment. I have been a Research Fellow at the Canadian Photography Institute, a finalist for the Gabriele Basilico International Prize in Architecture and Landscape, and a recent finalist for the Scotiabank Photography Award. My work is held in private and public collections, including the Canadian War Museum, the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery, and the Kelowna Art Gallery.

I began volunteering for the Alternator in 2018, serving as the official documentarian for exhibitions in the main gallery space and the project gallery. During this time, I have seen former students take on roles with the gallery, and I have witnessed the sense of community that the Alternator brings to Kelowna. We have welcomed dozens of artists from abroad to engage with our local artists and educators. I have brought many of my classes on field trips to experience art in person. I enjoy documenting each exhibition, as it affords me quality time with the artwork outside of exhibition receptions or university tours. In a small city such as Kelowna, the Alternator plays a significant role in bringing people together and providing a welcoming environment for everyone to experience contemporary art, regardless of their background. To date, I have presented work in one group exhibition at the Alternator (The Guest Book, 2024) and I have presented one solo exhibition (After the Fire, 2021).