Don Hall is being recognized at spring convocation after a four-decades-long career
Springtime brings with it warm weather and with it spring convocation. It’s a special time not only for students, but for honoured members of the university community. One of the individuals who has been selected to receive an honorary degree is long-time U of R photographer Don Hall.
On Friday, June 13, at the university’s Centre for Kinesiology and Sports main gym, Hall will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.
Hall, who is in his mid-70s, told the Carillon in an interview he was caught completely off guard upon receiving the news.
“An honorary degree hadn’t really entered my mind, so when it was announced to me during the Zoom meeting, I was gobsmacked,” he said.
He’s pleased to have his name included with so many distinguished past recipients of degrees but is also gratified his photographs have resonated with so many people.
“It’s satisfying to know that the work that I did here and the different kinds of activities I did with photography was appreciated. That makes me feel good,” said Hall.
Photography bug bit from early age
He knew the career path he chose would be difficult, as he recounted that there never were a lot of photography jobs when he started in the 1970s, adding it was similar to today’s market. But this was his passion from an early age.
“I was always intrigued about why people photograph and how photographs communicate, and the different ways they communicate,” recalled Hall.
Photography and the arts have always been Hall’s passion. As a student Hall attended the university when it was still serving as the Regina campus for the U of S. He had to leave in order to take photography classes and enrolled in the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology at the age of 19.
In 1975, Hall began working with the university, after visiting the campus and then applying for a job with the human resources department. He has since served the university in several other capacities including being the head of the photography department, sessional lecturer and university photographer.
“I always think of pictures as telling stories, and when people look at photographs, how they interpret or read photographs depends on their history and what they bring to it, ” said Hall.
Being around other artists at the university and abroad is something that Hall has always treasured. He has worked with the MacKenzie Art Gallery, dating back to when it used to be at the University of Regina. With the university, he has photographed all sorts of events such as sporting events, galas, press conferences and convocations. He has also worked on a variety of publications.
“It was always good to have the work out there and published so people could see it,” said Hall.
Working at the university had allowed Hall to meet artists, writers and others on campus and this experience was influential on him as he ran his own photography practice. Some of the artists he met during his time at the university were poet and novelist Ken Mitchell and sculptor Vic Cicansky.
A helping hand to fellow shooters
Hall has influenced many students and faculty at the university, one of them being Arthur Ward. Ward now serves as the lead for the photography unit of the creativity media team at the university. Ward met Hall when he was working as a photographer for the Carillon.
“Don has been here at the university for a long time and the work that he’s produced has sort of influenced the style and reputation visually of this institution,” said Ward.
Hall was the reason that Ward got his first job in the photography industry, after Hall gave the manager of Don’s Photo (no relation) his personal recommendation. Ward still works there on a casual basis. And Hall was always there to assist him in any of his projects.
“I had opportunities to take some personal projects that I did while being a student to Don and kind of have him look and reflect on that and to get positive feedback,” said Ward.
In response to hearing about Hall getting an honorary degree, Ward said that it has been encouraging for himself and others in the field. He said that Hall and other photographers have played an important role in preserving the memories of this university.
“It’s good to see Don get that recognition and I want to congratulate him on his achievement,” said Ward.
Reflecting the culture of the community
Hall noted that last year was the 50th anniversary of the U of R.
Looking back on his time and the degree, Hall has seen the university grow in terms of inclusivity over the years and feels that “the university reflects, more than a lot of other institutions, the culture of the community that it’s situated in, which is really important.”
He says that it really hit home when he was asked to do some presentations to some university groups using photographs showing how the university has changed.
“I showed some photographs of convocation from 1967, 1968, 1969 – 99.9 per cent of the graduates were male. They were just about all white,” he said.
“I showed photographs of a recent convocation where the majority of the graduates were female and a very diverse group of graduates.”
