Julie Cosgrove

Julie Cosgrove serves as a Contract Lecturer in Drawing within the Department of Visual Arts at Lakehead University, a position she has held since 2012. Her role encompasses teaching drawing courses and contributing to the academic framework of the Visual Arts program through her specialized expertise in process-based artistic practices.

Her academic qualifications include:

• Master of Fine Arts, University of Calgary
• Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts, Lakehead University
• DEC, Dawson College

Her research investigates process painting and drawing as methodologies to explore concepts of place and space, with particular emphasis on wilderness environments, navigation systems, and cartographic traditions. She examines how artistic practices intersect with geographical representation, integrating field experiences from wilderness guiding into studio-based experimentation. This work bridges visual arts and spatial theory, focusing on how technologies shape human perception of landscape and movement while emphasizing embodied engagement with natural environments.

Prior professional experience as an independent artist and wilderness guide directly informs her pedagogical approach, which prioritizes direct observation and experiential learning in natural settings. Her teaching encourages students to develop artistic responses to spatial relationships through hands-on engagement with landscape and navigational practices.