Spotlight on Research: Professor Grace Nickel Awarded SSHRC Insight Grant

Congratulations to School of Art professor Grace Nickel, who has been awarded an Insight Grant through the 2024 SSHRC competition. Her project, 16th Century Meets the 21st Century — the Historical and Contemporary Impact of Anabaptist/Haban Ceramics, will receive $108,580 in funding over four years.

This recognition for studio-based research celebrates the importance of material culture and craft history. It also marks a turning point for creative research at the University of Manitoba.

“Receiving the SSHRC Insight Grant means a lot because it is still challenging for research-creation to receive funding at this level, particularly in Manitoba,” said Nickel. “It wasn’t long ago that creative activity wasn’t widely recognized as a viable category of academic research at UM. Now that we’re starting to see studio faculty successfully competing for SSHRC grants, it shows that old, restrictive attitudes toward what constitutes scholarly research are shifting—and the ceiling is being lifted.”

Nickel’s SSHRC-funded project is both deeply personal and broadly impactful. At its core is a rigorous study of Anabaptist/Haban ceramics, an area often overlooked in art history and contemporary ceramic pedagogy.

“Filling this knowledge gap and creating a body of work informed by the Anabaptist/Haban tradition is what excites me most,” she said. “This branch of ceramics, practiced between the mid-15th and late 19th centuries, connects to my own cultural heritage. That makes it personal and allows me to study my own history while developing new work and bringing greater awareness to the Anabaptist/Haban tradition.”

Among the many technical explorations involved in the project is an ongoing search for the elusive “heavenly blue,” a distinctive glaze colour associated with Haban ceramics that is especially difficult to replicate using contemporary methods.

A selection of hand-built ceramic test forms, developed through surface and glaze experiments exploring the visual language of Haban/Anabaptist ceramics, including the elusive “heavenly blue.”

The multi-faceted initiative will culminate in a major exhibition, a print catalogue, a lecture and workshop series, and the creation of a publicly accessible online resource featuring historical and technical data. Together, these outcomes aim to expand the knowledge and visibility of a tradition that continues to resonate in contemporary ceramic practices.

This summer, Nickel has been working closely with Undergraduate Research Award (URA) recipient and recent 2025 BFA Honours graduate Abtahi Hassan. Together, they’ve been conducting foundational research through both traditional and experimental methods.

“Working on Professor Grace Nickel’s project through the URA has been an incredible experience,” said Abtahi. “The focus on Haban/Anabaptist ceramics, a largely forgotten technique, challenged us to think outside the box to replicate the process and the distinctive colors and surface finishes, especially the marbling.

“Marbling is a technique I’ve explored in my ceramic practice for years, so being able to combine that experience with the historical knowledge we uncovered was encouraging. Collaborating with Grace, whose deep understanding of historical materials and methods is so inspiring, pushed my skills to develop exponentially.

“It was also amazing to experiment with a wide range of tools, like 3D printing, which opened up even more possibilities in my practice.”

Grace Nickel and Abtahi Hassan with an array of surface tests developed through the Undergraduate Research Award program.

For Nickel, the mentorship has been equally rewarding:

“Working with Abtahi Hassan through the URA program has been remarkable. We have both learned a lot, and Abtahi has been indispensable in helping me move through the highly ambitious agenda I set for my studio research and creation this summer.

“His insights, tireless energy, and positive presence have been a gift. Through the program, Abtahi has also had the opportunity to develop his own practice, delving into the potential of 3D digital technologies and experimenting with innovative methods in clay.”

Their work also highlights the impact and potential of the URA program, which supports undergraduate students in hands-on research alongside faculty members. As Abtahi notes, the program is still gaining awareness among fine arts students, something both he and Grace hope to expand through visibility and example.

Four in-progress cameo forms out of twenty-two total being created for an installation piece titled “In Search of Heavenly Blue” developed as part of the SSHRC-funded project.

With this SSHRC-funded project, Nickel is bringing together academic research, historical inquiry, and contemporary creative practice in ways that challenge disciplinary boundaries and create new models for collaborative research in the arts.

Congratulations to both Grace and Abtahi on the current and continued success of their hard work.

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About SSHRC

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. Established in 1977, SSHRC plays a vital role in Canada’s research landscape by supporting knowledge creation, fostering innovation, and investing in the next generation of scholars and creative thinkers.

Through a range of grants, fellowships, and scholarships—including the Insight Grant awarded to Professor Nickel—SSHRC enables Canadian researchers to explore pressing social, cultural, and historical questions. SSHRC is part of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio and also administers national research initiatives on behalf of Canada’s three federal research agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and SSHRC.

Learn more: https://sshrc-crsh.canada.ca/en/competition-results.aspx

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