Iain Baxter issued graduates an artistic pat on the back during an address to Convocation in 2007. The arts professor emeritus has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada.
According to a citation issued to the media, Baxter was recognized for his “prolific career as a conceptual artist and educator, and for his enduring contributions that have defined Canadian contemporary art.”
Since 1966, Baxter has earned international renown for his works questioning the role of art as commodity and as a medium for cultural commentary. Previous honours include his election to the Royal Society of Canada in 2013, an honorary doctorate in humanities from the University of Windsor in 2007, and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2004.