Rebekah Brackett has always found her way back to two things: art and community.

Rebekah, who has been chosen as the 2025 alumni wine label artist at UFV, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UFV in 2011. But her life’s journey has been intertwined with UFV for decades.  Her connection to the university began in childhood, when she tagged along to work with her parents and uncle — all UFV employees at the time — and continued through her years as a student, a custodian, a student services team member, and now a student counsellor.

“I’ve seen UFV change from the red-carpeted hallways and ashtrays in the bathrooms to what it has become today,” she says. “It really feels like home.”

With heritage from the Piikani First Nation (Aapátohsipikáni), Rebekah’s artistic practice spans traditional and digital mediums: painting, drawing, mural work, and illustration. She finds inspiration in nature, music, and personal history. Her work often explores identity, grief, and belonging — themes that are deeply personal and vividly reflected in the two pieces she contributed for the 2025 alumni wine labels.

The first piece, Morning Bull, features a powerful image of a bison emerging in the early light. It’s a nod to her Piikani heritage, family name, and an expression of her journey to reconnect with her Indigenous identity after being adopted during the Millennial Scoop: a continuation of the Sixties Scoop era that saw many Indigenous children removed from their family of origin and adopted by non-Indigenous families.

She spent the first 19 years of her life disconnected from her roots – unaware of her nation, her family, or even where she was from. Reuniting with her biological relatives and being embraced as “the lost child” marked the beginning of a profound cultural reconnection — one that continues to shape her life and art.

Her second piece, Owl, is a heartfelt tribute to her sister, who lost her battle to cancer in 2021. Owls were her sister’s favourite — white owls in particular — and Rebekah inherited many of her owl-themed belongings. After her sister passed away, she found herself unable to create anything for quite some time. While packing up after her first exhibition without her sister, her husband pointed out a large white owl perched nearby that was watching them.

“That moment brought a sense of peace,” Rebekah says. “It felt like she was still with me.”  When she finally picked up a pencil again, the first thing she drew was the white owl.

Today, Rebekah’s counselling work reflects the same themes as her art: empathy, connection, and healing. Though she’s not an art therapist, she sees firsthand how creativity can offer comfort and expression.

“Art builds bridges,” she says. “It helps people speak without words.”

Outside of UFV, Rebekah is an active member of the local arts scene and continues to advocate for Indigenous voices in the arts. She sits on the board of directors for the Abbotsford Arts Council and teaches art classes in the community. Her work has appeared in both private and public collections across Alberta and British Columbia.

Whether walking her dogs along the river, gathering water from the ocean, lakes, and streams around the Fraser Valley for her watercolour practice, or mentoring young artists, Rebekah brings care and intention to everything she does.

“I believe we all have a responsibility to be present, to lend our voice, and to lift others up,” she says. “If my art can inspire just one person to share their story, then I’ve done what I set out to do.”

You can purchase alumni wine by visiting the Alumni Wine Program website.