Luminato, a Toronto cultural festival, acknowledges that it mishandled an Indigenous-led project that explores the importance of water. The project, Um of Water, a collaboration between British artist Amy Sharrocks and a collective of Indigenous artists, was supposed to run at the festival in June, but was abruptly cancelled. In a statement, Luminato organizers took responsibility for the fiasco. "We made many mistakes in the process,” they wrote. “We did not provide the resources, support, respect and regard for community practices required to complete and present Um of Water at the level it deserves. As a result, we decided that we won’t present Um of Water at this year’s festival, and we are deeply sorry for this outcome.” Read more in this Toronto Star article.
The Edmonton Artists' Trust Fund is offering 15 awards of $15,000 each to help artists manage living and working expenses. Submissions are received through a nomination process. Nominated artists must be residents of Edmonton and aged 18 or older. Visit the Edmonton Arts Council for more information.
Manitoba Weavers and Fibre Artists is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Founded in 1947 as a branch of the national Guild of Canadian Weavers, the collective grew from a membership of 24 people in 1953 and now has about 40 to 55 members each year. The guild continues to celebrate diverse weaving styles and a hands-on approach. Read more here.
Edmonton Arts Council executive director Sanjay Shahani recently spoke at Culture Compass, a conference hosted by Humber College's Centre for Creative Business Innovation in Toronto. Shahani’s talk was about arts and culture policy, while a keynote address by Zainub Verjee, executive director of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, addressed ways of imagining a post-pandemic future. Learn more here.
The Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program is now accepting applications for travel grants. After a three-year hold, the YVR Art Foundation recently reopened the travel grant program to encourage B.C. and Yukon First Nations artists and community researchers to develop their practices through research at regional Indigenous art collections. The application deadline is Oct. 6. Read more here.