Rebecca Belmore unveils large-scale commissioned sculpture at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver.
A collaboration between the Polygon and the Burrard Arts Foundation, the work is titled Hacer Memoria. Installed along the top of the Polygon’s east façade, it comprises oversized blue and orange shirts made from tarpaulin. Each shirt is emblazoned with a single letter that together spells the word “hereafter.” The kinetic installation will interact with the natural elements: billowing with the wind, shifting with the rain and reflecting the sun. Belmore, a Toronto-based Anishinaabe artist known for politically and socially engaged performances and installations, was drawn to industrial-grade tarpaulin because of its use in local urban developments and provisional shelters. "Belmore’s art often references wind, water and land," said curator Helga Pakasaar. "In this new work, she is responding to the site of the Polygon Gallery on unceded Indigenous territories of the Burrard Inlet." For more information, go here.
Writer and artist Douglas Coupland is the new co-chair of Vancouver's Capture Photography Festival.
Coupland will share the position on the festival's board of directors with Bruce Munro Wright, the director of Toronto's Museum of Contemporary Art. "We are thrilled to have Doug and Bruce leading our organization during this time of growth and change," said Capture’s executive director, Emmy Lee Wall. "Their experience in the art world, commitment to community and visionary thinking will be invaluable in forging Capture’s future." Capture is Western Canada’s largest lens-based art festival. Held April 1 to April 30, it features exhibitions, tours, films, artist talks and community events, as well as an educational partnership with Emily Carr University. For more information, go here.
Future Arts Network Society launches first mentorship workshop for emerging writers and artists.
The online program, which runs from Jan. 23 to Feb. 15, helps newcomers engage with the literary arts and publishing industry. It is open to BIPOC women and other marginalized genders across Canada. The society was established in 2022 by co-leads Kristin Cheung and Michelle Ha. “Future Arts Network Society supports BIPOC, trans and non-binary cultural workers to be creative, artistic and innovative leaders,” says Cheung. “There is currently a lack of training that addresses the unique lived experiences of racialized women. Our programs serve as strategic interventions to reduce systemic barriers." For information, visit the society's website.
Christine Tessier reappointed as director of the National Museum of Science and Technology.
Tessier will serve as director and CEO of the National Museum of Science and Technology (Ingenium) for another five-year term, beginning in June. Prior to her first term, starting in 2018, Tessier served as director of operations at Ingenium’s Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Under her leadership, Ingenium has increased its educational outreach to Indigenous and remote communities across Canada and promoted careers in STEM for women and girls. For more information, go here.