Act II Studio Works | Allyson Mitchell and Deirdre Logue | Amelia Jiménez | Anne Zbitnew and Hannah Zbitnew | Barry Ace | Bryce Kanbara | Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge | Giles Whitaker | Hitoko Okada | Jim Eller | Kandis Friesen | Maggie Flynn and Golboo Amani | Martin Godin | Mary Tremonte | Michael DiRisio | Red Tree Collective | Tania Willard | The Department of Unusual Certainties | Tor Lukasik-Foss | Vincenzo Pietropaolo
20/20: Vision Hindsight celebrates WAHC's 20th anniversary with 20 artists and collectives from its past and present. These artists have taken over our entire building to present work that highlights important historical and contemporary social struggles. As we move forward, we look back with 20/20 vision/hindsight and celebrate our role within the artistic and labour communities.
During this exhibit, WAHC will host founders/artist's talks, hands-on workshops for children and youth and a labour art-focused school visits program. Complete program information will be announced in the coming weeks and months on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages.
This exhibition will be accompanied by an essay by Michael DiRisio.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council in making this exhibition and its programs possible.
Schedule of Events:
Friday, September 11, 7 - 10 pm: 20/20 Program Opening
Saturday, September 12, 2 - 4 pm: 20/20: Vision/Hindsight - A Roundtable Discussion. We explore the ways that cultural production has engaged with workers and issues of labour, to both tell their stories and history, as well as inform a wider dialogue on art, politics and the citizen artist. WAHC's new Youth Council members will kick off the afternoon by leading a short tour of the 20/20 exhibition.
Friday, October 9, 6 - 9 pm: Craftivism Workshops and Pizza Night for Teens and Youth. How has craft been used by artists and activists to promote social change? Guest facilitators will demonstrate techniques such as crochet, block printing, screenprinting and applique that will be used to make protest banners about youth and labour. Pizza and snacks will be served! Contact tara@wahc-museum.ca to sign up.
Saturday, October 17, 2 pm - 4:00 pm: Life on the Line: Women Strike at Eaton's 1984-85, a play commemorating the strike at Eaton's, by Act II Studio Works. With an opening performance by the Tuesday Choir.
Friday, November 6, 7 - 10 pm: 20th Anniversary Film Program, guest curated by Min Sook Lee. Join us for a film program that puts a spotlight on labour organizing and migrant labour past and present, including the the role of Filipino farm workers in the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, and present day migrant workers at a popular bakery in New York City.
Friday, November 27, 9 am - 4 pm: PA Day Camp, Wordless Mini-Comics with Amy Egerdeen.
Friday, December 18, 2 - 4 pm: WAHC Holiday and 20/20 Closing Party
20/20 School Visit Program: ART/WORK: Art & Social Change
In honour of our 20th Anniversary and the launch of our School Visits program, we are offering the following free program to secondary students for the duration of 20/20: Vision/Hindsight. Please be in touch to discuss and book your visit with our Program Coordinator.
What is Labour Art? It encourages understanding and appreciation of the overlooked contributions working people make to our society. Examples of labour art forms include songs, buttons, badges, posters, photographs, leaflets and pamphlets, murals and paintings, and often involves artists working in collaboration with workers.
Students will explore how such art can be political and play an important part in protest movements and social change. This program will involve an in-depth, interactive tour of the 20/20 exhibition and unpack its relationship to the lives of workers and to social justice issues. Students will exercise their observational and interpretive skills, while learning how art can be used to engage the community and be a force of positive change. This two hour program includes both a tour and art activity in our new basement studio.
