Join us for a joint opening reception for our Winter solo exhibition featuring work by Jay Youngdahl, I Don’t Want Your Millions (Billions), Mister, and our new heritage exhibition Work in Progress: Fightbacks!.
Enjoy a dynamic evening of art, labour heritage, and a musical performance by community curator and Six Nations land defender Layla Staats.
Jay Youngdahl is an artist and practicing union lawyer in the southern USA. He specializes in photography and thematic exhibitions. Before going to law school Jay was a member of the Sheet Metal Workers (SMART), USW (Steelworkers), and NALC (Postal Workers). Since becoming a lawyer he has represented all major US unions, including many which have Canadian members.
Layla Staats is Mohawk Turtle Clan from the Six Nations of Grand River. Her work stems from her Red Road to reclaim her Mohawk identity as a generational survivor of residential schools. Layla is a Filmmaker and Storyteller who premiered her second documentary “Boil Alert” at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023. She recently launched her musical career with her first single “White Pine” which tells the story of her work as a land defender and water protector, bringing awareness to Indigenous issues across Turtle Island.
For more information, please contact Ada Bierling, Interim Programming and Exhibitions Specialist, at (905) 522-3003 ex. 29 or ada@wahc-museum.ca.
Main image: Layla Staats singing at a performance. Image courtesy the artist.
Bottom image (left): A Welders World 1 (2025) by Jay Youngdahl. Image courtesy the artist.
Bottom image (right): Community members protest Cantonese BBQ Bans in Vancouver, BC. Image courtesy Image courtesy the UBC Archives Rare Books, J.W. Chu Fonds.
