RESPONSE, REJECTION, RECONCILIATION: EXHIBITING CANADA 150

GREATEST HITS

BY: AMY INTRATOR

Welcome back to the final edition of Greatest Hits 2017! Writing for this column has allowed me to look to the recent past to make sense of developments in the museum world today. With the end of the year quickly approaching, I thought it would be fitting to turn to the very recent past to make sense of the year-long “celebration” that’s about to end: Canada 150.

Official logo for Canada 150. Source. 

The Government of Canada has been planning Canada 150 for years as a celebration of the 150-year anniversary of Canadian confederation. From the very beginning of this project, however, many communities in Canada have rejected this celebratory narrative of Canadian history. The Government of Canada includes reconciliation with Indigenous peoples as one of the themes of Canada 150, but the celebration of Confederation is at odds with most Indigenous peoples’ experience. Indigenous peoples have lived in “Canada” for hundreds of years, so this year marks 150 years of colonial persecution, not nationhood.

Tweet from the artist who designed Colonialism 150 logo, a response to Canada 150. Source.

Where do museums fit into this Canada 150 narrative? Over the past year museums across the country have hosted exhibits that critically reflect on Canada 150. For many curators, artists, and creators, museums have provided a space to stage a counter-narrative and incorporate non-celebratory perspectives on the 150-year anniversary of Confederation. Since there have been so many fantastic exhibits that reflect on Canada 150, for my last Greatest Hits post I have included not one, but three Musings posts, all of which reflect on exhibits that challenge Canada’s sesquicentennial celebration.


Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience 

Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in front of the Fathers of Confederation. The Daddies, Kent Monkman, 2016. Collection of Christine Armstrong and Irfhan Rawji. Photo courtesy of Sadie MacDonald. Source.

In February, Sadie MacDonald reviewed the Art Museum at University of Toronto’s exhibit Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience. The exhibit was on display at the Art Museum from January until March 2017 and is slated to tour museums throughout Canada until 2020. Kent Monkman organized the exhibit, which spanned 300 years and included hundreds of works. I used the word “organized” because Monkman played the role of creator, artist, and curator in this exhibit as several of his own paintings, dioramas, and other pieces were included, but he also put these objects in dialogue with pieces from museums across Canada. I had to visit the exhibit four times to completely take in the exhibit’s objects and text. Sadie’s review of the exhibit immediately picks up on the fact that Monkman organized a narrative that responds to Canada 150 by exploring the Indigenous experience with colonizers that began long before 1867. Even the timeline in the exhibit is a commentary on Canada 150, as Monkman cleverly begins his narrative 150 years before confederation in 1717. Monkman uses the museum as a stage for his narrative that contests Confederation as the beginning of life in Canada.


Jane Ash Poitras: New Acquisitions of Contemporary First Nations Art

Buffalo Seed by Jane Ash Poitras. Photo courtesy of Natania Sherman. Source.

In March, former Musings Editor-in-Chief Natania Sherman reviewed a display at the ROM entitled Jane Ash Poitras: New Acquisitions of Contemporary First Nations Art. Unlike Monkman’s exhibit which spanned centuries and included numerous works, the display Natania reviewed was extremely small in scale. The display included four new acquisitions by the Indigenous artist, Jane Ash Poitras, and while this form of display is common, Natania examined how the works were positioned to stage an anti-colonial dialogue. Poitras paintings feature colonial symbols, like the Hudson’s Bay stripes, in dialogue with symbols of traditional Indigenous knowledge. The paintings themselves were staged next to objects like a school desk and a basket to gather herbs to create a dialogue between the art and the ethnographic objects in the ROM collection. Natania’s thoughtful review of a small exhibit proves that there are many ways to challenge Canada 150 narratives in museums.


Witness Blanket

An unknown boy in from of the Chesterfield Inlet Residential School (top). Photo courtesy of Sadie MacDonald. Source.

For the final exhibit review I’m including in my Canada 150 retrospective, we’re returning to Sadie but leaving Toronto. In June, Sadie reviewed Witness Blanket after visiting the exhibit at Museum London. The exhibit has been touring Canada since 2015, and currently the exhibit is slated to continue touring the country until 2021. The exhibit is composed of 887 artifacts from residential school survivors, which were collected by Carey Newman, a Kwagiulth sculptor and carver. Together, the hundreds of pieces create a patchwork of lost narratives from survivors of the schools, and in the process hundreds of narratives of loss and pain emerge. Sadie’s review examines the power of these objects curated together, both as a way for residential school survivors to heal and remember, but she also examines the power of this exhibit for the non-Indigenous population of Canada. The exhibit may have begun touring two years before Canada 150 celebrations began, but the powerful counter-narratives take on another layer of significance when remembering confederation. 

I tried to provide a brief snapshot of some of the important, challenging, and brave exhibits that have responded to Canada 150. If you have the time please read the amazing reviews of each exhibit! The exhibits take different approaches to staging a counter-narrative in the museum, from a small display of new acquisitions, to creating a dialogue between artifacts and contemporary art, to creating a collage of objects of trauma. These counter-narratives in museums are likely to continue for years to come, especially with many of these exhibits touring years into the future. Museums may help shift the legacy of Canada 150 from a celebration of nationhood to a rejection of colonial glory.

CELEBRATING CANADA, FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAYS

BY: KELLY MANIKOTH

Hello everyone and welcome to the special Canadian edition of What’s Happening Wednesdays! July is full of celebrations in honour of Canada’s 150th year of Confederation, and this article will take us from Southern Ontario to the West Coast, highlighting different ways Canadians are commemorating this important anniversary.

Many of our fellow classmates are completing internships across the country, and this month’s column will feature events in cities such as Hamilton, where Hannah Hadfield (Hamilton Civic Museums) and Aurora Cacioppo (Art Gallery of Hamilton) are completing internships, Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, where Serena Ypelaar and Connor Kurtz are interning (Northern Life Museum), London, Ontario, where Meagan Fillmore and Jessica Baptista are interns (Museum London), the township of Woodstock, Ontario, where Sarah MacDonald is currently interning (Woodstock Art Gallery), Ottawa, where Charlotte Gagnier (Canadian Photography Institute) is completing an internship, and Vancouver, where Alexis Moline (Museum of Vancouver) is an intern!

1. Celebrate Heritage in Hamilton with the Parade of Sails!

The Parade of the Tall Ships! Source.

Celebrate Canada’s heritage by viewing The Tall Ship Parade of Sails in Hamilton. Eleven tall ships, which are traditionally rigged vessels, from Canada, the States, and Europe will make their way down Hamilton’s harbour on Friday afternoon, eventually docking at Pier 8. Some of the stars of the show will include the Pathfinder, a Canadian ship built in 1963 and the first ship built for Toronto Brigantine Inc., and Black Jack, a Scottish team tug from the turn of the twentieth century! There will be free deck tours, tickets for harbour cruises on Empire Sandy, food vendors and music on the Waterfront stage. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Avro Lancaster will also conduct multiple fly-overs of the Waterfront on July 1! For more information, visit www.hamilton.ca

When: Friday, June 30: The Parade of Sail takes places from 2pm – 4pm, with music performances from 6pm – 10 pm
Saturday, July 1 – Aviation show takes place between 11:30am – 2:30 pm. Music performances on the Waterfront Stage take place from 6pm – 10 pm.

Where: Pier 8, 57 Discovery Drive, Hamilton, Ontario

Cost: Free! 

2. Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre Canada Day Parade in the Northwest Territories 

The Radium King at its launch in 1937. Source.

The Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre is taking part in Fort Smith’s Canada Day Parade with their very own float! The float is themed after the Radium King, a giant heritage ship that is preserved on the museum grounds. The Radium King is the last survivor of a fleet of 12 boats in the Radium Line. Created in 1937 by the Northern Transportation Company, it was one of the first diesel powered steel tugboats to tow barges on the Mackenzie River. The ship serves as a landmark for the town of Fort Smith and the museum is actively trying to preserve it. The Radium King float is one of the ways the Northern Life Museum is giving the preservation project exposure. The Fort Smith Canada Day parade also features music, local food vendors, and ends off with a fish fry! For more information on the Save Our King project, click here and for details on the parade, visit www.fortsmith.ca

When: Saturday, July 1st, Parade Marshalling at 11:00 am, Parade Starts at 11:30 am
Ceremony at Riverside Park - 12:30 pm
Water Park, Market and Music at Riverside Park - 1- 4 pm
Fish Fry at Riverside Park - 2 pm

Where: Riverside Park, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories

Cost: Free!

3. Museum London’s ‘Cottage Staycation’

Visitors explore the Witness Blanket exhibition at Museum London! Source.

If you were looking to escape the heat during Canada Day celebrations, Museum London has the perfect alternative to outdoor events. Explore their new exhibition Canada and London: 150 Years of Growing Together and play with an over-sized beach ball, lounge in Muskoka chairs, and listen to the 'sounds of Canada'. There will also be an art hunt where participants can earn maple sugar cookies and contribute to an interactive mural which invites visitors to share moments that capture London’s history! For more information, visit www.museumlondon.ca

Where: Museum London
421 Ridout Street North
London, Ontario

When: Saturday July 1st and Sunday, July 2nd, 11am – 5pm

Cost: Admission to the museum is through personal donation

4. The National Gallery – Our Masterpieces, Our Stories

Fireworks at the gallery. Source.

If you are lucky enough to be in the nation’s capital for Canada Day, visiting the National Gallery of Canada is a must! The Gallery is offering free admission and hosting plenty of fun, family-friendly activities throughout the day, such as scavenger hunts and arts & crafts stations. Their major exhibition, Our Masterpieces, Our Stories, features nearly 1,000 works of art that express the stories and legends which shaped our land. The highlight of the exhibition is the new Canadian and Indigenous Galleries, which was unveiled on June 15th, 2017. For more information, visit www.gallery.ca

Where: National Gallery of Canada
Scotiabank Great Hall
380 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario

When: Saturday, July 1, 2017, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Our Masterpieces, Our Stories runs from Thursday, June 15, 2017 to Monday, September 4, 2017

Cost: Free on Canada Day! Regular Admission: $15, $7 for students with valid student ID.

5. 2017 Visual Elements 59: Annual Juried Exhibition - Woodstock Art Gallery

Woodstock Art Gallery. Source.

The Woodstock Art Gallery’s Visual Elements 59: Annual Juried Exhibition celebrates the diversity and talent of the residents in Oxford County. In 1959, a group of Woodstock citizens organized a call for art which had an overwhelmingly popular response. The highly successful exhibition led to the formation of the Oxford County for Art Association, an organization that paved the way for the creation of the Woodstock Art Gallery. The Gallery carries on the tradition of an open call for art through an annual juried exhibition. This is the exhibition's 59th year, and the jury is made up of curator, Corinna Ghaznavi, and artists, Gary Evans and Michael Hunter.

When: Opening Reception: July 19, 2017,  5pm - 7pm
Exhibition Dates: July 15 — September 23, 2017

Where: Woodstock Art Gallery, 449 Dundas St, Woodstock, Ontario

Cost: Free!

6. Kensington Krawl Food Tour

Source.

If you’re in Toronto for the summer, celebrate the diverse and multicultural cuisine the city has to offer by attending the Kensington Krawl Food Tour. Learn about the history and heritage of one of Toronto’s most unique and eclectic neighbourhoods while sampling a variety of food and drinks. Attendees are also able to meet the local shopkeepers and chefs. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit savourtoronto.com

Where: Meeting place near Baldwin & Spadina (exact location given when registered)

When: Friday, July 14th and Saturday, July 15th, 2017, 11:30am – 3:00 pm

Cost: $65.00 + taxes which includes 8 food and drink tastings.

7. Honda’s Celebration of Light in Vancouver

Source.

Explore Canada's western coast and see the Vancouver for the 27th Annual Celebration of Lights, the largest international fireworks competition in the world! Taking place at the waterfront around English Bay and Burrard Inlet, a spectacular display of fireworks is launched up above the mountains and the Vancouver skyline. The evening begins with a free music festival at Sunset Beach, LG 104.3’s Shorefest, which features an entirely Canadian lineup. Countries participating in the competition are Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada. For more information visit www.hondacelebrationoflight.com

Where: English Bay, Vancouver, Canada

When: Saturday, July 29, 2017 - Japan
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - United Kingdom
Saturday, August 5, 2017 – Canada
The concert starts in the afternoon, and the fireworks begin at 10 pm on each day.

Cost: Free! You can also reserve VIP sections on the beach for $49.99 + tax. These areas range from all-ages bleacher stands to private cabanas that serve appetizers and drinks.

Whether you’re in a small community or reside in the city, Canada Day celebrations are bigger and better than ever. From commemorating the country’s Indigenous origins, to our Francophone heritage and our diverse and multicultural identity, I hope these events help you make the most of your Canada 150 experience! To see more events in cities near you, check out Passport 2017. Happy Canada Day, everyone!

Canadian Puppy Pride! Source.

MMSt 2017 INTERNSHIPS: PART TWO

INTERNSHIP CHECK-IN

BY: TABITHA CHAN

Here is part two of Internship Check-In! Let's jump right into it.

Today's post features:

Jessica Baptista: Museum London - London, ON
Alexis Moline: Museum of Vancouver - Vancouver, BC
Karley Staskus: The Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall - Toronto, ON
Breanna Stephenson: Ontario Museum Association - Toronto, ON
Julia Zungri: Halton Heritage Services - Milton, ON

Describe what a typical day is like for you at your institution. What are some of your main duties and responsibilities?

Jessica: Currently, I am working on organizing the details of five different outgoing loans that will be leaving Museum London over the course of the summer. I have been condition reporting artworks from closing exhibitions and helping with the preparation for their safe delivery back to the lending institutions. I have also been organizing the physical accession files within the art collection’s archives, learning how to complete accession paperwork following the acquisition of new pieces to the collection, and organizing the catalogue collection within the archives.

Alexis: On a typical day I spend time researching at my own personal desk with my own personal laptop (so adult!). I’m currently assigned to two upcoming exhibitions which has me quite busy. I am lucky enough to be invited to insider meetings with my supervisor and other employees at the museum. There are usually a few meetings a week where I get to sit in, listen and observe all that is involved in curatorial practice and exhibition planning! I have also spent a lot of time in collections handling and reporting on objects to be readied for upcoming shows. Every day is different and I love taking it all on!

Karley: A typical day interning with The Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall is not really so typical. My main duties and responsibilities right now are providing summer tours and researching and preparing a mini exhibition. I spent most of the month of May planning and preparing for Doors Open Toronto 2017, which involved sitting in on meetings, preparing volunteer lists and information packages, and preparing signage for Osgoode Hall. I was also here for Doors Open Toronto 2017 and it was a crazy, jam-packed day which was so exciting to be a part of.

Breanna: Typically I am responsible for various tasks related to all OMA programs and conference content. I have two supervisors (one for conference and the other for programming) whom I assist and coordinate various projects with. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of designing for conference content and creating tracking documents which can be updated with ongoing information. I am also responsible for the OMA Awards of Excellence that will be presented at the conference this year, as well as a promotional video project involving speakers.

Julia: We are working on two major exhibitions with a very tight schedule, so a typical day for me right now is extremely packed! My main duties include conducting research and writing text for the exhibition panels, as well as helping fabricate and design the panels and other exhibit materials. Most of the exhibition development and fabrication gets completed in-house and I love it – there’s never a dull moment! 

Jessica taking a photo in front of her institution, Museum London. 

What is something you have learned in your first few weeks of your internship?

Jessica: I have learned that there are always projects and tasks on the go that need to be constantly monitored and always in the back of your mind as you progress day to day. There are always loans that are arriving and leaving the museum, exhibitions that are being installed and removed, artists arriving with donations and loans and exhibitions that are in progress. While these tasks are occurring daily, there may be last minute inquiries, complications or details that require immediate attention. As an Art Registrar, it's crucial to be able to anticipate events to the best of your ability, and to be able to budget your time effectively so objectives and deadlines are met.

Alexis: That Vancouver is ruled by crows. It’s a very lovely, comforting feeling to be constantly watched by at least 7 gigantic crows wherever you go. #atonewithnature

Karley: Over the last few weeks I have learned that a typical job title doesn't limit your tasks and duties, especially in this field. I also learned that Osgoode Hall is very confusing, and that I am amazing at getting lost trying to find my way back to my office. I have also learned that I am not afraid at the idea of ghosts, but maybe that will change by the end of my internship!

Breanna: That the museum/heritage sector is smaller than one might think. There are people whose names come up multiple times for different projects, and are involved with so many things that I wonder how they manage to do it all.

Julia: I’ve learned that you cannot jump right into a project without considering many, many aspects and going through numerous steps. Although we are working on such a tight deadline for these exhibits, we’ve spent the first few weeks of my time here focusing on what may seem like very minute details but which make the process much smoother in the long run. I’ve also realized that skills which are not often associated with museum studies are in fact extremely useful, such as graphic design and, believe it or not, woodworking.

Alexis striking a pose in front of the Museum of Vancouver!

What is something that has surprised you about museums that you did not know before working in a real one?

Jessica: I did not anticipate the volume of activity behind the scenes. Hundreds of emails, multiple projects on the go every day, and the number of people involved in museum daily operation.

Alexis: I’ve learned that not everything is planned and to go with the flow. It’s very comforting to see how realistically new tasks and assignments are dealt with as they arise and I’m happy to learn this institution is flexible in how it seemingly effortlessly faces unforeseen challenges.

Karley: N/A! The Law Society of Upper Canada's Osgoode Hall isn't a museum.

Breanna: Since I don’t technically work in a museum, it surprises me how many other people think that the OMA is a museum. There are people who call asking about our ‘collections’ (non-existent) or want information about some random institution in Ontario that may not be a OMA member or affiliated with the organization. We do our best to answer their questions, but I find it strange how little people really know about the OMA and what we really do.

Julia: What I have found most surprising was how much of museum work does not have to be outsourced. Perhaps it is the type of institution that I am working in, but we do everything from research and writing (which seems very typical) to design and fabrication of the panels. What smaller institutions are capable of, especially what I am capable of, has seemed to be the biggest surprise thus far!

Karley interning with The Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall.

What are you most looking forward to in your internship? What excites you about your internship?

Jessica: I love exploring the museum’s art collections and the vaults where the material objects are housed. Every object has a wonderful story waiting to be told!  

Alexis: I am excited to see how the different stages of exhibition planning unfold. I am working on exhibitions that open in September 2017 and June 2018 and observing a show that will open in a few weeks – it’s so interesting to see the dynamics and energy involved from start to finish.

Karley: I am most looking forward to preparing and presenting my mini exhibition. I have spent the last few weeks researching and choosing objects from the permanent collection that excite me and tell a story. I am excited to see it all come together. What excites me about my internship is that no two days have been completely the same! I also gave my first tour ever this week, which was extremely exhilarating.

Breanna: Something that I am really excited about is assisting with the upcoming OMA conference. I have never attended a museum conference before, let alone helped plan one, but this internship is allowing me the chance to see how much effort and work goes into those few days. Also, heads up, we will be announcing soon when Early Bird Registration will be open for Conference this year, and be on the lookout for possible student/volunteer opportunities!

Julia: What excites me most about my internship is being able to significantly contribute to major projects that have a tangible end result. Being so hands-on and immersed in exhibition development and collections is giving me practical and valuable experience that cannot be taught in class. I thoroughly enjoy not being treated like a student, but as another employee at the institution and therefore given responsibilities that allow me to get my creative senses tingling and learn so much more!

Breanna taking a selfie at the OMA! 

What do you hope to accomplish while you are at your internship?

Jessica: I hope to gain a well-rounded understanding of the various responsibilities of an Art Registrar.

Alexis: I hope to be able to have an even firmer grasp on the practical, real-life workings of museums. There are things you can’t learn if you don’t experience them firsthand, so I’m hoping to experience it all!

Karley: I hope to prepare and present an exciting online exhibition about an object from the permanent collection. This was one of my hopes coming into the internship portion of the program, and so far it's going really well!

Breanna: One of the main reasons I really wanted this internship was to drastically expand my museum network. The fact that I am emailing, meeting, speaking with numerous museum and heritage professionals is providing me the chance to connect with them, and in turn putting my name out there for future opportunities.

Julia: After only a few weeks, I already know that I will gain valuable experience at my internship that I can use in the future for networking and career building, as well as my second year exhibition project. I also hope to learn much more in areas that I am not so familiar with such as graphic design.

Julia in action! She's getting hands-on experience with exhibit fabrication for an upcoming exhibit at Oakville Historical Society.

What’s your passion?

Jessica: My passion is the conservation and preservation of objects of material culture, particularly glass-plate negatives and anything older than the 20th century.

Alexis: My passion is curation, specifically how research and knowledge can be shared with the public to activate critical thinking and social change.

Karley: My passion is the study of and interpretation of history. I strongly believe that heritage institutions play a vital role in a community's well-being and connection to culture. 

Breanna: I have various passions. But for the sake of this Q&A, I shall limit it to museums. My dream is to be part of an organization that is committed to improving international relations between Canadian museums and other institutions around the world. The potential to open up the channels of communication, to increase the number of art and artifacts that can travel via technology or other means, and to foster more awareness about other cultures and their art forms is right there; we just have to take that first leap.

Julia: My internship has certainly confirmed my passion for curatorial work, particularly exhibition development. I’m fascinated with getting fully immersed into a particular history or story and falling down the rabbit hole of researching and writing.

Big thank you to Jessica, Alexis, Karley, Breanna and Julia for participating in this interview and taking the time to reflect on your experiences. In two weeks, we'll have Part Three of the series!