Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
101 Queen Street N N2H 6P7 Kitchener, ON, Canada

We love seeing your responses to the #KWAGFamilySunday photo challenge so far this month! Let's keep that creativity going strong - there's no deadline on completing each week's photo prompt, just tag us and use #KWAGFamilySunday to share your shots! Many thanks to Equitable Life for their continued support of virtual Family Sundays.

Continuing a tradition carried throughout our annual Expressions exhibitions, this year's Expressions 46 features a digital gallery of selections from our Permanent Collection that complement the works of our student artists. Have a closer look at these selected works and go deeper with our discussion questions and activity ideas: https://kwag.ca/digital-exhibition/26 Adad Hannah... All is Vanity / All was Vanity 2009 Chromogenic print Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Collection. Gift of the Artist, 2019. Adad Hannah. Used by permission. Photo: Adad Hannah. See more

Despite a year in which our volunteers had to keep a safe distance, we wanted to extend our thanks to this wonderful community of hands-on KWAG supporters who have enlivened our programs and events through their generosity and hard work. Thank you for all you do - we can't wait to have you back at the Gallery once again! #NationalVolunteerWeek

April Family Sunday encourages you to get out and explore our city, and to recognize the diversity of those living in it! Check in throughout the month for a series of photo prompts that challenge you to get out, explore, and look at your city in a new way. Grab your camera and go! Prompt 2 (18-24 April): Find an unusual frame to look at the world through, such as tree branches, the space between two buildings, or hole in a wall or fence. We'd love to show off your photos on our social media! Use the hashtag #KWAGFamilySunday and tag us in your posts to share what you've captured.

In our third video walk-though of Deanna Bowen's Black Drones in the Hive, Senior Curator Crystal Mowry discusses the history of eugenics in Canada and how these concepts informed racist practices in Waterloo Region and beyond. Deanna Bowen: Black Drones in the Hive is on view at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery from 18 September 2020 to 28 February 2021. Premier Exhibitions Sponsor: Sun Life Financial

Last month our Executive Director Shirley Madill sat down with loyal KWAG supporter Allan Bush to thank him for coming on board as our new Free Admission sponsor. Learn more about what motivates his love of the arts in our latest blog post: https://kwag.ca//conversation-free-admission-sponsor-allan

New media and theatre artist Archer Pechawis is one of several collaborators whose work is found within Deanna Bowen's Black Drones in the Hive. This upcoming virtual Artist Talk is an opportunity learn about his wider, incredibly diverse creative practice. Register today to join us on Zoom!

Coming up today at 2pm! There's still time to register for KWAG Senior Curator Crystal Mowry's free public talk with Archive/Counter-Archive:

Don't forget to register for tomorrow evening's film screening of 'Arrival Archives,' which we're hosting as part of this year's Global Migration Film Festival! Our screening of this 2018 documentary featuring multigenerational newcomers to Canada will include a Q&A with filmmaker Maya Bastian: https://kwag.ca/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=375

Join us this afternoon for Open Conversations with Aislinn Thomas starting at 1:30pm! She'll be joined by a stellar panel of guests to discuss accessibility strategies for cultural institutions - registration is still open via Zoom: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AgWFWrfFTuKC_RDFv-R7vA

While we'll missing hosting our usual in-person screening, we look forward to continuing our partnership with #WRMigFest with our free virtual screening of Maya Bastian's 'Arrival Archives' on 15 December including a Q&A session with the director!

New art book alert! We partnered with the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and the Founders' Gallery at the University of Calgary on a beautiful new monograph on artist Mary Kavanagh's research and work from the site of the world's first atomic bomb detonation. This gorgeous publication includes her recent solo exhibition here at KWAG, 'Trinity 3,' and is richly illustrated with the photography, artworks and archival materials that inform Kavanagh's practice. 'Mary Kavanagh: Daughters of Uranium' is on sale now from our Front Desk - drop in anytime during regular hours to buy your copy!

Deanna Bowen joins us live from Montreal tomorrow night at 7pm for a free virtual Artist Talk hosted by Senior Curator Crystal Mowry! Limited spaces are still available for you to join us on Zoom, or tune in to the live simulcast here our Facebook page. Many thanks to Momentum Developments and Sorbara Law for their continued support of Artist Talks at KWAG.

In 'Black Drones in the Hive,' Deanna Bowen draws the viewer's attention to select archival images throughout her exhibition by inverting their tonal range in a style evocative of a photographic negative. This visual tactic overcomes the flaws of early film photography that often failed to accurately depict Black subjects - by trading shadow for light, we see more clearly the stories obscured by history. Take a closer look on your next physically-distanced visit - we remain open from 11-5 today and 1-5 Sunday, and admission is free as always thanks to Sun Life Financial. Don't forget to wear your mask!

Celebrate amazing local achievements in the arts one week from today by tuning in for Arts Awards Waterloo Region!

Show off your students' creative accomplishments in Expressions 46! The Call for Submissions is now open for our 2021 exhibition of student artwork from across Waterloo Region, and for the first time we'll be accepting submissions of digital artwork including video and animation - visit our website for complete information: https://kwag.ca/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=374

Because you can never have enough Deanna Bowen

Don't forget to register in advance if you plan to join us on Zoom for Deanna Bowen's Artist Talk one week from today on 26 November!

Very limited spaces are still available on this Saturday's in-person Walk the Talk: Gallery Tour of Deanna Bowen's groundbreaking exhibition, 'Black Drones in the Hive.' Register in advance to secure your spot for this physically-distanced tour! Walk the Talk Tours are kindly supported by the Gamble Family.

Senior Curator Crystal Mowry will guide you through the ideas behind Deanna Bowen's 'Black Drones in the Hive' on a free Walk the Talk: Curator's Tour on Sunday 25 October! Sign up today as spaces are limited to ensure physical distancing:

Exhibiting artist Deanna Bowen is also the editor of 'Other Places: Reflections on Media Arts in Canada.' This groundbreaking anthology is a timely introduction to Indigenous, queer and racialized innovators in media arts and is now available for sale at KWAG! Ask at Front Desk to buy your copy.

We're delighted to have received a 2020 OAAG Awards nomination for curator Lisa Myers' outstanding work with Mike MacDonald's 'Planting one Another,' which is shortlisted for Exhibition of the Year (Budget under $10,000). Winners will be announced on November 30th, stay tuned and fingers crossed! https://akimbo.ca//announcing-the-shortlist-for-the-2020-/

Grab a hot drink, a warm sweater and the new Downtown Kitchener Art Walk guide! Copies are available for pick-up at KWAG for your self-guided exploration of new murals plus many public art highlights along the way. We were thrilled to work with our friends at the Downtown Kitchener BIA to curate eleven new murals for this project - we hope you enjoy the new sights around our city!

No shushing allowed at KWAG! Our newly-printed Gallery Guides are available in English, French and Spanish to encourage our visitors to explore art and discuss their impressions of our exhibitions. Pick one up this weekend at our Front Desk! Many thanks to the Cowan Foundation for supporting the production of our multilingual guides - we look forward to producing these in more languages soon (suggestions always welcome!).

We're thrilled to celebrate the official induction of our Four Founders into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame! Sarah Williams, Geneva Jackson, Florence Sims, and Ida Cram were four visionary women whose efforts to initiate a public art collection for Waterloo Region inspired the founding of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. Learn more about their contributions to our community and see Executive Director Shirley Madill accept this posthumous honour on their behalf:

We’re not going to be the same, [KWAG ED Shirley] Madill said. Will we go back to normal? No, because we’ve learned too much. There’s so many opportunities that came out of this experience that allowed us to experiment. Thanks Alex Kinsella for speaking with us about the changes ahead for KWAG for The Community Edition - read it online here: https://communityedition.ca/kwag-is-not-going-back-to-norm/

"Advocates have long claimed that museums are essential to a functioning society. For that claim to have any merit, we need to demonstrate this commitment in real timeby being at the front of the line in rebooting activity. At KWAG, we know we won’t be back to normal any time soon, but that is not a bad thing. To emerge stronger and be more resilient, we need to weather the storm and invite its challenges to shift our thinking and inspire new ways of being. There is no better time than now." KWAG Executive Director Shirley Madill shares her thoughts on the future of our Gallery in her Director's Message for Fall 2020. Read the full message on the KWAG Blog: https://kwag.ca/blog/directors-message-fall-2020

We're helping teachers bring art into their classrooms with our new KWAG 2 Go kits! Bookable art lessons for all grade levels are available now and include all the art materials needed to guide your students through a hands-on lesson inspired by works of art from KWAG's Permanent Collection. Learn more on our website and contact our Education Coordinator to book your kit today - subsidies are available for WRDSB and WCDSB teachers! https://kwag.ca/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&...id=369 Otto Beyer (Canadian, b. Germany, 1923-1998) Town Scape No. 2, 1982 Oil on Masonite, 69.9cm x 69.9cm (framed) Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Collection. Gift of the Artist, 1994. Estate of Otto Beyer. Photo: KWAG.

It's not too late to register for this Thursday's Virtual Interpretation Training Session! Catherine Mellinger will guide you through the process of discussing your favourite KWAG artwork on video - sign up today to learn how it's done!

Treat your creative kid to a great art-making experience with Art Explorations! Our art class for kids ages 7-11 is going online with a four-week program of lessons inspired by life under the sea - sign up today for virtual classes starting Thursday 27 October: https://kwag.ca/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=365

2019 sure feels like a lifetime ago, but it was also a great year for KWAG with award-winning exhibitions like 'Post Script,' a great homecoming residency program with geetha thurairajah and exciting additions to our Permanent Collection. You can read all about it in our 2019 Annual Report, which is now available on our website. https://kwag.ca/content/about-us

Our partnership with The Resilience Project is still going strong - we look forward to working with them on their upcoming Youth Mural Project with virtual painting workshops lead by professional artist instructors including KWAG's own Stephen Lavigne! It's not too late to sign up for this free youth program starting next week:

Due to the ongoing challenges of this unprecedented and unpredictable year, we have decided to cancel our Black & Gold virtual gala event originally scheduled for Thursday 15 October. We will be issuing refunds to all ticket buyers shortly. We hope we can count on your support as we move forward with our online Art & Silent Auction starting from a new date to be announced for November 2020. This year's auction will be a great opportunity to bid on works of contemporary art by some of our region's most popular artists as well as great gifts and experiences, all while helping to raise funds for KWAG's educational programs both on-site and online. Now more than ever, your support is needed to help us continue to serve our community safely and remotely. Thank you for your understanding.

With the fall weather now rolling in, we're nearing the end of season for 'Planting one Another,' our re-planting of late Mi'kmaq artist Mike MacDonald's butterfly and medicine garden curated by Lisa Myers and planted in partnership with the Woodland Cultural Centre. This arrangement of native plants, sheltered beneath a canopy of European hops, has provided a happy home for bees and butterflies all summer long and will continue to inspire and educate us as its perennials settle down for a winter nap.

Final call for tomorrow's Outdoor Art Tour! A few spaces are still available for this physically-distanced guided walk through the artworks that live in the grounds surrounding KWAG including recent projects by Mike MacDonald and Raven Chacon. Sign up today to secure your spot!

We're putting our senior volunteers in the spotlight to share their interpretations of artworks from our Permanent Collection! Our upcoming video series will ask participants to provide video interpretation of their favourite work of art, and in preparation for this project we've invited artist and educator Catherine Mellinger to show you how it's done. Join us on Thursday 8 October for a Virtual Interpretation Training Session for older adults to learn how to create your own... interpretative script for an artwork. This free online workshop is also great preparation for delivering gallery tours. Visit kwag.ca/workshops to learn more and sign up today. This Seniors Supporting Seniors program is funded by the Government of Ontario. Gallery visitor with Jane Buyers, (Canadian, b. 1948), Chronicles #4, 2005. Etching and charcoal on paper, 67.5cm x 86.5cm. Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Collection. Gift of the Artist, 2018. Jane Buyers. Courtesy of the Artist. Photo: Mike Lalich.