Canadian Art Gallery Educators Annual Conference:
Future Shaping
WAG-Qaumajuq in Winnipeg, Manitoba
June 13-15, 2024
Educators working in contemporary art galleries and museums play key roles in how institutions connect with their audiences. Exhibitions fuel our critical discussions regarding equity, social justice, colonialism, mental health and the environment. Come join the conversation this year in Treaty 1 territory (Winnipeg) to learn how you can contribute to transformation in your community.
Keynote Speaker: Andrea Fatona
Excavating Blackness: Making Visible Black Canadian Curatorial and Cultural Histories
Fatona will discuss her current research at the Centre for the Study of Black Canadian Diaspora at OCAD University. The goal of the research is to make visible and provide access to Black Canadian curatorial histories that have been excluded from, or marginalized within dominant narratives of Canadian art. She will discuss the work being undertaken at the Centre to build a dynamic online platform to house curatorial projects by/about Black Canadian spanning the period of 1987- the present. At its core, the research is rooted in a social justice approach to the study of culture, art, and art education.
Andrea Fatona is an independent curator and an associate professor at OCAD University (OCAD U). Her research and curatorial practices are concerned with issues of equity within the sphere of the arts and the pedagogical possibilities of art works produced by ‘other’ Canadians in articulating broader perspectives of Canadian identities. She is the recipient of awards from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Fatona is a Canada Research Chair, Tier II in Black Canadian Cultural Production, OCAD U.
REGISTER
Registration Costs
Hotel Information
The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre
With a stay at The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre, Ascend Hotel Collection, you’ll be centrally located in Winnipeg, within a 10-minute walk of WAG-Qaumajuq, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Forks Market.
Reserve a Room link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/SV45I8
Schedule
Wednesday, June 12th: Arrival
6:00 pm: Pre-Conference Dinner & Drinks
Oval Room Brassarie in Fort Garry Hotel (optional)
Thursday, June 13th: Conference Opening
8:30 am: Doors open/Registration Opens at WAG-Qaumajuq
9:00-9:30 am: Welcome Reception & Introduction with Rachel Baerg, CAGE Senior Chair and WAG-Qaumajuq Head of Education and Public Programs
9:30-10:30 am: Keynote Address by Andrea Fatona
10:30-10:45 am: 15 min Break
10:45-11:45 am: Break Out & Reflection session
11:45 am-1:00 pm: Lunch (on your own)
1:00-2:35 pm: Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)- Qaumajuq Presentation & Tour
2:45-3:15 pm: Visit to Plug In institute of Contemporary Art
3:25-4:15 pm: Collaborative Collage in the Studios
6:00 pm: Dinner at the Commons at the Forks (on your own)
Friday, June 14th
9:00-9:45 am: Case Study #1: (Tea)chings: Indigenous-Centred Programming
10:00-11:30 am: Wall Hanging workshop with Inuit artist, Goota Ashoona
11:30-12:15 pm: Lunch (on your own)
12:15-1:15 pm: CAGE Executive AGM
1:15-3:00 pm: Case Studies #2 & #3: Regina Arts Youth Network & Art Rounds: Using VTS with an Interdisciplinary Healthcare team
3:00-3:30 pm: 30 min Break
3:30-4:30 pm: Hot Topics
6:00 pm: Dinner at FEAST Cafe Bistro (on your own)
Saturday, June 15th
9:30-11:00 am: Guided tour at Canadian Museum for Human Rights
11:00 am-12:30 pm: Lunch (on your own)
1:00-2:00 pm: Self-Guided Art Tour at Forks
3:00-4:00 pm: Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery
4:00-6:00 pm: Dinner & Farewell Drinks at (on your own)
*Please note: This schedule is subject to change.
Case Studies
(Tea)chings: Indigenous-Centred Programming
The (Tea)chings space at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia hosts artwork created through Indigenous-centred programming by community members of all ages. Artist, educator, and curator, Aiden Gillis, will share stories about the workshops, community collaborations, and the pedagogies that were intertwined into three projects’ approaches.
Aiden Gillis is a visual artist and curator based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, NS) on Mi’kma’ki (Mi’kmaq Territory), with Mi’kmaw and French roots in Western Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). Gillis grew up primarily on Wolastokuk (Maliseet Territory) in New Brunswick. Gillis is the Indigenous Arts Programmer at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, supporting both the arts education and curatorial departments. Gillis serves on the Board of Directors for the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and is an Executive Committee Member for the Canadian Art Gallery Educators. In 2017, he completed a BFA with a minor in Art History at NSCAD University.
Regina Arts Youth Network
Educators Ken Duczek and Sarah Pitman will present on the learnings and outcomes from the youth-led program RAYN (Regina Arts Youth Network), a partnership between Dunlop Art Gallery and MacKenzie Art Gallery. Regina Arts Youth Network is a workshop series that invites local youth to collaboratively lead 12, 2-hour sessions with support from staff. This inquiry-based methodology aims to foster skills in leadership, collaboration, inquiry, and lifelong learning in an accessible, welcoming, and supportive environment. Youth engage in experiences with art gallery operations, museum education, program planning, contemporary art and artists, and art making practices and techniques.
Ken Duczek
As an educator and current Coordinator of Learning Initiatives for the MacKenzie Art Gallery, located on Treaty 4 Territory, Ken Duczek (he/him) has toured exhibitions of original art extensively throughout Saskatchewan. His passion for sharing and creating art with people has led to approximately 800 community visits, 7200 exhibition tours, and engagement with well over 200,000 participants. Currently, he has been given the opportunity to design and deliver a variety of inclusive programs that span generations. Ken loves to encourage people to pursue their creativity as they grow as makers and contributors in their community.
Sarah Pitman
Sarah Pitman (She/Her) is Arts Educator at Dunlop Art Gallery and is an artist living on Treaty 4 Territory, Regina, Saskatchewan. She works with a variety of mediums such as sculpture, photography, collage, fibre arts, and mixed media. Sarah is passionate about exploring community, collaboration, accessibility, communication, and healing through artmaking. She believes that art is for everyone and has the power to break boundaries and change lives.
Art Rounds: Using VTS with an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team
The Neurodevelopmental Health department of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and the National Gallery of Canada collaborated to deliver Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) sessions to approximately 150 interdisciplinary staff with the goal of improving observation skills, critical thinking abilities, empathy, communication, and interpersonal skills. Recognizing an opportunity to learn from this experience, we measured the impacts that participants described in self-assessment pre and post surveys. In this session for CAGE, we will share how participants’ perceptions of their observational skills changed after using VTS with works of art and reflect on the value of museum-health care collaborations to strengthen community connections.
Andrea Gumpert (She/Her | Elle) Educator, Learning and Community Engagement, National Gallery of Canada
Jessica Remedios (She/Her | Elle) Clinical Coordinator, Professional Practice Lead- Applied Behaviour Analysis, Neurodevelopmental Health, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)Jessica is the Professional Practice Lead for Applied Behaviour Analysis at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). She has worked in the healthcare sector for over 15 years. She works with CHEO’s Neurodevelopmental Health department, an interdisciplinary team that provides neurodiverse children and youth with personalized care. As part of her role, Jessica develops the training curriculum for 180 staff. She is particularly interested in fostering collaboration and constructive exchange in a large interdisciplinary team.
