Join Curator Jason Cyrus and special guests for this online series of talks on topics connected to the exhibition History Is Rarely Black or White.

Julie Crooks and Nigel Lezama join Jason Cyrus to explore the use of style to both affirm one's personhood and challenge oppression. Together they examine archival tintypes, contemporary portraiture, and Victorian cotton clothing to shine a light on clothing's important role in constructing Black identity.

Join Curator Jason Cyrus and special guests for this online series of talks on topics connected to the exhibition History Is Rarely Black or White.

The global thirst for cotton was fueled by the atrocities of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Anna Arabindan Kesson will join History Is Rarely Black or White curator Jason Cyrus and conservator Anne-Marie Guérin to discuss the ways in which they harnessed science, conservation, and historical research to spotlight the Black life at the core of the Victorian cotton industry.

Slow down! Deeply observe works of art in Humour Me. Guided by a community facilitator, this contemplation practice allows for relaxation and new insights. Part of Agnes’s Wellness Program.

Caricature is a powerful art form that uses exaggeration and humour to convey social and political meaning. Humour Me traces the development of caricature, across several cultures and centuries, as a tool in dismantling power structures. While recognizing that caricature could be harmful in the reinforcement of stereotypes, this exhibition focusses on caricature that turns hierarchy on its head. The juxtaposition of opposites enabled caricaturists to vividly express ideas in rapid fashion. Through caricature, artists satirized politicians, wealthy urbanites, religious authorities and fashion trends, as well as themselves and their colleagues. The show highlights works by a number of the greatest practitioners of this art form, including William Hogarth, Thomas Rowlandson, Paul Gavarni, Honoré Daumier and Elmer Boyd Smith. It also features self-reflective caricatures by Emily Carr, Pablo Picasso and John Young Johnstone. By bringing together a selection of engaging works on paper from Agnes’s Canadian and European collections, this exhibition offers a stimulating overview of caricature’s toppling history.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Iva Speers Fund for Art Education.

Art Hive @Agnes is online! Join this creative community and make time for yourself to recharge and get inspired! Artmaking is innately therapeutic and Art Hive invites you to experiment and play as you explore the artistic process. If you are looking for more guidance, our art therapist and facilitator is present to support your creative journey by offering inspired thematic projects. Art Hive @Agnes addresses themes of empowerment, wellness and self-care while fostering a safe space and a sense of community. This weekly program is free and projects are designed to use materials you already have on hand. No artistic experience is necessary.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Birks Family Foundation.

Facilitator Biography:

Harper Johnston, BA, B.Ed, MFA, DTATI has over thirty years of experience working as an arts educator with adults, adolescents and children. She is a professional art therapist, a play therapy intern and is currently completing the requisite hours to become a Registered Psychotherapist. Harper also worked in film for many years as a stills photographer and camera assistant. Her film work, primarily with the C.B.C. and the National Film Board, took her all over the world. Harper has received numerous arts council grants and her photography has been shown across the country. She also has work in the Canada Council’s Art Bank permanent collection. 

 Harper has been facilitating Art Hive @Agnes since January 2019.

Art Hive @Agnes is online! Join this creative community and make time for yourself to recharge and get inspired! Artmaking is innately therapeutic and Art Hive invites you to experiment and play as you explore the artistic process. If you are looking for more guidance, our art therapist and facilitator is present to support your creative journey by offering inspired thematic projects. Art Hive @Agnes addresses themes of empowerment, wellness and self-care while fostering a safe space and a sense of community. This weekly program is free and projects are designed to use materials you already have on hand. No artistic experience is necessary.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Birks Family Foundation.

Facilitator Biography:

Harper Johnston, BA, B.Ed, MFA, DTATI has over thirty years of experience working as an arts educator with adults, adolescents and children. She is a professional art therapist, a play therapy intern and is currently completing the requisite hours to become a Registered Psychotherapist. Harper also worked in film for many years as a stills photographer and camera assistant. Her film work, primarily with the C.B.C. and the National Film Board, took her all over the world. Harper has received numerous arts council grants and her photography has been shown across the country. She also has work in the Canada Council’s Art Bank permanent collection. 

 Harper has been facilitating Art Hive @Agnes since January 2019.