The Vancouver Art Gallery presents Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment, a major exhibition gathering more than 200 works of art by a generation of extraordinary painters, photographers, weavers, bead workers and sculptors.
Focusing on the 1920s, 30s and 40s, Uninvited foregrounds the production of women artists from across the country, providing a broad and diverse account of female creativity in Canada during this pivotal modern moment a century ago.
In this monumental exhibition, organized by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, audiences will see the work of women from all parts of our nation as they respond to a period of dramatic, and sometimes traumatic, change. Rather than pursuing the calling of landscape painting prevalent among their male peers, settler women artists in this period are notable for tackling such themes as portraiture and human psychology, urbanization, industrialized resource extraction, Indigenous culture and displacement, environment desecration and the immigrant experience.
“The women artists in this period were basically looking at everything that their male colleagues were not,” says McMichael Chief Curator Sarah Milroy. “The settler women artists saw a nation in flux and went out of their way to respond to those changes. As well, they came to their art careers not through commercial illustration but through education in many of the leading art schools in North America and Europe. The work they made really shows that sophistication and sensitivity to traditions in Western art — if only to defy them.”
The exhibition includes artwork by members of the Beaver Hall Group of painters of Montréal, Québec (among them Anne Savage and Lilias Torrance Newton), shown alongside the paintings of artist Emily Carr, from Victoria, British Columbia, and sculptures by Toronto-based artists Elizabeth Wyn Wood, Frances Loring and Florence Wyle.
Uninvited importantly features work by a number of Indigenous women from this period as well, including Attatsiaq of Arviat, Nunavut; Sewinchelwet (Sophie Frank) of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation); Mi’kmaq quill box maker Bridget Ann Sack of Shubenacadie, NS; and Rose Runner of the Tsuut’ina First Nation, near Calgary, Alberta.
Attatsiaq, Tuilik (woman’s parka) panel, 1926–37,
Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, Collection of Winifred
Petchey Marsh and Bishop Donald Marsh, Photo:
Craig Boyko
The contributions of women from immigrant communities are also highlighted, including the work of painters Regina Seiden Goldberg and Paraskeva Clark, as well as that of Canadian expatriates such as avant-garde photographer Margaret Watkins, who left her home in Hamilton, Ontario, for the United States and Scotland.
The title of the exhibition—Uninvited—primarily refers to the all-male membership of the Group of Seven (no women artists were invited to join the group), as well as the masculinist mythology surrounding the Group of Seven and the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in the history of modernist art in Canada.
“Uninvited is a monumental exhibition. The sheer breadth of work by artists from all parts of Canada is unforgettable, and the themes explored are central to questioning what the dominant narrative of Canadian art is and where it comes from,” said Anthony Kiendl, CEO and Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery. “This remarkable exhibition truly demonstrates the talent of women artists across Canada.”
Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment is organized and circulated by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection with the exceptional support of the National Gallery of Canada and is curated by Sarah Milroy.
The exhibition was originally conceived to coincide with, and comment on, the centenary of founding of the all-male Group of Seven. The concept for the exhibition grew out of the recognition of a gap in many museums collecting practices, which predominantly feature work by male artists from the first half of the twentieth century.
Downtown New West is bringing people back together with the return of their legendary free block party series, Fridays on Front, starting July 8, 2022.
They’ll be fully licensed in partnership with Steel & Oak and Pacific Breeze Winery, and Family Place will be offering a variety of fun free kids activities. Artisan vendors from New West Craft will rotate week to week, as well as local musicians curated by Bully’s Studios and U.C.A.S.S., Front Street businesses and food trucks.
Beer and wine will be available between 5:00pm and 8:30pm only, bar token sales end at 8:20pm sharp. Purchase your bar tokens first then head to one of two bars to redeem them (credit card preferred, cash accepted). You must be 19+ and provide 2 pieces of valid ID upon request to purchase bar tokens. No outside alcoholic beverages permitted. Intoxicated persons may not enter/will be removed from the event area . Beer and wine tokens are NON REFUNDABLE but valid for all 6 event dates
Food vendors will include Downtown delights like Donuteria and Gastronomia, and flavours from Fiji, Malaysia, Japan, Mexico, and more. Grab a bite, browse through the beautiful goodies from vendors and enjoy live music as you walk amidst the refreshing riverfront breeze and scenic views.
Admission is completely FREE and it all takes place just a quick 5-minute walk from both Columbia Station and New West Station. Follow Downtown New West on Facebook for the latest news and updates.
This year’s 5X Festival celebrations have just been super-sized with a free kickoff event added to the lineup this coming weekend. The festival celebrates the best of South Asian music, art, and creativity June 11-17, 2022 starting with a Blockparty and followed by the free community celebration, the infamous Art Party, a night of storytelling with 5X Podcasts, and culminating with 5X Pride.
5X Festival Lineup
5X Blockparty Saturday, June 11 from 11:30am to 6:00pm at Holland Park
Tickets include concert access, an array of food vendors, art installations, a merchandise area and the finest brown escapist experience you’ve ever encountered. Tickets are available online for $30.
5X Reopening Celebration Saturday, June 11 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Holland Park
Featuring viral Jalebi-baby sensation Tesher, local super-producer Intense, JUNO Award winner DJ Shub, the iconic Delhi 2 Dublin, and various other personalities and community heroes, this free community event will take place immediately after the 5X Blockparty.
5X Art Party Sunday, June 12 from 4:00pm to 10:00pm @ Beaumont Studios, Vancouver
The hottest South Asian art event of the year. The 5X Art Party is home to all the coolest movers and shakers, creators and creatives the lower mainland has to offer. Sold out every year so get your tickets now, they’re available online for $30.
5X Podcasts: The Power of Storytelling Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm @ Decibel Warehouse, Surrey
5X is the essential festival and digital community elevating South Asian youth culture. Run year-round by a young team of activists and thought leaders from Surrey, 5X Fest is the organization’s flagship event. Championing the best of South Asian music, art and culture for millennial and Gen Z audiences, the festival brings the liberated spaces of social media into a real, physical experience. For more information and updates about the 5X Festival, follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
Vancouver Pride Society (“VPS”) has announced its full schedule for the 2022 season. The organization has planned a variety of signature and partnered events spanning a mostly in-person lineup with digital experiences for those who choose to experience Pride differently amid COVID-19 safety measures.
This year’s festival is themed Together Againand is meant to highlight the excitement and importance of 2SLGBTQAI+ communities taking up space and gathering for in-person, community-focused events once more. Programming will run throughout the city for nearly two months beginning today, June 6. The dedicated Vancouver Pride Week, with signature events including the Vancouver Pride Parade and Sunset Beach Festival, will take place from July 21 to August 1, 2022.
“It’s been three years since we’ve had our major in-person Pride events in Vancouver for a variety of reasons,” said Lee Keple, Interim Executive Director of VPS. “COVID-19 has presented a number of challenges for event organizers like us as well as the 2SLGBTQAI+ communities that we serve. To have our signature programming safely return to Vancouver, to see these communities coming together again to celebrate Pride—it’s something we’ve been waiting for and working towards for a long time.”
VPS’s first signature event, East Side Pride will take place later this month on June 25 in Grandview Park. Attendees can look forward to this free, all ages experience featuring an array of diverse performances, 2SLGBTQAI+ community vendors, as well as food and drink trucks. In the evening, celebrations will continue in partnership with Do604 at Thrive With Pride, the official after party at Fox Cabaret. At this 19+ event, local shining stars will grace the stage to perform musical numbers, drag and more.
Vancouver’s Pride Parade will take place in downtown Vancouver on July 31. The organization is delighted to announce this year’s Grand Marshals are Annie Ohana, an educator and community activist with a background in organizing and anti-oppression work; Emperor Victor the Victorious and Empress Fancy Pants representing the Dogwood Monarchist Society, a not-for-profit organization tasked with providing social interaction in Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQAI+ community, and Kristen Rivers (tiyaltelut) a member of Squamish Nation Council and a strong advocate for women and 2SLGBTQAI+ rights. All Grand Marshals were selected through a public nomination process.
During Pride week in July, VPS has a stacked lineup of programming outside of the parade. Some highlights include an online discussion of queer history rooted in what’s colonially known as Vancouver, a series of partnered lounges that will pop up throughout the city with a brand new location set for Granville Island, and the return of Drag Deliveries—a drag road crew taking the streets of Vancouver to perform trivia and giveaways.
The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver (“CHV”). Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV. This month’s post has been written by Jason Bosher.
Covenant House Vancouver Celebrates Pride Month
Happy Pride Month, everyone!
Although considered by many as a celebration, it is important to remember that the origins of Pride began with an uprising against oppression and discrimination.
What is considered Pride Month in Canada and the US, had its beginning in June of 1969 with the Stonewall Riots in New York City.
Canada has its own rich history in the struggle to attain LGBTQ+ rights. Here are some notable events in Canada’s Pride history:
May 14, 1969, Decriminalization of homosexuality
August 28, 1971, first gay rights protest—citizens from Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto gathered at Parliament Hill. A small group in Vancouver protested at Robson Square
August 1, 1973, Pride Week emerges with a shift to gay liberation—celebrated in many cities including Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg. This event was the shift from a Homophile Movement to the concept of gay pride
August 1, 1981, Vancouver’s first official Pride Parade
May 17, 1990, WHO remove homosexuality from the disorder list
July 27, 1990, the contemporary term Two Spirit (niizh manidoowag) is coined
July 20, 2005, Bill C-38 became federal law, which gives same-sex couples the legal right to marry
February 8, 2010, British Columbia hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, and for the first time, the games included the Pride House for LGBTQ+ athletes
LGBTQAI2S+ Youth and Homelessness
Understanding why certain communities of youth are overrepresented in the homeless population, is an imperative first step in finding ways to best serve and support them.
Covenant House Vancouver strives to be inclusive and supportive to both staff and youth that we serve. Covenant House Vancouver’s Rainbow Advisory Committee is made up of staff members from each department in the agency. They are dedicated ensuring that we use best practices to serve our LGBTQAI2S+ youth and that we continue to enhance our spaces, policies, procedures, and programs.
Here are a few ways to show your Pride this month:
Learn more about the history and importance of Pride. There is a myriad of resources online, at the library, and through organizations in your community. Pflag Canada (a national charity to help family members understand and accept their LGBTQAI2S+ children) is just one example
Converse—share your knowledge or experiences. Be an ear for someone who is reaching out
Participate in and/or celebrate Pride events. Several cities across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley celebrate Pride at different times throughout the summer
Show Youth Your Pride
If you would like to show your Pride by supporting the youth that Covenant House Vancouver serves, their Match Campaign is on now! Every dollar donated will be matched, thanks to the estate of Mr. Roman Babicki. Donate today and double your impact.
