April 12, 2015 from 3 to 5 pm
Join us on Sunday, April 12 from 3 to 5pm for a public info session and launch of the Ottawa Art Gallery’s new volunteer programming council, ArtWise, hosted by Stephanie Nadeau, OAG’s Curator of Public Engagement, and Ottawa-based artist and independent curator Petra Halkes.
Find out more about ArtWise, learn
how you can get involved, and help us celebrate the launch of this
exciting new initiative! Everyone of any age is welcome to attend. Join
the conversation, enjoy light refreshments, and explore newly installed
works in the Firestone Gallery.
What is ArtWise?
ArtWise is
an opportunity for older adults in the Ottawa region to connect with
their peers and collaborate on creating programming at the Ottawa Art
Gallery that reflects their interests, draws on their lived experience,
and promotes intergenerational engagement with the arts.
Many
people feel isolated from younger generations as they get older. This
feeling is often compounded by the fact that museums frequently plan and
present their programming in categories that silo audiences by age (youth, families, seniors etc). ArtWise aims
to provide an opportunity for older adults to actively create projects
and programs at the gallery that reflect their interests, while
collaborating with younger generations of artists, experts, and others
from diverse communities in the Ottawa region.
ArtWise will
meet regularly as a volunteer council to participate in discussions
about art, society, and the issues that matter most to the group.
Collaborating with gallery staff, local artists, and invited guests,
the ArtWise council will propose and initiate
programming, including lectures, exhibition projects, field trips,
workshops, events, art projects, and more.
How to get involved?
ArtWise is looking for volunteer members. Membership in ArtWise requires
a one-year commitment and is open to anyone who self-identifies as an
older adult in the Ottawa region, is interested in culture, or thinks
they could be. ArtWise aims to attract a broad range of
people who enjoy sharing their interests with others, in a supportive
and culturally inclusive environment. Simultaneous translation and
accessibility support is available for anyone who requests it.
>>Petra Halkes is an artist, writer and independent curator based in Ottawa. Halkes
has lived and worked in Ottawa since 1983. Through her independent local initiative Research in Art
(RIA), Halkes hosts a wide range of arts-based programming out of her Hintonburg home.
“There
is so much that generations can learn from each other, but in our
society, engaged interactions between older and younger people don’t
often happen naturally. It is something that is well worth working at.”- Petra Halkes, Ottawa-based artist and independent curator.
The Ottawa Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat.