WINNIPEG, MB – The Art Building Community Symposium (ABC) will launch dynamic and exciting new works by internationally acclaimed Mexican artist Minerva Cuevas along with 11 local artists during the week of May 5, 2008, leading up to an interdisciplinary art symposium from May 9-11, 2008 on the UWinnipeg campus. ABC is sponsored by The University of Winnipeg Institute for Women’s & Gender Studies, Global College and Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA) and is open to the public.
ABC creates an open canvass for artistic expression and activism fueled by art with the underlying belief that art is the engaging medium for critical discussions on pressing issues including poverty, the impacts of colonization, gender and racial inequalities and the need to develop compassionate and caring communities.
The symposium highlights new work by internationally recognized Mexican artist Minerva Cuevas.
“Minerva is an extraordinarily prolific artist,” said Roewan Crowe, Academic Director, Institute for Women’s & Gender Studies and Symposium Curator. “She has been all over the world, creating art in many different contexts. Her international perspective to our dialogue and understanding brings an invaluable global experience that will contribute to creative strategies and learning with local artists, activists and curators that our local communities will benefit from.”
Cuevas’ portfolio includes political and social interventions, compelling videos and photographic work. She irreverently and cleverly tampers with corporate and government identities and makes bold political-creative work that disrupts political and visual economies. She has created site-specific interventions take place in a range of settings from the internet to museums to the cultural commons.
The other new works by local artists Pat Aylesworth, Liz Garlicki, Cheyenne Henry, Kristin Nelson, Suzie Smith, Kathryn MacKenzie, Kerri-Lynn Reeves, Nicole Shimonek and Becky Thiessen are also featured for the symposium. Their artwork represents a range of community, interventionist, cultural animation and new public genre art practices that will engage the community in discussion, involvement and change.
Also included in the program are the critically acclaimed, dynamic performance duo, Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, performing their new work, Unruly on Saturday, May 10, 2008. Toronto artist, writer and activist Robin Pacific will be addressing the complications and challenges of community art practices throughout the weekend.
For ABC Symposium schedule and artist bios please visit: http://www.mawa.ca/artbuildingcommunity.
To register for the Symposium please go to:
http://www.mawa.ca/artbuildingcommunity/registration.html. The Symposium Fee is $65, which includes all meals and the Saturday night performance by Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan. (Full and partial bursaries are available if the fee is prohibitive to your attendance and participation. To inquire about a bursary please contact Roewan Crowe at r.crowe@uwinnipeg.ca.)
The symposium is generously supported by the Winnipeg Arts Council, The Winnipeg Foundation and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through a partnership with the University of Winnipeg’s Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies of the Global College.
