The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutDSD-19-274 - 2018 Artist In Residence CommissionREPORT TO: Community & InfrastructureServices Committee DATE OF MEETING:December 9, 2019 SUBMITTED BY: Cory Bluhm, Executive Director, Economic Development, 519-741-2200 ext. 7065 PREPARED BY:Karoline Varin, Program Administrator, Arts & Creative Industries, 519-741-2200 ext. 7912 WARD (S) INVOLVED:All DATE OF REPORT:November 1, 2019 REPORT NO.:DSD-19-274 SUBJECT:2018 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE COMMISSION ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION:That the commissioningand installation of art work by the City’s 2018Artist-in-Residence, Sumaira Tazeenbe approved; and further, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the Artist-in-Residence 2018 Commission Agreement with Sumaira Tazeen, subject to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor. B ACKGROUND: Sincethe inception of the Artist in Residence program in 1995, the Artist in Residence has customarily developed a proposal for a commissioned art work to be added to the City’s ‘Artist in Residence Collection.’ Aspart of the annual program, a commission proposal isconsidered by the Public Art Working Group. LiLearn more about the City of Kitchener's Artist in Residenceprogram nk: Artist in Residenceart works have been installed in the public areas of City Hall and in various city-owned facilities such as community centres. The works reflect the creative work undertaken by the artist during theirterm of appointment. The majority are two-dimensional works of painting, photography or prints. There are a few sculptural works as well. SumairaTazeenwas appointed by Council to be the 2018Artist in Residence (CAO-18-002). Her year-long residencywastitled Healing and Surviving: Sabz Bagh (The grass is greener). During her residency, Ms. Tazeen reached out to the community with a focus on engaging immigrant women of colourliving in the Waterloo region. Her work encouraged participants to share stories of their life journeys. Ms. Tazeen approached the art-making process as an opportunity to create inclusive and therapeutic experiences that would support self-confidence, and participant’s adjustment to resettlement. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance. 7 - 1 REPORT: Ms.Tazeen’sart practice investigatesthediscourse of how traumatic events can disrupt one’s identity. She draws on sources of symbolism from nature, land, religion, politics and historical and cultural events. As a newcomer to Canada, and a female artist in the Muslim South Asian diaspora, Ms. Tazeenexplores narratives on socialissues of displacement, alienation and belongingas related to the newcomer’s journey. Ms.Tazeenled a seriesofparticipatorycreativeworkshopsatVictoriaHillsCommunityCentre tocreate a collaborativeneedlecraftandtextilework(AppendixA). Overthespanoffive weeks, participantshadtheopportunitytocreateartusingvariousmediain a relaxedandwelcoming setting.Formany,thiswas a rareopportunitytobondthrough commonexperiencesandfocus onpersonalfulfillment. For some participants, thiswastheirfirstexperienceofart- making,and a timetopursuetheirowninterestsoutsideoftheireverydayresponsibilities. Theparticipants alsorecordeddeeplypersonaloralstoriesthatconveyedtheircomplexfeelingsabout immigration,thetraumatheyexperiencedalongtheway, andthehopeandthejoyofarrivingat a placeofsafetyandstability. The commission artworkis constructed frompiecesoffabricsimilarinstructuretotapestries calledRallis. A Ralliis a traditionalquiltmadebywomenintheruralareasofsoutheastern Pakistan andwesternIndia.Thecoloursanddesignsreferencetheshared storiespassedfrom womantowomanduringthemakingoftheRalli. Inthecaseofthetextilecreatedbythe participantsinMs.Tazeen’sgroup, theembroidered irisflowerbecomesthesymbolofhope, courageandfriendship. All theworks created during Ms. Tazeen’sresidencywere displayed in apublic exhibition at City Hall during the month of December2018.Staff at Victoria Hills Community Centre have identified the foyer of the centreas the site: accessible and visible toall visitors - including the workshop participants who are also users of the facility. The Public Art Working Group (PAWG) supported the acquisition of this commissioned work at its meeting held on May 13, 2019. PAWG’s motion was forwarded to the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) for further support, which it received onJune 18, 2019as follows: “That 2018 Artist in Residence Sumaira Tazeen’s commission proposal for the artwork titled Unkahi (Stories Untold) – a multi media tapestry – to be installed at Victoria Hills Community Centre, be accepted.” The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The commission of $2,000 is fully funded from the Public Art Reserve Fund. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. 7 - 2 CONSULT – As a permanent subcommittee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, the Public Art Working Group provides oversight forthe Artist in Residence program. The committee is a specialist working group whose members include, but are not limited to visual artists, curators, gallery administrators, educators, architects, urban planners, cultural workers and community activists. They review all public art proposals, including Artist in Residence commissions and provide recommendations supported by their expertise and engagement with the community. COLLABORATE – The Artist in Residence program requires the artist to offer a programwith meaningful opportunities for community engagement. In addition to facilitating the aforementioned workshops withnewcomers, Ms. Tazeen delivered a series of interactive art activities during family and cultural events.She took part in Feminist Fridaysseriesholding a workshop at Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, in the Multicultural and Kultrun festivals, and Discovery Square thereby involving people of different genders, ages and cultural backgrounds. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager DSD 7 - 3 APPENDIX A Sumaira Tazeen 2018Artist in Residence CommissionProposal Title:Unkahi ( StoriesUntold) CarbontransferandEmbroideryon fabric 119cm x 107cm / 4ft x 3.5ft(Approx.) 2018 A collaborative artpiececreatedby Ms.Tazeenandfemaleimmigrantsin KitcheneratVictoriaHillsCommunity Centreduringherresidencyas2018 ArtistinResidencefortheCityof Kitchener. Artist statement: Ms.Tazeeninvestigatesthe conceptual discourse ofhowtraumatic eventsdisrupttheidentity construct. Identifyingas a MuslimSouthAsian womanandtrainedinminiature paintingand stitch craftsin Pakistan, she drawsfrom a widerangeof symbolismsourcesfromnature,land, religion,politicsandhistoricaland culturalevents.Sheseekstosubvert traditionalboundariesofartpracticesthroughexperimentationwith scale, mediums,and materialsandcreateobjectsthatprojectdualities.As a femaleartistinthediaspora, she exploresnarrativeson social issues thatareimportanttoher, suchasdisplacement, abuse,alienationandbelonging. CommissionBackground: Thepieceproposedforthe commission, is a textilework - a culminationof a fiveweek long(10hour)workshopseriesconductedbySumaira withnewcomerwomenat VictoriaHillsCommunityCentreinKitchener. The workshop series was one of a number of the events that Ms. Tazeenfacilitated during her residency with the goal of providing a platform for an open dialogue about cultural identity, displacement and belonging.During the residency,Ms. Tazeen asked thepublic 7 - 4 to consider the complex, and at times contradictory, emotions experienced by newcomers. Theworkshopwasspecificallydesignedtoengagewithfemaleimmigrants. Tenwomen ofdifferentcountriesoforigin,includingChina,Jordan,SaudiArabia,Syria,Sudan, MalaysiaandPakistan,facingchallengesinadjustingtotheirnewhomeland,participated. Thesewomenwereengagedinvariousformsofhands-on,creativeexpression (such as drawingandpainting) andsharedstoriesofcommonexperiencesduringthecreationof thepiece.Someoftheexperiencestheysharedwererelatedtothechange of cultural customs, forexamplehavingdomestichelpbackhomeversusdoingallthehousework themselves, finding a schoolfortheirchild, orfinding a grocerystorethatcarriesfamiliar fooditems. Someexperiencedmomentsofanger andfrustrationduringtheprocessof resettlement.Thesesharingandmakingactivitiesculminatedin a largeembroidered tapestrywhichMs.Tazeenassembledandcompletedwith a layerofcarbontransfer marks. The Victoria Hills Community Centre is the proposed site for the displayof the artwork. 7 - 5 7 - 6 7 - 7 7 - 8