Video: Alyssa Fearon, Curating and the Diaspora
On Thursday, February 6th at 7pm, Plug In ICA presented Curating and the Diaspora, a talk by curator Alyssa Fearon. Envisioning a public art institution that prioritizes the perspectives of historically under-represented communities, Alyssa discussed her curatorial practice and how it relates to the context of the Canadian Prairies. Having moved from Toronto to take on the position of curator at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (AGSM) in Brandon, Alyssa is interested in cultural policies and structures and how they produce and/or limit the conditions in which arts communities thrive. Using an approach to curatorial work that incorporates collaboration, social practice, and Afro-diasporic knowledge systems, Alyssa considered how this framework can be used to reimagine the role of the institution in supporting critical artistic exploration. She also discussed upcoming programming at the AGSM, with plans to focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) women/non-binary artists of the Prairies in 2020. Alyssa’s talk, Curating and the Diaspora, was part of Plug In’s Respondent Series, and engaged our exhibition, NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism by Hyphen-Labs, to discuss the impact such programming can have in relation to Alyssa’s curatorial strategies and vision.
Alyssa Fearon is a curator, educator and arts worker. She currently holds the position of Curator at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in Brandon, Manitoba and recently began as Co-Lead of the Equity and Diversity working group at the Canadian Arts Coalition, a volunteer-run policy research group. In 2018, she was curator of the inaugural Scarborough zone of Nuit Blanche Toronto. Alyssa has also held positions at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Independent Curators International, and has taught at the University of Toronto Scarborough, York University, and Brandon University. She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and an MA Art History from York University. She is a Salzburg Global Fellow.
Associated Programming:
Solo Exhibition | NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism by Hyphen-Labs | January 24 – March 22, 2020
