Hi Everyone, 

February marks the 2022 Lunar New Year and a month-long of amplifying the histories, present-day Black experiences, significant contributions, achievements and aspirations of people of the African diaspora. 

On that note, to support colleagues in connecting with several activities taking place this month for both the Lunar New Year and Black history the following includes a list of events and resources, including AGO content. 

With best regards,

Cian

2022 Toronto Chinatown Lunar Year Celebration

• Live Lion Dance performance from 12 pm to 3 pm on Feb 5, 2022, from Huron Square to Chinatown Centre.
• Recorded Art-Making Workshop: Yue Moon: Tiger with Wings – Year of the Tiger Workshop with Paddy Leung
• Public Art Exhibition: Community co-created lanterns inspired by the traditional Chinese Palace Lantern design. Each panel showcases images of Chinatown’s histories, personal memories, and intentions for the new year to create an immersive, luminous outdoor experience during Lunar New Year celebrations. Located just beside Dragon City Mall and overlooking one of Chinatown’s latest public art murals produced by Wenting Li with STEPS.

Black History Month

AGO Content

• Exploring Black and Indigenous Futurisms – Presented in partnership with the AGO and the University of Toronto on February 28 from 6 pm to 8 pm. Register here.
• Talking Back and Together: Apanaki Temitayo (Oct 2021) – Presented in partnership with the AGO and Workman Arts to empower artists exploring mental health awareness and advocacy.
• Journey through historical and contemporary stories of the Caribbean by visiting Fragments of Epic Memory
• Check out the exhibition Out of Many by Toronto-based photographer Jorian Charlton exploring Jamaican-Canadian culture, and the installation Et La Lumière Fut (And There Was Light) by Moridja Kitenge Banza drawing on his complex feelings around identity and migration as a member of the African diaspora.

Free Webinars

• We Belong Here: Healing From Racial Micro-Inequities and Trauma in the Workplace with Bhasin Consulting and special guest racial inclusion expert Minda Harts on February 14 from 4 pm to 5 pm. This webinar will lead an in-depth, no-holds-barred Q&A discussion with Minda. Register here. 
• Queering Black Leadership – On February 8 at 2 pm join the Enchanté Network for a panel discussion on leadership from a Black 2SLGBTQI+ perspective. Panellists will explore their experiences with leadership, including how the 2SLGBTQI+ sector can support Black 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Register here.

Virtual Exhibitions

• Derailed (Nov 2021- April 2023) – The History of Black Railway Porters in Canada, a multimedia exhibition produced by Myseum in collaboration with author/scholar Cecil Foster.
• Performances by Randell, Dynesti & Esie Mensah, and Tracey Kayy (2022) – Holt Renfrew partnership with R.I.S.E. and Randell Adjei, Ontario’s first Poet Laureate, to showcase pieces that speak to the Black experience from unique perspectives.
• Brought In Bondage: Enslaved Blacks in the Town of York (Toronto) Downtown Walking Tour (2020) – Developed in partnership by Myseum and the Ontario Black History Society
• Black Art Matters – The Art Canada Institute celebrates the work of fourteen Black Canadian artists – historical and contemporary – to help disrupt how art history has obscured and overlooked artists who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour. 

Virtual Events

The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre – Virtual Black History Lecture Series:

• The Daily Grind: Records of Freedom Seekers in St. Catharines – February 10, 2022, at 11 am – 12 pm. Register here.
• Tracing the Tracks of the Underground Railroad (2020) 
• Ontario’s Racially Segregated Schools w/ Natasha Henry (2020)

Recorded Panel Conversations

• National Black Communities Arts and Culture Round Table Talk, (Sept 2021) This talk, hosted by Craig Wellington of the Black Opportunity Fund and moderated by Karen Carter co-founder of BAND Gallery, showcases the different challenges and opportunities Black artists across Canada. Panelists include Gaëtane Verna, Stephanie Allen, Delvina Bernard, Dominique Fontaine, and Belinda Uwase and guest commentators, Dr. Julie Crooks, David Woods, Angela Cassie, Nadia Rousseau and Josh T. Robertson.
• Designing Leadership in a Time of Change (2021)  This talk, hosted by the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, is a discussion on Black leadership in the arts and culture sectors.

Podcasts

• Get Hired Up: Episode 25 | Tackling racism in the workplace—for organizations committed to improving racial and ethnic justice with Dr. Afua Cooper is a multi-award-winning and celebrated speaker, scholar, historian, author, poet, performer, and social and cultural commentator for organizations worldwide committed to building diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
• Black on the Prairies, CBC – podcast and interactive website

TV Show

The Porter, CBC Gem – Season 1 of The Porter premieres February 21 at 9 pm on CBC and CBC Gem.